Cassell Military Classics: The Last Days of Hitler: Legend, Evidence and Truth

by Anton Joachimsthaler

Book Overview

Did Hitler perish in the bunker? Despite thousands of pages of evidence and years of investigation, the mystery of the Fuehrer's final hours has remained intriguing and puzzling--until now. After... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0304354538
• ISBN13: 9780304354535
• Release Date: June 2004
• Publisher: Cassell
• Length: 332 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.1" x 7.8"

Customer Reviews

A Detailed Account of the End...

It is a more objective book (compilation) then others on the subject of Hitler's final days in the Berlin Bunker. This book offers a re-examination of the evidence. The author seeks and corrects many of the numerous myths and inaccuracies. It includes the testimony given by bunker eyewitnesses in the West German Federal Court proceeding as to Hitler's death that lasted from 1952 to 1956. Further, the highlights of the Bavarian Criminal Investigation Office report is included along with much discussion of the different versions of Hitler's gunshot wound. The last chapter (8) should be noted as it discusses Eva Braun and SS General Fegelein's friendship. Most authors and witnesses agree a friendship was present between the two but the author here adds speculation and surmise that it may have been more. The chapter is not convincing as to that hypothesis. The chapter is a weak spot in an otherwise good book that is highly footnoted and has a lengthy bibliography.

A Very Detailed Compilation...

It is a more objective book (compilation) then the others on the subject of Hitler's last days in the Bunker. This book offers a careful re-examination of the evidence; it seeks and corrects many of the numerous myths and inaccuracies. It includes testimony given by bunker eyewitnesses in the West German Federal Court proceeding as to Hitler's death that lasted from 1952 to 1956. Further, the highlights of the Bavarian Criminal Investigation Office report is included along with much discussion of the different versions of Hitler's gunshot wound. The book is highly footnoted and has a lengthy bibliography. However, the last chapter (8) should be noted as it discusses Eva Braun and SS General Fegelein's friendship. Most authors and witnesses agree a friendship was present between the two but the author here adds speculation and surmise that it may have been more. The chapter is not convincing as to that hypothesis. The chapter is a weak spot in an otherwise good book. The author (because of when the book was written) did not know all the pieces of the puzzle as to what happened to Hitler's remains after the Soviets found them. For readers who want to know all the details of what happened to the remains of Hitler, Braun, and the Goebbels' (and how they were disposed of) then I would recommend the following books: "The Death of Hitler" by Petrova and Watson; "Hitler's Death: Russia's Last Great Secret from the Files of the KGB" by V.K. Vinogradov (even though that book is only made up of the incomplete early SMERSH investigation) and the Editors' Afterword chapter of "The Hitler Book" Edited by Henrik Eberle and Matthias Uhl.

Not a Bad Attempt

If you were so inclined to get a complete and accurate (as much as possible) telling of the last few weeks in the bunker with Hitler then I would suggest this book and ?The Bunker?. Both tell the story but The Bunker came out about 25 years ago and this book is somewhat new. They, therefore, has some different takes on this information that was available at the time of the writing. For the true World War 2 die-hard this presents an interesting opportunity to read through the two books and find the differences. Overall the book is primarily a retelling of The Bunker with a few new items tossed in. The writing is not bad and the author has been able to spice it up with some suspense and action here and there. The book is dark as there is nor way to make this subject matter anything but, so do not expect the feel good hit of the year. This is an interesting book and if you are interested in the topic or want to know more this is not a bad buy.

The Final Word on Hitler's Final Days

This book is the final word on the last days of Hitler. The research for this book is amazing and as the title infers, the author delves into the legends, the truth, and gives the evidence. There have been numerous books written on this subject including some highly regarded books like The Last Days of Hitler by Hugh Trevor-Roper, The Last Battle by Cornelius Ryan, The Bunker by James O'Donnell, The Last 100 Days by John Toland, and The Fall of Berlin by Read & Fisher. However, this book is one step above all of these. I don't want to give any of the findings away, but this book clears up such facts as how Hitler killed himself and how Hitler's and Eva Braun's bodies were disposed of. It also delves into odd rumors such as Hitler having a double. A solid book which gives the final truth as to Hitler's final days and his death. Also, I was pleasantly surprised that despite the fact this book was translated from German to English it is still very easy to read, fast paced, and very interesting.

Packed with information, the real story.

Anton Joachimsthaler is clearly one of the most knowlegeable authors on this subject! The depth of his research is evident in his foot notes. All of his information and facts are backed- up by documentation. This is just one of his many books on WWII Germany.