This is an engrossing account of the time in Europe from Apr 20, 1945, to that summer, told in part through relating the experiences of nine persons involved in the momentous events of that period. There is much horror related, and one is dismayed that fanatical Nazis continued as long as they could to do evil..The Epilogue succinctly tells of the after-life of the nine persons who figure in the account, including a most poignant telling of the reunion of Fay von Hassell and her two sons who had been taken from her when she was arrested by he Nazis. ( )

The Missing Final Chapter Of World War II
David Stafford
Little, Brown & Co., 2008
ISBN: 9780316035996
Reviewed by Debra Gaynor for ReviewYourBook.com, 2008
5 stars
The Missing Final Chapter Of World War II
Endgame, 1945 by David Stafford is a well-researched account of the last month of World War II. Stafford concentrates on nine individuals: soldiers, war correspondents, POWs, men, and women. The text begins with Hitler’s birthday, April 20, 1945.
Endgame, 1945 captured my attention from the first page. The events came to life as I read of the atrocious events. David Stafford tells the story through the lives of nine individuals: Soldiers, such as: Robert Ellis from Wooster, Ohio and Lieutenant Bryan Samian, a young British Commando, and prisoners. Twenty-six year old Fey von Hassel was an ambassador’s daughter imprisoned by the Germans for her father’s sentiments. Then, there were the war correspondents, like Robert Reid.
This was not a pleasant read. Stafford’s descriptions are so vivid I could see them taking place in my mind’s eye. In one chapter, he tells of a woman, hair covered in lice, protruding ribs, so weak that she could not lift herself off the floor as diarrhea bubbled up across her thighs. Stafford describes the Concentration Camps. He includes photographs. Among the photos are Reg Roy, Robert Ellis, Bryan Samain, Fey von Hassel, and Robert Reid. While this book is not for the faint of heart, it tells of an event that should never be forgotten. ( )

Covering the period - Friday, 20 April 1945 (Hitler's Birthday) to Monday, 16 July 1956 (Churchill's and Truman's arrival in Berlin for the Potsdam Conference); this book follows the events leading up to VE Day and beyond, largely through the eyes of a diverse group of soldiers and civilians, men and women, who fought and suffered in those tumultuous months; through their private memoirs, letters and interviews.

This is an engaging and well-written book that recounts some well known events, presents new stories, and sheds a refreshing light on some lesser known and appreciated ones; highlighting that the events that proceeded the surrender in Europe could be as harrowing and as demanding as anything that preceded it.

While the book ends with Europe in a state of upheaval, the author does devote the final chapter to “What happened to them?” as he follows the post-war lives and careers of the books main eye-witnesses. At 581 pages I was still sorry to see this one end, such was the sense of immediacy David Stafford helped build between it's characters and the reader. ( )

The missing last chapter of WWII. Most histories of WWII end with the Surrender of Germany and Japan. This book connects the events of the last month of the war with the ongoing problems facing the allies for the balance of the year. Outstanding relating of actual stories. I am not yet finished and will add to the review when I have completed reading. ( )