Berlin: The Story of a Battle

The battle for Berlin brought an end to the bloodiest conflict in European history. During the last days of the battle, Andrew Tully was one of three Americans allowed to enter Berlin as a guest of a Russian artillery battalion commander.  His extraordinary experience spawned a seventeen year journey gathering eye-witness accounts, collecting war diaries and letters, and reading over one hundred books in order to write this gripping and comprehensive account about the fall of Berlin.

Although Soviet forces vastly outnumbered Germany's, the German resolve to fight was largely due to widespread fear of Russian retributions.  Nazi forces had previously laid waste to large parts of the Soviet Union, killing millions, and when the Red Army finally marched into Berlin, the fears of the Germans were realized. Tully unflinchingly details the atrocities of the invading Soviets who raped, looted and plundered the ravaged city.  Yet, driven by the irrational and obdurate creed of the Third Reich, Germans also killed Germans―by the thousands. 

However, Tully's account does not just chronicle military strategies and statistics. It also includes personal stories of German civilians, housewives, Hitler Youth, S.S., Mohnke Girls (a combat battalion formed by order of S.S. Brigadeführer Mohnke), nurses, and soldiers.  If there is any balance to be had in the examination of this battle, it is the ability of people to survive, to find humor, and to be kind when all kindness seems to be lost. Andrew Tully captures it all.