The Conquest of the Reich: D-Day to Ve Day--A Soldiers' History

Drawing on diaries, letters and interviews, Neillands has woven a strong narrative of the last five months of WWII in Europe. The story is told mostly through the recollections of those who fought and those who suffered and survived. Reviewing the breaking of the German defenses after the Normandy landings, the account moves through the Battle of the Bulge, the crossing of the Rhine and the penetration of the German homeland as recalled by Allied and German soldiers and civilians. The author brings into sharp focus the brave stand of the remnants of the German army and the desperate measures they employed, such as recruiting young boys into the armed but untrained Hitler Youth. The book's remembered moments include the liberation of POW, concentration and extermination camps by the Western Allies and the Russians. This follow-up to Neilland's D-Day: Voices from Normandy promises to be as widely read. Illustrations. (Apr.)