Swansong 1945 chronicles four significant days in the last three weeks of WWII: 20 April, Hitler's last birthday; 25 April, when American and Soviet troops first met at the Elbe; 30 April, the day Hitler committed suicide; and 8 May, the day of the German surrender. Side by side in these pages, we encounter the voices of civilians fleeing on foot to the west, British and American POWs dreaming of home, concentration camp survivors, loyal soldiers from both sides of the conflict and national leaders including Churchill, Hitler and Mussolini. A monumental account of survival, suffering, hope and despair, Swansong 1945 brings vividly to life a conflict whose repercussions are felt today.
| ISBN: | 9781847086419 |
| Publication date: | 7th May 2015 |
| Author: | Walter Kempowski |
| Publisher: | Granta Books an imprint of Granta Publications |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Pagination: | 384 pages |
| Genres: |
European history Far-right political ideologies and movements |