2004. Armageddon covers the last eight months of WWII in Europe.

The author Max Hastings, noted that his earlier book Overlord was based on interviews with Generals, political leaders, etc; but by the time he did his research for Armageddon, all these leaders were dead. Hastings hardly had any interviews with participants above the rank of captain. Therefore the book is from a much different viewpoint from most WWII books. Definitely worth the read.

At the end of the war, the fanatics and Hitler Youth were still fighting hard. They were unrepentant. The allies were killing large numbers of twelve, thirteen and fourteen year olds. Children -- basically -- were all that were left firing 'fausts' at tanks.

Our soldiers vacillated between being repulsed at having to shoot children and killing them as prisoners who would think nothing of pulling out a hidden grenade. Units lost officers, who were killed by PoWs with smuggled weapons.

I am not surprised by Burwitz. Thankfully, they almost all are pushing up daisies.

And no TD, there were no good ones.




[Post edited by Lazarus at 07/10/2018 09:01AM]