Victory '45 : the end of the war in six surrenders

Victory '45 The end of the war in six surrenders

James Holland, 1970-

Book - 2025

"On the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, two acclaimed historians chronicle the remarkable stories behind the surrenders that ended the world's most catastrophic global conflict. In May 1944 and then again in August and early September, the seemingly endless World War II finally came to a close in six dramatic surrender ceremonies, four in Europe and the last two in Japan. On the 80th anniversary of those historic events, celebrated historians James Holland and Al Murray chronicle them in turn, focusing especially on the human dramas behind each surrender and relating stories and perspectives on the end of the war that have not previously been told. Germany's armies submitted to the Allies in four ceremonies betwe...en May 2 and June 7, the latter after considerable delays by the Germans and threats from General Dwight D. Eisenhower, Supreme Allied Commander. Japan then finally conceded only after the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, initially on August 15 and then in a formal ceremony aboard the USS Missouri on September 2. Holland and Murray focus on specific characters participating in each of these world-changing events-from ordinary servicemen and women and civilians to generals and political leaders. The saga of the first German surrender, in Italy, revolves around senior SS general Karl Wolff's personal battle to save his own neck and involves VIP prisoners locked up in a resort in South Tyrol, art theft, money laundering, and the resistance of other German commanders to give up. The German surrender to the Americans on May 5 follows the fortunes of private Alan Moskin from New Jersey, whose 6th Infantry Regiment found themselves liberating Gunskirchen, one of Mauthausen's sub-concentration camps, the terrible reality of which affected the rest of his life. The stories surrounding the war's end are in their own way as dramatic as the strategy and battles themselves. As Holland and Murray make clear, they add greatly to our understanding and appreciation of World War II and its legacy"-- Provided by publisher.

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Subjects
World War, 1939-1945 > Peace.
Capitulations, Military > Germany > History > 20th century.
Capitulations, Military > Japan > History > 20th century.
Capitulations, Military > Italy > History > 20th century.
Guerre mondiale, 1939-1945 > Paix.
Capitulation militaire > Allemagne > Histoire > 20e siècle.
Capitulation militaire > Japon > Histoire > 20e siècle.
Published
New York : Atlantic Monthly Press 2025.
Language
English
Main Author
James Holland, 1970- (author)
Other Authors
Al Murray, 1968- (author)
Edition
First Grove Atlantic hardcover edition
Physical Description
pages cm
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN
9780802166418
  • A Bullet To The Head The Surrender Of Berlin, 2 May 1945 / James Holland
  • The Duel Part 1 The Surrender In Italy, 2 May 1945 / James Holland
  • The Duel Part 2 The Surrender In Italy, 2 May 1945 / James Holland
  • Monty's Men Lüneburg Heath, 3- 4 May 1945 / Al Murray
  • The Camp The Surrender In Southern Germany, 5 May 1945 / James Holland
  • The Supreme Commander Will See You Now Reims, 6- 7 May 1945 / Al Murray
  • VE Day Twenty- Four Hours In London, 8 May 1945 / Al Murray
  • Happy Birthday, Mr President VE Day In America, 8 May 1945 / James Holland
  • Amid The Ruins Part 1 The Surrender In Berlin, 9 May 1945 / James Holland
  • Amid The Ruins Part 2 The German Surrender To The Soviet Union In Berlin, 9 May 1945 / James Holland
  • Lost In Translation The Surrender Of Japan, 15 August 1945 / Al Murray
  • The Final Act The Japanese Signing Of The Surrender, 2 September 1945 / James Holland.
Review by Kirkus Book Review

How the Allies finally won. Prolific World War II historians Holland and Murray remind readers that Hitler himself never surrendered, but by the spring of 1945 huddled in his Berlin bunker directing imaginary armies and planning his suicide. A few aides stuck by, but most were planning to save themselves. The most successful was SS General Karl Wolff, in Italy, who managed to impress OSS chief Allen Dulles; fend off rival (and perhaps nastier) competitors, Heinrich Himmler and Ernst Kaltenbrunner; persuade leading Wermacht generals to surrender with absolutely no conditions; and protect himself against prosecution for his crimes. Wolff took enormous risks (visiting a deeply suspicious Hitler during his final weeks) but succeeded eventually in testifying for the prosecution at Nuremburg. British Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery handled the surrender of German forces in north Germany on his own with a nod to his superior, Supreme Allied Commander Dwight D. Eisenhower, who preoccupied himself with the iconic May 7, 1945, official German government surrender. The authors precede that with accounts reminding readers of Nazi awfulness: a teenage Jewish boy's years in concentration camps, a young American soldier's experience encountering his first camp, and the chaos that engulfed Germany during and after the war. On the Pacific front, Japanese leaders, aware by 1943 that they were losing, worked to convince America that every Japanese man, woman, and child would fight to the death before surrendering. They assumed that the U.S., faced with this threat and lacking Japanese fortitude, would negotiate a compromise peace. By cruel irony, American leaders were indeed convinced of Japan's resolve, but they did not negotiate; they proceeded by unleashing an almost genocidal firebombing and two atomic bombs that, aided by the massive Soviet invasion, produced the desired surrender. A complicated war on many fronts. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

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