The desperate struggle between the Wehrmacht and the Red Army for Budapest in 1944 and 1945 was as deadly and destructive as the urban battles fought during World War II. The losses of men and equipment suffered by the Germans were so great that they accelerated the collapse of Hitler's regime. However, what happened in Budapest is less known today than other flashpoints in the conflict on the Eastern Front. Anthony Tucker-Jones's photographic history provides an interesting and vivid introduction to this neglected episode during the final months of the war. The battle began with Operation Panzerfaust in October 1944, when the Germans captured the Hungarian leader Admiral Horthy to prevent his country from defecting to the Soviets. The advances of the Red Army then left the German and Hungarian units trapped in the city and ignited fifty days of intense fighting. Then, in March 1945, Hitler launched Operation Spring Awakening, the war's reckless last German offensive, designed to retake Budapest and stabilize the Eastern Front. It failed spectacularly, opening the way to Vienna for the Red Army. The selection of archival photographs offers a clear picture of every aspect of the battles in and around Budapest and captures the devastated city left behind by the battle.