GERMANY, 1944–1945
The last months of World War II were nightmarish for Europe. It marked the end of the Third Reich as well as the end of European civilization itself. In this revealing new book, Ian Kershaw describes the period from the failed assassination attempt on Hitler in July 1944 to Germany's surrender in May 1945. He tries to understand what drove Germany to continue fighting...

In every major war in the past, when defeat loomed threateningly for one side, the ruling powers sought an agreement with the victors. In Hitler's Germany, this never happened, and the regime was uprooted from city to city in an unprecedented atrocity. A system based on terror, which had for years ravaged the countries conquered by the Nazis, now turned against the Germans themselves. Every disagreement was obliterated, and the entire nation was convinced that defeat would also mean the end of Germany.

The End by Ian Kershaw is the outstanding result of original research and a compelling narrative that brings to life an era that left deep scars – still visible today – on Europe and raises profound questions about the nature of World War II, the Third Reich, and how ordinary people behave in extreme conditions...

Ian Kershaw is the author of the books Hitler 1889-1936: Hubris, Hitler 1936-1945: Nemesis, Fateful Choices: Ten Decisions that Changed the World, 1940-1941, Making Friends with Hitler, and Luck of the Devil: The Story of Operation Valkyrie. Until his retirement, Ian Kershaw was Professor of Modern History at the University of Sheffield. He holds honorary doctorates from the universities of Manchester, Stirling, Belfast, Sheffield, and Oxford.

For his services to History, he was awarded the German Federal Cross of Merit in 1994, was knighted in 2002, and received the Norton Medlicott Medal from the Historical Association in 2004. He is a member of the British Academy.