Berlin Dance of Death

Staplehurst: Spellmount, 2002. First UK edition. Hardcover. Fine/near fine. Used. Fine/Near Fine Jacket. A teenager's vivid and moving account of his experiences as a conscript during the final six weeks of the Third Reich's existence, supplemented with notes and photographs to show how his experiences fitted into the overall picture. The author received rudimentary basic training on the Eastern Front then took part in the desperate defence of Berlin, where he fought in the western suburb of Spandau, becoming one of only two survivors of his company of teenagers. After an abortive attempt to desert, he participates in the battle for the Olympic Stadium in the U-Bahn tunnels toward the city centre. Returning to barracks, he then takes part in the break-out to the west that turns into a bloodbath for soldiers and civilians alike, only to be wounded and finally captured. A remarkable story of the last days of World War II from the German perspective. Contains 248 pages, 24 x 16cm, with 32 b&w photos and 12 maps. Blue cloth boards in near fine pictorial dust jacket. Internally, fine: clean, bright and unmarked in excellent bindings. Looks, feels and smells like new.