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LAST RALLY: The German Defence of East Prussia, Pomerania and Danzig, 1944-45, a Photographic History |  | Author: Ian Baxter
Publisher: Helion and Company
Category: Book
List Price: $59.95
Buy New: $27.38
as of 9/9/2010 21:08 MDT details
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Rating:  2 reviews
Sales Rank: 96464
Media: Hardcover
Pages: 112
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.7
Dimensions (in): 12 x 8.8 x 0.6
ISBN: 1906033749
Dewey Decimal Number: 940
EAN: 9781906033743
ASIN: 1906033749
Publication Date: June 2010
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Drawing on a superb collection of rare German and Russian photographs, this sequel to 'Battle in the Baltics 1944-45' covers the last battles fought by the Wehrmacht and their SS counterparts in East Prussia, Pomerania and the West Prussian city of Danzig. Those German forces that had survived the constant Soviet artillery barrages, the onslaught of the tank armadas and mass infantry assaults, had streamed back westwards, through East Prussia and beyond, where they continued fighting vicious defensive battles until units either ran out of ammunition or were killed. The book provides an absorbing insight into this long, bitter and least known Eastern Front campaign. It reveals how the remnants of Hitler`s once-vaunted forces were hurled out of the Baltic States and ordered to wage an unprecedented war of attrition against an overwhelming foe. Here in East and West Prussia, Pomerania and the ancient city of Danzig, the Germans stood on the fringes of the Reich and fought a series of colossal battles, being bled white in a desperate attempt to hold together their disintegrating front. Through the use of a large selection of previously unpublished images accompanied by in-depth captions, the author reveals how the Germans were slowly driven from their decimated positions and forced to fight further west. However, Hitler persisted with a blind obsession in the belief that fanatical aggression could hold back the enemy, and endeavored to pour the last of his resources into these areas in an attempt to win time. 'The Last Rally' is a unique study of a struggling German Army trying in vain to avoid being sucked into a maelstrom of destruction. It was the final desperate attempt by the German forces to hold onto land conquered by the Reich during its conquest through Poland five years earlier. Now, as tension, turmoil and tragedy reached its peak in the ruined villages, towns and cities, the ethnic Germans, or so-called Volksdeutche, fled their homes to avoid the Red Army's advance. What followed was a mass exodus of men, women and children intermingled with withdrawing German troops trying to stave off defeat. This is a horrendous story of defeat and survival, and one of the most important visual records of Germany`s demise between the Reich and the Baltic States. returncharacterreturncharacter returncharacterreturncharacter REVIEWS returncharacterreturncharacter"Another superb book from Ian Baxter....a fascinating book on an ever popular subject..." Military Machines International, 09/01/2010
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| Customer Reviews:
 The sequel is about as good as the originial..but not better August 17, 2010
JGA357 (Washington, DC)
Ehh...maybe 3.5 stars is more like it. This book is marketed as a sequel to BATTLE IN THE BALTICS 1944-45: The Fighting for Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, a Photographic History and chronicles the German defense of the East/West Prussia, Pomerania, and the port of Danzig. In short, this is not a bad book. But like its predecessor it could have been much better. The photos are good and of pretty good quality but as another reviewer noted, there is not a lot of variety...artillery shots (no pun intended) are in abundance. A couple of photos are presented twice from different angles..not exactly sure why as the change in perspective doesn't add much.
The book goes beyond Battle in the Baltics by providing more maps..a real plus for providing context..but falls short on narrative text. Yes, this is a "photographic history" so the pictures should do the talking, but I was struck by a lack of any real treatment of Soviet atrocities or photos of same. For example, Nemmersdorf is mentioned only as a city in two photo captions of the same destroyed T-34..and that's it. Maybe Baxter is trying to be impartial as there still exisits some controversy about the Nemmersdorf atrocities, but I found the omission odd given that this book is presented from the German perspective and the depth to which other authors have described the brutality of the Soviet advance.
At the risk of being repetitive, I am also forced to make the same criticism I made for Battle in the Baltics...the lack of any photos taken from the Soviet side. I think the addition of such photos would have offered a more well-rounded perspective of the hardships faced by both sides.
 Not as Good as previous titles June 28, 2010
Iva Buch (New Zealand)
7 out of 8 found this review helpful
I have a number of Ian Baxter's books, namely "Into the Abyss", "Battle in the Baltics" and "Steel Bulwark" in my book shelf which are very good.
The books marketed as a photographic history or photo album have in the past produced a number of new photos that I have not seen before as is the case with this one.
This recent offering however is a little disappointing, and falls far short of the excellent Endkampf : um das Reichsgebiet 1944/45 which also covers this same period in the conflict and is the bench mark for this type of book.
There are very few armour photos, but If you are interested in images of Artillery pieces and postions, or mortar crews/pits or flak guns then this is for you as there is ample photographs of these types of scenes.
However one finds these photos a little more tedious as you turn each page and there are yet more of the same.
Granted there are some gems in there such as the two T34/85 that have been captured and are being used by German crews, but the picture of a German Armoured train,the Port at Pillau, and the award ceremony in front of a Tiger II I had already seen in Endkampf.
The photos are clear but would have been better printed on glossy paper for better reproduction such as the JJ Fedorowicz albums.
There is the ususal brief overview at the front of the sections to explain the battle situation as to where the photos were taken from which is quite useful, as are the maps provided.
All in all though in my humble opinion, not his best.
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