megaslippers's review against another edition
The Last Battle by Stephen Harding was a total impulse purchase. A different Stephen recommended it and I picked up the audio with an Audible credit.
For those who’ve not listened to the Sabaton track with the same name. It’s the siege of Schloss Itter in the Tyrols. Essentially there are some VIP French prisoners held in a castle during WW2. They manage to get help from a variety of sources. Initially relieved by a small contingent US and Wehrmacht troops but are then besieged by SS troops until an armoured column of US troops completed their rescue.
The book’s first half consists of short biographies of important figures (the prisoners, Lee & Gangl, the local resistance, the prison warden). This drags on more than I’d like. It seems to exist to set the scene for the disagreements and cliques between the French during their imprisonment.
One the biographies are over there are some excellent tales. Jean Borotra’s multiple escape attempts which ultimately helped him escape during the battle and raise the US assistance. A lot of very successful blagging through security checkpoints. Andreas Krobot’s bicycle adventure to get the message to the allies in the first place.
This would have made an excellent post war WW2 film. StudioCanal seemed interested in 2015 but nothing came of it.
The narration of the book was pretty terrible. Some wild pronunciations of German and French words. Quite a few odd accents. Listening to the descriptions of the castle, village, and routes taken left me wishing I had some maps and photos. The book has two maps which I’ve now seen, a much better experience with paper. I’d still like to see a bit more, especially the larger distance routes that the various people took. This might turn it into a war nerd book but I think it already is.
I’d recommend it to anyone who enjoyed the Sabaton track and you should definitely go for the physical book. To anyone else? Probably skip it.
benfast's review against another edition
4.0
An interesting story right from the last few days of the war. Totally random Quebec Premier connection too! I enjoyed learning about the soldiers from both sides all at once (along with the French politicians) and found it hilarious how bad the politicians were amongst each other and with the realities of war even though they had lived through it as prisoners for years at that point. Like, come on old men, listen to the soldiers who are telling you not to walk around and get shot!
nickie1776's review against another edition
3.0
The story is a bit crazy when you hear the summary, but when you delve into reading it, you'll understand. A story of American GIs joining forces with Nazis to defend a castle of French VIPs.
I love that there's an introduction to the characters before and after the battle. You know them that much better.
I love that there's an introduction to the characters before and after the battle. You know them that much better.
wishanem's review against another edition
4.0
This is the true story of a battle that took place two days before World War II was officially over, and which might be the strangest battle of the whole war. Castle Itter in the mountains of Austria, and was being used as a prison for people too important to hold in concentration camps. The "honor prisoners" housed at Castle Itter were mostly French politicians, some high-ranking military officials, and their associates. They were famous, powerful, or valuable enough to make them useful bargaining chips. This also made them important enough that the Waffen-SS wanted to kill them at the end of the war to hurt France, even though Hitler was dead and the Nazi cause was hopeless. As the Waffen-SS closed in the prisoners sought every bit of help they could get. That was how Americans and Germans ended up fighting alongside a few dozen French political prisoners, some prisoners from Dachau, and one ex-SS officer against hundreds of Waffen-SS soldiers who were determined to kill them all.
The author of this book is a conscientious journalist/historian, and thoroughly cites everything he relates without embellishment. He supplements historical documents with interviews of the surviving veterans who were present at the events. The most exciting part of the book, the fighting, occurs on page 135 through 165.
Castle Itter was one of 197 facilities under operational control of the infamous Dachau concentration camp. It's commandant and guards had all been stationed at Dachau. The "number prisoners" (who have never been identified, but who all survived the battle) brought to Castle Itter to act as servants had been in that camp. The inscription, "Abandon all hope, ye who enter here." was left above the entrance to the castle.
As the war was wrapping up, the commander of Dachau itself came to Castle Itter, and committed suicide after having dinner with the commandant of the Castle. Fearing that the prisoners might be executed, the prisoner handyman, a Yugoslavian named Zoonimir Cuckovic, (who was sometimes allowed to run errands outside the prison by himself) escaped on a bicycle. This led to the commandant officially fleeing after making the prisoners sign a document saying he had not mistreated them. With their commander gone, the S.S. guards also abandoned the castle.
The VIP's armed themselves and sent small delegation to town. They retrieved Kurt-Siegfried Schrader, who was himself a former SS soldier but who had visited the prisoners and made it clear that he was disillusioned with the Nazis. The prisoners convinced Schrader to take command of them in case more German military came along.
Since Cuckovic had not returned after a few days they sent out the cook on another bike, and a few towns away he found a Wehrmacht Major named Gangl. Gangl had decided he wanted to surrender his troops to the first Allies available, and had taken lead of the Austrian Resistance in the city of Worgl. Gangl in turn sent his people out and they found some American soldiers with tanks.
Four tanks made it to the town of Worgl. Two stayed there, while two other tanks and one jeep with fourteen Americans headed to the castle. Ten German/Austrian soldiers from the "surrendered" forces of Worgl piled into a truck as well. One tank stopped at Bruggberg bridge to unwire demo charges, keeping seven Americans.
The tank that made it to the castle, the "Besotten Jenny", was too wide for the gatehouse archway, so it was backed carefully up a 60 foot long access road to the gatehouse. It stayed there and was very useful in the battle until it took too much damage to continue operating.
The strange assortment of men defended the Castle from dawn until mid-afternoon while the Waffen-SS tried to approach it from a few angles, and were rebuffed. When a large force of American troops finally arrived at about 4 PM, they captured over 100 Waffen-SS as prisoners while the remainder of the attacking force escaped into the woods.
The author of this book is a conscientious journalist/historian, and thoroughly cites everything he relates without embellishment. He supplements historical documents with interviews of the surviving veterans who were present at the events. The most exciting part of the book, the fighting, occurs on page 135 through 165.
Castle Itter was one of 197 facilities under operational control of the infamous Dachau concentration camp. It's commandant and guards had all been stationed at Dachau. The "number prisoners" (who have never been identified, but who all survived the battle) brought to Castle Itter to act as servants had been in that camp. The inscription, "Abandon all hope, ye who enter here." was left above the entrance to the castle.
As the war was wrapping up, the commander of Dachau itself came to Castle Itter, and committed suicide after having dinner with the commandant of the Castle. Fearing that the prisoners might be executed, the prisoner handyman, a Yugoslavian named Zoonimir Cuckovic, (who was sometimes allowed to run errands outside the prison by himself) escaped on a bicycle. This led to the commandant officially fleeing after making the prisoners sign a document saying he had not mistreated them. With their commander gone, the S.S. guards also abandoned the castle.
The VIP's armed themselves and sent small delegation to town. They retrieved Kurt-Siegfried Schrader, who was himself a former SS soldier but who had visited the prisoners and made it clear that he was disillusioned with the Nazis. The prisoners convinced Schrader to take command of them in case more German military came along.
Since Cuckovic had not returned after a few days they sent out the cook on another bike, and a few towns away he found a Wehrmacht Major named Gangl. Gangl had decided he wanted to surrender his troops to the first Allies available, and had taken lead of the Austrian Resistance in the city of Worgl. Gangl in turn sent his people out and they found some American soldiers with tanks.
Four tanks made it to the town of Worgl. Two stayed there, while two other tanks and one jeep with fourteen Americans headed to the castle. Ten German/Austrian soldiers from the "surrendered" forces of Worgl piled into a truck as well. One tank stopped at Bruggberg bridge to unwire demo charges, keeping seven Americans.
The tank that made it to the castle, the "Besotten Jenny", was too wide for the gatehouse archway, so it was backed carefully up a 60 foot long access road to the gatehouse. It stayed there and was very useful in the battle until it took too much damage to continue operating.
The strange assortment of men defended the Castle from dawn until mid-afternoon while the Waffen-SS tried to approach it from a few angles, and were rebuffed. When a large force of American troops finally arrived at about 4 PM, they captured over 100 Waffen-SS as prisoners while the remainder of the attacking force escaped into the woods.
sheltzer's review against another edition
4.0
If it weren't a work of non-fiction, I would think the events were not overly realistic. The amount of (relative) good fortune these people experienced is rather amazing.
The story is that American and German forces banded together to protect the lives of a handful of French VIP prisoners who were abandoned by the prison commandant after Hitler committed suicide. The book is mostly about how each of the major players in the end game arrived at the castle near Innsbruck. It was quite interesting to see how the end of the war was playing out on a more personal level.
The story is that American and German forces banded together to protect the lives of a handful of French VIP prisoners who were abandoned by the prison commandant after Hitler committed suicide. The book is mostly about how each of the major players in the end game arrived at the castle near Innsbruck. It was quite interesting to see how the end of the war was playing out on a more personal level.
jmartindf's review against another edition
3.0
I was expecting more "there" there. The book was 80–90% biographical information. The actual action (of any kind) was a very small part of the book.