On May 8, 1945, the Allied Forces accepted the terms of surrender from Nazi Germany’s armed forces. The unconditional details of the surrender meant that World War II was officially won. Hitler was no more, and the Allies emerged victorious. That is why this day is forever known for the Victory in Europe, or VE Day. It is also known simply as V Day.
Read more about VE Day and the final months leading up to the momentous event with these books about one of the greatest victories in history.
VE Day – A Day to Remember
Read about what happened on V Day from accounts of people who were actually there. The authors of this book have compiled a collection of memories and anecdotes from celebrities and members of the public covering their experiences of the Second World War and the day that Victory over the Nazis was declared. We hear from not only those in the Armed Forces, but civilians as well. This book catches the mood of jubilation and exhilaration of the celebration, yet also the great sadness of the huge losses of human life and important resources.
Victory in Europe
Read about the final months of World War II that ended on V Day in this book. More than sixty years ago, the World had been at war for nearly six years straight. The cost in life and material terms was appalling: millions of men and women had died, families and nations were destroyed, and all sides were suffering grievously in human and financial terms. The Allies were closing in on Hitler’s Germany from the East, West and South. To historians today, the outcome was inevitable. For those living and fighting at the time, nothing could be taken for granted.
This book tells in true Images of War style the story of those final months of the Second World War. Unique photography and informed captions capture the Allied campaigns in Northwestern Europe and Italy culminating in the celebration of victory both at home and in theater.
Berlin: Victory in Europe
Read about the climactic battle that decided the victor of World War II. In April and May 1945 the city of Berlin was the site of the final destructive act of the Second World War in Europe. The German capital became a battleground. After three weeks of ruthless fighting against a desperate (sometimes suicidal) defense, the Red Army took the city and crushed the last remaining German armies in the East. This momentous battle and the elaborate preparations for it were recorded in graphic detail by photographers whose images have come down to us today. These images, which give us an unforgettable glimpse into the grim reality of mid-twentieth-century warfare, are the raw material of Nik Cornish’s evocative book.
Using a rich selection of rare photographs from the Russian archives as well as images from German sources, most of which have not been published before, Cornish traces the course of the entire campaign. The battles fought in East Prussia, eastern Germany and Hungary – in particular the assault on Budapest – are covered. The body of his book is devoted to the battle for Berlin itself – the monstrous onslaught launched by Zhukov’s armies on the Seelow Heights, the bitter street fighting through the suburbs, then the ultimate confrontation, the merciless room-by-room struggle for the center of the city and the Reichstag.
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