Countdown to Victory

In most standard histories of the Second World War in Europe, the last six months of battle are given little attention. After the Germans were defeated in the Battle of the Bulge, the war is often assumed to have been over, bar sporadic shooting. As Countdown to Victory shows, this is a long way from the truth.

Countdown to Victory explores the turbulent last days of the war; while world leaders divvied up post-war Europe, the German army, far from being beaten, fought hard for every inch of ground. Barry Turner draws on a wealth of previously unpublished sources to reveal the resistance movements, political bids for power, squabbles between military leaders, the horror of the concentration camps, and many individual acts of kindness and courage. Countdown to Victory recaptures the excitement of victory and the despair of the defeated in the midst of a critical moment in world history.

Barry Turner was educated at the London School of Economics and London Institute of Education. He has been a full-time writer for 20 years, and has been a regular guest on television and radio programs, mainly for commentary on the arts and education. Some of his published works include: And the Policeman Smiled; Equality for Some: A History of Girl's Education; A Place in the Country; and The Other European Community.

"Turner quotes at length the words of many who fought and suffered in those six months. The vivid power of their testimony is striking." -- Sunday Times (London)