The only nonfiction that ever gave me bad dreams

[natedogg]

The Fall of Berlin 1945 by Antony Beevor

I think everyone should read this book. Especially anyone remotely associated with dealing with our foreign policy and defense. Every member of congress should have to provide proof he/she has read it.

The sobering detailed description of the horrific apocalypse of systematic arson, gang rape, chaos, murder, starvation, and exposure meted out to the German populace by the Red Army taught me something:

Don't ever, ever, do anything to compromise your ability to defend your homeland from a foreign army. Because once the bad guys get it in they will not play nice. And they certainly won't wait for you to recall your thinly stretched forces to home.

The most sobering image in the book for me was the description of German civilians trying to cross the Elbe in a panic while the Red Army shelled and machine-gunned them mercilessly along with the remains of the Wehrmacht that were with them. But they chose to risk (a highly likely) violent death rather than be captured by the Russians.

And another thing this book taught me. For those who see evil in all things USA, for those self-hating americans and smug euros who think USA is an evil force for oppression and suffering no different from any other despotic empire:

Not one German civilian or soldier was trying to go the other way. Not one. No reports of panicked Germans fleeing the brutal depradations of the evil US soldiers.

natedogg