A vivid portrait of a world at the end of war, told through 12 months from around the globe. 1945 is a fresh look at the last year of the Second World War. Evoking the disorienting strangeness of the end and aftermath of war, it narrates the lives of fifty protagonists caught in the ruins of warfare. The effect is a dazzling kaleidoscope, showing how events affected a wide variety of individuals. From world leaders, artists, writers and musicians to housewives, servicemen and women, concentration camp victims and children, we trace their stories throughout a momentous twelve months. It is a gripping documentary as six years of relentless attrition finally began to come to an end. Written in a fast-moving, impressionistic style, the result is a powerfully evocative and often surprising account, showing how chance and fortune impacted on different people at different times. It will appeal to anyone with an interest in history or military history throughout the world and surprise many with its fascinating juxtapositions of places and people. AUTHOR: Max Likin is a Lecturer in History at the Freedom Education Project Puget Sound (FEPPS), which provides a rigorous college program for incarcerated women. Having previously taught at Harvard University, he was a Fulbright Scholar at Yale University. He has taught the Second World War from opposite viewpoints and is a specialist on human rights. 36 b/w illustrations
