"A harrowing read but a must read if only to see that the world has learnt nothing it seems."

Navy Daze, The Ton Class Association

Hitler's Lost State to be well researched, detailed yet fascinating. The second part of the book, The Wilhelm Gustloff Tragedy was remarkably fresh to me. I had not realised the sinking of this German passenger liner by a Russian submarine was the greatest maritime loss of life ever. Once started I could not put this book down. It also details the transition of Prussia from being a pre WWII self-sufficient and prosperous area of Germany to its war's end dereliction, total destruction and ferocious treatment of German civilians, especially of women and girls, at the hands of the advancing Russians - chilling reading indeed.

Highly recommended.

Dr Adrian Greaves, The Anglo-Zulu War Historical Society

This well written book concludes with an account of the Russian “liberation” and their post-war ethnic cleansing of the region. Well worth reading.

World Ship Society - Marine News

A well written account of a little understood aspect of the Russian campaign.

The Anglo-Zulu War Historical Society

Now as most people will know, I do like a good Tim Heath book, in my opinion he is a fantastic author and by the way he writes he always brings the story of the events or time through to the reader through personal stories and recollections. This proves he knows who the right people to talk to and how to get the best information from them. For this book, he has co-authored this book with Michela Cocolin, who was able to bring her personal stories to the book and who did the larger share of the research needed for this book. This book looks at the way this German state was treated mainly between the inter war years to the end of the Second World War. The ethnic and racial cleansing of a nation showed how little the Nazi regime thought of the people of Prussia and caused much violence and suffering. In a tragic book, this was a very well told story of hardship and credit to all the information provided and those how gave themselves to the book through their stories. The contribution of both Heath and Cocolin has produced an excellent book and certainly a great book to recommend and read.

5 stars


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UK Historian

A tragic destiny that is re-examined in the beautiful book by Tim Heath and Michela Cocolin published by Pen & Sword.

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On The Old Barbed Wire

Indeed, a key strength of this book is the breadth and quality of personal testimony that is quoted – particularly that of civilians who were involved in the final denouement. The authors sets out to describe the chaotic end to German hegemony in an area of Europe now largely encompassed by North East Poland and an outpost of Russia, which they do extremely well.

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Phil Curme

A well written and absorbing book that pulls together the sad but inevitable end of the Prussian state. The authors focus on the loss of the Wilhelm Gustloff as a major incident in the overall and unequal struggle against Russia. Some maps would have been useful, particularly in describing the fighting at Konigsberg.

Michael McCarthy. Battlefield Guide

Michael McCarthy