The international million copy bestseller recounting the epic turning point of the WW2 ______________ In October 1942, an officer wrote 'Stalingrad is no longer a town . . . Animals flee this hell; the hardest stones cannot bear it for long; only men endure'. The battle for Stalingrad became the focus of Hitler and Stalin's determination and its citizens endured unimaginable hardship as a result. But the eventual victory of the Red Army, and the failure of Hitler's Operation Barbarossa, was the first defeat of Hitler's ...
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The international million copy bestseller recounting the epic turning point of the WW2 ______________ In October 1942, an officer wrote 'Stalingrad is no longer a town . . . Animals flee this hell; the hardest stones cannot bear it for long; only men endure'. The battle for Stalingrad became the focus of Hitler and Stalin's determination and its citizens endured unimaginable hardship as a result. But the eventual victory of the Red Army, and the failure of Hitler's Operation Barbarossa, was the first defeat of Hitler's territorial ambitions in Europe, and the start of his decline. An extraordinary story of tactical genius, civilian bravery, obsession, carnage and the nature of war itself, Stalingrad will act as a testament to the vital role of the soviet war effort. ______________ 'He reveals the full awfulness and human cost of the conflict with scholarly verve and deep sympathy' Ben Macintyre 'A superb re-telling. Beevor combines a soldier's understanding of war's realities with the narrative techniques of a novelist' Orlando Figes, Sunday Telegraph 'A brilliantly researched tour de force of military history' Sarah Bradford, The Times
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I did not know very much about the Eastern Front and the subsequent battles within. This book is a great telling of the most significant battle of WW2. Not just the detials of how is was conducted, but the absolute deadly warfare fought by both sides. Both the Germans and the Russians were determined to win, at any cost necessary. The bloodshed was horrifc, and Beevor tells it in a way that is easy to read and understand. Both sides battled with each leader, Hitler and Stalin, for the overall command of the conflict. Only the sheer weight of manpower , available to the Russians, was a deciding factor for victory. The loss of life, military and civilian makes a tale of horror and sometimes disgust. If you want to know more about this battle, I highly recommend this book.
ScottDavisJones
Mar 7, 2016
Great Perspective
This book covers the Battle of Stalingrad from beginning to end. The author goes beyond the usual treatment of the Germans to share the dissension and disagreement in the ranks. It is not to excuse them for what they did, but to show that they were caught in Hitler's maelstrom and how that led to the plots against Hitler's life, which unfortunately did not succeed.
Orangulu
Jan 10, 2013
Such a Story
Beevor is a well respected historian, and in using Soviet and German archives he has written a definitive history of this horrific and epic battle. One GREAT read!
Andrew M
Oct 7, 2010
Very re-readable
A thoroughly enjoyable read of a balananced account of one of the most significant battles of WW11. It deals with the strategic issues of those in command and the personal experiences of the combatants. My only small criticism would be in view of the importance of geography, easier access to maps would have been appreciated
Reader70
Mar 31, 2010
MUST READ MILITARY HISTORY
In this book, master military historian, Antony Beevor, applies his proven technique of matching opposing units' battle journals by date and time to reconstruct the clashes of the battles in vivid color and detail. One can smell the gun smoke and burning flesh, He includes incidents picked from those journals to provide astonishing realism. He also provides the political intrigue which drove the commanders to demand the ultimate from their soldiers. He makes maximum use of recenly released archives to add great depth to his accounts.
