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Tyskland og Sovjetunionen, 1941-1943
Indeholder "List of Illustrations", "List of Maps", "Preface", "Part One: 'The World will hold its breath!'", " 1. The Double-Edged Sword of Barbarossa", " 2. 'Nothing is Impossible for the German Soldier!'", " 3. 'Smash in the Door and Whole Rotten Structure
Hitler har bestemt sig for at overfalde Sovjetunionen og har lullet Stalin ind i en tro på at det ikke vil ske. Operation Barbarossa er et uprovokeret angreb på Sovjetunionen uden krigserklæring og bare motiveret med en stak løgne, som Ribbentrop overbringer, men ikke bifalder. Den 21 juni 1941 går det løs. Hitler har givet ordrer der i praksis betyder massemord på civilbefolkningen, fx ved at eksportere alt korn fra Ukraine, så der ikke er noget tilbage at leve af. Hæren har en del officerer, der synes det er en dårlig ide at invadere Rusland, men folk har svoret troskab til Hitler, så når han siger det, kan det jo ikke være forkert. Propagandaen fortæller alle de store løgne om at det er en selvforsvarskrig, fordi Rusland truer Tyskland. Yeah right. Det er jo samme sang som Putin her i 2022 fortalte russerne om at de skulle afnazificere Ukraine.
I begyndelsen af Operation Barbarossa tromler tyskerne hen over uforberedte og dårligt ledede russiske tropper. Men Rusland er stort og folk, der forsvarer deres egen jord mod en skånselsløs invasion er meget velmotiverede. Nogle af de områder, som tyskerne havde tænkt let skulle kunne indtages, tager meget længere tid. Imens reorganiserer Stalin og Lillefar er ikke bare vred og skuffet. Han er rasende. Hitler går efter paradesejre for at kunne prale med at have indtaget Kiev. Imens fordufter chancerne for en sejr og erobring af Moskva. Og General Vinter står klar til at banke løs på tyskere i sommeruniformer. Hitler har strakt sine styrker noget tyndt, for det er jo dejligt at erobre store landområder på et kort. I praksis kæmper små lommer af russiske soldater videre selv om de er omringet og det binder tropper, som der er hårdt brug for andre steder. Hitlers tropper er tæt på at omringe Moskva, men det kikser og så er det tyskernes tur til at blive omgået af fjendtlige styrker. Efterår med søle og ufremkommelige veje sætter ind og kort efter en kold, kold vinter. Tyskernes tanks fryser til is. Imens henter Stalin vintertrænede soldater til og tyskerne bliver udsat for angreb af kosakregimenter, skiskytter og sågar hunde med antitankminer på ryggen. De sidste er blevet trænet til at finde deres mad under store køretøjer og nu er så blevet sluppet løs med en mine på ryggen. Tyskerne vænner sig hurtigt til at skyde alle hunde, de ser.
Nu er det så Stalins tur til at fantasere om at det må være supernemt at bekæmpe tyskerne, men han undervurdere deres evne til at improvisere og bide sig fast.
Udenfor slagmarken angriber japanerne USA og Hitler skynder sig også at erklære krig mod amerikanerne. Herefter er det kun et spørgsmål om tid og millioner af døde, før Hitler skyder sig selv i førerbunkeren.
???
Antony Beevor skildrer på disse få sider hele operationen som ender med en katastrofe for Adolf Hitler og hele Tyskland. Hitlers tænder ligger fortsat i KGB's arkiver i Moskva. Resten af liget blev ifølge de sovjetiske oplysninger brændt i 1970 i den tyske by Magdeburg og skyllet ud i kloaken.
Indeholder "List of Illustrations", "List of Maps", "Preface", "Part One: 'The World will hold its breath!'", " 1. The Double-Edged Sword of Barbarossa", " 2. 'Nothing is Impossible for the German Soldier!'", " 3. 'Smash in the Door and Whole Rotten Structure
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Will Come Crashing Down!'", " 4. Hitler's Hubris: The Delayed Battle for Moscow", "Part Two: Barbarossa Relaunched", " 5. General Paulus's First Battle", " 6. 'How Much Land Does a Man Need?'", " 7. 'Not One Step Backwards'", " 8. 'The Volga is Reached!'", "Part Three: 'The Fateful City'", " 9. 'Time is Blood': The September Battles", " 10. Rattenkrieg", " 11. Traitors and Allies", " 12. Fortresses of Rubble and Iron", " 13. Paulus's Final Assault", " 14. 'All For the Front!'", "Part Four: Zhukov's Trap", " 15. Operation Uranus", " 16. Hitler's Obsession", " 17. 'The Fortress Without a Roof'", " 18. 'Der Manstein Kommt!'", " 19. Christmas in the German Way", "Part Five: The Subjugation of The Sixth Army", " 20. The Air-Bridge", " 21. 'Surrender Out of the Question'", " 22. 'A German Field Marschal Does Not Commit Suicide with a Pair of Nail Scissors!'", " 23. 'Stop Dancing! Stalingrad Has Fallen'", " 24. The City of the Dead", " 25. The Sword of Stalingrad", "Appendix A: German and Soviet Orders of Battle, 19 November 1942", "Appendix B: The Statistical Debate: Sixth Army Strength in the Kessel", "References", "Source Notes", "Select Bibliography", "Index".Hitler har bestemt sig for at overfalde Sovjetunionen og har lullet Stalin ind i en tro på at det ikke vil ske. Operation Barbarossa er et uprovokeret angreb på Sovjetunionen uden krigserklæring og bare motiveret med en stak løgne, som Ribbentrop overbringer, men ikke bifalder. Den 21 juni 1941 går det løs. Hitler har givet ordrer der i praksis betyder massemord på civilbefolkningen, fx ved at eksportere alt korn fra Ukraine, så der ikke er noget tilbage at leve af. Hæren har en del officerer, der synes det er en dårlig ide at invadere Rusland, men folk har svoret troskab til Hitler, så når han siger det, kan det jo ikke være forkert. Propagandaen fortæller alle de store løgne om at det er en selvforsvarskrig, fordi Rusland truer Tyskland. Yeah right. Det er jo samme sang som Putin her i 2022 fortalte russerne om at de skulle afnazificere Ukraine.
I begyndelsen af Operation Barbarossa tromler tyskerne hen over uforberedte og dårligt ledede russiske tropper. Men Rusland er stort og folk, der forsvarer deres egen jord mod en skånselsløs invasion er meget velmotiverede. Nogle af de områder, som tyskerne havde tænkt let skulle kunne indtages, tager meget længere tid. Imens reorganiserer Stalin og Lillefar er ikke bare vred og skuffet. Han er rasende. Hitler går efter paradesejre for at kunne prale med at have indtaget Kiev. Imens fordufter chancerne for en sejr og erobring af Moskva. Og General Vinter står klar til at banke løs på tyskere i sommeruniformer. Hitler har strakt sine styrker noget tyndt, for det er jo dejligt at erobre store landområder på et kort. I praksis kæmper små lommer af russiske soldater videre selv om de er omringet og det binder tropper, som der er hårdt brug for andre steder. Hitlers tropper er tæt på at omringe Moskva, men det kikser og så er det tyskernes tur til at blive omgået af fjendtlige styrker. Efterår med søle og ufremkommelige veje sætter ind og kort efter en kold, kold vinter. Tyskernes tanks fryser til is. Imens henter Stalin vintertrænede soldater til og tyskerne bliver udsat for angreb af kosakregimenter, skiskytter og sågar hunde med antitankminer på ryggen. De sidste er blevet trænet til at finde deres mad under store køretøjer og nu er så blevet sluppet løs med en mine på ryggen. Tyskerne vænner sig hurtigt til at skyde alle hunde, de ser.
Nu er det så Stalins tur til at fantasere om at det må være supernemt at bekæmpe tyskerne, men han undervurdere deres evne til at improvisere og bide sig fast.
Udenfor slagmarken angriber japanerne USA og Hitler skynder sig også at erklære krig mod amerikanerne. Herefter er det kun et spørgsmål om tid og millioner af døde, før Hitler skyder sig selv i førerbunkeren.
???
Antony Beevor skildrer på disse få sider hele operationen som ender med en katastrofe for Adolf Hitler og hele Tyskland. Hitlers tænder ligger fortsat i KGB's arkiver i Moskva. Resten af liget blev ifølge de sovjetiske oplysninger brændt i 1970 i den tyske by Magdeburg og skyllet ud i kloaken.
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Publication
London : Penguin, 1999.
Description
In June 1941, German forces swept across Soviet territory in an offensive that finally brought them within twenty-five miles of Moscow. But in August 1942, the overconfident Hitler chose the wrong target, Stalin?s namesake city on the Volga. The battle of Stalingrad is extraordinary in every way: the triumphant invader fought to a standstill; then the Soviet trap sprung, surrounding their attackers; and the terrible siege, with Germans starving and freezing, forced to fight on by a disbelieving Hitler.The story has never been told as Antony Beevor tells it here. He writes of the great Manichaean clash between Stalin and Hitler, and the strategic brilliance and fatal flaws of their generals. Stalingrad is first and foremost the story of the man on the ground, a soldier?s-eye view of fighting house-to-house on an urban battlefield, with helpless civilians caught in the crossfire. Beevor has gained access to Russian reports on desertions and executions that have never been seen by Western scholars, German transcripts of prisoner interrogations, and private letters and diaries. These help re-create the compelling human drama of the most terrible battle in modern warfare.… (more)
Media reviews
Philadelphia Inquirer
Stalingrad's heart-piercing tragedy needed a chronicler with acute insight into human nature as well as the forces of history. Antony Beevor is that historia.
The Wall Street Journal
Vividly told … a wonderfully readable work of history.
User reviews
LibraryThing member Zare
Very good book about a very bloody chapter of WW2. Starting from the initial German attack on Russia, initial successes and breakthroughs to finally settling on German 6th Army and attack on Stalingrad we follow deterioration of German military might and ever growing Soviet pressure that would
Author shows the destruction Germans left in their wake, collusion between army and SS troops tasked with extermination of Slavs and creating the space for future German settlers and duplicity of German generals in these matters (Paulus and Manstein especially). All of this caused a very stubborn resistance (even suicidal in some areas) from Soviet Red Army and partisans troops. Not because they were fighting Germans as Germans but because they were fighting for the very survival. After initial heavy defeats it was clear what Germans had in mind for the entire country. Soviets weren't fighting for Stalinism as such, but organized around Stalin because he was the only rally point available. And it is not that Germans gave much other choice than to fight by tooth and nail.
Where author meanders and then stutters is unavoidable romantic depiction of German armies. This approach to history is a blot on historical cover of WW2 especially from western (and western influenced) countries. Germans by the end of the book are treated as defenders of Stalingrad (!) I mean what? And then there is cliche depiction of Soviets and Russians as ordinary peasants, always drinking, and always lacking something, led by merciless officers, sacrificing huge number of people to stop the Germans.
On the other side only Romanians are depicted as savages [even for their own troops], echo of very brutal feudal times. All other German allies that participated in this conflict - Hungarians, Austrians, contingents from area of Yugoslavia, even Slovaks (this surprised me a lot) - are always poetic souls (same as Germans) to the level it had me vomiting every so often.
What I find interesting is that in majority of books I read this idea that great Soviet casualties were not necessary. I am truly trying to figure out how they came to this conclusion - what was the other option? Surrender and vanish? Because when one fights for mere survival is it strange that drastic measures are used? They are bloody, but they worked - once front stabilized and industry was in full war footing, German armies were running back and at the end Germany was ruined. After Germans tried so much to touch, alter and end life of everyone in Soviet Union is it strange that Soviets decided to return the favor? Events that took place during German advancement were so final, literal point of no return, that to expect anything else but bloody revenge was wishful thinking (and Germans were aware of this).
Should we feel sorry for German army of WW2? No. They were treated in the same way they treated nations they conquered and brutalized during the 6 year period. They got what they deserved and it is truly sad that their ideals (and dehumanizing of the East) are again used and glorified in our times, 80 years later, not just by general propaganda but by the very German nation (that German sociologist/historian explaining on TV how Russians do not have same set of values as rest of Europe because they are Asian "mix" - bliiiimeeeeey! Disgusting).
Despite these shortcomings (which are to be honest shortcomings of majority of popular books in the western historical circles related to Eastern front (unfortunately more critical and objective books exist from 1960s but were never as popular as pro-German line)) book contains a lot of details on ordinary soldier's view of war and utter devastation of Stalingrad through available mail correspondence and diaries found on dead bodies after the major battles. This gives this very brutal theater of military operations a touch of humanity and shows how devastating war truly is (again something that was forgotten after these 80 years).
Recommended.
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start the major push westwards [that will end in Berlin itself].Author shows the destruction Germans left in their wake, collusion between army and SS troops tasked with extermination of Slavs and creating the space for future German settlers and duplicity of German generals in these matters (Paulus and Manstein especially). All of this caused a very stubborn resistance (even suicidal in some areas) from Soviet Red Army and partisans troops. Not because they were fighting Germans as Germans but because they were fighting for the very survival. After initial heavy defeats it was clear what Germans had in mind for the entire country. Soviets weren't fighting for Stalinism as such, but organized around Stalin because he was the only rally point available. And it is not that Germans gave much other choice than to fight by tooth and nail.
Where author meanders and then stutters is unavoidable romantic depiction of German armies. This approach to history is a blot on historical cover of WW2 especially from western (and western influenced) countries. Germans by the end of the book are treated as defenders of Stalingrad (!) I mean what? And then there is cliche depiction of Soviets and Russians as ordinary peasants, always drinking, and always lacking something, led by merciless officers, sacrificing huge number of people to stop the Germans.
On the other side only Romanians are depicted as savages [even for their own troops], echo of very brutal feudal times. All other German allies that participated in this conflict - Hungarians, Austrians, contingents from area of Yugoslavia, even Slovaks (this surprised me a lot) - are always poetic souls (same as Germans) to the level it had me vomiting every so often.
What I find interesting is that in majority of books I read this idea that great Soviet casualties were not necessary. I am truly trying to figure out how they came to this conclusion - what was the other option? Surrender and vanish? Because when one fights for mere survival is it strange that drastic measures are used? They are bloody, but they worked - once front stabilized and industry was in full war footing, German armies were running back and at the end Germany was ruined. After Germans tried so much to touch, alter and end life of everyone in Soviet Union is it strange that Soviets decided to return the favor? Events that took place during German advancement were so final, literal point of no return, that to expect anything else but bloody revenge was wishful thinking (and Germans were aware of this).
Should we feel sorry for German army of WW2? No. They were treated in the same way they treated nations they conquered and brutalized during the 6 year period. They got what they deserved and it is truly sad that their ideals (and dehumanizing of the East) are again used and glorified in our times, 80 years later, not just by general propaganda but by the very German nation (that German sociologist/historian explaining on TV how Russians do not have same set of values as rest of Europe because they are Asian "mix" - bliiiimeeeeey! Disgusting).
Despite these shortcomings (which are to be honest shortcomings of majority of popular books in the western historical circles related to Eastern front (unfortunately more critical and objective books exist from 1960s but were never as popular as pro-German line)) book contains a lot of details on ordinary soldier's view of war and utter devastation of Stalingrad through available mail correspondence and diaries found on dead bodies after the major battles. This gives this very brutal theater of military operations a touch of humanity and shows how devastating war truly is (again something that was forgotten after these 80 years).
Recommended.
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LibraryThing member AaronP
Not such an easy read as some reviews make out, with lots of mentions of different division and locations that I found a little confusing. The personal description are very powerful and gave me a good understanding the conditions of the battle. Stalingrad gave an detailed overview of one of the
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turning point battles of the warI would recommend it. Show Less
LibraryThing member rolandallnach
I ventured into Beevor's 'Stalingrad' on two motivations: one, my grandfather witnessed some of the battle, and two, the fact that this book was written with access to Soviet records and first person accounts previously unavailable. This is not just about the titanic battle of Stalingrad, but
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Beevor anchors his telling with a preliminary account of the invasion of Soviet Russia and some of the battles that ensued in the German charge to the east. The scale, numbers, and savagery of this phase of World War II is almost mind-numbing, making many, if not all, the battles on the western front minute in comparitive scale (which is not meant to take anything away from events in the west). At the same time, though, the book is packed with man-on-the-ground accounts, and this combined with Beevor's excellent writing will serve to draw the reader right in the middle of this hellish battle. Among my collection of military history books, this is one of the best, and is given even better service by reading Beevor's follow up, detailing the Soviet attack on Berlin ('The Fall of Berlin, 1945'). Show Less
LibraryThing member Jacobflaws
Good review on the battle that turned the tide of WWII.
LibraryThing member CharlesMcCain
I’ve read almost every book on Stalingrad. This is one of the best but more important, it’s the most up-to-date. When the USSR collapsed and historians were able to get into their wartime archives, lots of information was found that we never knew. The author benefited from that. Besides his
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research, which is excellent, I think I found one mistake, he is a very skillfull writer. Don’t start reading this at night or you’ll stay up. Show Less
LibraryThing member nigeyb
This is a superb book. A painstakingly researched and clearly written account of a key part of World War Two. Once you've read this then go on to the equally wonderful 'Berlin, The Downfall' also by Antony Beevor.
LibraryThing member goddamn_phony
Really meaty account of the most destructive battle of all time. I have to admit, I ended up skipping large chunks, though, since the tactical details of various stages of the battle were highly involved. I'll go back and finish it properly....when I retire. See the film to be immersed in the
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gritty desparation of the fighting; read this book to truly understand Stalingrad as a proxy battle of ego between two of history's greatest monsters. Show Less
LibraryThing member carlosemferreira
An evocative page-turner about a momentous moment in WW 2 history. The people, more than the divisions and weaponry, is what you notice the most.
LibraryThing member 77book
World War II battle. Discusses the issues and events arounf this difficult seige highlighting the inability of either side to be effective and the immence squandeering of life that resulted. Still, it is an enlightening read.
LibraryThing member hugh_ashton
Detailed account of one of the most terrible battles in history. Maybe over-detailed in places, and occasionally seems to draw conclusions regarding motives from rather slender threads, but impressively researched, from both sides of the battle.
LibraryThing member nog
War doesn't get more awful than this. Perhaps the key battle in Europe during WWII, the siege of Stalingrad was fought under horrible conditions for a long, long time. The book gives you a really detailed account of how Hitler and Stalin personally got involved, overriding their commanders'
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recommendations, and in both cases, the enormous sacrifice of lives they were willing to make. If there are more detailed books than this one, I would be surprised. Show Less
LibraryThing member mearso
Impressive unfolding of the pivotal battle for Stalingrad. I was struck by the enormous scale of the slaughter and the conceit of the politicians who necessitated
LibraryThing member AndreiCatalinS
I recommend this book to all those who wish to 'feel' how the besieged 'felt'. There is an abundance of personal details (some might be fictional) based on war letters and journals.
LibraryThing member joeythelemur
Beevor has written a career-defining work with Stalingrad. You feel immersed in the action, numbed by the privation, and riveted by the brutal tug-of-war over the city on the Volga. Believed to be the deadliest battle in history, Stalingrad was one of those true turning points in WWII, after which
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the German army was in steady retreat all the way to Berlin. A totally engrossing read that I couldn't put down and one I highly recommend. Show Less
LibraryThing member ctfoster
Excellent account of the battle that changed the course of WWII
LibraryThing member apelph
This was a fantastic, comprehensive account of the battle of Stalingrad and I barely put it down once I had opened it. This was the best of the 3 Beevor books I have read by far ('fall of berlin' and 'battle for spain' being the other 2).
LibraryThing member resolutereader
A masterpiece of historical research and writing. The bloody battles that turned the tide on Hitler, long before the allies even considered landing on Normandy, this book also highlights the huge sacrifices made to stop the Third Reich, as well as the appalling crimes that soldiers on all sides,
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dehumanised by war, will committ. Show Less
LibraryThing member markbarnes
Another masterpeice from Beevor, who with Stephen Ambrose is surely the best popular-level miliary historian of our generation. This book superbly tells of the horror and the herorism of the seige of Stalingrad, and the enormity of the human cost. Read it, and never forget.
LibraryThing member MiaCulpa
A tour de force by Beevor, resulting in one of the best books I have read on war and the evil that men do. In the west, we tend to forget about how the Eastern Front was far bigger than the Western Front and more influential for the outcome of World War II. Beevor does extremely well in laying out
My favourite part of "Stalingrad" is the very personal stories of the frontline soldiers that Beevor sources from letters and reports. Senior soldiers found comatose drunk near the front lines, defecting soldiers getting lost and, mistaking Russian officers for Germans, announcing his defection, and small orphaned children somehow surviving in the apocalyptic conditions of Stalingrad.
It's time to move on to read Beevor's "Berlin: The Downfall".
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the lead-up to Operation Barbarossa, the key figures involved, the German advance across Eastern Europe and then Stalingrad, the battle itself and (Warning: Spoiler alert) the German retreat.My favourite part of "Stalingrad" is the very personal stories of the frontline soldiers that Beevor sources from letters and reports. Senior soldiers found comatose drunk near the front lines, defecting soldiers getting lost and, mistaking Russian officers for Germans, announcing his defection, and small orphaned children somehow surviving in the apocalyptic conditions of Stalingrad.
It's time to move on to read Beevor's "Berlin: The Downfall".
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LibraryThing member Claire5555
Again an excellent 2nd World war book, that demonstrates the full horror of war, not only were hundreds of thousands killed in battle, many died due to the cold extremes of the weather. A battle that turned the flow, direction, momentum of the 2nd World war, Germany's first major defeat in the 2nd
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World War, the loss of one of their most celebrated armies, and the First German Field Marshall to surrender. The battle on the Volga, change the direction of the war, and this book gives an excellent over sight to the entire event. Excellent Book, from an author I rated very highly indeed. Show Less
LibraryThing member John
An excellent history of the battle of Stalingrad in 1942/43. A book that brings together well the military history, the human tragedies, and the human stupidities of the hell that was Stalingrad. Beevor describes the idea behind the book as being, "to show, within the framework of a conventional
The Germans greatly underestimated the resistance of the Soviets who fought for every street and every building in the city. They were slowly pushed into a small beachead on the west side of the Volga, but the Germans never completely overran it, despite the fact that at some points they were in sight and in range of shelling the river that was the lifeline of supply of soldiers and equipment for the Soviets. The Germans also underestimated, they could not have known, the sheer brutal fixation of the Soviet Command, and Stalin, in not surrendering the city, andt their willingness to do so at all and any costs. The Soviets executed over 13,000 (!) of their own soldiers to ensure "discipline" and no shirking or surrendering to the enemy. The Soviet 13th Guard Rifle Division (10,000) soldiers was thrown into the battle in mid-September; at the end of the battle of Stalingrad, 320 of the original ten thousand were still alive. At the end, after months of bitter fighting and starvation as the Soviets closed the ring around the Sixth Army, the Soviets captured 235,000 mainly German, but also Romanian and other, soldiers. The survival rate in Soviet POW camps was dismal, unless you were an officer: over 95% of soldiers and NCOs dies, 55% of junior officers died, but just 5% of senior officier perished. The Soviets were brutal in their treatment of prisoners, but considering the starving and completely neglected Soviet prisoners they found under German contral at the end of the battle, it is not hard to understand.
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historical narrative, the experience of troops on both sides...". He succeeds admirably. The Germans greatly underestimated the resistance of the Soviets who fought for every street and every building in the city. They were slowly pushed into a small beachead on the west side of the Volga, but the Germans never completely overran it, despite the fact that at some points they were in sight and in range of shelling the river that was the lifeline of supply of soldiers and equipment for the Soviets. The Germans also underestimated, they could not have known, the sheer brutal fixation of the Soviet Command, and Stalin, in not surrendering the city, andt their willingness to do so at all and any costs. The Soviets executed over 13,000 (!) of their own soldiers to ensure "discipline" and no shirking or surrendering to the enemy. The Soviet 13th Guard Rifle Division (10,000) soldiers was thrown into the battle in mid-September; at the end of the battle of Stalingrad, 320 of the original ten thousand were still alive. At the end, after months of bitter fighting and starvation as the Soviets closed the ring around the Sixth Army, the Soviets captured 235,000 mainly German, but also Romanian and other, soldiers. The survival rate in Soviet POW camps was dismal, unless you were an officer: over 95% of soldiers and NCOs dies, 55% of junior officers died, but just 5% of senior officier perished. The Soviets were brutal in their treatment of prisoners, but considering the starving and completely neglected Soviet prisoners they found under German contral at the end of the battle, it is not hard to understand.
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LibraryThing member djh_1962
My suggestion that Ray Monk’s career as a biographer peaked with his first book on Wittgenstein and became progressively less interesting attracted some vigorous comment when I reviewed his book on Oppenheimer earlier in the year. So I am expecting more of the same in putting forward the same
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thesis about (the much more popular and widely read) Antony Beevor. This book is possibly the most riveting piece of history I think I have ever read, surely at least one of the very best books of military history ever. Coming to it again after 20 years, I feel exactly the same sense of excitement and drama as I did when I first read it. So, highly recommended. And whilst I might read Beevor’s book on Berlin next (which I think was also his next book after this one) I am not sure how much further I would go. In my reading of his more recent books I find that much of the subject matter is less interesting and sadly so is much of the writing. But do read this Show Less
LibraryThing member rayski
The taking, destruction and retaking of Stalingrad. I read this book always thinking 'how could men endure this hell for so long?' Absolutely horrific conditions - Russian winters, starvation, nearly zero medical support and brutality brought on by both sides against not just each other, but also
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over their own brothers in arms. Both sides setting up special battalions whose only job was to shoot their own team if they retreated. Hitler and Stalin locked in a game over taking a city one wanted as a trophy and the other couldn't bear losing his namesake. The cost? Just all the people (soldiers & civilians) on the board of their little game. To hell with your life, defend that ground until you have one bullet left to use on yourself. The only thing that mattered was neither wanted to lose face. Show Less
LibraryThing member kslade
Great history.
LibraryThing member MacDad
Though the Second World War was decided in battles waged over several years and in multiple regions, the most important front of the war was the one in eastern Europe. There the German war machine which had conquered so much of Europe with seemingly little effort was ground down in an extended
While numerous battles defined the course of events, the decisive clash on the Eastern Front came in the autumn of 1942 in the city of Stalingrad. There the German Sixth Army fought a grinding campaign to conquer the industrial center, only to be encircled by a surprise Soviet counter-offensive in November. Debilitated by the twin forces of battle and winter, tens of thousands of troops surrendered in February 1943, inflicting the greatest defeat yet suffered by the Third Reich. One of the strengths of Antony Beevor's history of the battle is in its detailing of the experiences of the men who fought and died on both sides. Drawing upon letters, diaries, and other records, he describes the nearly unimaginable conditions they faced during their long months of struggle against each other. To this he adds a perceptive explanation of both the events leading up to the battle and how is was that the sides sustained such a debilitating effort, both on the national and personal level.
By clearly detailing its events and recounting the lives of the soldiers who fought in it, Beevor has written an excellent history of the battle that is a must-read for anyone seeking to understand it. And yet the book falls short in one important respect. For while Beevor conveys well the human side of the conflict, it doesn't quite capture its truly epic nature. Scale is missing, as the war-defining nature of the event lost amid the stories of the men and the details of the campaign. While the effort to do so would result in a very different book, perhaps only then might it be possible to fully appreciate the importance of the titanic struggle waged there, both for the people involved and for the broader war itself.
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clash against the Soviet Union. Millions of soldiers — not just Germans and Russians, but Hungarians, Romanians, Bulgarians, Croats, Italians, and others — fought and died on an unprecedented scale, with the slaughter ending only with the final defeat of the Nazi regime in the ruins of Berlin.While numerous battles defined the course of events, the decisive clash on the Eastern Front came in the autumn of 1942 in the city of Stalingrad. There the German Sixth Army fought a grinding campaign to conquer the industrial center, only to be encircled by a surprise Soviet counter-offensive in November. Debilitated by the twin forces of battle and winter, tens of thousands of troops surrendered in February 1943, inflicting the greatest defeat yet suffered by the Third Reich. One of the strengths of Antony Beevor's history of the battle is in its detailing of the experiences of the men who fought and died on both sides. Drawing upon letters, diaries, and other records, he describes the nearly unimaginable conditions they faced during their long months of struggle against each other. To this he adds a perceptive explanation of both the events leading up to the battle and how is was that the sides sustained such a debilitating effort, both on the national and personal level.
By clearly detailing its events and recounting the lives of the soldiers who fought in it, Beevor has written an excellent history of the battle that is a must-read for anyone seeking to understand it. And yet the book falls short in one important respect. For while Beevor conveys well the human side of the conflict, it doesn't quite capture its truly epic nature. Scale is missing, as the war-defining nature of the event lost amid the stories of the men and the details of the campaign. While the effort to do so would result in a very different book, perhaps only then might it be possible to fully appreciate the importance of the titanic struggle waged there, both for the people involved and for the broader war itself.
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Awards
Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction (Winner — 1999)
Hawthornden Prize (1999)
Longman - History Today Picture Research Prize (Winner — 2011)
Wolfson History Prize (Shortlist — 1999)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1998
Physical description
xvii, 493 p.; 23.3 cm
ISBN
9780140249859
Local notes
Omslag: Getty Images, London
Omslaget viser sovjetsoldater fra Rodimtsev's 13 Guards-Division, der rykker frem i ruinerne af Stalingrad
Indskannet omslag - N650U - 150 dpi
Omslaget viser sovjetsoldater fra Rodimtsev's 13 Guards-Division, der rykker frem i ruinerne af Stalingrad
Indskannet omslag - N650U - 150 dpi
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Pages
xvii; 493
DDC/MDS
| 940.542178 |