On august 5, 1942, giant pillars of dust rose over the russian steppe, marking the advance of the 6th army, an elite german combat unit dispatched by hitler to capture the industrial city of stalingrad and press on to the oil fields of azerbaijan. The outstanding book on the soviet war in any language. Contact info casemate publishers 1950 lawrence road havertown pa 19083 t. The author was a siberian miner who served as a mortarman in the soviet infantry in 1942 and 1943. Marvin kalb, former chief diplomatic correspondent for cbs and nbc news, explores why one president after another, fromtruman to obama, has sidestepped declarations of war. Originally published in 1975, firmly during the cold war era, the road to stalingrad filled a gap by being the first uk history of the russian front to focus. Stalingrad was published in the philippines under the title of stalingrad.
But the roots of the battle of stalingrad all began in 1941 when hitler launched operation barbarossa. Discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that. People literally freezing in the streets, and melting the glue off of book spines to eat it like candy bars for precious protein, or kidnapping and butchering children for food, or hell, the main plot itself. And when night arrives, one of those scorching howling bleeding nights, the dogs plunge into the volga and swim desperately to gain the other bank. There were a number of books covering a wider focus which, nonetheless, contained valuable info for various scn. His vivid inside view of a ruthless war on the eastern front gives a rare insight into the reality of the fighting and into the tactics and mentality of the soviet army. The fateful siege 194243, and has been translated into 18 languages.
Moscow war diary in 1942 leningrad in 1944 established werth, himself halfrussian, as one of the liveliest journalists writing on the subject of russia today. After a terrible first winter in russia, the german troops reorganized and readied themselves to launch the offensive to end the war. More than probably any other book, this one captures the raw horror of war. Recollections of a soviet infantryman view larger image.
John ericksons the road to stalingrad is a meticulously written, detail rich work of military history. I am looking for a good book on the russian front of wwii. John erickson frse fba frsa 17 april 1929 in south shields 10 february 2002 in edinburgh was a british historian and defence expert who wrote extensively on the second world war. In the road to stalingrad john erickson takes us in detail from the inept command structures and strategic delusions of the preinvasion soviet union, through the humiliations as her armies fell back on all fronts before the barbarossa onslaught, until the tide turned at last in stalingrad. The road to stalingrad by john erickson books hachette. Roads to stalingrad is the first volume of the campaign commander series and depicts the campaign in southern russia from the summer of 1942 to the end of the winter of 1943. This volume is one of a series that chronicles the rise and eventual fall of nazi germany. The road to stalingrad covers the germansoviet war from a mainly soviet perspective. Abdulin started his book with brief accounts of his childhood. British politics and the second world war by addison, paul and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. The road to stalingrad by john erickson books hachette australia. As a transshipment point, the port handles oil, coal, ore, lumber, and fish.
The battle of stalingrad was not only the psychological turning point of world war ii. Stalingrad strikes a good balance between presenting the facts whilst remaining readable. The book also describes the ferocity and then kindness of red army troops. The obscure war memoir red road from stalingrad is a great supplement for anyone interested in the conflict known as the great patriotic war in russia and the former soviet republics. After completing his course at the tashkent infantry school, he fought on the stalingrad front, during the encirclement of the german 6th army, participated in the bitter, decisive battle at kursk and harried the germans as they retreated across the steppes to the banks of the dnieper river. Recollections of a soviet infantryman abdulin, mansur, drabkin, artem on. The english paperback version was published by penguin books in 1999 antony beevor, stalingrad viking 1998 isbn 0140249850 paperback and isbn 0670870951 hardcover. The obscure war memoir red road from stalingrad is a great supplement for anyone interested in the conflict known as the great patriotic war in russia and the former. Road to stalingrad third reich book by timelife books. Vasily grossman with the red army in schwerin, germany, 1945. Stalingrad by jochen hellbeck translated by christopher. Antony beevor leads up to the events at stalingrad with some background to the siege and its aftermath.
Mansur abdulin fought in the front ranks of the soviet inf. His two bestknown books the road to stalingrad and the road to berlin dealt with the soviet response to the german invasion of the soviet union, covering the period from 1941 to 1945. If there is only one book on stalingrad that you want to read, then i would suggest enemy at the gates by craig. By day it is an enormous cloud of burning, blinding smoke. You get to read how the soviet army was unprepared for the war that hit them on june 22nd, 1941. A new york times bestseller that brings to life one of the bloodiest battles of world war iiand the beginning of the end of the third reich. Military history books sometimes suffer from being a trawl through facts and figures which makes them a chore to read. It is a memoir from the soviet side of wwii on the eastern front.
A firstrate work by a british expert on soviet military affairs. Reflections of a soviet infantryman stackpole military. Abdulin was clear that war is not the fantasy world of arm chair patriots who glorify war but never enlist to take the risks. Abdulins red road from stalingrad is a good descriptive account of the terrible carnage on the russian front during ww ii. Stalingrad author anthony beevor speaks out over ukraine book ban. What is the definitive book on the wwii battle of stalingrad.
The battle of stalingrad sealed the fate of nazi germany, transformed the soviet home front into the front lines, and created a narrative that sustained the soviet union for a half century. Abdulin joined the division while it was rebuilding in buzuluk in the late summer of 1942, and he served for about a year, until he was. The road to stalingrad by john erickson, 9780300078121, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. Mansur abdulin volunteered to fight for the red army in 1942. He picks the most telling time period, from the soviet leaderships first awareness of the german war threat in 1935when tukachevskys demand for preparatory war games was vetoed by. Stalingrad was the biggest and bloodiest battle in the history of warfare. The germans however hit them before they were ready. Red road from stalingrad, recollections of a soviet infantryman. Hitlers powerful army marched across the east, seemingly unstoppable to any force. We started using anthony beevors stalingrad which is very good, but we also found john ericksons road to stalingrad very good as well. Pushing forward through the southern steppes aiming to capture the vital caucasian oil fields, before being caught up in some of the most vicious street fighting known in military history, the german 6th army was bled white and ultimately destroyed. In the fivemonth siege that followed, the russians fought to hold. The author is a fascinating individual, identifying himself as a communist, a muslim, a tartar, and a. It was in transition to a new organization that would make it more suitable for modern conflict.
In august 1942, hitlers huge sixth army reached the city that bore stalins name. Buy a cheap copy of road to stalingrad third reich book by timelife books. In this book he tells of his first naive enthusiasmthen the. Heritage imagesgetty images i n september 1942 the german high command announced that the city of stalingrad had fallen. Mansur abdulin fought in the front ranks of the soviet infantry against the german invaders at stalingrad, kursk and on the banks of the dnieper. Red road from stalingrad is a war memoir written by mansur abdulin, published in russian in 1991 and in english in 2004. The first of two volumes in john ericksons monumental history of the sovietgerman war. The road to stalingrad is a shattering eyewitness account of that lost battlewritten by a survivor. Stalins red army was caught completely off guard and their lines were completely broken apart. In this first volume of john ericksons monumental history of the grueling sovietgerman war of 19411945, the author takes us from the preinvasion soviet union, with its inept command structures and strategic delusions, to the humiliating retreats of soviet armies before the barbarossa onslaught, to the climactic, grinding battle for stalingrad that left the red army. In it, abdulin recounts his service in the 293rd rifle division, which became the 66th guards rifle division, in 194243.
Abdulins book gives vivid descriptions of carnage and death in actual total war. From antony beevor, the internationally bestselling author of dday and the battle of arnhem. The battle and the resistance runciman prize, stalingrad samuel johnson prize, wolfson prize for history and hawthornden prize, berlin. Antony beevor is the renowned author of stalingrad, which won the samuel johnson prize, the wolfson prize for history and the hawthornden prize for literature, and berlin, which received the first longmanhistory today trustees award. The battle of stalingrad by turning point simulations the players aid duration. List of books and articles about battle of stalingrad. This authoritative book by a firstclass military historian is easily read. Never again would it regain the initiative against the seemingly inexhaustible forces of the red army. Vasily grossman with the red army in germany, 1945. Road to destruction offers a unique visual insight into the climactic battle of stalingrad during the autumn and winter of 194243. February 2 marks the 75th anniversary of the german surrender at stalingrad.
Seventy years ago today hitlers armies at stalingrad surrendered after 200 days of the most savage fighting. The road to 1945 by addison abebooks shop for books. Hayward most accounts of the battle of stalingrad have focused on the dismal fate of the german army. Volgograd is also a major rail center, with connections to moscow, the donets basin, the caucasus, and sw siberia.
The luftwaffe and hitlers defeat in the east, 19421943 modern war studies by joel s. Both the above mentioned stalingrads are excellent. While the fivemonth battle remains a symbol of world war ii, its practical importance to defeating the nazis deserves more attention. The road to stalingrad by benno zieser nook book ebook.
But this book is long on personality and short on military strategy. The climax, the grinding battle for stalingrad, leaves the red army poised for its majestic counteroffensive, operation uranus, discovering it had caught a tiger by. The battle for normandy prix henry malherbe and the rusi westminster medal, the second world war, ardennes. Benno zieser was drafted at the age of nineteen and fought in the infantry at stalingrad. Since reading william craigs 1973 classic enemy at the gates ive always been fascinated with the eastern front due to the massive scope of carnage and attrition seen in this theater of world war ii. After the catastrophic failure of the german offensives of 1942 and 1943, the wehrmacht was forced onto the defensive. Abdulin joined the division while it was rebuilding in buzuluk in the late summer of 1942, and he served for about a year, until he was severely wounded in. With stalingrad this was not possible, as there was just so much information. Erickson investigates the nature of command decisions, the character of economic performancethe overall soviet style of war. The epic battles fought at stalingrad and kursk were pivotal events in the war on the eastern front. This won a new audience for the book, though the actual number of people who. A prequel to one of the great novels of the 20th century, vasily grossmans 1960 book life and fate, finally appeared in english this year. This dense volume illuminates the tragedies and triumphs of stalins war machine from the outbreak of barbarossa on june 22, 1941 until the victory of the red army at stalingrad in early 1943. The road to stalingrad cassell military paperbacks.