Stalingrad

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Product Details

Author : Antony Beevor
Binding : Paperback
EAN : 9780140249859
Edition : New edition
Number of Pages : 512
Product Group : Book
Publication Date : 1999-05-06
Publisher : Penguin Books Ltd

ASIN : 0140249850

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.co.uk Review

Hitler made two fundamental and crippling mistakes during the Second World War. The first was his whimsical belief that the United Kingdom would eventually become his ally, which delayed his decision to launch a major invasion of Britain, whose army was unprepared for the force of blitzkrieg warfare. The second was the ill-conceived Operation Barbarossa--an invasion of Russia that was supposed to take the German army to the gates of Moscow. Antony Beevor's thoughtfully researched compendium recalls this epic struggle for Stalingrad. No-one, least of all the Germans, could foretell the deep well of Soviet resolve that would become the foundation of the Red Army; Russia, the Germans believed, would fall as swiftly as France and Poland. The ill-prepared Nazi forces were trapped in a bloody war of attrition against the Russian behemoth, which held them in the pit of Stalingrad for nearly two years. Beevor points out that the Russians were by no means ready for the war either, making their stand even more remarkable; Soviet intelligence spent as much time spying on its own forces--in fear of desertion, treachery and incompetence--as they did on the Nazis. Due attention is also given to the points of view of the soldiers and generals of both forces, from the sickening battles to life in the gulags.

Many believe Stalingrad to be the turning point of the war. The Nazi war machine proved to be fallible as it spread itself too thin for a cause that was born more from arrogance than practicality. The Germans never recovered, and its weakened defences were no match for the Allied invasion of 1944. We know little of what took place in Stalingrad or its overall significance, leading Beevor to humbly admit that "[t]he Battle of Stalingrad remains such an ideologically charged and symbolically important subject that the last word will not be heard for many years". This is true. But this gripping account should become the standard work against which all others should measure themselves. --Jeremy Storey

Customer Reviews

The human face of military history (2008-10-08)

Antony Beevor's masterly account of one of the key battles of WWII combines the readability of a novel with the deep research of a professional historian. He looks at the battle from the perspectives of the Soviet high command, the German high command, and ordinary soldiers on both sides of the conflict. This is essentially a military history, so its main purpose is not to examine the moral questions behind Operation Barbarossa. Yet Beevor still leaves the reader with a deep distaste for the wicked decisions made by the German leadership in their desire to pursue a war of extermination, and for the callous way that the Soviet command squandered the lives of millions of Red Army soldiers. The strategic blunders on both sides are dissected with great precision. The Wehrmacht paid dearly for Hitler's belief in his military destiny and habit of overriding the better judgement of its senior commanders. On the Soviet side, Stalin also made some catastrophic decisions in the run up to the siege at Stalingrad, resulting in many divisions of the Red Army being wiped out or captured.Beevor is eloquent in describing the Soviet recovery at Stalingrad and their skilful exploitation of deep reserves in territory and manpower. The cynical calculations of the Soviet high command are also examined. For example, the 62nd Army, under General Vasily Chuikov, was left to fight for weeks in the killing ground on the west bank of the Volga, wholly unaware that a massive counteroffensive was being planned to relieve it. The knowledge of this potential relief might have taken the edge off a desperate Soviet resistance, so it was kept secret even from the commanders of the 62nd. The Eastern Front has been called the worst war in history. After reading Beevor's gripping account of these terrible events, it is difficult to argue with this conclusion. If you only ever read one book about the history of the Eastern Front, let it be this one.

You won't regret reading this work (2008-09-09)

So many people have written positively about this book that it is unnecessary for me to reiterate their many points with which I agree. I suggest that you read Alan Clark's "Barbarossa" (a tale of the whole war in Russia) first. No great matter if you don't because Beever does briefly explain the circumstances from the German "Barbarossa" invasion leading to the events at Stalingrad.As in Clark's work the tale is an objective account of events of great moral ambiguity. Well you must make up your own mind about such matters. Perhaps we (those now alive) should be grateful for Stalin's utter ruthlessness in the disposition of his people; maybe they were not. Yet, it seems that the Russians defending Stalingrad did so with enthusiasm.The German General Paulus (later Field Marshall) is displayed as a competent officer but lacking imagination. General Zhukov, Stalin's fixer for several potential military disasters, comes across as a superb leader.The Germans commanded the Volga north of Stalingrad at an early stage. Why did they not work their way along the banks of the river from the north and from the south? Maybe, that could have led to a German victory. Else, why did Hitler change the initial plans, which involved merely containing Stalingrad, to occupation of the city? There are so many "what ifs" in this tale.Perhaps, one day it shall be possible to do virtual reality re-enactments of WW2. Take the part of Hitler from various stages of the war and see if one could do better. I suspect that major differences could be accomplished but nevertheless the one thousand year Reich would not last long because of its inherent political instability.

Simply Masterful (2008-09-07)

Antonty Beevor's Stalingrad and its companion Berlin 1945: the Downfall are simply masterful pieces of military history writing. However to describe these works as pure military history would be to underestimate the depth of the studies. These two books rise above the dry military history accounts of the movements of battle groups and divisions and provide the reader with an account of the diplomatic, political, geographical, technological, meterological and most importantly sociological aspects of the war on the Eastern front. Using sources that provide first hand accounts and a writing style that would be the envy of any novelist, Beevor provides a rip-roaring page turning unputdownable extravanganza of a book. This book is responsible for igniting my passion in History, its a shame that not all history books are written with such an ability to inspire those that read them.Stalingrad captures the ferosity, harsh conditions, determination and grim reality of the most horrific war ever to befall the planet and in particular the events of one of the most decisive battles of that war. This book is simply unsurpassed.

essential reading FULL STOP! (2008-06-05)

well what can i add to the many glowing reviews already given?all i can say that this book made me pause for thought on many occasion and try to appreciate or even just comprehend the sacrafices, scale and atrocities of this poignant part of WWII.simply fantastic.

Great writer (2007-11-23)

Great book from a great writer. It puts you reading without stop waiting for what happens in the next page. It gives the all dimension of war (and what a battle he choose for this). Every world war 2 enthusiast must read this one.

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