Product Description

This is a timely analysis and re-creation of the turning point of World War II. In October 1942, a panzer 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 became the focus of Hitler and Stalin's determination to win the gruesome, vicious war on the eastern front. The citizens of Stalingrad endured unimaginable hardship; the battle, with fierce hand to hand fighting in each room of each building, was brutally destructive to both armies. 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.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #8249 in Books
• Published on: 1999-05-06
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 512 pages

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

Stalingrad: A comprehensive and harrowing account
Stalingrad is a superb book. Before reading it I had no knowledge of the eastern front, but Antony Beevor's account has compelled me to find out more. The book not only provides a full account of the battle, but an overview of Operation Barbarossa and the strategy in southern Russia. The books main triumph lies in its ability to relate the story from both the German and Russian perspectives of the battle, from an ordinary soldier's point of view as well as the Generals and of course Stalin and Hitler. The author's use of different sources is unbelievable, although I think it could have done with a few more personal accounts - but this is a very minor gripe. With violence portrayed on TV so much, you might think we have been made unshockable (if thats a word) towards war stories, but I definately felt sickened by what I read in this book, especially towards the end with the subjugation of the Sixth Army. It may be that the Stalingrad story is just so unbelievable that it makes this book stand out, but Beevor is as competent an author as any in helping the reader truly understand. Stalingrad is the definitve account of the most momentous event of W.W.2.

Stalingrad - Turning Point of World War II?
This book is probably one of the best I've read about WWII and one of the most accessible. It brings to life the futility of war and the insanity of both Hitler and Stalin. In these pages - their disregard for the lives of their soldiers is brought brilliantly to life. I didn't want to put the book down!

Operation Barbarossa proved to be one of the key turning points of World War II. This book provides the perspective to understand so much of what happened and why. Hitlers inability to trust his generals and their lack of courage in acting against him becomes clear through the actions of the high command at Stalingrad. Through Anthony Beevors descriptions of the sacrifice of the Sixth Army you find yourself asking the question - what would have happened if the British army at Dunkirk had received similar suicidal orders ?

The stories of horror and courage at Stalingrad are numerous but the book never descends into cheap emotion and always maintains it's objectivity. It helps you understand the military and political machinations during the battle - empathising without being partisan.

It's stunning to learn the level of callousness displayed by both Stalin and the German army towards ordinary Russian soldiers during and after the campaign. The bravery of all the ordinary participants but espeically the average Russian soldiers and civillians cries out to you. This book astounded me with the portrayal of the human capacity to overcome adversity - it inspired me and made me cry. It'll help you understand not only Stalingrad but also beyond. It gave me an insight into both the Russian people during WWII and the events during the Russian advance through Germany. Read it!

Grim
This big, thick tome was a bestseller when it came out, and it's not hard to see why - it's a gripping, well-written account of probably the grimmest, bleakest battle of the Second World War. Although the battle ended with the German army suffering a terrible loss, the book wisely generates no sense of triumph - both Russian and German armies endured enormous casualties, whilst the city of Stalingrad itself was transformed into a wasteland. Even those lucky enough to survive the battle were either marched to death in brutal captivity, or thrown straight at the German lines.
Particularly interesting is Beevor's research into the Russian army's ruthless intelligence service (which gave the soldiers a stark choice between possible death in combat, or certain death by firing squad), and the great rate of desertion, a state of affairs which resulted in Germans being press-ganged into Russian service, and Russian deserters fighting for the Germans.
All in all, this is a superb book. Whilst other reviews mention the near-contemporary 'Enemy at the Gates', it's also worth mentioning a german film called 'Stalingrad' which was released in the early-90s, and was apparently much better.