Product Description

In late September 1941, the war in the east was approaching a climax. Since the beginning of the German invasion on 22 June 1941, Soviet forces had suffered the staggering loss of over 2 million troops. After inflicting a horrendous defeat on the Soviet armies at Kiev in early September, Hitler now re-directed the victorious Wehrmacht armies toward the heart of Soviet Russia: Moscow. Operation Typhoon began and in the first week of the offensive, the three German panzer armies surrounded virtually the bulk of the Soviet forces barring the way to Moscow. This title details the dramatic battle that took place right up to the suburbs of Moscow itself.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #180359 in Books
• Published on: 2006-04-28
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 96 pages

Customer Reviews

Osprey returns to quality
This book is very good, with no less than 5 excellent operational maps, 3 good 3-D birds eye maps and 3 good colour plates and it is a return to Osprey's original standard. Here the author is focused and doesn't get lost in less important sidetracks. Also there is a good guide to the battlefield today with good points should the reader ever have the chance to go there.

Of paticular interest the author adresses myths such as the Siberian Divisions, the lack of cold winter clothing on the German side and the weather factor with surprising results. I must agree however with Maciej K. another reviewer on this book that Forczyk's style is arrogant and since the book has limited space his observations are not sufficiently supported if at all. This arrogance is unneccesary and he could have got his point across in a more subtle style.

What he does do very well is describe the last German offensive in 1941, Typhoon, how it brought the Whermacht within 19 km of the Kremlin and then why it failed. The achivement of the Russian Colossus to sustain its tremendous losses in 1941 and still be able to field enormous, if poorly trained and equipped, armies defies belief. I am also satisfied with Forczyk in that he gives a balanced report of both sides rather than overfocusing on either the Germans or Russians.

Maciej K. also pointed out that the book only spends about 2 and a half pages on the Soviet counter offensive. Well you feel the book does leave you short but this is actually a good thing. This book is about the failed last German offensive and in that way their defeat. It manages extremely well with the 96 pages allocated in doing this, given the scale of events. No more room is available for the counter offensive - anyway the 2 and a half pages are more of an introduction and aftermath - I am certain that Forczyk will follow up with Moscow 1941 - The Soviet counter offensive.

A really great read with some minor flaws
This is an excellent introductory book about this famous and important battle of WWII. I give it five stars and recommand it warmly, although with some minor remarks. First all the good points - well and clearly written, good maps, very good choice of pictures for illustrations, quite good colour plates. The description of events is well paced, clear and precise. A really good book, although short (as all Osprey Campaigns) so consider it as an introduction.
Now, some observations. The autor adopts a smug, almost arrogant style in his writing and somewhere around page 50 it started to get on my nerves. Authors observations about the myths and reality in this battle are quite interresting, but also very daring and I would like to see some more evidence tu support them (mainly about the role of Soviet cavalry and the allegedly limited role played by the Siberian divisions).
The author and the editor also somehow mishandled the space attributed to the different stages of the battle - German march to Moscow is well described, but Russian counter-offensive (which after all is the most important part of the battle, because it decided the outcome) is treated on two pages and a half.
Still, I passed such a good time reading it, that I simply can not give this book anything else than 5 stars. And I will await impatiently the next one of the author.

Very good addition to the series
This book does what the Osprey Campaign series does at its best. It takes a familiar subject, cuts it down to the nuts and bolts of the action, with clear and concise text, detailed maps and excellent illustrations. What makes this one stand out is the focus on the supply situation and the weather. The author has a good go at debunking the myths about the impact of the winter weather on the German forces and suggests that the real failure was one of logistics which were just stretched too far. The only thing that stops me giving this five stars is the short shift given to the Soviet counter-attacks. Hopefully the author will do a follow up on the Soviet offensives of early 1942.