The Red Army of the Great Patriotic War 1941-45 (Men-at-Arms) [Paperback]

Steven Zaloga (Author), Ronald Volstad (Illustrator)

Book Description

Series: Men-at-Arms | Publication Date: November 23, 1989

The German invasion in 1941 led to a series of staggering defeats for the Russians. In the first five months of fighting, the Soviets lost about four million men, amounting to 80 per cent of the total strength of the ground forces at the time of the outbreak of the war. Yet the Red Army managed to hold on. The Soviets had been steadily growing throughout in capability and effectiveness, and after the smashing of the German offensive at the battle of the Kursk salient, they were never again seriously checked, advancing to the ruins of Berlin itself. This title examines the organisation, equipment and uniforms of the Red Army of the Great Patriotic War.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Packed with specially commissioned artwork, maps and diagrams, the Men-at-Arms series is an unrivalled illustrated reference on the history, organisation, uniforms and equipment of the world's military forces, past and present.

About the Author

Steven J. Zaloga was born in 1952, received his BA in history from Union College, and his MA from Columbia University. He has published numerous books and articles dealing with modern military technology, especially armoured vehicle development. His main area of interest is military affairs in the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe in the Second World War, and he has also written extensively on American armoured forces.

Product Details

• Paperback: 48 pages
• Publisher: Osprey Publishing (November 23, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0850459397
• ISBN-13: 978-0850459395
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 0.2 x 9.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #907,772 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Steven Zaloga is a senior analyst for Teal Group Corp., an aerospace consulting firm. His professional specialization is the commercial and technological aspects of the international trade in missiles, precision guided munitions, and unmanned aerial vehicles. He also serves as an adjunct staff member with the Institute for Defense Analyses, a federal think-tank.

Mr. Zaloga has published numerous books and articles on military technology and military history. His books have been translated into Japanese, German, Polish, Czech, Romanian, and Russian. He has been a special correspondent for "Jane's Intelligence Review" and is on the executive board of the "Journal of Slavic Military Studies". From 1987 through 1992, he was the writer/director for Video Ordnance Inc., preparing their TV series "Firepower" that aired on The Discovery Channel in the US.

Mr. Zaloga was born in 1952 and received his BA in history from Union College, Schenectady, NY. He received an MA in history from Columbia University specializing in modern East European history, and did graduate research and language study at Uniwersitet Jagiellonski in Krakow, Poland.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Thumbnail Review of the Subject for Hobbyists, July 7, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Red Army of the Great Patriotic War 1941-45 (Men-at-Arms) (Paperback)

Zaloga's contribution to Osprey's series is extremely well-done. And though this work is just under 50 pages, it packs in enough details for World War II scale modelers, computer game players, and novices of modern military history to get the answers to many basic and advanced questions about the Soviet military of the Second World War. Since this 1989 release, there have been many other works in this "reference books for modelers and hobbyists" niche that have zeroed-in on smaller chunks of the Red Army '41-'45, but for many individuals, this book can be enough. Ron Volstad's artwork, always excellant, is of unusually high quality in this book, and the photographs are studies in and of themselves. More books by Osprey and Osprey's competitors could benefit from the approach that Zaloga has taken in this work.

-- Clay Eaton

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Showing Its Age but No Less Useful, January 3, 2002

By 

El Cutachero (MD USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Red Army of the Great Patriotic War 1941-45 (Men-at-Arms) (Paperback)

Since this primer came out in 1989, the fall of the USSR has led to much more knowledge of the details of the Red Army and its organization. As with any work in this series it is not intended as a definitive study, but an introduction. As such, it still is useful. As it was done before the end of the Cold War, much source material, even though published in prior years, has become available, and such publications as the now defunct English edition of Militaria and the still active French edition of Militaria have given us much more detail than is possible herein but that requires a large investment for the merely curious.
So, start here and then go on to the photo studies and reenactments with living models so prevalent in recent years.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sources Good, July 25, 2004

By 

Michael A Dorosh (Calgary, AB, CANADA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Red Army of the Great Patriotic War 1941-45 (Men-at-Arms) (Paperback)

Not sure what extra sources Carter Rila feels would have been buried in Soviet archives with respect to this book. This primer covers uniform insignia, basic organization of the Red Army, and a brief history of the Army as a social institution in the context of the Second World War. Good sidebar illustrations on both the old and new rank systems, and some very good photographs. Would love to see the Red Army get the same current MAA treatment - ie a multivolume set dealing with insignia and specialists in greater detail - but this volume stands the test of time. Great artwork by Volstad, as always and in particular he has capture the ethnicity of the subjects very well, something Stephen Andrew has not been able to achieve in the newer titles. Good lips and cheekbones on these Slavic looking characters! A very nice introduction to a little written about subject in the English world.

Would benefit in a future series by a look at decorations, the wound badges, and perhaps a finer breakdown of sample infantry battalions, armoured battalions etc. and finally perhaps a look at training and recruitment in the Red Army.