Fighting in Hell: The German Ordeal on the Eastern Front [Mass Market Paperback]

Peter G. Tsouras (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 26, 1997

On 22 June 1941, the German army invaded the Soviet Union, one hundred fifty divisions advancing on three axes in a surprise attack that overwhelmed and destroyed whatever opposition the Russians were able to muster. The German High Command was under the impression that the Red Army could be destroyed west of the Dnepr River and that there would be no need for conducting operations in cold, snow, and mud. They were wrong.

In reality, the extreme conditions of the German war in Russia were so brutal that past experiences simply paled before them. Everything in Russia--the land, the weather, the distances, and above all the people--was harder, harsher, more unforgiving, and more deadly than anything the German soldier had ever faced before.

Based on the recollections of four veteran German commanders of those battles, FIGHTING IN HELL describes in detail what happened when the world's best-publicized "supermen" met the world's most brutal fighting. It is not a tale for the squeamish.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

On 22 June 1941, the German army invaded the Soviet Union, one hundred fifty divisions advancing on three axes in a surprise attack that overwhelmed and destroyed whatever opposition the Russians were able to muster. The German High Command was under the impression that the Red Army could be destroyed west of the Dnepr River and that there would be no need for conducting operations in cold, snow, and mud. They were wrong.

In reality, the extreme conditions of the German war in Russia were so brutal that past experiences simply paled before them. Everything in Russia--the land, the weather, the distances, and above all the people--was harder, harsher, more unforgiving, and more deadly than anything the German soldier had ever faced before.

Based on the recollections of four veteran German commanders of those battles, FIGHTING IN HELL describes in detail what happened when the world's best-publicized "supermen" met the world's most brutal fighting. It is not a tale for the squeamish.

About the Author

The editor of Fighting in Hell, Peter G. Tsouras, is an analyst at the U.S. Army's Intelligence and Threat Center in Washington, D.C. He also edited The Anvil of War. He is the author of a number of books, including The Great Patriotic War and Disaster at D-day.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books (November 26, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0804116989
• ISBN-13: 978-0804116985
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 1 x 6.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #400,684 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #68 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > History > Military > World War II > General

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

42 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Collection of German Command Debriefings from the 1950s, December 23, 1999

By 

James J. Bloom (Silver Spring, MD USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Fighting in Hell: The German Ordeal on the Eastern Front (Mass Market Paperback)

As noted in other reviews, this book, contrary to the back cover hype, is NOT a dramatic "you are there" narrative of East Front horrors. It IS a selection from the so-called German Reports Series. This collection was produced for the education of US Army officers in the late 1940s and early 1950s and drew on the selective memories of German officers. The authors were debriefed by US military historians while the former were still POWs. The idea was for the Army to tap into the Wehrmacht's experiences in fighting the Russians -- a big American concern at that time. As such, the pieces are tailored to a "lessons learned" presentation. Some German bias shines through the staff college lecture style of the writing. The authors did not really have much insight into the quality of the Russian soldier or leadership.

They did appreciate the tactics used against them and the countermeasures that they had to improvise in daunting circumstances. But amidst all this fragmentary military ephemera, there is no real insight as to how and why they were defeated along the Don and the Dnepr River basins.

Many of these selections are available from the US Government Printing office as reprints of the original US Army Pamphlets (then classified "restricted") from 45+ years ago. The value of this book is that it makes the material available to a wider reading public under a cheap single cover. However, the value would be enhanced by annotations or commentary pointing out the biases of the German authors and bringing in information available since then from the gradually opening ex-Soviet war archives.

34 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not what you might expect, May 10, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Fighting in Hell: The German Ordeal on the Eastern Front (Mass Market Paperback)

This book is split into 4 segments of German officers talking about: (1) colder than expected winters (2) Numerically superior Russian forces thrown against the Germans (3) Russian haphazard ability to use terrain to its advantage. Each "General" says the same thing - giving a repetitive feeling to the book. (It was difficult to stay attentive after section 2).

NO personal account of action by anyone (save one or two anecdotes in entire book).

NO general explanation of the locations of battle (how about 1 or 2 geographical maps).

NO feeling of what the German or Russian soldier went through on the Eastern Front.

Believe previous reviewers: this is NOT what you would expect by the title. Better title: Review of German Difficulties Fighting in Russia: A General's Perspective (Yeah, a boring title for a repetitive book).

I rated 1.5 stars because I was disappointed with the lost opportunity for a great review of what the German (or Russian) soldier went through on the eastern front.

30 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wealth of infomation on combat on the Eastern Front, October 12, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Fighting in Hell: The German Ordeal on the Eastern Front (Mass Market Paperback)

This book just has to be the best literary buy I've ever made. The price tag on Fighting In Hell could be several times higher and I'd still buy it. It is not a concise dictionary on fighting on the Eastern Front, but rather contains reports on different topics written by german generals after the war. The way these are written convey the cold reality of war, as well as the pride of the author's in the quality of german armed forces. Included are excellent descriptions of the differences of german and russian soldiers and combat methods. The first hand descriptions of Soviet combat tactics and battles fought couldn't come from better sources than from the people that fought the russians. Highly recommended.