Hell's Gate: The Battle of the Cherkassy Pocket, January-February 1944 [Hardcover]

Douglas E. Nash (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 2006

Virtually unknown in the English-speaking world, the Battle of Cherkassy (also known as the Korsun Pocket) still stirs controversy in both the former Soviet Union and in Germany. It was at Cherkassy that the last German offensive strength in the Ukraine was drained away, creating the conditions for the victorious Soviet advance into Poland, Rumania, and the Balkans during the summer and autumn of 1944. Eclipsed by a war of such gigantic proportions that saw the deaths of over one million men or more as commonplace, the events which occurred along the banks of the Gniloy Tickich river should have faded into obscurity. However, to the 60,000 German soldiers who were encircled there at the end of January 1944, this was perhaps one of the most brutal, physically exhausting, and morally demanding battles they had ever experienced. Thirty-four percent of them would not escape. The culmination of years of research and survivor interviews, Hell's Gate is a riveting hour by hour and day by day account of this desperate struggle analyzed on a tactical level through maps and military transcripts, as well as on a personal level, through the words of the enlisted men and officers who risked the roaring waters of the Gniloy Tickich to avoid certain death at the hands of their Soviet foe.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 390 pages
• Publisher: RZM Imports; First edition (February 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0965758435
• ISBN-13: 978-0965758437
• Product Dimensions: 11.4 x 8.7 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #544,564 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #72 in Books > History > Europe > Ukraine

More About the Author

I'm a West Point Class of 1980 graduate and a retired U.S. Army Officer with 28 years of active duty service in places like Kosovo, Iraq, Afghanistan, Germany, Cuba, and Uzbekistan. I served in a variety of Army units, such as armored cavalry, armor, and special operations forces, including Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations. My works include "Hell's Gate: The Battle of the Cherkassy Pocket January to February 1944" and "Victory Was Beyond Their Grasp: with the 272nd Volks-Grenadier Division from the Huertgen Forest to the Heart of the Reich," as well as several articles for military history magazines, such as World War Two and Armchair General. Am currently working on a book about the German relief of Kovel, March 1944.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

103 of 106 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing History!, July 22, 2002

By 

Stephen H. Ehlers "Porco Rosso" (Bellevue, NE United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hell's Gate: The Battle of the Cherkassy Pocket, January-February 1944 (Hardcover)

This is an epic work that covers a forgoten battle from a forgoten war... Soviets v.s. 3rd Reich in yet another battle to the death... Two months in 1944 that went mostly unnoticed by all, except those who were actually there...

Yet somehow, Col Nash manages to bring this "lost" battle to life, re-telling the tale in minute and fascinating detail. He shows us the players, the setting, the story... he draws us in, and makes us feel part of the struggle.

I am very impressed with this book! Firstly, it is HUGE! Almost "coffee table book" in size, it is literally bursting with rare photos, detailed organizational charts and informative maps and charts. Second, it is packed with invaluable and otherwise impossible to find information. Third, it is masterfully writen... Col Nash has re-invented the military history book! This is no dry listing of dusty facts... this is an exquisite retelling of history... a true "page turner" that draws you in and holds your attention until the last page! The best history book I have ever read, military or otherwise. I give this book my highest and most enthusiastic rating, especilly to students of WWII and/or the Russian Front.

36 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Eastern Anomaly, June 24, 2003

By 

Kevin Black (Scottsdale) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Hell's Gate: The Battle of the Cherkassy Pocket, January-February 1944 (Hardcover)

Nash has written, I believe to be, one of the greatest works on the East Front. Stories of courage, imagination, and leader innovation are traits that mark the history of the East Front and are clearly present in this book. What makes this book an anomaly as my heading states? It is the fact that Douglas Nash clearly projects how personal the war was - not only at a tactical level, but also at the operational.

The Battle of Cherkassy (Korson) Pocket signified the destruction of the last German offensive capability in the East.
More importantly, it symbolizes two great operational struggles: The Russian will to destroy their invaders by attempting to create another Stalingrad catastrophe and the German resolve to survive and escape annihilation.

The Book describes the battle in three major levels: strategic, operation, and tactical. Each level includes the planning, coordination, and execution of their respective missions. The decisive characteristic of this work is the smooth intregration of all three of the levels and their respective components. Coupled with the operational and strategic awareness, Nash presents a myriad of personal accounts and stories at the tactical level that are uncommon for a book that covers an event of such size and magnitude. As a result, one will easily "feel" the desperation on the opposing forces. The result of Nash's diligent work: one will become immersed in the story rather than bored or confused from the complexity of the battlefield.

Finally, I want to address to the physical attributes of the book. The old saying, "Don't judge a book by its cover" should NOT apply here. The size, material, mere construction, and the cover pic leave an incredible, positive impression which is absolutely fullfilled by its content.

I became fascinated with the Battle of the Cherkassy (Korson) Pocket after reading about it in Paul Carrel's SCORTCHED EARTH; however, Carrel left me yearning for more detail about the battle - Douglas Nash successfully filled the void.

33 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Ideal for Military History?, April 27, 2003

By 

john m price, md (monroe, la United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hell's Gate: The Battle of the Cherkassy Pocket, January-February 1944 (Hardcover)

Mr. Nashs' recent release concerning the Kourson Pocket Jan.- Feb. 1944 is, to me the closest thing to perfect military historical writing that I've read yet! To begin with, the book is physically HUGE. The fact that Mr. Nash has done exhaustive research from both the german and soviet sides is evident - having a bibliography following each chapter was quite impressive. In addition, the author has done many, many interviews with surviving participants that add a intimate flavor to his writing, with a myriad of details that gives the reader the reader the feel of being immersed amid the chaos and desperation of the action. Numerous side stories to the main action are covered in astonishing detail. And the pictures! Where on earth did he collect all these wonderful pictures that make it much easier to visualize what was going on. I have been a long time student of the Ost Front, having read all of Carell's books, the recent autobiographies by common landsers' and many, many other books on the subject. None of them comes even close to the detail and pure readibility of Mr. Nashs' masterpiece on the Kourson Pocket! Buy the book, eagerly await its' arrival, and then savor it like a fine wine upon obtaining it. This should be required reading for anyone thinking of pursuing writing in military history - the gold standard against which any future writing will be measured. My only hopes are (1)That the author wil turn his protean writing talents to other neglected, but equally exciting Ost Front actions such as Mansteins' actions in the Crimea in '42, or his masterful retreat from the Caucasas, or his crowning jewel - the recapture of Kharkov in '43. (2)That the motion picture industry will recognize this work that captures the chaos and hell of war on a personal level and the sacrifice involved for its' participants and make a movie that attempts to convey this. Friends and colleagues, it doesn't get any better than this!