June 1941: Hitler and Stalin [Hardcover]

John Lukacs (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 15, 2006

This brilliant new work by the author of the best-selling Five Days in London, May 1940 is an unparalleled drama of two great leaders confronting each other in June 1941. It describes Hitler and Stalin’s strange, calculating, and miscalculating relationship before the German invasion of Soviet Russia, with its gigantic (and unintended) consequences. John Lukacs questions many long-held beliefs; he suggests, for example, that among other things Hitler’s first purpose involved England: if Stalin’s Communist Russia were to be defeated, Hitler’s Third Reich would be well-nigh invincible, and the British and American peoples would be forced to rethink the war against Hitler. 
The book offers penetrating insights and a new portrait of Hitler and Stalin, moved by their long-lasting inclinations. Yet among other things, Lukacs presents evidence that Hitler (rather than his generals) had moments of dark foreboding before the invasion. Stalin could not, because he wished not, believe that Hitler would choose the risk of a two-front war by attacking him; he was stunned and shocked and came close to a breakdown. But he recovered, grew into a statesman, and eventually became a prime victor of the Second World War. Such are the ironies of history; John Lukacs paints them with a shining narrative skill.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"John Lukacs excels at making historical fulcrum moments exciting, explicable and immediate. As with his superb Five Days In London, he shows how important Adolf Hitler''s one-man decisions were to the experiences of millions in the twentieth century. When the Fuhrer unleashed Blitzkrieg on the USSR on 21 June 1941, he said that Operation Barbarossa would make the world hold its breath; you will hold yours as Lukacs'' narrative unrolls."—Andrew Roberts   
 

(Andrew Roberts )

"John Lukacs’s June 1941: Hitler and Stalin is one of the fullest and most authoritative portraits of the ambiguous relationship between the two powerful and wily adversaries during World War II’s watershed year. Drawing on newly available source material from the diaries, personal papers and post-war interviews of senior staff members close to each, it is a fascinating and masterfully researched book."—Henry Kissinger

(Henry Kissinger )

"A terse and telling book which looks into a familiar turning point in history, and penetrates nearer the marrow than less able historians have done before."—MRD Foot  (Michael Foot)
 

(Michael Foot )

 "John Lukacs''s latest work, June 1941, showcases the worldliness, strategic wisdom, and superb eye for the personal detail that has made him one of our most experienced, readable, and sophisticated historians of the WW2 era."—Simon Sebag Montefiore, author of Stalin: The Court of the Red Tsar and Potemkin: Catherine the Great''s Imperial Partner
 

(Simon Sebag Montefiore )

 “A bantam-sized book with a heavyweight punch. Once again, Lukacs has, with great concision and intellectual force, zeroed in on a brief period but momentous episode that literally changed the world. And once again, he has managed to bring alive the protagonists and bring clarity as well as drama to their fateful interaction.”—Strobe Talbott, President, The Brookings Institution

(Strobe Talbott )

"[Lukacs] watches as two specific people make very specific decisions that will shape the rest of the twentieth century."—Benjamin Healy and Benjamin Schwarz, Atlantic Monthly

(Benjamin Healy and Benjamin Schwarz Atlantic Monthly )

“Lukacs’ project is to restore the characters … of individual leaders to a central role in a historical narrative …. Urgently engrossing”—Tim Rutten, Los Angeles Times

(Tim Rutten Los Angeles Times )

"A good introduction. . . . Lukacs captures the drama leading up to the German invasion."—Charters Wynn, The Historian

(Charters Wynn The Historian )

About the Author

John Lukacs is one of America’s most respected historians and the author of more than two dozen books on history, nine of which are published by Yale University Press. 

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Yale University Press; 1St Edition edition (April 15, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0300114370
• ISBN-13: 978-0300114379
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #604,251 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

45 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Looking Inside the Minds of Megalomaniacs, August 5, 2006

By 

Grady Harp (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: June 1941: Hitler and Stalin (Hardcover)

John Lukacs is a fine historian and a fine writer and in JUNE 1941: HITLER AND STALIN he has provided the casual reader with a glimpse into the minds of both Hitler and Stalin as they moved inexorably toward war. This may not be the definitive resource for the researcher, but for the general public this is an excellent summary of the cogent events and personality dances that resulted in Hitler attacking Russia.

Wisely, Lukacs keeps his writing style in the narrative, almost 'novel' manner, a technique that allows the reader to follow an enormous amount of information with complete ease. The focus he has chosen is to describe the events and the effects of those events on both Stalin and Hitler that began as a possible union for world domination but ultimately resulted in fierce hatred and battle between the two countries. Those surrounding the two men (Ribbentrop and Molotov being key players) are examined and their part in the erroneous decision toward war is carefully described. It is a story of power play: Hitler feared England and the United States; Stalin saw the urgency to protect his greed for domination of Europe by siding with Japan. When attempts were miscalculated and the various countries in Europe re-aligned, the Germans invaded Russia with dire consequences.

One of the more satisfying portions of this short book is Lukacs' depiction of how Hitler fell from power while Stalin grew in statesmanship, becoming the awesome force he was at the conclusion of WW II. In his discussion Lukacs unravels the mysteries around the power of Communism in the face of seemingly insurmountable foes. It is alarming food for thought.

For those who wish to understand the steps that lead to WW II this immensely readable book is most helpful. It is a starting point in probing deeper into the sources of megalomaniacal evil that disrupted the globe and nearly decimated Europe. Grady Harp, August 06

37 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "The Duel" an Eastern Front Version, March 29, 2006

By 

Leonard Fleisig "Len" (Washington, D.C.) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: June 1941: Hitler and Stalin (Hardcover)

In his book "The Duel : The Eighty-Day Struggle Between Churchill and Hitler", historian John Lukacs compared the actions of Adolf Hitler to Winston Churchill during the 80 day period from the ascension of Winston Churchill to the office of Prime Minister on May 10, 1940 until July 30,1940. "The Duel" ends with the decision by Hitler to cease planning for a cross-channel invasion. Instead, Hitler began planning for an invasion of the Soviet Union. Lukacs' new book, "June 1941: Hitler and Stalin" is a rather brief study of the relationship between Stalin and Hitler in the month in which those plans, Operation Barbarossa, achieved fruition.

"June 1941" is not a monumental piece of writing, nor was it meant to be. Rather, as Lukacs notes, it is "less than a monograph but more than a narrative". Lukacs provides the reader with a coherent, concise summary of the events of that month. Lukacs does not inundate the reader with minutiae about the battle plans or the invasion itself. I think it fair to say that Lukacs is more concerned with fleshing out the attitudes of both Stalin and Hitler to the other than to the order of battle. In this, I believe he has done a good job.

In "The Duel" Lukacs indicated that by July, 1940 Hitler felt that a cross-channel invasion was not feasible. Hitler felt that if he could invade and defeat the USSR in a lightning strike that England would be compelled to negotiate an end to the war on terms favorable to Germany. In essence, "June 1941" takes up where "The Duel" left off. Lukacs makes some interesting statements about the nature of Hitler and Stalin's personalities throughout the book. The include Lukacs' belief that Stalin's personality was not that of a dogmatic Marxist but that of a Caucasian chieftain. As such, Stalin had a respect for Hitler's brutal real-politik and this respect colored his thinking and his seemingly irrational belief that Hitler would live up to his promsises.

I did note some direct criticism of other historians that seemed a bit jarring to me, all the more so because they were not really fleshed out but, rather, just left hanging in the air. He describes Alan Bullock's "Hitler and Stalin: Parallel Lives" as useless and Constantin Pleshakov's "Stalin's Folly" as being "inaccurate throughout". I have read both books and although I am willing to believe that their accounts are subject to dispute as are all historical accounts, I am not sure that unexplained and unexamined criticism such as this is fully warranted.

Depsite the seemingingly unecessary criticism I found "June 1941: Hitler and Stalin" to be a worthy addition to the wealth of material available for people with an interest in this era. Lukacs is an entertaining writer with a solid knowledge of his subject matter. The ability to communicate that knowledge in clear and precise tone is a gift and I have no hesitation in recommending "June 1941" to anyone with an interest in the beginning of one of the most brutal wars the world has ever seen.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Disappointment That Promises More Than It Delivers, August 2, 2006

By 

Gilberto Villahermosa - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: June 1941: Hitler and Stalin (Hardcover)

This is an odd book that promises much more than it delivers, if one believes the editorial comments of such notables as Henry Kissenger, Strobe Talbott or Simon Sebag Montefiore. Despite high praise from those three individuals, "June 1941 Hitler and Stalin" never quite lives up to expectations.

I was somewhat confused as what exactly the author sought to convey to the reader that was new. Yes, Lukacs is a talented and experienced writer and historian. "June 1941" is well written and a good read for those who know little about Hitler, Stalin and events leading to the German invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941. If this is the intended audience, the book is a useful, though somewhat shallow, primer. Those with a bit more historical knowledge, however, will find very little that is new or truly insightful in this book.

Others will find a great deal that is confusing and contradictory. For example, in the main body Lukacs suggests that, had Stalin not overstepped himself in the Baltics and Eastern Europe, Hitler might not have turned against Russia. Yet at the end of the book, Lukacs notes that an attack by Hitler on the Soviet Union had always been the German leader's intention. There can be little doubt, based on Hitler's own writings in "Mein Kampf" that the latter is true.

Finally, there is the matter of the length of this work. According to Lukacs, "June 1941" is less than a monograph and more than a narrative summary. Indeed, the book is only 145 pages long, not counting appendices and end notes. Perhaps a longer work would have allowed Lukacs to focus more on his very interesting analysis of the relationship between Hitler and Stalin. This would have made the book a much more compelling and historically important work.