Kursk 1943: The Tide Turns In The East (Campaign) [Paperback]

Mark Healy (Author)

Book Description

Series: Campaign | Publication Date: May 28, 1992

Osprey's examination of the Kursk campaign of World War II (1939-1945). In the summer of 1943 the German army stood poised for a major offensive. The attack was aimed at the Kursk salient, which the Germans intended to isolate, trapping large numbers of Russian troops and paving the way for the decisive campaign to knock the Soviet Union out of the war. By the time of the attack, the Russians had turned the salient into a mass of defensive positions. In the following decisive clash, the Soviets bled Germany's vital Panzer forces white and finally took the initiative. The counter-offensive which followed began an advance that would end in the ruins of Berlin.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Highly visual guides to history's greatest conflicts, detailing the command strategies, tactics, and experiences of the opposing forces throughout each campaign, and concluding with a guide to the battlefields today.

About the Author

Mark Healy was born in 1953. He has a Master’s degree in Political Theology from Bristol University. He is by profession a schoolteacher and is head of the Humanities faculty at a large school in Somerset. He has written a number of Osprey titles including Elite 40 New Kingdom Egypt and Campaign 22 Qadesh 1300BC. He has a great interest in both the ancient and modern periods, is married with one son.

Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Osprey Publishing (May 28, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1855322110
• ISBN-13: 978-1855322110
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 0.2 x 9.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #878,137 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not bad but needs an update, June 25, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Kursk 1943: The Tide Turns In The East (Campaign) (Paperback)

This book was excellent in terms of its overview of the battle. It has excellent maps of the the individual parts of this battle. Also, the pictures and drawings are excellent. Unfortunately, this book needs to be updated because it refers to Zhukov several times as being undefeated in battle and from recently released information and publications we now know this assertion to be false. Zhukov's operation Mars was a huge military disater for the soviets and Zhukov's part in the planning of the battle was subsequently covered up(see Glantz, Operation Mars). Other than this imperfection, the book is a good source of the nuts and bolts of the battle.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The greatest tank battle, June 11, 2000

By 

Chapulina R (Tovarischi Imports, USA/RUS) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Kursk 1943: The Tide Turns In The East (Campaign) (Paperback)

Another fine publication from Osprey, this one is a concise coverage of the battle of the Kursk salient. Strategy of the German offense and the Russian defense are detailed, and colorful "3-D" battle maps are provided for every step of the campaign. There are bios of leaders, archival photos, descriptions of equipment, and color plates of military uniforms and hardware. Kursk has in the past been defined as a German loss rather than a Russian success. Osprey presents it as a definitive Soviet victory, critical to the outcome of the War.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Compelling History, May 29, 2002

By 

Fred M. Blum - See all my reviews

This review is from: Kursk 1943: The Tide Turns In The East (Campaign) (Paperback)

Kursk 1943 : Tide Turns in the East (Osprey Military Campaign Series, No 16) by Mark Healy is a fine short history of one of the critical battles on the Russian front.. Healy's writing keeps the reader centered on the battle and the whys and therefores. What is the strongest part of the book is the discussion of what each participant knew and didn't know. For instance, a critical failure of the Nazi offensive was their failure to realize the depth of the Russian defenses.

Healy's lead up to the battle is compelling. The conflict between the suggested strategy by the German generals of a mobile defense and Hitler's Operation Citadel is another example of Hitler's imposed "strategy" losing the war for the Germans.

This is one of the better books in the Osprey Military Campaign Series. The maps are excellent and after the book is finished one has an appreciation of the climatic battle.