Customer Reviews

The Russian Front 1941-1945 (Cassell Military)

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This book is a great overview of the Eastern Front campaign. With Erickson's insights there is plenty of balance in the book regarding German vs Russian bias. My only real complaint is that the later Russian offensives are given less coverage compared to the intial German attacks. Overall though if you are new to the Eastern Front or just want a quick overview as a refresher or just a good read you can't go wrong with this book.

While I have not seen the video series of the same name this book seems to be a companion to it with lots of quotes from the videos.

Appallingly amateurish effort that looks like it was assembled by a comittee of pre-schoolers. Atrocious spelling and grammar (whatever happened to proofreading?), text that rambles and, towards the end becomes more or less incoherent, text and photographs repeated - sometimes laughably so - one photo is provided with a caption indicating the subjects are vanquished Germans, then a few pages later, the same photo is described as depicting victorious Russians. The text waffles on interminably about "the horror" and "the inhumanity" etc etc, and detail is sacrificed for hyperbole. Few if any good points - some of the photos at least are new and worth seeing - but on the whole, this theatre of the war has been well-described in many other, much more worthy books, Alan Clark's "Barbarossa", for one. My advice is to try one of those and don't waste your precious time on this shabby effort.

Interesting, but muddled effort covering the major campaigns of "Operation Barbarossa".

Lavishly Illustrated, one might even call it a coffee table book. This volume mixes a straight history of the major campaigns such as Stalingrad, Kursk and the Battle of Berlin with graphically pleasing side bars and "articles" on various aspects of the conflict such as the Panzer Tank, Artillery pieces, etc.

Told from an unabashedly, one might even say approvingly German point-of-view, there are serious errors and omissions. Embarassingly, one picture appears in two different places (pg 164 and 175) with two different captions. The side bar comments by Professor Erickson (The Road to Stalingrad, The Road to Berlin), obviously taken from the video series, on which this book is based, are strange and, at times woefully inaccurate. Witness comments on the Soviet Partisan Movement: "It was unrestricted barbaric warfare because partisans made war in a particularly merciless fashion, killing Germans and carrying out atrocities (sic!). The Germans, in return made war in an even more merciless fashion upon the partisans." Actually, it was the Nazis that initiated the atrocities against the local population and the partisans!

However, the main body narrative is informative and moves in a brisk, journalistic pace. An Interesting "article" on the Leuthen Project, which I have never heard of appears on page 163. It was a last-ditch effort at troop deployment in the waning days of the War. Strategic narratives by several German Generals were particularly informative. Overall a good first book for newcomers to the War in the East.

To be honest I have mixed feelings on "The Russian Front 1941-1945". Overall it is a well assembled book that has many good photographs and several new historical facts. I believe the authors fell into the trap of having sympathy for the former Nazi Government of Germany because they fought so very hard, they lost everything they had, they lost everything they owned, and for the most part they lost it to the Russians. This book does not deal with the Normandy Front, another different subject.

When we read such horrible crimes committed against the Germans by the Soviets it seems easier to feed sad for the Germans. This is the historical Trap authors can fall into. At that point they begin support the Germans, not completely of course but it is just a line you don't ... Oh So cheerfully cross. I understood the authors meant that the Germans fought well in relationship with other Axis allies and against a truly barbaric hoard of Russians.

I have read a number of these Eastern Front histories. Because it has been such a popular subject for so many years it is easy to get stuck in a rut where the same old stuff gets rehashed over and over again and again. These authors have done their homework. They have interjected several previously unknown issues and battles to me. For this I am grateful!

A few things are bizarre and copletely off the wall. Stating the German Air Forces did little at all and the Russian Air Forces did very little caught me by surprise. I have never heard an author make that statement.

Many things in the book are quite good. He has some nice photographs and original art showing various scenes. While this book does seem to rehash old material it is not a flat presentation. However, it is not as good as I would like it to be. This book needs MAPS! The story line is sometimes long in describing complicated events. They need maps on just about every other page, because many of these really big battles occurred in small towns and series of small towns with little streams and rivers. The battle lines change daily or more. Without maps and many, many, maps you remain unable to follow the fine detail of the text.

The authors bless us with careful and accurate detail and leave us without maps so we can read it but never actually know where it was.

In SUMMARY: I like the book! I would buy it again if given the chance. However, another book about the Eastern Front is much better. If you want not good maps but great maps,and tons of GREAT MAPS, then consider "Armageddon Ost by Nick Cornish". It is full of outstanding maps and you really can follow his story. Author Cornish is also blessed with the ability of telling one rip-roaring story!!!!

If you have an interest in why did the war occur and who was pulling the strings behind the scenes ........ you might consider another book sold at Amazon.com.......... Pearl Harbor/Mother of All Conspiracies. By Mark Emerson Willey. Strangely Amazon says it is unavailable. If you go to the page and order anyway you get one anyway. I am not sure why that is. I hope this review has bee fun to read and informative also. Keep Reading! Have Fun and thank you all for reading!!! Silverwhiskers