Customer Reviews

Russia's Heroes, 1941-45: An Epic Account of Struggle and Survival on the Eastern Front

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This book contains a series of anecdotally-presented portraits of Soviet sacrifice and courage during the four years of War. When the immensely powerful German forces invaded on 22-June 1941, neither the Allies nor the Nazis believed that Russia could long endure. Hitler had stated at a conference of his generals that Russia was to be "annihilated", her cities and everyone within to be destroyed. No one expected the resolve of the people to resist and defend their land. Noted historian Albert Axell compiled many of these portraits of ordinary Soviet soldiers and their often extraordinary heroism from his personal interviews with veterans and/or their surviving families. Others derive from Western eye-witness sources and German military records. The end result is an apolitical collection, free from Soviet wartime hagiographics -- for the most part, that is. Included, notwithstanding, are the romanticized legends from frontline propaganda: teenaged partisan Zoya Kosmodem'yanskaya's patriotic exhortations following her unspeakable torture, and sniper Vasiliy Zaitsev's duel with the German master-shooter. But the majority of the narratives are straight-forward, unembellished recollections. Also featured are biographies of less famous but no less proficient snipers Lyudmila Pavlichenko, Fyodor Okhlopkov, and Nina Lobkovskaya. Here, too, are accounts of the defense of the Fortress of Brest, and anecdotes of civilian valor during the battle of Stalingrad and the blockade of Leningrad. Here are interviews with Nadya Popova, a pilot from an all-female bomber regiment; Alexei Mares'yev, a pilot who lost his legs but returned to fly with artificial limbs; and a few desperate aviators who survived "taran" (ramming) Luftwaffe planes. And here is the fate of Yakov Dzhugashvili, a POW disowned by his father, Josef Stalin. Among "Russia's Heroes" are representatives of a wide spectrum of Soviet citizens: Ukrainians, Georgians, Siberians, Eastern Asians, Cossack cavalrymen, and Jewish generals. As a daughter of a seaCaptain of the North Atlantic Convoys, I'm especially proud that Allied merchant mariners had been honored as Soviet heroes and are included in this book! In recent years many of the specific topics of Axell's research have been presented in greater depth, but "Russia's Heroes" provides a fast-paced and fascinating overall view of the human dimension on the Eastern Front.

This book is full of stories of brave men and women who fought a monstrous evil, did not whine about it, did not expect or ask for help.
They suffered dearly and were some of the bravest fighters ever.
Think of the Alamo defenders on a huge scale.

On my first visits to Russia I would occasionally encounter an elderly person who would mention American lend - lease contributions to the defense of the USSR during their youth, and they would say thanks.

As I read this amazing book, "Russia's Heroes, 1941-445" by Albert Axell the feelings of debt and gratitude to the selfless sacrifice of so many "Soviet" men, women and children deepened.

From the defense of Brest to the "Night Witches" flying Polikarpov biplanes at Novorossisk, to the sniper wars and the memory families lost to the murderous Nazi horde - I will never forget to thank those who did not turn back and fought to their last breath for freedom, life and ultimate liberty at such a horrible cost.

Thank YOU!

This book is the real example how Communists and Soviet Union did the falsifications of the real history. I started reading that book and it looks like the author used the sources the KGB provided specially for him. You cannot compare that book with Enemy at the Gates by William Craig, where the different sources were used in order to help readers to understand the real history of the WWII. I would recommend reading that book to anybody who wants to get the real picture about WWII and how Soviet Union won the battles. But Albert Axell copied the books I used to read when I was a kid in Soviet Union and our grandfathers told us that the real history of that war is different.