Zhukov [Hardcover]

Otto P. Chaney Jr. (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0806128070 | ISBN-13: 978-0806128078 | Publication Date: September 15, 1996 | Edition: Second Edition

Marshal Georgi Konstantinovich Zhukov, hero of Leningrad, defender of Moscow and Stalingrad, commander of the victorious Red Army at Berlin, was the most decorated soldier in Soviet history. Yet for many years Zhukov was relegated to the status of "unperson" in his homeland. Now, following glasnost and the fall of the Soviet Union, Zhukov is being restored to his rightful place in history. In this completely updated version of his classic 1971 biography of Zhukov, Otto Preston Chaney provides the definitive account of the man and his achievements.

Zhukov’s career spanned most of the Soviet period, reflecting the turmoil of the civil war, the hardships endured by the Russian people in World War II, the brief postwar optimism evidenced by the friendship between Zhukov and Eisenhower, repression in Poland and Hungary, and the rise and fall of such political figures as Stalin, Beria, and Krushchev. The story of Russia’s greatest soldier thus offers many insights into the history of the Soviet Union itself.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Georgi Konstantinovich Zhukov, arguably the greatest general in Russian history, is famous among military historians for his coordinated campaigns in defense of Moscow, Leningrad and Stalingrad -- campaigns in which millions of Soviets lost their lives -- and for leading the Red Army into Berlin in the spring of 1945. After Stalin's postwar fall from grace, however, Zhukov was all but forgotten in his own country, even after twice being officially "rehabilitated." In this richly detailed biography, Chaney analyzes Zhukov's successes (and occasional failures) as a tactician and fighter whose contributions to the war undoubtedly hastened the collapse of the Third Reich.

About the Author

Otto Preston Chaney was a colonel in the United States Army and Professor of National Security Studies at the U.S. Army War College. He was the author of Zhukov (first edition) and Zhukov: Marshal of the Soviet Union.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 560 pages
• Publisher: University of Oklahoma Press; Second Edition edition (September 15, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0806128070
• ISBN-13: 978-0806128078
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #734,646 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

41 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The book for anyone interested in the Soviet military., October 5, 1997

By 

[e-mail] (Hunlock Creek, PA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Zhukov (Hardcover)

This newest edition of "Zhukov" is a must for anyone that has an interest in the Marshal's career and/or an interest in the former USSR military machine and how it operated. After years of false and censored information on Zhukov and the Soviet military, "Zhukov" brings to light the the personalities (and incompetence) of such Soviet individuals as Stalin, Khruschev, and Breznev. The book helps show how these 'leaders' (through their low level of intelligence and maturity) helped stunt the growth of the USSR as a nation. Most importantly, the book brings to light the actual accomplishments of Marshal Zhukov (ie. Moscow, Stalingrad, Berlin, etc.) and how much of a role he had in the planning of these operations. From these accomplishments of the Marshal, one can see how 'cults of personalities' were able to appear in such magnitude in the former USSR. The book is a fast reader and highly enjoyable. Read it if interested in WWII from the Soviet perspective.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great, balanced biography, December 29, 2006

By 

Satyavrat Joshi "Satya" (SFO, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Zhukov (Hardcover)

The biography starts a bit shaky, with first 20-25 pages sounding quite amaturish. I had to read the authors credentials to ensure I wasnt wasting my time. As it turned out, I wasnt. The book takes on a good flow and does justice to Zhukov's life. I read Yuriy Bubnov's comments and let me say that this book 'does' throw light on Zhukov's darker side, there is no attempt to hide it, he was a ruthless, egomaniac but you still cant dispute his military genius.
As for the mistakes Zhukov made, most of them were thanks to Stalin and his cronies, who just could not stop meddling and overruling military strategy for political reasons though Stalin had no military experiance. War is best left to the generals.
However if you really want to read the best book on Russia's role in WWII, Russia at War by Alexander Werth is THE book. The best book on WWII I ever read.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Biography!, January 17, 2006

By 

T. Kunikov (United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Zhukov (Hardcover)

Excellent biography of Marshal of the Soviet Union Giorgi k. Zhukov. Very well written, a great amount of sources used, very valuable to any student of the Eastern Front. The only downside might be the fact that Zhukov's memoirs keep coming out anew with much information that was censored. I'm afraid that Cheney's book most likely leaves a lot of that information out in the end because it isn't constantly being updated. Even so a great source for understanding what happened on the Eastern Front of the Second World War. I very much disagree with the reviewer who gave this book '1 star', there is no propaganda here nor was Zhukov responsible for what befell the Red Army in 1941. Although intelligence was abundant about Hitler's Intentions that in and of itself cast doubt as to what Hitler really wanted to do in 1941. Please, keep in mind that if such an invasion was actually being prepared who in their right minds would think that in fact there would be so much information confirming it? The reasons for Stalin's reactions and that of the Red Army throughout the first hours, days, and weeks are understandable when seeing the situation both found themselves in. Stalin wanted the pact to last while at the same time being fed information that showed Hitler would not attack by his Chief of Military Intelligence (GRU) Golikov who was giving him what he thought Stalin wanted to see and leaving out that information that showed Hitler would attack. There was also reason to think that Hitler might first make demands, which is why an outright invasion was such a shock to Stalin. (Some of these answers can be found in "What Stalin Knew : The Enigma of Barbarossa" by David E. Murphy.) In either case, if you are interested in the Eastern Front this will prove an excellent source for understanding how Soviet higher headquarters functioned and what it was like to deal with Stalin. Highly recommended.