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Evgeniĭ Bessonov

Tank Rider: Into the Reich with the Red Army Hardcover – March 17, 2006

by Evgeni Bessonov (Author)

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Tank Rider is the atmospheric memoir of Evgeni Bessonov telling of his years of service in the vanguard of the Red Army and daily encounters with the German foe. He brings large-scale battles alive, recounts the sniping and skirmishing which tried and tested soldiers on both sides and narrates the overwhelming tragedy and horror of apocalyptic warfare on the Eastern Front.

Print length

256 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Greenhill Books
Publication date

March 17, 2006
Dimensions

6.25 x 1 x 9.38 inches
ISBN-10

1853675547
ISBN-13

978-1853675546
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Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Greenhill Books; First edition (March 17, 2006)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 256 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1853675547
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1853675546
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.2 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.25 x 1 x 9.38 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #4,774,933 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #3,103 in United States Military Veterans History
- #11,571 in Russian History (Books)
- #40,529 in World War II History (Books)

Customer Reviews:
56 ratings

Customer reviews

5 star		62%
4 star		12%
3 star		14%
2 star		6%
1 star		5%

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Good Read About a 4.5

Reviewed in the United States on May 11, 2020

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First, unlike so many military history books, this one has almost no blasphemy in it, which is funny. Just about every historical book authored by Nazis and Communists do NOT contain blasphemy while those written by members of the western allies almost always do. This book provides a highly-readable chronicle of the Red's Army's advance after the Battle of Kursk as well as the Red Army's absolute disregard for its personnel. Often troops would be sent into battle with almost no training, no weapons, and no food. They were cannon fodder in the truest sense. The hero and his troops are generally likeable people, while the senior officers are mixed bag, some fair and caring, but most completely detached from concern about the welfare or survival of their subordinates. The author does not mention the whole sale massacres of troops and the massive number of gang rapes that were part and parcel of the Red Army's advance, but said to his credit that it did not occur under his command. Moreover, the book accurately describes the German's desperate last stands, sometimes by chillingly efficient veteran troops, other times by old men and boys. Overall, it's a good read.

3 people found this helpful

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Frank

The book needed more detail on the duties and engagements of the tank riders.

Reviewed in the United States on February 5, 2019

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Historically, Russian Tank riders lasted about six weeks in combat do to the extreme danger of their tasks. They were blown of of the tanks that they rode by high explosive tank and artillery rounds and often driven over by the successive Russian tanks. When they rode on the backs of tanks they were often shot off by German machine gun fire. They were at the forefront of an attack and as such almost never took German prisoners. They had no place to put prisoners and no one to watch them so the prisoners were typically shot out of hand. The Germans did the same thing.
This book is missing all of the gritty combat details that surrounded the Tank Riders on a daily basis and in reading it one would think that Tank Riders and the Red Political Commissars were on friendly terms. Nothing is farther from the truth. This book is a whitewashed Russian account of how the Russians want the world to see their conduct as combat soldiers in WWII. It is far from accurate.

2 people found this helpful

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Thomas Reiter

Fascinating Account

Reviewed in the United States on May 3, 2006

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I just finished this book and found it to be one of the most interesting WWII memoirs that I've read. Here's what I liked about it:

1) This is the most honest Russian account of WWII that I've ever read. The author tells it like he sees it, even when it is not necessarily flattering for the Red Army: the absence of Russian fighter cover, tankers refusing to advance against panzerfausts or Tigers, fraticide, bungling, commanders mysteriously always absent from the fighting, etc. That said, the author's pride in his men and his unit's achievements is obvious.

2) Unlike some other military memoirs, where the author might start the war as a colonel and end as an army commander, this author remains a platoon leader for almost two years of constant fighting. While he seems to have been constantly passed over for promotion, he was constantly assigned to the most dangerous missions in the leading elements of his brigade (overall, this book really reminded of IN DEADLY COMBAT by Bidermann).

3) While the book focuses on the fighting, there is also plenty about rest periods, what they ate, how they interacted with civilians, etc. From this perspective, this book is vastly more informative about the Russian soldiers' experience during the war than the more highly acclaimed IVAN'S WAR and more interesting than books like FIGHTING FOR THE SOVIET MOTHERLAND by Loza.

What didn't I like? Nothing really...not many maps, but they are not really missed given the small scale of the engagements described in the book and the good descriptions by the author.

40 people found this helpful

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Gisli Jokull Gislason

A honest account

Reviewed in the United States on March 8, 2010

Verified Purchase

I actually like this book a lot.

Evgeni Bessonov was an platoon leader from 1943, after the Kursk Offensive right to the battle of Berlin. He was an infantry man who rode with the spearhead of the Soviet Army and considering the amount of front line battles he took part in he is indeed lucky to have come out alive, although luck did not serve him well in other regards, such as promotion or military honours where he was side stepped several times and as he writes it unjustly.

There is today no shortage of Soviet memoirs, recently the market has been flooded and Russian books read differently. I had no problem with his naming of comrades, if you are used to Russian names these make sense and you will realise that often he refers to the same people. If there is anything missing it is that he doesn't go into detail in combat situations but he does however explain that he cannot put what goes on into words.

Of the Soviet Memoirs I have read I would put this second only to "On the Roads of War" by Ivan Yakushin. All through it is a solid story and gives a good idea of the life of a constant front line soldier.

10 people found this helpful

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Kent Forrest "Mac User"

Dull reading

Reviewed in the United States on June 15, 2021

Verified Purchase

Perhaps it is due to transition skills but I found the details boring. Would not recommend

Reviewed in the United States on April 18, 2019

Verified Purchase

I haven't had a chance to read much about the Soviet side of war. I have to admit when I ordered it I thought "Tank Rider" meant tanker. However, it's been a great read. It's interesting seeing how the Soviets did things.

Reviewed in the United States on October 25, 2019

Verified Purchase

Interesting book. Worth reading. English translation is a bit sketchy in some places

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Top reviews from other countries

Hugh McPhilemy

Tank Rider

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 26, 2010

Verified Purchase

Any book on the Eastern Front is to be welcomed especially from the Russian side. However, my overall impression was one of dissapointment. Granted, this is a grass roots level view of the Eastern Front combat but on numerous occasions the author has no idea where he is or even what city/village he is attacking. On countless occasions he is told to take this target or that and the reader is none the wiser. Literally, we attacked the Germans,they retreated, we sat down to eat/sleep.Repeated lots of times. If a book can be too close to the action,then this is it.The author is writing at platoon level without reference to the bigger picture and as I said it is very frustrating when a bit more background info or scene setting by the editor/translator could have improved it greatly.

5 people found this helpful

Shane Fay

Military history

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 15, 2020

Verified Purchase

Enjoyed it

Susan

Five Stars

Reviewed in Canada on August 13, 2015

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A1

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