This book is simply outstanding; it has declassified Russian files on the battle of Stalingrad and contains countless entries from the battle, as well as provides valuable information about the battle.

If you are interested in Stalingrad in perticular than you should definitely read this book.

COVER: (sorry that it's big)


Post back about this book if you have read it or have any questions. I have not finished reasing it yet, so I can't answer all your questions.

yeah i have a ? bout it does it just cover the battle or does it cover the liveing situations for the warriors?

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Cadet Staff Sgt Dustin E Varner

This might be a little iconoclastic as the world and it's wife seems to love this book, but I didn't enjoy it much.
I could never fault Beevor's impressive depth of knowledge or research, and real grasp of his subject, but just how he managed to make one of the worlds greatest clashes of arms quite so dull puzzled me. I thoroughly enjoyed the first half but felt the second just tailed off, becoming dryer & losing momentum in statistics and fading style (perhaps not unlike the Wehrmacht ).
I'm rather keen for something populist on the Spanish Civil War so keep hovering over Beevor's one but 'Stalingrad' has proved enough to stay my hand for the moment.

I'd never noticed this little 'spin-off' by Beevor, looks quite interesting:
Amazon.co.uk: Christmas at Stalingrad (Pocket Penguins): Books: Antony Beevor

Cheers, (and sorry for not liking it ... well, not really that sorry )
Adam.

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"Wars cannot be fought with dream stuff" - Sir Percy Hobart.

I have this and have read it and thought that it was good. Noy my first choice but not bad. Berlin was better. IMO.

Yes he talks about the living conditions and I would guess that the Christmas spin off would be more about that then anything else.

The frustrating thing to me is the utter and complete waste of good men.

Von Poop have you read Flags of our Fathers?

Back to Stalingrad: Worth reading at least once.

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I'd agree it's fair enough to put it in the 'worth reading' bracket but for me it didn't quite merit the garlands it seems to carry.
I've heard quite a few people say that 'Berlin' is better, to the extent I bought it and threw it onto the rather excessive 'to read' pile, should I get cracking?

As for flags of our fathers, as the unread pile is in danger of crushing one of the kids if they stray too close I can't see myself indulging any time soon, I imagine I'll see the film before I read the book, which is always the wrong way around .

Cheers,
Adam.

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"Wars cannot be fought with dream stuff" - Sir Percy Hobart.

In this case, it certainly is. However, you might end up enjoying the movie more than I did because you won't have the excellent book to compare it to.

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Best Regards,
JW

I've read both 'The Fall of Berlin' and 'Stalingrad' and its hard to say which was better. I finished Stalingrad faster, but I think I enjoyed Berlin better. Both were fantastic.

Has anybody read Beevor's Spanish Civil War book? I would assume that it is definitely worth reading....

I was pleased with Berlin and Stalingrad, the Spanish Civil War is still not completed but has been interesting so far.

However with Stalingrad I was left like Von Poop with a stale end of the book.

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'We march. The enemy is retreating in transport. We follow on foot.' Lt.Neil McCallum 5/7 Gordons 19th November 1942

Berlin was good and is one I keep going back to. Since I have 'Enemy at the Gates" I did not see the need to buy Beevor's 'Stalingrad'. Now I have not heard about the Spanish Civil War. Any good?

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American by birth, TEXAN by the grace of GOD!

Actually I own "Enemy at the Gates" too and this book dispells alot of myths about the movie.

Still a good movie though

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"Live as brave men; and if fortune is adverse, front its blows with brave hearts." - Cicero

I read this book it was very good, Although it did take me a while to get through the whole thing.

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"Goddam it, you'll never get the Purple Heart hiding in a foxhole! Follow me!" Captain Henry P. Jim Crowe - 13th January 1943 - (Guadalcanal)

Double Dittos. I echo what you say about both books.

PS, I hope nobody is thinking of investing some $70 odd dollars-for a copy of Last Letters From Stalingrad. It is simply not worth it and was pretty boring and did not tell much. I think this book was romured to have been one totally fabricated; by it's author.

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Lost are only those, who abandon themselves) Hans-Ulrich Rudel.

Wow thats a ton of money for a book 70 bucks, and it isn't even that good what a waste of money.

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"Goddam it, you'll never get the Purple Heart hiding in a foxhole! Follow me!" Captain Henry P. Jim Crowe - 13th January 1943 - (Guadalcanal)

Hi Shockwave-yep, way too much money. I had but gav away, a copy of the first printing of this book in English in paperback form. I've seen prices for this book as high as about $400 clams-which is much too high for that garbage.

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Lost are only those, who abandon themselves) Hans-Ulrich Rudel.

I've read both "Stalingrad" and "The Fall of Berlin"; both were fantastic books, well worth reading and keeping for further reference.

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"One asks oneself; Why not me?
But a bullet does not ask about me or you"

~Leutenant Alfred Regeniter, 3rd Battery, Sturmgeschutz, Brigade 276, holder of the Knights Cross

I have read the two too. I prefer "the fall of berlin" but they were both very interesting.

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..there is so much in Beevor's work you imagine that he must employ a battery of researchers when he's writing ..which leaves a somewhat disjointed final product....'Berlin..' was so unremittingly desperate and bleak that I gave up trying to wade through it.

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Kaczmarek - a German view of the air war