New look at Stalingrad

Damn, of course it was 'honour'! The n and m keys are beside each other and my digits must have slipped

But I intend to buy the book as soon as I have my finances back in shape, as I'm on a tight spot now.

 

Sure, sure....Thats what all guys with fat fingers say!

 

Of couse we dp

 

Damn colonials who have no respect for the origins of their language and simplify with such abandon! elvicthruster:

 

Hello Michael will be definately buying your book in the near future,Jason Mark has a great recommendation of your book on the Leapinghorsemen site.Cheers

 

Almost finished the book.

Must say the book gets better the further you read it. And like I said I love books with veterans´ short stories among the story text.

Also probably the first one where the Red Army veterans at times praise the enemy....

 

Interesting changes to the history as we´ve learned to know it in Stalingrad.

However like the author mentions these does not change the glory the Red Army soldiers in Stalingrad gained and deserved for fighting the 6th Army. These only make the war fought in Stalingrad more realistic and believable.

I recall some veteran said in the book that to make the stories published realistic you take the propaganda away and add many swear words instead.

 

I will purchasing this book shortly and cant wait to read it!

 

A big thank you to everyone for your comments!

On Chuikov's remarks about the battle: he believed that the 62nd Army should never have been left on its own in Stalingrad for so long, bearing the brunt of the German onslaught. And at the crisis point of 14 October 1942 he felt that the defenders were inadequately reinforced.

Chuikov made his decision to be buried in Stalingrad, on the Mamaev Kurgan, during his last illness, on 27 July 1981. Many other veterans followed suit.

Casemate are bringing out the USA edition of my book this month.

With best wishes, Mike.

 

No problem Michael!

Thanx for the great book!

I guess all those folks have bought the book already who are interested in Stalingrad so I wonder if you can answer would Chuikov have been shot/ordered to commit suicide if his "resignation" would have been confirmed by ( in this case I guess all the way up ) Stalin himself.

Thanx for any extra info!

 

Yees I am very much waiting for the release here in the states...... I have alreadt pre-ordered it!

 

I suspect the events at Stalingrad on 14-15 October 1942 will never be fully known. But yes, Chuikov's life was on the line - his predecessor, Lopatin, was arrested on 6 September for making an unauthorised retreat, placed under the authority of a military tribunal and probably shot. Crucially, Stalin seems to have supported Chuikov and decided that Yeremenko - the Front commander - was at fault for holding back reinforcements Stavka had earmarked for the city.

Thanks all of you for your interest and support!

 

Thanx alot for your answer Michael!

Stalingrad seems to bring surprises even today ( when you least expected it!).

 

Your book is on my wish list for when my finances are better (between jobs now).

 

Michael K. Jones;
A great book and it is good that someone is interviewing Russia's vanishing veterans. Are you writing any more books? The most telling part was the incident where the 62nd Frontoviks are playing gramophone records and someone from the other side calls "Hey Russki! Play Katyusha!" The shooting dies down as the Lydia Ruslanova tune plays (and here is another unexplored Russian strength-their great body of folk tunes). Here is an update of that greatest of Russian tunes rendered by Ukrainian folk singer Irina Bilyk; YouTube - Ирина Билык - Катюша
PS. Here is a Youtube musical slideshow you will appreciate; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lg8LLAyguQ0
JeffinMNUSA

 

great another book for my wishlist Looking forward to read it.


Cheers...

 

Being a foreigner I wonder:
What kind of english is right, UK english or US english?

Back in school we learned a somewhat archaic UK english from teachers that learned it decades earlier.

In everyday life we hear and read US english in movies and magazines.
However, the pronounciation is very much the same, as in harbor/harbour and color/colour, but in the back of our minds the language monster from grammar school lurks with its english-english spelling.

I suggest you straighten out your language to either UK english or US english!
That will make it easier for us foreigners to learn it, and you will not be annoyed by strange ways of spelling words....

Isn't that a great idea...

Regards
RAM

(I can mention that you only get UK english dictionaries in book stores over here!)

 

I recommend it.

 

I believe Jones states that there were as few as 9,000 Stalingrad defenders at times-no, maybe it was 5,000. This was quite a turnaround for the Wehrmacht as their usual mode of operation was to take on much larger forces and to beat them handily. Jones also takes a stab at just how the Germans were snookered by the buildup in the wings-a combination of maskirovka, and-like the Writer Grossman's assessment of just how the Germans were fooled ( A Writer at War Review | The Quarterly Conversation )-German High Command's monomaniacal focus on the city. I don't think the NAZI ego could own up to the fact that they were being held off by a numerically inferior force, and that the main strength of Red Army in the area was preparing to go on the offensive (and Jones does mention that the screaming of the Romainian forces about strange doings to their front going ignored). Dummy positions, night movement, lots of shovel work, false radio traffic, the feeding in of smaller units from reserve formations were all certainly used. Whatever other maskirovka devices (ie. Spy games) were used to keep the Germans off the scent are unknown at this time. Red Army rear area security was also certainly very good as this ruse and others like it were never uncovered. German rear area security was pretty non existent in Russia and it is the height of arrogance that Hitler kept his forces in Russia as late as he did without the possibility of secrecy or surprise.
JeffinMNUSA