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Best book on Kursk?


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I am wanting to buy a book on the battle of Kursk so was wondering if anybody has any suggestions. I read to enjoy so don't normally like real detailed books where all they write about is technical stuff. To give you an idea what type of writing I enjoy I read Stalingrad by Anthony Beever and thought it was great. I actually plan on reading it again I liked it so much. Anyway, any suggestions would be appreciated as I hate buying a book and it turning out to be bad or poorly written. Thanks in advance.

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Try The Battle of Kursk by David M. Glantz & Jonathan House. It's a very good read ( it clears up a lot of myths & historical inaccuracies ) and although it's very detailed it won't bog you down. The book's been out a few years now so you can probably get it in paperback by now ( if you don't want to spend too much ). I understand exactly how you feel about some books being too detailed. Some authors tend to get caught up in the minutae of their subject & leave the reader wondering why he/she picked up the book to begin with.

[ June 26, 2003, 10:55 PM: Message edited by: Rob Murray ]

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I read Stalingrad and loved it and I am now reading The Batte of Kursk and am not enjoying it nearly as much. The book is very detailed and would probably be a good reference or research tool, but it is a very clinical account of the battle and does not really convey what it was like for the men who fought it. I'm sure the grogs love this book, but I wouldn't recommend it for light reading.

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Hey thanks Rob for the suggestion. Sounds like one I could enjoy and learn something from. If you haven't read the book I mentioned you might try it. I really really thought it one of the better books I have ever read not that I've read all that many and am no expect on WWII but I sure thought it was very well done.

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Thanks Theblackhand that looks great but damn the the price is - well a little more then what I want to spend on two books. Maybe I can find it on ebay. But thanks for the recommendation it does really look good though. Anyone else have a recommendation? Going once, going twice.... :D

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I have 5 books on Kursk. Some new information is coming out and was captured in Glantz et al's "The Battle of Kursk" and "Kursk 1943: The Soviet General Staff Study". A new book by Steven Newton is "Kursk: The German View". This is a fresh translation of the US Army's commissioned report right after the war's end. I just started it.

If I were to recco one it would be "The Battle of Kursk" because it is not for any one side.

Kevin

[ June 28, 2003, 03:27 PM: Message edited by: Kevin Kinscherf ]

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lcm1947,

Try Nik Cornish's IMAGES OF KURSK: History's Greatest Tank Battle: July 1943, Brassey's Inc., 2002, ISBN 1-57488-576-6, $19.95 U.S., 224 pp..

The book has numerous excellent photos of troops, leaders and equipment (some wrong captions), solid text incorporating recent scholarship, but is weak on maps. Even so, it covers the Kursk battle from the strategic situation before it began to the aftermath following it. Further, it covers action in all the sectors, not just Prokhorovka, takes in the air battle, even has Lend Lease armor and armored trains.

Hope this helps!

Regards,

John Kettler

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