Looking for a book recommendation...

[bruceb]

Looking for opinions/recommendations on the best history (in english) of the war in the east, 41-45. Hopefully, something that's still in print or easily available used.

What say you?

[jacobs_ladder2]

Originally posted by bruceb:

Looking for opinions/recommendations on the best history (in english) of the war in the east, 41-45. Hopefully, something that's still in print or easily available used.

What say you?

"Colossus Reborn" by David Glantz is an excellent book. It deals with the rebirth of the Soviet Army. Just came out a few months ago. He also has two books called "Before Stalingrad" and "When Titans Clashed" which I enjoyed quite a bit.

I think the best total history of the war in the east comes from "The Russo-German War 1941-45" by Albert Seaton.

A more generalized version of the conflict (a bit antiquated but still good) is "Barbarossa: The Russo-German Conflict 1941-45" by Alan Clark.

Also, for a bit of the Russian point of view, "The

Road to Stalingrad" and "The Road to Berlin" by John Erickson, are great.

And the classic "Lost Victories", by Erich von Manstein.

For starters.

Cheers

Paul

[Harper88]

I concur with jacobs_ladder2 on Clark's "Barbarossa" although it didn't have the detail I was hoping for. Erickson's 2-volumes are highly detailed. I'm halfway through the first volume and will go right on to the second volume.

[Runyan99]

If you want one book covering the whole war, go with 'When Titans Clashed' by Glantz.

[Andreas]

Older works from the German PoV are Ziemke's books. Well worth reading, primarily based on German KTBs and work from the OCMH.

Manstein maybe a classic, but it is not a history of the war in the east. It is flawed in that it is written by an actor who had no incentive to even attempt an unbiased analysis, and there are at least two pieces in it that have been criticised as faulty (and if I had actually read 'Verlorene Siege' I am sure I could think of more). These concern the advance to Leningrad and the discussion about whether Zitadelle ought to have been continued.

Erickson has some serious problems because of his reliance on flawed Soviet archival material.

'When Titans Clashed' is probably your best bet.

[Redwolf]

"Colossus reborn".

"War without Garlands".

[Zveroboy]

Another vote for "When Titans Clashed" by Glantz. You can read on specific operations later when you have a global view of the war.

Colossus reborn is more about the Red Army itself than the war on the East Front although it deals with both.

War without Garlands is very good but only about Barbarossa.

[ May 18, 2005, 09:01 AM: Message edited by: Zveroboy ]

[The Hound]

While I concur as to the quality of the books listed above, Albert Seaton's The Russo-German War 1941-45 should rank at or near the top. IMHO it's a well done, well rounded account of the war in the east.

[Andreas]

Seaton, like Ziemke, would however suffer from a lack of Soviet sources, would he not? I have not gotten round to reading it, but anything published before the mid-90s will suffer from that to some degree I would have thought.

Ziemke has to rely on the official Soviet histories to show the Red Army perspective, and they are decidedly dodgy in terms of reliability. Bit like Manstein's memoirs.

[General Bolt]

I'm about 50% through Russia's War by Overy. I like him as an author. Very high level grand scheme type of book. No hot tank on tank action at all.

[jacobs_ladder2]

Originally posted by Andreas:

Older works from the German PoV are Ziemke's books. Well worth reading, primarily based on German KTBs and work from the OCMH.

Manstein maybe a classic, but it is not a history of the war in the east. It is flawed in that it is written by an actor who had no incentive to even attempt an unbiased analysis, and there are at least two pieces in it that have been criticised as faulty (and if I had actually read 'Verlorene Siege' I am sure I could think of more). These concern the advance to Leningrad and the discussion about whether Zitadelle ought to have been continued.

Erickson has some serious problems because of his reliance on flawed Soviet archival material.

'When Titans Clashed' is probably your best bet.

I like Glantz quite a bit. I think he is the best source we have right now (along with Zaloga). I emailed Glantz a month or two ago to ask him about this or that division and he mentioned that he was working on a massive book (800 or so pages I think) covering Barbarossa (in extreme detail) up to the 42 counteroffensive. That, needless to say, will be a worthwile book to have.

I should have put a smily face after Manstein's book. I enjoy it immensely, but it is a bit whimsical in places.

Cheers

Paul

[Danny Chung]

Seeing as it was the 60th anniversary of Germany's capitulation, I went and bought the Last Battle by Cornelius Ryan (who wrote the Longest Day).

It only covers the last few weeks in the battle for Berlin and while is not strictly a military history book it certainly tells a gripping tale.

Berlin The Downfall 1945 by Antony Beevor gives a slightly wider perspective of the Eastern Front from January 1945 to May 1945.

Danny

[Harper88]

If you like The Last Battle, Let me recommend John Toland's The Last 100 Days. And if you're interested in a similar book on the end of the war in the Pacific, Richard B. Frank's Downfall is also excellent.