The Enemy at the Gates |
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Author:
William Craig
By Ballantine Books (Mm)
Average Customer Rating:  
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Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 940.5421
EAN: 9780345258854
ISBN: 0345258851
Label: Ballantine Books (Mm)
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books (Mm)
Publication Date: 1994-03
Publisher: Ballantine Books (Mm)
Studio: Ballantine Books (Mm) |
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Great!, 2003-06-05
This book is an excellent read for anyone interested in the war at ground level. It is basically a collection of stories and personal accounts from both sides and it is fascinating to read the views of German and Russian soldiers as well as civilians. The Russian contribution to the war has, I feel, been somewhat overlooked. In Britain we tend to say we won the war and give the USA credit too, but The USSR played a vital, if not the decisive role in WW2. You must read this book. Also the film Enemy At The Gates with Jude Law is based on one of the personal acocunts in this book.
 A Good History - Not to be Confused with the Film., 2007-11-07
The 1973 hardback edition of William Craig's 'Enemy at the Gates' has been on my bookshelf for many years. Though 400 pages long it is a brisk history of a major episode in what was arguably the most major war in history. The book is enlivened by many snippets and first hand accounts - and these take priority over lists of units or strict chronologies. This arguably makes 'Enemy at the Gates' a predecessor of Bevor's much more recent 'Stalingrad'- which also relies heavily on first person accounts. Nevertheless it does contain a fair bibliography, and some chapter notes at the end.
A readable and recommended history, which should definitely not be confused in any way with the Jude Law film of the same name....
Good, but a confusion, 2004-09-06
I very much enjoy examinations of military history, and did find this book to convey much of the detail (including the horror) of the battle for Stalingrad. However, I think that the book did not really display a true historians perspective of the time, and instead read more like a novel than an historical review of information. I also felt that there was insufficient information on the wider implications of the failure of the Germans to capture Stalingrad, and little about the overall impact the battle had on the outcome of the war. Compared to something written by, say, Martin Middlebrook, I thought this was lacking. Overall, recommended, but approach with caution.
Very good , 2007-07-31
Enemy at the Gates is a very, very good book dealing with the Battle of Stalingrad. It is both informative and fast-flowing and provides a good overview of what happened. Within the book personal stories and accounts of the unusual and exceptional are recorded which provides the work with a real narrative and appeal. Although more recent works such as Stalingrad have superceded this work it is still one of the best texts you could possibly read on the whole Stalingrad battle.
Engaging and shocking, 2004-10-22
This is a book that seems to tell the true horror of this, the decisive battle of WWII. I would not deem it essential reading to a WWII Historian, but I would certainly recommend it to a Russian History enthusiast. Similarly, to any who beleive Russia's role in the war was not crucial, this book will certainly put them straight! A must read for those who find the Russian (and, indeed, the German) war tactics and army system's of interest. Recommended, but not light reading.
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