The book itself is a large, almost coffee table sized book. It is also long, as it is almost 600 pages in length. Almost every page has a photo of the men, machines, or aerial views of the battlefield. The author has also jammed it full of what is needed in every military history book- maps, and has them by the ton. This is especially needed to help the reader follow along with the actions that are described. The maps zoom down to house by house level, so you are never at a loss in following the attack and defense descriptions.
For those of you who like personal accounts of the fighting, this book is a goldmine. For me, who for the most part eschews individual stories of battles, the book has enough overview and dry history to keep me interested. I have never been interested in where private Daniels slept the night before Waterloo. So for this book to have so many recollections and diary blurbs and still keep my attention on every page is quite an accomplishment. The book does almost too good a job in describing the hell on earth the combatants had to face, sometimes separated by floors or just a few feet. This book is so good I have gone out and purchased one of the author's other books, 'The Death of the Leaping Horsemen'.
Even though I am very acquainted with the battle I was still rapt on every page by the story at this level. For anyone with even a slight interest in Stalingrad, this is a must buy. The book is a steal at its present price of $49.95. Thank you, Rowman & Littlefield for the chance to review this excellent book. I am looking forward to anything Mr. Mark will write next.
Island of Fire link:
https://rowman.com/ISBN/9780811719919/Island-of-Fire-The-Battle-for-the-Barrikady-Gun-Factory-in-Stalingrad
Rowman & Littlefield link:
https://rowman.com/
Robert
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