Island of Fire

The Battle for the Barrikady Gun Factory in Stalingrad

by

Jason D. Mark

 

 Death in a small place would be a better title for this book. This is a reference book of the fighting around the Barrikady factory in Stalingrad. It is also much more than that. Reading the book also gives an overview of the entire battle from November 1942 until the bitter end. The author, Jason D. Mark, has become a specialist on the Battle of Stalingrad, and it definitely shows in this work.

 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

 

The First Day on the Eastern Front:

Germany Invades the Soviet Union June 22,1941

 by

Craig W. H. Luther

 June 22nd 1941; Hitler said of this day "the world will hold it's breath". This book is entirely about one day during World War II. This was probably the most decisive day of the war. Hitler's decision to attack the Soviet Union sealed his and the 1000 year Reich's fate, although at times during Barbarossa it seemed like the Germans were close to victory.

 The book starts with Hitler making his decision to attack the Soviet Union. It continues with the planning behind Barbarossa. The author shows that there was a fundamental difference in the thinking of Hitler and his General Staff. The General Staff's plan was always based on taking Moscow and then finishing the other operations. Hitler, however, had no interest in taking Moscow. He wanted to take Leningrad and the resources of Southern Russia. His thinking was to link up with Finland, but mostly he needed the oil and ores of Southern Russia.

 The author has filled the book with everything he could: facts, figures, and maps galore. From the build up of the German Army on the Russian (right under the Soviets' noses) frontier to the unleashing of Barbarossa, the book brings you all of the background and information you would want. It also has a good number of photos showing the action, troops, and military hardware during that fateful first day.

 The story of all three German Army Groups are shown (North, Center, and South). It also shows the day from the Soviet side as well. From the outside, it seemed that the Germans had the day all their way. However, there were signs that showed how brutal and difficult this invasion was going to be for the Germans.

 The book covers all of the ground from the highest strategy of the attack to the tactics used by the combatants. The book is interspersed with first person accounts of the fighting as well. The book is separated into the planning, and then has chapters on the actual fighting taking place within all three German Army Groups' territory. It then goes into the Air War. The next chapter goes into the different thoughts and actions taken by both High Commands after the first day. The author shows, through their letters etc., that the simple German soldiers already knew on this first day that their war was now different. The savagery and brutality of the Eastern front was apparent to all even during the first twenty-four hours.

 The book comes with numerous appendices and copious notes. It shows the war in the air, and on the ground. I can recommend it to anyone who is interested in the military history of the Eastern Front. Thank you Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group for the chance to review this excellent and well written book.

Robert

 Book: The First Day on the Eastern Front

Author: Craig W. H. Luther

Publisher: Stackpole Books

Distributor: Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group