Customer Reviews

The Retreat

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Stalingrad, Kursk, Leningrad - these are the stories most often covered and known from the Eastern Front of World War Two. Jones admirably chooses to cover in detail the earliest months of the invasion of Russia which has not received the attention deserved. Most histories speak of the incredible advances by the Germans making it seem as though the Soviets were entirely inept. Certainly their forces were caught off guard and yielded significant terrain and experienced staggering losses in men and material. But Jones' book provides the view that the Soviets performed with skill and marshaled their resources earlier and more effectively than given credit for. This was my first time reading Jones and his narrative style is both engaging and authoritative. His source material from those who experienced the conflict is highly compelling. The cold, vast terrain is well described as is the hardships and horrors of a campaign that would only become more brutal.