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Osprey Campaign #184
Stalingrad 1942
Stalingrad has become a by-word for grim endurance and tenacity; for the refusal to give up, no matter the cost. In this book, Peter Antill takes a dispassionate look at one of the most talked about battles in history. He asks why the Germans allowed themselves to be diverted from their main objective, which was to capture the oil fields of the Caucasus, and concentrate such large resources on a secondary target. He discusses the merits of the commanders on both sides and also the relationship on the German side with Hitler as well as reviewing the ways in which the command structures influenced the battle. Apart from the overall question of German objectives, this book also unpicks the detail of unit directions, priorities and deployments, leading to a vivid account of the day-by-day war of attrition that took place in Stalingrad during World War II (1939-1945), between September 14, 1942 and February 2, 1943. Stalingrad was more than a turning point, it was the anvil on which the back of German military ambitions in the east were broken and the echoes of its death knell were heard in Berlin and indeed the world over.
96 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
January 12, 2021
Even with Glantz in the bibliography for a solid footing, this booklet stumbles into urban combat well over the half-time, with 50 pages wasted on Barbarossa and artwork featuring the Caucasus? Minus the aftermath and the battlefield today that leaves us... 30 pages or so for Stalingrad and all the German relief efforts and Soviet encirclements.
December 8, 2021
It’s not a book about the fighting inside the city, this is a work that explains the strategic, and operational actions of the summer and winter of 1942 (southern front). It’s pretty good to understand the overall situation, but again, not for those who seek a tactical focus over the house by house fight.
January 7, 2021
Really good book on the subject, and I felt it gave a more detailed approach about the battle. It did not talk in depth about the house to house fights or the significant locations of battle that much. It gave you a wider view of the situation, and that I thoroughly enjoyed .
August 20, 2024
Slowly working my way through these Osprey Campaign books. Some good, some less so (like the 1940 BoB one I did recently).
Stalingrad 1942 is somewhere in the middle. It documents troop movement and context for all strategies and outcomes very well, but kind of falls short of detailing the actual fighting in the city.
Pacing and priorities are the main problem here. The first half of the short book is spend explaining the lead up to the Battle for Stalingrad all the way from the start of the war. Then there’s about 30 pages concerning the fighting within the city and then a section flying through the resulting Easter Front action.
Antill loosely follows the standard format of the series but does a pretty bad job of utilizing it.
The amount of times when information is regurgitated and repeated without any sort of inflection was very frustrated. The double-page illustrations showing battle scenes that are standard for the series had a block of text simply repeating text from the chapter with a couple of sentences with uninteresting annotations of the actual illustration.
These books end with a look at the battlefield as it is today which was severely lacking here. A quarter of the text is dedicated to the history of the city and its naming and another half to detailing the war memorial.
The maps were one again pretty good. There was a handful of strategic maps with troop movement and three isometric maps with chronological points of interests, these were however printed so that the city itself was always at the fold of the spine so that most of the actual city was just warped and obscured.
Archival photos were overall pretty good, though their descriptions were lackluster.
I liked the focus on strategic thinking, the way the Germans were unable to fully adapt to the realities of urban close quarter combat and the way Hitler had an obsession with taking the city, fully undermining the rest of the strategic goals. It was very interesting to see Chuikov’s approaches to these problems and the larger plans of the Soviet long-term plan. It’s a shame that for a conflict that was typical for company or even platoon level actions, there is pretty much no mention of any of them and their endeavors, all is still viewed from an army to division/brigade level which doesn’t do justice to the meter-by-meter fighting.
A special mention has to go out to the author latching on to the sentiment of dismissing and patronizing the other Axis forces (Italian, Hungarian and Romanian) this echoes the supremacist sentiments from Nazies like von Bock and Manstein. Yes, it was these unsupported armies that eventually would provide the breached flanks of the Stalingrad front. But only after the German armies had been sucked into the city itself and calls to reinforce these flanks had been disregarded.
So, while I have a far better understanding of the strategic movements and operations around the Battle for Stalingrad, I am still looking for a more micro level treatment of the details around the street-by-street, house-by-house fighting. In these macro level views Antill does well, but appears to have very little interest or expertise in tactical engagements or the more human side of one of the most devastating battles in history.
Stalingrad 1942 is somewhere in the middle. It documents troop movement and context for all strategies and outcomes very well, but kind of falls short of detailing the actual fighting in the city.
Pacing and priorities are the main problem here. The first half of the short book is spend explaining the lead up to the Battle for Stalingrad all the way from the start of the war. Then there’s about 30 pages concerning the fighting within the city and then a section flying through the resulting Easter Front action.
Antill loosely follows the standard format of the series but does a pretty bad job of utilizing it.
The amount of times when information is regurgitated and repeated without any sort of inflection was very frustrated. The double-page illustrations showing battle scenes that are standard for the series had a block of text simply repeating text from the chapter with a couple of sentences with uninteresting annotations of the actual illustration.
These books end with a look at the battlefield as it is today which was severely lacking here. A quarter of the text is dedicated to the history of the city and its naming and another half to detailing the war memorial.
The maps were one again pretty good. There was a handful of strategic maps with troop movement and three isometric maps with chronological points of interests, these were however printed so that the city itself was always at the fold of the spine so that most of the actual city was just warped and obscured.
Archival photos were overall pretty good, though their descriptions were lackluster.
I liked the focus on strategic thinking, the way the Germans were unable to fully adapt to the realities of urban close quarter combat and the way Hitler had an obsession with taking the city, fully undermining the rest of the strategic goals. It was very interesting to see Chuikov’s approaches to these problems and the larger plans of the Soviet long-term plan. It’s a shame that for a conflict that was typical for company or even platoon level actions, there is pretty much no mention of any of them and their endeavors, all is still viewed from an army to division/brigade level which doesn’t do justice to the meter-by-meter fighting.
A special mention has to go out to the author latching on to the sentiment of dismissing and patronizing the other Axis forces (Italian, Hungarian and Romanian) this echoes the supremacist sentiments from Nazies like von Bock and Manstein. Yes, it was these unsupported armies that eventually would provide the breached flanks of the Stalingrad front. But only after the German armies had been sucked into the city itself and calls to reinforce these flanks had been disregarded.
So, while I have a far better understanding of the strategic movements and operations around the Battle for Stalingrad, I am still looking for a more micro level treatment of the details around the street-by-street, house-by-house fighting. In these macro level views Antill does well, but appears to have very little interest or expertise in tactical engagements or the more human side of one of the most devastating battles in history.
September 20, 2025
Peter Antill’s Stalingrad 1942 (Osprey Campaign series) is a concise account of one of the most decisive battles of the Second World War. Following Osprey’s format, the book combines sharp historical analysis with a wealth of visual material, offering both newcomers, wargamers and seasoned readers a clear overview of the campaign.
After the usual presentation of forces, leaders and chronological table, the narrative begins with the German summer offensive of 1942, Operation Blau, a bold thrust toward the oilfields of the Caucasus. This move wrong-footed Soviet planners who had expected another assault on Moscow. The initial German advance was rapid and could well have succeeded, but Hitler’s decision to divert resources toward the symbolic capture of Stalingrad proved fatal. Instead of bypassing the city after an initial clash, the Sixth Army became embroiled in a grinding urban battle for a city reduced to rubble by the Luftwaffe and Wehrmacht artillery.
As Antill shows, the Wehrmacht was well-equipped for maneuver and mid-range fighting, but not for brutal house-to-house combat (ruin-to-ruin?). In the shattered factories, bunkers, and ruins, the Soviet defenders, reinforced across the Volga, exploited every advantage. The fighting for landmarks such as the Red October factory and Mamayev Kurgan highlighted the ferocity of urban warfare and the resilience of General Chuikov’s 62nd Army.
The turning point came in November with the Soviet counteroffensives. Operations Uranus, Little Saturn, and Ring transformed the besiegers into the besieged, as Soviet forces executed a massive double envelopment, encircling the Sixth Army and its allies. Despite clear evidence that an airbridge was unfeasible, Hitler demanded that Paulus hold the pocket and rely on the Luftwaffe for supplies which was another disastrous decision compounded by the failure of Manstein’s relief attempt. By early February 1943, the remnants of the Sixth Army surrendered. Out of some 300,000 men trapped, only a fraction ever returned from Soviet captivity.
Antill emphasizes that, although the Soviet Union paid a staggering price in casualties, the victory at Stalingrad was a strategic watershed. It broke the aura of German invincibility, exposed the fragility of Germany’s allies on the Eastern Front, and shifted the initiative to the Red Army for the remainder of the war.
The book is not only clear in its analysis but also richly illustrated. Peter Dennis’ artwork includes vivid double-page plates depicting a Caucasus ambush, fighting inside the Red October factory, and a Soviet assault on a German airfield. The volume also features 3D bird’s-eye maps of key operations, divisional-level diagrams, historical photographs, and mini-biographies of commanders. A well-structured chronology rounds out the package.
Stalingrad 1942 is a highly accessible introduction to the campaign. Antill succeeds in presenting the key decisions, turning points, and perspectives of the officers involved, while Osprey’s trademark visuals enhance the understanding of a complex battle. It is a recommended read for those seeking a concise, balanced, and engaging account of a struggle that reshaped the course of the Second World War.
After the usual presentation of forces, leaders and chronological table, the narrative begins with the German summer offensive of 1942, Operation Blau, a bold thrust toward the oilfields of the Caucasus. This move wrong-footed Soviet planners who had expected another assault on Moscow. The initial German advance was rapid and could well have succeeded, but Hitler’s decision to divert resources toward the symbolic capture of Stalingrad proved fatal. Instead of bypassing the city after an initial clash, the Sixth Army became embroiled in a grinding urban battle for a city reduced to rubble by the Luftwaffe and Wehrmacht artillery.
As Antill shows, the Wehrmacht was well-equipped for maneuver and mid-range fighting, but not for brutal house-to-house combat (ruin-to-ruin?). In the shattered factories, bunkers, and ruins, the Soviet defenders, reinforced across the Volga, exploited every advantage. The fighting for landmarks such as the Red October factory and Mamayev Kurgan highlighted the ferocity of urban warfare and the resilience of General Chuikov’s 62nd Army.
The turning point came in November with the Soviet counteroffensives. Operations Uranus, Little Saturn, and Ring transformed the besiegers into the besieged, as Soviet forces executed a massive double envelopment, encircling the Sixth Army and its allies. Despite clear evidence that an airbridge was unfeasible, Hitler demanded that Paulus hold the pocket and rely on the Luftwaffe for supplies which was another disastrous decision compounded by the failure of Manstein’s relief attempt. By early February 1943, the remnants of the Sixth Army surrendered. Out of some 300,000 men trapped, only a fraction ever returned from Soviet captivity.
Antill emphasizes that, although the Soviet Union paid a staggering price in casualties, the victory at Stalingrad was a strategic watershed. It broke the aura of German invincibility, exposed the fragility of Germany’s allies on the Eastern Front, and shifted the initiative to the Red Army for the remainder of the war.
The book is not only clear in its analysis but also richly illustrated. Peter Dennis’ artwork includes vivid double-page plates depicting a Caucasus ambush, fighting inside the Red October factory, and a Soviet assault on a German airfield. The volume also features 3D bird’s-eye maps of key operations, divisional-level diagrams, historical photographs, and mini-biographies of commanders. A well-structured chronology rounds out the package.
Stalingrad 1942 is a highly accessible introduction to the campaign. Antill succeeds in presenting the key decisions, turning points, and perspectives of the officers involved, while Osprey’s trademark visuals enhance the understanding of a complex battle. It is a recommended read for those seeking a concise, balanced, and engaging account of a struggle that reshaped the course of the Second World War.
September 10, 2018
Konuyu güzel özetleyen bir kitap.
October 13, 2019
Opsrey Publishing Campaign publication.
May 5, 2023
transmite foarte eficient tot ce e necesar pt intelegerea sumara a bataliei.
traducerea insă ramane execrabila, ca si la restul seriei de lal Litera
traducerea insă ramane execrabila, ca si la restul seriei de lal Litera
March 16, 2025
Although the Battle of Stalingrad is known as a long and difficult urban battle in a city, it is actually part of a much lesser known series of battles. For me, this is the most important fact that this short and intensive review emphasizes.
Today, due to the influence of the media, the Second World War is known mainly for the battles that took place in Western Europe. But this impression is incomplete and misleading. The bloodiest and most destructive battles of the Great War took place primarily on what we know as the Eastern Front. These battles are important because they were decisive. In other words, the battles on the Eastern Front were the final factor in the collapse of the German Reich. Unfortunately, Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, and especially Hungary and Poland bore the brunt of these bloody battles, and many cities were literally reduced to ruins. This aspect of the war, which is not often reflected today, is partly brought to light in this book. It becomes clear that the battle of Stalingrad was essentially part of the Red Army's gigantic campaigns. These operations, named after planetary names such as Uranus, Neptune, etc., were in fact great battles, and it was these battles that paved the way to Berlin. The book feels unfinished. As if it could have been told a little more. Nevertheless, I think it is a good work and a kind of introduction to draw attention to the subject.
Today, due to the influence of the media, the Second World War is known mainly for the battles that took place in Western Europe. But this impression is incomplete and misleading. The bloodiest and most destructive battles of the Great War took place primarily on what we know as the Eastern Front. These battles are important because they were decisive. In other words, the battles on the Eastern Front were the final factor in the collapse of the German Reich. Unfortunately, Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, and especially Hungary and Poland bore the brunt of these bloody battles, and many cities were literally reduced to ruins. This aspect of the war, which is not often reflected today, is partly brought to light in this book. It becomes clear that the battle of Stalingrad was essentially part of the Red Army's gigantic campaigns. These operations, named after planetary names such as Uranus, Neptune, etc., were in fact great battles, and it was these battles that paved the way to Berlin. The book feels unfinished. As if it could have been told a little more. Nevertheless, I think it is a good work and a kind of introduction to draw attention to the subject.
November 5, 2014
Usual solid effort from Osprey. Stalingrad has had much written about and at great length, so this brief overview feels sparse. However as an overview it is quite good and if that's all you need as a quick refresher before picking up a classic work of fiction like Stalingrad in order to remind oneself what is fiction and what is true, then this works quite well.
June 3, 2015
Decent overview but a battle of this scope deserves multiple volumes.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews