A battle of titans. A battle that changed the war. It was the most decisive battle of the Second World War. It brought the two most ruthless dictators of the 20th Century against each other in an epic clash of wills. It would kill close to 2 million people. And it would introduce a level of vicious street fighting that had never been seen before. The Battle of Stalingrad was the most horrendous cauldron of warfare that has ever been inflicted on a city. This book takes you to the front lines, allowing you to experience the battle through the eyes of those who experienced it. Known in history as one of the bloodiest battles of all time, it’s a story you will not soon forget.
According to its cover, this book is about the Battle of Stalingrad. Instead, the author spends exactly the first half discussing the early events of the war rather than the battle itself. Then he uses just a little over a third to describe the battle with a distressing lack of detail and in-depth analysis. Overall, it has the air of a high school term paper of the kind where the student is required to write X number of words and then writes 75% unnecessary verbiage to fill out the word count requirement. At times, too, the writer gets his words mixed up and has Russians attacking Russians and Germans attacking Germans. He could have used some serious editing. Furthermore, there isn't a single map in the work. Not one. Reading a book or even an article on a military campaign without any maps is like reading a dictionary full of definitions that doesn't tell you what the word being defined is. Huge no-no. If you're interested in the history of the Battle of Stalingrad, there are many, many more books out there that are far better than this one.
Mythology and propaganda. While the book shows a copyright date of 2021 (Amazon shows publication in 2017) , it reads like the old hoary "you are there" quasi-histories put out as cheap paperbacks in the 1960s. Hayes depicts patriotic Russians driven by Brutal Soviet commanders defending "the Motherland" from bewildered German conscripts, who in turn are directed by savage Nazis, all against a faint background of Russian children isolated in the ruins, ennobled by suffering. Packed with anecdotes, there are no maps, no photographs - and distressingly for a purportedly serious history, no bibliography or footnotes.
There ara dozens of books on these topics (Hitler & Stalin, the battle of Stalingrad) with better research and analysis. The only virtue of this volume is its cost: $0.00 - but the time lost in reading it is gone.
I saw this book in the Nook bookstore and it was free. I took a flyer on this book since it was only 150 pages and free, so if it sucked I wasn't out anything but time. However, this book overdelivered.
It is a short yet informative book about Hitler, Stalin, and the Battle of Stalingrad. It is odd that "Stalingrad" first appears on page 49. The author takes the time to set the stage, identifying the players and the events that led up to the battle. Once the battle begins, no detail is spared. Hayes is very descriptive of the events around the battle.
BOTTOM LINE: Good short story about one of World War II's most important battles.
fascinating book on Hitler and Stalin and leading Nazi/Soviet leaders
fans of ww2 history will enjoy this book. the chapter on the Battle of Stalingrad is a insightful and gives a good view of the horrors Germans and Russians went through. Tactics used by both sides are well delineated. Interesting information on many key figures from both sides keeps the readers interested throughout the book.
A good reading for those who love history. There are more than a few typos along the way, but they don't ruin the fluidity of the reading. The similitude between two of the most horrible tyrants this world ever experienced is shocking. The description of the terrible siege of Stalingrad, and the many mistakes and war crimes done by the two enemies, gives a hint of the horror and tragedy that the thousands of soldiers and civilians might have experienced.
I am a history buff and this book was right up my alley. It is extremely detailed and that might put some readers off. I don't think those of us born after WW II can comprehend the scope of the battles or the suffering people went through before, during and after. We all like to think that we would be brave and honorable, in a war, but this book truly puts that assumption to the test.
What a in-depth, eye opening book! Stalin was a evil man as was Hitler! I don’t read a whole lot of books that tell about Stalin, but this one had me riveted for sure. If you’re into history and only know about Hitler, I suggest you read this one.
Looked forward to reading Hitler Vs. Stalin each day. Learned many interesting and enlightening things about the two main protagonists, about war, and about people.
Good history of the worlds worst kind of egomaniacs. It is amazing that people can be taken in to support leaders (and I use that term lightly) in their thirst for power.
So far these books are excellent ways to get an account of military history. If these interest you more detailed accounts can be read. These do the job though.
As a reader/lover of history and such... yes. This was in-depth and was worked hard on. The information was accurate (I read other informative books about WWII, and there were a lot of connections between the books about the information) and I learned even more about WWII and the minds of Stalin, Hitler, and their generals and soldiers. Hitler refused to yield (which was stupid. Live to fight another day, or die shamefully? I would have retreated if I were Hitler. HOWEVER, I probably wouldn't have decided to invade the Soviet Union until AFTER the Allies were out of the way. I mean, c'mon Hitler.) I felt bad for the civilians who suffered during this tragic time. If only humans weren't so damn stupid, no one would have to suffer. Anyway, 5/5!!