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Beyond Comprehension

Customer Rating:

I daresay that there are quite a few people out there who have a layman's interest in the events of the Second World War but may be daunted by this book's 430-odd page length (nearly 500 including appendices and notes). If this block of paper had been dumped in front of me as part of the necessary reading for a history exam I might've preferred to take up smoking instead. But I'd have had little to fear. It's not dull or boring. It's not written in a slow or difficult manner. It's a thoroughly informative and exciting read that you'll constantly wish to get back to. A good deal of the information in this book comes from personal letters and diaries written by those deeply involved in the colossal war-within-a-war that was the battle for Stalingrad. It justly exposes not only the horrific mistakes made by the leaders of both sides but the truly heartbreaking experiences of the hundreds of thousands of men and women involved. The sheer level of atrocity goes beyond what the reader can possibly comprehend. The suffering far exceeds what was described in the levels of purgatory in Dante's 'The Divine Comedy'. This really was Hell on Earth. But this is also a book that reveals the extraordinary resilience and unbelievable bravery that exists in mankind. There really is something of the superhuman revealed in these pages. And not only on the part of the mighty Russian fighters but of the Germans forces too. Within these pages the reader is frequently reminded that the people involved are simply humans like the rest of us. Not all the Wermacht were cold blooded Nazi killers, not all the Red Army were ruthless bloodthirsty Stalinists. They were just people driven or forced to achieve an aim. If only this book could be a final lesson to all of us to desist from the kind of insanity it describes.

A Masterwork

Customer Rating:

The Battle of Stalingrad was, without doubt, one of the most gruesome episodes of WWII. Beevor manages to write not just a well-researched history of the battle, he also manages to draw the reader into its horrors with his marvellous prose and eye-witness accounts. This is a history that comes alive from the pages to leave an indelible sense of anger, horror and, to some extent, shame in the reader's mind - are we really capable of acts such as this? Could we have survived? Even someone for whom WWII is a remote historical curiosity would be hard-pressed to deny this account's power and immediacy. The book reads like a novel but, unlike a novel, what we're reading is true; it happened; this is what mankind is capable of. Too many books are regarded as important, this one truly is. It is important not only as a fine record of a terrible event but also as a reminder that we human beings can reach levels of degeneracy and cruelty which we all must strive to prevent in the future. This is not a glorification of war nor is it really a tribute to the combatants, it is a compellingly written reminder that war truly is hell.

Excellent book :o)	Customer Rating:
This book is very well written - it is storytelling at its best - and therfore for the general reader - but also an amateur historian like me found it a great pleausure to read. Beevors Berlin book is recommendable as well, and I am looking forward to read his book on Leningrad.

Stunning - jaw dropping stuff !

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Getting down to business, everbody should read this book..... Rarely have I come across a book that sucks you in so quickly. It starts brilliantly and delivers on its promise right to the end. For years I'd heard great reports about this masterpiece and had seen it on many bookshelves. Expections were enormous, but they were wildly surpassed. The writer paces the book perfectly, layering and building up the story with skill. You journey with the troops, experience their daily hopes and fears. German optimism sinks into despair before spiraling downward into total panic. The Russians endure epic defeat before flipping their enemy over, regroup and drive towards victory. Its all told with amazing clarity and passion. The book shocks the senses, you can't read this book with sense of detachment. Beevor skillfully changes perspective, sweeping from grand battles to individual stories of horror and hope. The writers sense of humanity shines through, giving the work a welcome human touch. He manages to walk the line and resists the urge to take sides, so the book resonates with honesty. Its a thrilling ride which leaves you breathless. I finished it much too quickly, the best complement I could pay any book. Suffering withdrawal symptoms, I've already ordered Beevor's book on the Spanish Civil War.

An outstanding book

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Beevor has succeeded in weaving a compelling, thoroughly researched piece of work documenting one of the darkest periods in modern history. The enormity of catastrophe that befalls first the Soviet citizen and Red Army following Germany's invasion, right through to the encirclement and starvation of the German Sixth Army, are described in a riveting (and sobering) detail. The earlier chapters of the book deal with the events that lead to the battle of Stalingrad, although obviously in much less detail than the battle itself (or else the book would span volumes). Where the book really shines, is it's readability - Beevor has the rare qualities of being both an expert historian and a storyteller at the height of his powers. He skilfully interweaves political events, battles, enormous acts of cruelty, military incompetence and personal suffering with staggering acts of heroism and self sacrifice. One of the best books I have ever read - and one that highlights why worlds should be moved to prevent war.