Stalingrad

By: Antony Beevor

Narrated by: George Guidall

The Battle of Stalingrad was not only the psychological turning point of World War II: it also changed the face of modern warfare

Historians and reviewers worldwide have hailed Antony Beevor's magisterial Stalingrad as the definitive account of World War II's most harrowing battle.

In August 1942, Hitler's huge Sixth Army reached the city that bore Stalin's name. In the five-month siege that followed, the Russians fought to hold Stalingrad at any cost; then, in an astonishing reversal, encircled and trapped their Nazi enemy. This battle for the ruins of a city cost more than a million lives. Stalingrad conveys the experience of soldiers on both sides, fighting in inhuman conditions, and of civilians trapped on an urban battlefield. Antony Beevor has interviewed survivors and discovered completely new material in a wide range of German and Soviet archives, including prisoner interrogations and reports of desertions and executions. As a story of cruelty, courage, and human suffering, Stalingrad is unprecedented and unforgettable.&169; Antony Beevor; (P) and ©1998 Penguin AudioBooks

Critic reviews

"A fantastic and sobering story...fully and authoritatively told."—The New York Times

"Stalingrad's heart-piercing tragedy needed a chronicler with acute insight into human nature as well as the forces of history. Antony Beevor is that historian."—The Wall Street Journal

"Easily the most complete and objective picture of the battle's scale and ferocity that American readers have ever read."—Dallas Morning News

"Magnificent...Certainly the best narrative of the battle yet to appear and...not likely to be surpassed in our time."—John Keegan

Excellent. Flows beautifully.

Such excellent descriptions of landscape and vivid details of individuals creates an audible book that’s easy to follow and easy to understand given the depth and scope of the battle.

Solid but a bit cold

Fascinating content, but lacked a bit of the human element amidst all of the plot points - was hoping for a bit more of Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History approach - getting into the psychology and experience of the the soldiers on the ground.

Good story, quick listen

This gives great insight into the battle. Not frills, gets straight to the point and keeps on going.

Comprehensive

Good Review from German and Russian perspective. Like it it it it it it it it

Eh

It covered the lead up and aftermath of Stalingrad, but there are certainly better authors out there. Many times I found myself wondering why the author included such details, as he never explained the significance.