To Besiege a City

Leningrad 1941–42

By: Prit Buttar

Narrated by: Leighton Pugh

Bloomsbury presents To Besiege a City by Prit Buttar, read by Leighton Pugh.

'[An] excellent account.' - Richard Overy, The Telegraph

Shortlisted for the Military History Matters Book of the Year Award 2024

A ground-breaking history of the siege of Leningrad, masterfully brought to life by a leading expert using original Russian and German source material.

Starting in September 1941, the Red Army and the civilian population of Leningrad endured a bitter 900-day siege, struggling against constant bombing, shelling, and starvation inflicted by the encircling Axis forces. The Soviets made repeated, but unsuccessful, bids to break German lines and reach the city, failing to end the siege but nevertheless defying the odds to construct and defend the ‘Road to Life’ over the frozen Lake Ladoga, across which meager supplies were transported to the embattled garrison. Although they defeated Russia’s Second Shock Army twice over, the German infantry divisions were also steadily eroded, their resources and morale depleted under the pressure of near-constant assaults and battles.

With To Besiege a City, Eastern Front historian Prit Buttar interweaves first-hand accounts with revelatory research to deliver the first major history of the siege of Leningrad in over a decade, expertly analyzing strategic failings on both sides while simultaneously detailing the horrific realities of daily life during a merciless war.©2023 Prit Buttar (P)2023 Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

Excellent

The narration was brilliant. This story is grim, the subject difficult. Overall the book was well worth it. The good narration really helps. The sheer scale of the suffering were immense as were the might required to break the siege. I thought it was an important story told nicely

Excellent Historical and Analysis!

Engrossing, well researched, and well told insight into the eastern front and the implications of the siege of St Petersburg.

Very in depth

The breadth of primary sources alone makes this worth a read, to say nothing of the analysis of the campaign.

Outstanding

Excellent research and narration. Detailed enough to acquire details of individual units without losing the reader with an overabundance of unit numbers, regiments, brigades, etc. 20 hours flew by. When the time came, I was surprised it was finished. I'm looking forward to a follow-up taking us beyond 1942.

Balanced, detailed and utterly compelling

Pritt Buttar is it genius at making serious historical writing that is as detailed and well researched as it is engaging, emotional and compelling.