Remarkable
A reviewer, A reviewer, 12/16/2007

I was one of the readers who left a less-than-complimentary review of Beevor's Fall of Berlin. So, in fairness I'm compelled to say that Stalingrad is so far superior to Berlin as to make one wonder if they were really written by the same person. Unlike the personal pontificating and uneven treatment that characterize Fall of Berlin, this work provides a gripping narrative of one of the most dreadful battles in history. I could not help feeling an immense sadness over the thousands of young men sent so cavalierly to their untimely deaths. Even worse were the accounts of the unfortunate civilians who remained in Stalingrad during the battle. The book is poignant, engaging, and well worth a look.

Also recommended: Citizen Soldiers Halsey's Typhoon

The most savagely brutal and decisive battle of World War II
George Coppedge (gcoppedge@hotmail.com), an amateur military historian, 12/22/2006

Stalingrad. The very name itself has become a symbol for that fatal desperate struggle between Hitler and Stalin, between Fascism and Communism. Fought with a fanaticism, intensity, and determination unmatched throughout the entire war, Stalingrad would go down in history as the ultimate cataclysmic showdown of World War II. Anthony Beevor, the author, has done an outstanding job in writing about this dramatic battle. Beevor starts off by reviewing the war's progress up to mid-1942, with Germany's failed bid to win the war in 1941. Beevor makes the case that this was due to Hitler's dilatoriness in striking out to capture the Soviet capital, the single most important communications junction and command center in the entire USSR. By the time the Wehrmacht had re-deployed from its hugely successful encirclement battles in that late summer, it was already too late to deliver the coup de grace. And with that Germany unexpectedly found itself engaged in a war of attrition it was bound to lose. Operation Blue was conceived to capture the Caucasus oilfields. If successful, the plan would at a stroke ensure Germany's critical oil supplies while simultaneously denying them to the Soviets. In addition, it would further divide and weaken Soviet forces. The plan had the additional advantage of attacking over clear, open terrain with longer campaigning weather available - just exactly the type of terrain where the Wehrmacht was at its greatest advantage. Unfortunately for the Germans, these significant advantages were totally thrown away by Hitler's premature dissipation of force (sending Army Group A south before Stalingrad fell), dangerous reliance on under-equipped and poorly led Romanian allies to provide flank security, and insistence on a grinding, frontal attack to capture Stalingrad. Hitler's hubris in underestimating the determination and rapidly increasing skill of the Red Army would have fateful consequences for the entire campaign against the USSR. As the Germans battered their way into the outskirts of Stalingrad and into a fortress of twisted steel and concrete in August 1942, the battle rapidly metamorphosed from large, coordinated attacks into small-scale assaults. The Soviet defenders came into their own as they bitterly contested and then counter-attacked every German assault. Days passed, then weeks, and finally months, but still the Red Army soldiers fought on and on, exhausting and weakening the Sixth Army. And then in late November with Operation Uranus, the Soviets launched a counter-offensive of their own, swiftly encircling Sixth Army. Subsequent Red Army assaults to cut off nearly all of Army Group South led to Manstein's cutting short his drive to relieve the Stalingrad pocket. Although surrounded and hopelessly outnumbered, 6th Army fought on and on beyond human endurance. After more than two months' starvation, horrendous frostbite casualties, relentless shelling, and near complete expenditure of ammunition the Sixth Army finally laid down its arms. The Soviets had won a great triumph! From then on, it would be the Soviets who would be on a near continuous advance to Berlin. Besides recounting all these fateful events, Beevor also provides revealing accounts about the key personalities of these battles, including Hitler, Stalin, Paulus, Chuikov, Schmidt, and Manstein. Also included are several photos and maps. The book reads a lot like a novel with the narrative often switching between locations and people. Beevor does great justice in describing the greatest battle of World War II. An outstanding book!

Stalingrad is an insightful book
Dale Gribble, an avid historian and reader, 09/05/2005

The book 'Stalingrad ia an insightful and compelling book about the onslaught of the fascist Germans during the second world waron Russia. It tells of the attrocities committed on both fronts, and the efforts and struggles of two evil tyrants, Hitler and Stalin. This book is not recommended for anyone not familirised with WWII.

Also recommended: Gates of Fire, The Halo series, The Lord of the Rings, How Hitler Could Have Won WWII, Iliad, Tides of War. Movies: Enemy at the Gates, Black Hawk Down

Stalingrad
Dietrich Hess, a nerd who wants to go to MIT, 07/22/2004

'Stalingrad' gives an excellent account of what happened in the war. It has some pretty good descriptions of what happened to the civilian population and the German and Russian soldiers. It also explains how the Russains were beaten all the way to the city of Stalingrad, and then pushed the Germans out. It is an excellent book for anyone who is wanting to learn about the subject, and I highly recommend it.

A frigid yet mindblowing account
J.J. Brickett (tommymanchuria@hotmail.com), a retrospective daydreamer, 02/19/2004

The tale of Stalingrad told by Beevor was quite vivid, almost nightmarishly descriptive of the terrible battle between Fritz and Ivan. I really couldn't put this book down once I bought it and would recommend this to anyone interested in the 'The Great Patriotic War' or just wanting a good read. This book is excellent and Mr. Beevor really did a great job researching his info.

Also recommended: Six Armies in Normandy, by John Keegan and Chickenhawk, by Robert Mason