Stalingrad

Vasiliy Chuikov offers a detailed history of the Battle of Stalingrad. He was there. Chuikov's account of the battle was first published in 1962. That book was translated into English and published as The Battle for Stalingrad in 1965. This book, Stalingrad: Battle of the Century, is a translation of Chuikov's 1975 edition, a very different work. I have now re-edited my translation and eliminated some mistakes. No translation is ever perfect.

There is no doubt that Stalingrad was a turning point in World War II. It was, perhaps, a turning point in human history. Adolf Hitler's psychopathic obsession with conquering the stronghold on the Volga made this an event of more than military significance. Chuikov himself wrote that Stalingrad was 'an objective at which all strategic, tactical, political and aspirational goals coalesced.' Indeed. It was the beginning of the end for the Third Reich. It bolstered the stumbling Soviet Union. We live with the consequences of both. The propaganda you will find in this book is quaint and amusing. You can ignore it. Do not ignore the analysis of a preeminent battlefield commander. Chuikov, perhaps, said more than he intended. This book speaks to the nature of war in great detail. It also has something to say about the human condition.