 |
There is an old axiom that the winners write the history. Up until recently this was not the case with the history of the Eastern Front during World War II. Most of the history of the Russian Front was told using German records and recollections. The Cold War severely limited the amount of access historians would have to Soviet records of the conflict. With the collapse of the Soviet Union this started to change. David M. Glantz is one of the historians to start exploring these records. Glantz, the founder and former director of the U. S. Army's Foreign Military Studies Office and widely considered to be the world's top expert on the former Soviet military, created a formidable and impressive study of the Red Army from 1941 to 1943 in 'Colossus Reborn'. This book will definitely set the standards for historical research into how the Russian military machine recovered in the years following the German invasion. Glantz takes up where his earlier book 'Stumbling Colossus' leaves off. In 'Colossus Reborn' we see how the Soviet's rebuilt their military in the face of a ruthless assault by Germany and it's allies. I could not find any area of the recovery of the Red Army that Glantz did not explore. This is one of the reason that this book runs to almost 800 pages! I was very impressed with how he even included insights into areas of the Russian war effort not commonly covered. This is the best English source I've found so far for information on the NKVD's military role. He also considers the political environment that almost all Soviet staff officers labored under. His insights bring clarity to understanding how leadership both suffered and benefited from the Draconian conditions under Stalin. Glantz also pays attention to how the Russians did learn from their mistakes. Operation 'Barbarossa' inflicted an unprecedented series of battlefield defeats and setbacks on the Red Army, during the first six months of the war the Soviets lost hundreds of thousand of men dead and millions as prisoners. The Soviet leadership managed to learn from these disasters. Glantz carefully details how they evolved in the face of this. Now part of my motivation for getting this book was that I am a historical wargamer. The wargaming hobby is often driven by an avid interest in the history of the eras being played. I can tell you now that 'Colossus Reborn' will become an essential addition to any wargamer's library. For that matter it will become essential for any person with a serious interest in the Russian side of the Second World War.Read full review
Current slide {CURRENT_SLIDE} of {TOTAL_SLIDES}- Best Selling in Books
Current slide {CURRENT_SLIDE} of {TOTAL_SLIDES}- Save on Books
Current slide {CURRENT_SLIDE} of {TOTAL_SLIDES}- You may also like
