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Moscow 1941: A City and Its People at War Audiobook
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(3.07) - 158 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
The 1941 Battle of Moscow—unquestionably one of the most decisive battles of World War II—marked the first strategic defeat of the German armed forces in their seemingly unstoppable march across Europe. The Soviets lost many more people in this one battle than the British and Americans lost in the whole of the Second World War. Now, with authority and narrative power, Rodric Braithwaite tells the story in large part through the individual experiences of ordinary Russian men and women.
The narrative is set firmly against the background of Moscow and its people, beginning in early 1941, when the Soviet Union was still untouched by the war raging to the west. We see how—despite a mass of secret intelligence—the breaching of the border by the Wehrmacht in June took the country by surprise, and how, when the Germans pushed to Moscow in November, the Red Army and the capital's inhabitants undertook to defend their city, finally, in the winter of 1941–1942, turning the Germans back on the city's very outskirts. Braithwaite's dramatic, richly illustrated narrative of the military action offers telling portraits of Stalin and his generals. By interweaving the personal remembrances of soldiers, politicians, writers, artists, workers, and schoolchildren, he gives us an unprecedented understanding of how the war affected the daily life of Moscow and of the extraordinary bravery, endurance, and sacrifice—both voluntary and involuntary—that was required of its citizens.
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"So, if I'm standing near Joseph Stalin on the other side, I'll know I screwed up big time in life. He was a complete maniac. These were some cold, dark days in Russia. The only reason he survived the war is because he expended millions of his peeps to blunt the Germans' crazy drive east. "
— Jeff.staker (5 out of 5 stars)
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Accessible and unforgettable…. [Vance's] reading of this book is engaging and...brings this book to life, making it ideal listening.
— Large Print Reviews -
“The reader staggers from laughter to tears, while never forgetting that blood is flowing.”
— Daily Mail (London) -
“Braithwaite, who was Britain’s Ambassador to Moscow from 1988 to 1992, interviewed a remarkable range of Muscovites for the book, from students and nurses who joined the fight to a metro worker who dug Stalin’s secret bunker, and he has produced a symphonic evocation of a great city at war.”
— New Yorker -
“A wide-ranging and excellent account…Braithwaite never shirks the terrible truths.”
— Sunday Times (London)
Moscow 1941 Listener Reviews
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" So, if I'm standing near Joseph Stalin on the other side, I'll know I screwed up big time in life. He was a complete maniac. These were some cold, dark days in Russia. The only reason he survived the war is because he expended millions of his peeps to blunt the Germans' crazy drive east. "
— Jeff.staker, 10/27/2013 -
" Altough the subject of this book is very interesting indeed it could do with a little more structure and many more personal accounts. "
— Singleton, 2/8/2013 -
" A social history of the people of Moscow during the early stage of the Great Patriotic War, rather than a military history of the battle. Moves from high policy to daily life. "
— Grant, 1/24/2013 -
" I haven't read much about the Great Patriotic War from the Soviet/Russian perspective. Thia was interesting. "
— Mark, 12/19/2012 -
" The Nazis got REALLY close to Moscow. "
— Christine, 7/23/2012 -
" Pretty good history of the Battle of Moscow from the perspective of regular people living in the city. Shows how bleak the time was. "
— Chris, 7/15/2012 -
" While the focus is the German attack, there is a large amount of background material that make this a very interesting book. "
— Rod, 6/1/2012 -
" Reads nice and quick, enjoying so far "
— Tom, 5/25/2012 -
" An interesting look into Moscow 1941. It does a great job of driving overall points home with repetition, but not too much. A nice balance between military and civilian involvement. The only thing I wish it did was define some specific terms that are used often in the book. "
— Corinne, 5/4/2012 -
" Wonderful book. The military history and details of ordinary lives at this horrible, tragic, crucial moment are rendered with style and sympathy. I learned a lot and enjoyed it all. "
— Mk100, 1/26/2012 -
" As a 26 year old white male, I'm genetically predisposed to loving books about WWII. This one I read in preparation for Vasily Grossman's epic novel, Life and Fate. It's interesting, but sometimes gets bogged down in pedestrian detail. Which is fine, if you like that kind of thing. "
— Andrew, 4/11/2011 -
" Altough the subject of this book is very interesting indeed it could do with a little more structure and many more personal accounts. "
— Singleton, 1/3/2011 -
" Wonderful book. The military history and details of ordinary lives at this horrible, tragic, crucial moment are rendered with style and sympathy. I learned a lot and enjoyed it all. "
— Mk100, 1/4/2010 -
" While the focus is the German attack, there is a large amount of background material that make this a very interesting book. "
— Rod, 12/28/2009 -
" Pretty good history of the Battle of Moscow from the perspective of regular people living in the city. Shows how bleak the time was. "
— Chris, 6/27/2009 -
" The Nazis got REALLY close to Moscow. "
— Christine, 7/8/2008 -
" Reads nice and quick, enjoying so far "
— Tom, 10/26/2007 -
" As a 26 year old white male, I'm genetically predisposed to loving books about WWII. This one I read in preparation for Vasily Grossman's epic novel, <em>Life and Fate</em>. It's interesting, but sometimes gets bogged down in pedestrian detail. Which is fine, if you like that kind of thing. "
— Andrew, 10/15/2007 -
" I haven't read much about the Great Patriotic War from the Soviet/Russian perspective. Thia was interesting. "
— Mark, 8/5/2007
About Rodric Braithwaite
Rodric Braithwaite was British ambassador to Moscow during the critical years of perestroika and the collapse of the Soviet Union, the failed coup of August 1991, and the rise of Boris Yeltsin. With his long experience of Russia, on good personal terms with Mikhail Gorbachev, he was in a privileged position close to the center of Russia’s changing relationship with the West. Rodric Braithwaite was based in Moscow from September 1988 to May 1992. He retains business and educational interests in Russia.
About Simon Vance
Simon Vance (a.k.a. Robert Whitfield) is an award-winning actor and narrator. He has earned more than fifty Earphones Awards and won the prestigious Audie Award for best narration thirteen times. He was named Booklist’s very first Voice of Choice in 2008 and has been named an AudioFile Golden Voice as well as an AudioFile Best Voice of 2009. He has narrated more than eight hundred audiobooks over almost thirty years, beginning when he was a radio newsreader for the BBC in London. He is also an actor who has appeared on both stage and television.