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Stalingrad (Abridged): The Fateful Siege: 1942–1943 Audiobook
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(4.00) - 7,632 listener ratings
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In August 1942, an overconfident Adolf Hitler would attempt to invade Stalin’s namesake city on the Volga. The battle of Stalingrad is extraordinary in every way: the triumphant invader fought to a standstill; then the Soviet trap sprung, surrounding their attackers; and the terrible siege, with Germans starving and freezing, forced to fight on by a disbelieving Hitler. Now Antony Beevor tells the story as it has never been told before, recounting the strategic brilliance and fatal flaws of the notorious generals, while telling the incredible tale from a soldier’s-eye view. The author incorporates Russian reports on desertions and executions that have never been seen by Western scholars, German transcripts of prisoner interrogations, and private letters and diaries to re-create the human drama of the most terrible battle in modern warfare.
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"An eminently accessible account of the Battle of Stalingrad, one of the turning points of WW2, and as crucial to the eventual Allied victory as any other. Beevor's account begins with the launch of Operation Barbarossa on 22 June 1941, a date etched forever on the world's memory, heralding the beginning of a battle that would set new benchmarks for scale, savagery and decisiveness. Because of the Cold War, the extremely crucial role played by the Soviets in the defeat of Hitler has never been fully acknowledged, far less documented in detail by Western scholarship and this book is a much needed step in that direction. What is heartening about this work is that it presents a fairly balanced perspective about the 200-day long battle for the city named after Hitler's nemesis. Beevor has taken pains to ensure that both the German and Soviet viewpoints are included by speaking to soldiers on both sides. He brings out well Hitler's maniacal obsession with the capture of Stalingrad just because it bore Stalin's name at the cost of renewed offensives on Moscow or the Caucasus- all against the advice of his generals, as also his later naïveté in believing that the encirclement could be supplied by air (based on disingenuous assurances provided by Goering) which resulted in the German 6th Army being ordered against a breakout when they could still have tried one, sealing their fate. Stalin's perpetual paranoia about the loyalty of his troops is also described, what with the embattled Soviet soldier facing a ferocious enemy with an equally hostile NKVD ready to shoot him in the back at the first signs of wavering resolution- all narrated through the stories of individual soldiers and citizens on either side.Bringing in a uniquely British twist, Beevor also talks of the "Sword of Stalingrad", presented on behalf of George VI, King of the UK (presented by Churchill to Stalin in the Tehran Conference) to the defenders of Stalingrad as a token of homage to their courage.Beevor spins an unrelentingly grim tale, as is to be expected given that the USSR lost a million people during the battle, while Germany lost perhaps half as many of its finest soldiers, all in the most horrific circumstances imaginable. Yet this is an epic account of an epic battle which, along with the Battle of Kursk six months later, proved to be the tipping point for the Eastern Front (indeed the entire European Theater) in WW2- Stalingrad was a psychological and military setback from which the Germans could never entirely recover. One recalls the words of the inimitable Winston Churchill as he so memorably put it in his Parliament speech in November 1942 while speaking about the British victory in North Africa, but he might just as well have been speaking about Stalingrad- “Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.â€"
— Prashanth (4 out of 5 stars)
Stalingrad Listener Reviews
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" The books by Mr. Beevor are exceptional and quite accurate. I sometimes feel exhausted just getting to the dramatic end. The audiobook, "Stalingrad" is abridged. In this case a very written and insightful book into the conditions leading to this epic battle. I do not like this story being abridged, especially in the skillful reading hands of George Guidall. This is a book for posterity and it is great story for now. What idiot made this decision to abridge one of the most instructive battles of World War II. I understand far better why and how this battle was fought and at the immense costs to both the Russians and Germans. It is wrong to abridge such a great book. "
— Phillip Lund, 1/7/2016 -
" Antony Beevor writes history like a thriller. The best book I've ever read about Stalingrad. "
— David, 2/17/2014 -
" The most harrowing book I've read about mankind's strangest endeavor. Beevor cleverly combines the strategy and scale of the battle with the personal. One wonders how it is possible for us to manoever ourselves in such a position that we would commit such atrocities on each other. "
— Jeroen, 2/9/2014 -
" An entertaining book, good for those who want to study about one of the best known battles of World War II. It is not an easy to read book, the author loses himself in details. He presents with the accuracy of the historian both parts, the German Army and the Red Army, using an objective eye. Recommend it for those really interested in history. "
— Rus, 2/9/2014 -
" Excellent book. But oh so depressing. "
— Dave, 2/2/2014 -
" Another good historian telling the details minute by minute of the siege of Stalingrad 1942-43. Tells how the Russians managed to finally encircle and defeat the huge Nazi Sixth Army in an epic 5 month battle. Incredible story. "
— Pam, 1/28/2014 -
" A fascinating and absorbing study of one of the greatest battles in history. Awfully depressing, though. "
— Stephen, 1/15/2014 -
" This is one of the best books I have ever read. Entirely depressing, Beevor's telling does a fantastic job making the reader realize the true scope of destruction and human loss in this conflict, along with providing vignettes that add to the story immensely. "
— Cole, 1/9/2014 -
" Like the movie "Enemy at the Gates" without the laughable sex scene. "
— Aaron, 1/8/2014 -
" Much like Sahara's The Killer Angels, this author too weaves historical events with personal information to paint as real a picture of the events which would help turn the tide against the Nazis and shape WWII. "
— Chris, 1/7/2014 -
" Great in depth look at the battle of Stalingrad, however can get a bit slow in parts bogged down by politics and the such! "
— Neal, 10/31/2013 -
" Beevor is one of the best in the history business. His prose is readable, and he knows his subject. "
— Victoria, 10/18/2013 -
" If you wake up one fine morning and realize that you have forgotten just how pointless, horrifying and mind numbingly stupid war is then grab a coffee and crack open this brilliant work. It's should and will make you go WTF "
— Matthew, 10/18/2013 -
" Excellent war history book. Maybe the best I've read. Unbelievable story "
— Bob, 3/11/2013 -
" I've never had any particular interest in military history, but this was exceptional. The massive tragedy; the incomprensible hubris of both Hitler and Stalin. "
— Frank, 5/17/2012 -
" Everyone should have a browse at least through this and other war books. You can't imagine what kind of suffering people went through. We need to know that. Beevor is a great writer, brings it all alive and you get insight into the rationale for decisions made, good and bad. "
— Yvonne, 5/10/2012 -
" One thing I do know, and that is this is a very good read. I'm not a history buff, I don't study it, and I'm not a bloke (if that makes sense). What I do like are good human stories and there's plenty here. A very accessible, well written book. "
— Annie, 11/26/2011 -
" The best book about this turning point land battle of World War II. "
— Tony, 10/22/2011 -
" Pretty amazing but looong. Still it kept me going into the sequel "The Fall of Berlin 1945" "
— Gaelen, 8/21/2011 -
" great book...see why its popular Ive read it 3 times! "
— Alex, 7/8/2011 -
" Reading William Shirer's chapter on Stalingrad was moving enough but this comprehensive story of one of the most historically important and tragic battles is unforgettable. "
— Robert, 6/27/2011 -
" Riveting account of the nightmare campaign. "
— Joe, 6/25/2011 -
" Every other page, a starving man eats a frozen horse. Thumbs up! "
— Joel, 5/30/2011 -
" The book that introduced me to Beevor, so will always hold a special place for me "
— Chris, 5/8/2011 -
" Antony Beevor started his book since the firsts battles between red army and the Wehrmacht. We can see with our imagination the pain and dead of the soldiers. It's a sad history but we need know it. "
— Sergio, 3/1/2011 -
" Incredible story based on solid research. I got a chance to have dinner with the author prior to reading it and it was the story of his research that got me to read the book. What a horrible chapter in the history of humanity. "
— David, 2/3/2011 -
" <br/>A truly awesome book. I was struck how Stalingrad must have been "Hell on Earth". I was amazed to learn that many Russian deserters (Hiwi's) fought for the Germans in the battle. A regretted choice I am sure. "
— Joe, 1/31/2011 -
" Reading William Shirer's chapter on Stalingrad was moving enough but this comprehensive story of one of the most historically important and tragic battles is unforgettable. "
— Robert, 1/30/2011 -
" It's hard to wrap your brain around the terrible suffering on the Ostfront. It's something that, as Westerners, we don't learn anything about. A dark couple of pages from history... "
— Joshua, 12/18/2010 -
" A must for any history/military buff. "
— Moominboy, 11/21/2010 -
" The first honest-to-god Dad-style military history I've read. I think this means I'm officially old. Well, this and my age. "
— Tim, 10/20/2010
About Antony Beevor
Antony Beevor is an English military historian, educated at Winchester College and Sandhurst. He is a former officer with the 11th Hussars and served in England and Germany for five years before resigning his commission. He has published several popular histories on the Second World War and the twentieth century in general, winning numerous awards and accolades, including the Samuel Johnson Prize and the Wolfson Prize for History. He is the recipient of the 2014 Lifetime Achievement Award for Military Writing of the Pritzker Military Museum and Library Literature Award. His work The Battle of Normandy was a New York Times bestseller.
About George Guidall
George Guidall, winner of more than eighty AudioFile Earphones Awards, has won three of the prestigious Audie Award for Excellence in Audiobook Narration. In 2014 the Audio Publishers Association presented him with the Special Achievement Award for lifetime achievement/ During his thirty-year recording career he has recorded over 1,700 audiobooks, won multiple awards, been a mentor to many narrators, and shown by example the potential of fine storytelling. His forty-year acting career includes starring roles on Broadway, an Obie Award for best performance off Broadway, and frequent television appearances.