Scan barcode
suebrownreads's review against another edition
4.0
Very impressive research. I found it hard to believe all the detail. I would give it 5 stars, but there was a little too much detail. So many letters and dispatches were read, and little things mentioned that could have been left out or summed up without going into so VERY much detail. The author does not leave out any of the gruesome details either. War is horrible, always, but this war for Stalingrad was heartbreaking.
amurray914's review against another edition
4.0
STALINGRAD.
The name evokes pain, suffering, hardship, death. William Craig’s Enemy at the Gates conveys all of the above and more. Published in 1973, Craig’s book is compiled from scores of survivor interviews, letters, communiqués and protagonist memoirs from both sides. The reader is immersed in the freezing trenches and basements of privates and NCOs, the command bunkers of German and Russian generals and Führer headquarters at the Wolf’s Lair in East Prussia. No detail is spared and the brutality of the conflict is recreated in stark detail from first hand accounts; the description of survival in Russian "POW" camps is beyond belief.
Craig also touches on the mismanagement of the German High Command, notably Hitler’s miscomprehension or indifference to a worsening situation and Goering’s assurance of resupply by air, doomed to failure from the outset. One almost feels sorry for the impending sense of disaster, repeatedly asserted by more competent generals. The blame does not solely lie here though. Manstein could have initiated ‘Thunderclap’, the codeword for an all out breakout from Der Kessel to link up with Hoth’s relief force. Paulus too shares some of the blame. His insistence to follow Hitler’s orders to the letter and not apply the initiative of a commander on the ground ultimately doomed the sixth army.
My one criticism is that the book could have done with a few more detailed maps. Manstein’s attempt at breakthrough and the Russian counter offensives were described in detail with place names and direction of attacks, but no maps. That said, it doesn’t detract too much from Craig’s gripping narrative and this is a must read for those interested in the Russian campaigns and WW2 as a whole.
As a side note, the movie of the same name starring Jude Law is loosely adapted from this book, focusing mainly on Vasilli Zaitsev, Tania Chernova and the cat and mouse with Major Konings. I liked the movie, but just couldn't get over the cockney "Russian" accents!
iceberg0's review against another edition
4.0
Insightful and terrifying look at the Battle of Stalingrad. Wonderfully written.
rooree93's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
4.0
Great book, breaks down everything that happened pretty much day by day, and intersperses it with stories from people who lived through it, be they civilians, soldiers or officers. Was a bit of a mission to make it through at times, there is only so many ways you can describe an army being surrounded and running out of food and freezing before it gets a bit repetitive.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Torture, Gun violence, and War
Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Death, Grief, Suicide, Injury/Injury detail, Hate crime, Gore, and Cannibalism
gkolocsar's review against another edition
3.0
La más devastadora batalla de la segunda guerra mundial, el punto de inflexión del avance de los "superhombres" Nazis, una verdadera carnicería. Un infierno congelado.
sleepyboi2988's review against another edition
4.0
Excellent book despite its age, a very personal look at the Battle of Stalingrad from the Generals to the soldiers on both sides suffering its effects. Reads quickly and doesnt have a single dry spot.