Overview
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.
Full Product Details
Author: Rodric Braithwaite ,
Simon Vance
Publisher: Tantor Audio
Imprint: Tantor Audio
Edition: Library Edition
ISBN: 9798200145928
Publication Date: 28 November 2006
Audience:
General/trade
,
General
Format: Audio
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: Available To Order
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Reviews
"Accessible and unforgettable.... [Vance's] reading of this book is engaging and...brings this book to life, making it ideal listening.-- ""Large Print Reviews"" ""A wide-ranging and excellent account...Braithwaite never shirks the terrible truths."" -- ""Sunday Times (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"" ""The reader staggers from laughter to tears, while never forgetting that blood is flowing."" -- ""Daily Mail (London)"""
Author Information
Rodric Braithwaite is a former diplomat and writer who has spent much of his career dealing with Russia, which he visits regularly. He served as British ambassador in Moscow during the fall of the Soviet Union, and he has also been chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee. Braithwaite is the author of a number of books on Russia, including Across the Moscow River, Russia in Europe, and Engaging Russia: A Report to the Trilateral Commission. Simon Vance is an award-winning actor and an AudioFile Golden Voice with over fifty Earphones Awards and thirteen prestigious Audie Awards. He was named Booklist's very first Voice of Choice in 2008 and an AudioFile Best Voice of 2009.
