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.

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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 the critically acclaimed narrator of approximately 400 audiobooks, winner of 27 AudioFile Earphones Awards, and a 12-time Audie Award-winner. He won an Audie in 2006 in the category of Science Fiction and was named the 2011 Best Voice in Biography and History and in 2010 Best Voice in Fiction by AudioFile magazine. Vance has been a narrator for the past 25 years, and also worked for many years as a BBC Radio presenter and newsreader in London. Some of his best-selling and most praised audiobook performances include Stieg Larsson's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Hilary Mantel's Bring Up the Bodies (an Audie award-winner), Ian Fleming's Casino Royale, Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray, Patrick O'Brian's Master and Commander series (all 21 titles), the new productions of Frank Herbert's original Dune series, and Rob Gifford's China Road (an AudioFile 2007 Book of the Year). Vance lives near San Francisco with his wife and two sons.

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