An acclaimed WWII historian presents a provocative reassessment of the Eastern Front battles that turned the tide against Hitler's advance. The epic battles fought at Stalingrad and Kursk were pivotal events in the war on the Eastern Front. After the catastrophic failure of the German offensives of 1942 and 1943, the Wehrmacht was forced onto the defensive. Never again would it regain the initiative against the seemingly inexhaustible forces of the Red Army. The cause of the decisive shift in the balance of military power has intrigued historians ever since. In this original and thought-provoking new study Geoffrey Jukes reconstructs Soviet strategy and operations at Stalingrad and Kursk in vivid detail. He looks behind the scenes at the workings of the Soviet high command, at the roles played by the principal Red Army generals, and at the overriding influence of Stalin himself. Jukes also offers acute insight into German military planning as Hitler's armies prepare for their sequence of massive offensives.
