Stalin's Generals
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Book Summary Information
Editor: Harold ShukmanEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2002-03
ISBN: 1842125133
Number of pages: 416
Publisher: Phoenix Press
Book Reviews of Stalin's Generals
Book Review: A Nice Introduction to the Generals Who Won the War
Summary: 4 Stars
There are essays on 26 Soviet officers that were written by ten noted authors who specialize in the Russo-German War or the history of Russia / Soviet Union. These essays vary in length from 8 to 22 pages with the average about 13 pages. Kuznetsov has 8 pages while Rokossovsky had the most at 22 pages. These essays are not limited to WWII. Some got their fame in WWI or during the Revolution while a couple got the bulk of their fame after WWII. A majority of men gained their fame on the battlefield as a Corps, Army or Front commander while a few had staff positions. A couple had staff positions with Stavka.
While these essays are not in-depth personal portraits, the authors have written a concise capsule of each man's upbringing and military careers with highlights of their victories and in some cases their failures, particularly during WWII. You will learn enough about these men to be able to have a better understanding of them and to be able to evaluate their strengths, weaknesses, and to see the loyalty and bravery exerted when facing hardships on and off the battlefield. You will learn who were tortured or imprisoned, blacklisted, shunned and who were favored by Stalin. You will not only learn about the men but also about Stalin and the political environment before, during and after the war. The latest event mentioned, I believe, was the Cuban Missile Crisis.
The last chapter discusses the great purge of the 1930s in which Stalin in a fit of paranoia executes or imprisons thousands of well educated, experienced officers that were so desperately needed during the first year of the war. The officers in this book were the ones that replaced these lost souls and excelled in their jobs.
Many of the contributing authors are well known, having written full length books independently. Some of the better known are Erickson, Glantz, Jukes, Gorodetsky and Vologonov.
I'm not sure of the exact vetting process but the selection, for the most part, was good, giving a good variety of personalities and positions. There were a few people missing from the list that for me would have been more interesting to read about. They would be Popov, Rotmistrov, Chernyakhovsky, Tolbukhin and Alekseev.
There are seven generic maps and a portrait for each personality. There is also a good Bibliography and an Index but no Notes.
After reading this book, you will have a greater understanding about these men when reading other books on the world wars. This is an interesting read and a good reference volume and is recommended.
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