“The street is no longer measured by meters but by corpses … Stalingrad is no longer a town.”
The Battle of Stalingrad is the costliest urban battle in military history, the deadliest battle from the Second World War and arguably the biggest battle in history. Fought between Nazi Germany and the Axis Powers against the Soviet Union between 17 July 1942 – 2 February 1943, it has become infamous for its arduous and bloody close-quarters fighting and aerial bombardment against civilians. Over four million combatants saw action during the Battle of Stalingrad, with anywhere from 1.1 million to 3 million people dying (over 19,000 a day). One of the decisive turning points in modern history, join us today at What We Reading as we present some of the most compelling and informative books on the Battle of Stalingrad.
Stalingrad: The Fateful Siege, 1942-1943 – Antony Beevor
First up on our list of Stalingrad books is Antony Beevor’s acclaimed account of the battle, Stalingrad: The Fateful Siege. Lauded as one of the most definitive accounts of WW2’s most destructive battle, Beevor conveys the experiences of soldiers on both sides fighting in inhuman conditions, and the civilians trapped on an urban battlefield.
Beevor interviewed survivors from the battle and drew on new material from an array of Soviet and German archives, including reports of desertion, prisoner interrogations and records of executions. The result is a captivating historical account of all the horrors, cruelty and courage that produced a battle that would change the face of modern warfare.
Enemy At The Gates: The Battle For Stalingrad – William Craig
The Battle of Stalingrad marked the decisive turning point in the Second World. It signalled the beginning of the end of the Third Reich and would lead to the Soviet Union blazing back across Eastern Europe on its way to becoming a superpower. In Enemy at the Gates, author and historian William Craig painstakingly recreates every chapter of this tumultuous battle as it unfolded.
From the blazing hot 1942 summer that saw the German armies smashing their way through southern Russia, the struggle to capture neither Hitler nor Stalin had intended to pay much focus to, to the destruction of the supposedly invincible German 6th Army, Enemy at the Gates is huge in its scope and epic in its delivery. Drawing on interviews with hundreds of survivors, Craig’s book on Stalingrad is a brilliant combination of historical recounting and human experiences.
Breakout At Stalingrad – Heinrich Gerlach
Technically a work of historical fiction, Heinrich Gerlach’s Breakout at Stalingrad is still one of the most acclaimed books on the Battle of Stalingrad in its depiction of the sacrifices, horrors and humanity present across the campaign.
Lieutenant Breuer dreams of returning home for Christmas. Instead, he and his fellow German soldiers will spend their winter in a frozen hell as the combination of ice, snow and the relentless Soviet assaults gradually reduce the once-mighty 6th Army to a starving, diseased and desperate rabble. A remarkably personal account of comradeship in adversity, Gerlach fought at Stalingrad and was imprisoned by the Soviets. Breakout at Stalingrad was written during his captivity and the authenticity of his experiences shines through to make this one of the most visceral Stalingrad books ever written.
Survivors Of Stalingrad: Eyewitness Accounts From The 6th Army, 1942-1943 – Reinhold Busch
Another one of the best Stalingrad books about the experiences of the 6th Army during the campaign, Reinhold Bush’s Survivors of Stalingrad begins in November 1942 where a devastating counter-attack by the Soviets led to the encirclement of over 290,000 men. For nearly three months, the most brutal part of the Russian winter, these German troops would endure hellish conditions. Thousands would die from frostbite, starvation, or disease, as well as from fighting with their Soviet counterparts.
Survivors of Stalingrad features first-hand accounts of the survivors of the battle and those who remained until the bitter end to reconstruct the grim fate of Paulus’ 6th Army. Unlike other books on Stalingrad, Busch examines the overlooked field hospitals and central dressing stations to present an illuminating and ultimately tragic portrait of the experiences of soldiers across all ranks during the siege.
The Lighthouse Of Stalingrad: The Epic Siege At The Heart Of WWII’s Greatest Battle – Iain MacGregor
More Soviets died during the Battle of Stalingrad than Americans did during the entire Second World War, so it’s no wonder the sacrifices made during the Great Patriotic War are remembered so strongly in Russia today. First published in 2022 on the eve of the eightieth anniversary of the start of the campaign that Hitler believed would knock the Soviet Union out of the war, Iain MacGregor takes readers to the heart of the action and through one of its most infamous battlegrounds in The Lighthouse of Stalingrad.
‘Pavlov’s House’ was situated right on the frontlines of the fighting and was given the codename ‘The Lighthouse’. A key strategic building standing just a few hundred metres from the Volga River, Pavlov’s House garnered a legendary reputation as a small garrison of Russians held out against impossible odds. Featuring both German and Soviet testimonies, MacGregor lifts the lid on the battle for Pavlov’s House, and the role it played in securing a Russian victory both in Stalingrad and beyond.
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Red Road From Stalingrad: Recollections Of A Soviet Infantryman – Mansur Abdulin
Mansur Abdulin fought on the Soviet frontlines of the Soviet infantry against the invading Germans at Stalingrad, Kursk and on the banks of the Dnieper. Red Road From Stalingrad is his remarkable testimony of daily life and ordinary operations from the lower ranks of the Russian army.
Abdulin’s memoir gives readers a vivid view of the brutal fighting on the Eastern front during the Second World War, as well as a guide into the tactics and mentality of the Red Army’s soldiers. With clarity and candid honesty, he recounts what combat was really like against a skilled and increasingly desperate enemy, as well as all the hilarious, absurd and harrowing moments that came with life on the front. Red Road From Stalingrad is undoubtedly one of the best Stalingrad books for understanding the complexities, difficulties and loyalties inside the massive Russian army.
After Stalingrad: Seven Years As A Soviet Prisoner Of War – Adelbert Holl
Few battles across history have been as studied and recalled as much as Stalingrad. But, most Stalingrad books finish with the battle’s conclusion and tens of thousands of German soldiers vanishing into Soviet captivity. This is where Adelbert Holl and his book After Stalingrad comes in.
Vividly recounting his seven-year ordeal as a Soviet POW, Holl moves from camp to camp across the Soviet Union, describing the prison system in great detail and their populations of ex-soldiers. He describes daily life in these prisons, where the Soviets viewed German prisoners as little more than slave labour, working them exhaustingly in appalling conditions. The cruelty of the guards, the forced marches and the threats of overcrowding, dirt, and disease are all brought to life in great detail, shedding light on an often-overlooked part of the Battle of Stalingrad and its history.
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
