Product Description

On June 22, 1941, preceded by a massive artillery and aerial bombardment along the entire 2,000-mile border, three million Axis troops and 3,330 tanks smashed into the Soviet Union. Adolf Hitler believed the campaign would be over in four months. Four years later, thirty-five million Soviets and five million Germans had been killed in a campaign that had ripped the heart out of the western USSR and Eastern Europe. It left the land gutted, the infrastructure destroyed, and millions of civilians homeless.

The Eastern Front Day by Day, 1941–45 is a chronological approach to the fighting that decided the war’s outcome in Europe. It allows the reader to see at a glance key battles on land, at sea, and in the air, such as the great encirclement engagements of 1941—Minsk, Smolensk, and Kiev—the siege of Leningrad, Stalingrad, Kursk, and Operation Bagration. As well as describing the titanic battles, the book also includes sidebars on all the main commanders who led the German and Soviet armies on the Eastern Front, such as Guderian, Zhukov, von Manstein, Vatutin, Rokossovsky, Model, and von Rundstedt. In parallel to the military maneuvers in the war, the political events that occurred on both sides and influenced the war are included, for example, the activities of the SS and Einsatzgruppen murder squads.

The Eastern Front Day by Day also covers the technology that had an impact on the conflict, such as the Ju-87 Stuka dive-bomber; the T-34, Tiger, and Panther tanks; and the "Stalin’s organ" rocket launcher. The major events of each month dominate the narrative, but lesser episodes are also included to present a comprehensive summary. These include anti-partisan activities behind German lines, the administration of conquered territories, and the propaganda war waged by both sides. It is a book that no student of the war on the Eastern Front can do without.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1659856 in Books
• Published on: 2006-10-25
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 192 pages

From the Publisher
A unique presentation of the ebb and flow of the greatest land battles of World War II

Lavishly illustrated with maps and nearly 400 photographs, many never before published

About the Author
Steve Crawford’s books on military subjects include Tanks of World War II, Deadly Fighting Skills of the World, The SAS at Close Quarters, and Battleships and Carriers. He lives in London.

Customer Reviews

Engaging and recommended
On June 22, 1941, preceded by a massive artillery and aerial bombardment along the entire 2,000-mile border, three million German troops and their allies, along with 3,330 tanks, smashed into the Soviet Union in a military campaign that Adolph Hitler thought would be over in just four months. Four years later, thirty-five million Soviets and five million Germans had been killed in a campaign left the western USSR, Eastern Europe, and German itself, with a gutted landscape, and millions of civilians homeless. "The Eastern Front Day By Day, 1941-45" is a photographic chronology that includes key battles on land, at sea, and in the air, including the great encirclement engagements of 1941 at Minsk, Smolensk, Kieve, Leningrad, Stalingrad, Kursk, and Operation Bagration. Featuring sidebars on all the principle commanders who led the German and Soviet forces on the Eastern Front, as well as the events that occurred on both sides and influenced the war (including the SS and Einsatzgruppen murder squads), the technological advances in planes, tanks, rocket launchers, and more, "The Eastern Front" is a succinct, profusely illustrated, month-by-month historical overview that is as informed and informative, as it is engaging and recommended for personal, academic, and community library Military History reference collections in general, and World War II Eastern Front supplemental reading lists in particular.

The Eastern Front Day by Day, 1941-45. A Photographic Chronology
The book "The Eastern Front Day by Day, 1941-45. A Photographic Chronology", by Steve Crawford. This is a nice book, with a lot of pictures and maps in its 192 pages. I was hoping for a little more detail in the written part of the chronology then it had, but through out the book you will find special inserts with like "Decisive Moment's, Key Personalities, and Key Weapons", that help fill in the blanks. This book is worth having in your collection of books on World War II.

Its probably the best in the "Day by Day" series
Even though it was given 4 stars, the book is meant for new students and the causal reader who do not demand a comprehensive list. The events listed are the popular, well known events and anybody looking for the unusual or less known will probably not find it in this book.
There are many interesting sidebars describing key personalities, weapons, tactics etc that add to the chronology. There are also many maps that help the reader understand the text. Also the many good photos will be popular to most readers.
As a starter book, I would highly recommend it. A more comprehensive list would be Brian Taylor's 2 volume set.