Customer Reviews
Virtually unreadable without some good maps - By: A. Atkins, 19 Dec 2007 
This is a moderately interesting but at times mind-numbing account of the first two years of the Russian Front during the Second World War, written almost exclusively from the Russian perspective, & at a strategic-to-army level (the Stavka high command & its relation with the army groups & the logistical services). Don't look here for accounts of what it was like for a German infantry squad or Mark IV tank to encounter a T45, or to be a Russian colonel or divisional commander during the catastrophic campaigns of 1941-42; it's all about Zhukov flying into crisis situations to sort things out & incompetent generals being called back to Moscow to be shot. I'm sure John Erikson did a fantastic job at the time this book was written to secure all the informationin this book, but there's no sign of any revision & new knowledge after the opening of Russian archives post-1991, & it is simply extraordinary that there isn't a single mapin the whole book. The publishers (Cassells) should be ashamed of themselves: even if there weren't any mapsin the original publication, why didn't they commission some when they re-published itin paperback format? Finally this book wins absolutely no prizes for its prose style, which is workmanlike at best. John Erickson has a single metaphor for all his descriptions of military action: it's all about slicing & dicing & hacking, ad nauseum. OK, we are largely dealing with armies being moved over maps & crisesin the supply chain, & Erickson is generally good at marshalling his material & guiding you through a massive war, but he very rarely gets into the blood & guts, fear & passion of what it felt like to be a general as your forces collapsed about you, with a sense of responsibility for the very survival of your country. This to me is a major failingin any work of military history that claims to be a classic or definitive.
An in depth look at the crucial theartre of WW II - By: HBH, 31 Jul 2007 
The road to Stalingrad is a very good study of the early years of the war on the Eastern Front. If you are looking for an introductory text or a light read this is NOT the book to buy but for the more committed or the more interested it is a very worthwhile read.
Professorial analysis of the final campaigns - By: Mr. A. J. P. Brouard, 12 Jun 2003 Packed with detail, this book can at stages become heavy going. As well as military commentary it features extremely interesting analyses of the political "conflict" between the Western Allies & Stalin over Poland, Rumania, Hungary & Yugoslavia. From this aspect it provokes great consternationin that Churchill was fully aware of Stalin's post-war objectives for eastern europe, but could not pull the wool from President Roosevelt's eyes, despite repeated warnings. This leads the reader to consider what the face of post war Europe would have been like if Stalin had not so successfully hoodwinked his allies.
Do not expect first person accounts of the conflict as Professor Erickson writes almost entirely from the 3rd person perspective. As a factual account of the campaigns from the victory at Stalingrad to the destruction & capture of Berlin there can certainly be no complaints, but some readers may find this somewhat hard going.
From my point of view it balances those accounts written from memoirs etc. to provide a completely objective view of the final 2 years of the war on the Eastern Front.
Excellant, But REALLY does need maps - By: drew3077@mold95.freeserve.co.uk, 06 Sep 2001 
Quite simply the best reference source to date on the "Great Patrionic War". Volume one of a two volume set. Takes a good look indepth like never before of the Soviet war-machine & ineptness of its command structure, to the turning of the tide at Stalingrad. Make sure you have an atlas handy as there is not one singal map to look at, unlike Volume two. Still, a book required on everyones shelf who thinks they know the Russo-German War 41-45.
Excellent book but desperately needs maps - By: , 27 Feb 1999 This is an excellent book which deals with Operation Barbarossa from the start of the offensive until the defeat of the Germans at Stalingrad. It is very detailed & obviously the author has had access to archives previously not available previously - this makes the book very interesting. The only problem is that the book has no maps !!! Unless you have an atlas, or an indepth knowledge of Russian geography you will struggle to deal with thein depth details of troop deployments. Buy it - but make sure you have an atlas !!!
