24 June 2018
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kursk_1943
Winner of the August Editor's Choice
Author: Anthony Tucker-Jones
Reviewed by: Duncan Evans
Winner of the August 2018 Editor’s Choice Award
If Stalingrad was where the German advance into the Soviet Union ground to a halt, Kursk was where it was defeated. In a colossal two-month battle, the two sides hammered away at each other, with tanks, troops and air forces, until, finally, the German offensive was broken. The cost was staggering, with the Soviets losing more men and armour but their war machinery was now operating at maximum capacity whereas the Germans simply could not replace their losses. Then the Allies invaded Italy and defeat was inevitable for Hitler, hence the subtitle of the book: Hitler’s Bitter Harvest. It deals with the build up, the defences and then the fierce fighting and the aftermath. Like Beevor in his books, Tucker-Jones makes full use of Red Star correspondent Vasily Grossman’s notes from the time. The author also has a distinct populist approach to his writing, and this makes the story more human and accessible, resulting in a very readable and concise story of the battle.
Published by The History Press
292 pages • Hardback • £25
As reviewed in The Armourer August 2018