Recommended reading on the Soviet forces

Marcus · Post by **Marcus** » 26 Nov 2006 21:54

The idea of this sticky is to collect recommendations on (preferably English language) on books dealing with the Soviet forces prior to and during the Great Patriotic War to help the members who want to learn more about them.

Please post the title, author and a short (or long) explanation as to why you feel that particular title deserves to be included.

/Marcus

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Imad · Post by **Imad** » 04 Dec 2006 23:45

I thought Christopher Duffy's "Red Storm on the Reich" was pretty good, anyone disagree?

Bernd R · Post by **Bernd R** » 05 Dec 2006 16:59

Paul McDaniel and Paul J. Schmitt ,
"The Comprehensive Guide to Soviet orders and medals" ,
Historical research , Arlington, Virginia 1997

Library of Congress Catalog Card number : 97-70605
ISBN : 0-9656289-0-6

An outstanding book from collectors for collectors !
Showing the wide variety of Soviet orders and medals, giving official statutes and
regulations, contains over 630 color and 50 b/w photographs. Giving types, variations
and has several fakes sections.
To me, a masterpiece in the field of Faleristik (Ordenskunde).

luchs

Kunikov · Post by **Kunikov** » 02 Jan 2007 18:02

The Russian Way of War: Operational Art, 1904-1940
by Richard W. Harrison
An excellent introduction about Russian then Soviet theories about warfare starting with the Russo-Japanese War and working through to the beginning of WWII, shows how 'fronts' came into being, among other innovations on the part of the Russians/Soviets. Goes through the 20's and 30's the development of 'deep operations' and shock armies as well as describing who were the men behind these ideas and what happened to them.

Konstantin175 · Post by **Konstantin175** » 02 Jan 2007 23:15

= Please post the title, author and a short (or long) explenation as to why you feel that particular title deserves to be included=

I recommend all books of American historian David Glantz. Now David Glantz books have started to translate on Russian. I think their most objective.

Forgotten Battles of the Soviet-German War (1941-1945): Detailed studies of forgotten, covered up, or ignored operations of significant scale incorporating hitherto unavailable Stavka directives, Peoples’ Commissariat of Defense (NKO), and front orders, and transcripts of conversations between Stalin, representatives of the Stavka, and Red Army field commanders. Contains full documentation and a wide range of German and Soviet archival maps and operational summary maps. Each volume covers one of the war’s eight campaigns.
(Other books: http://www.mastereuropa.com/studies3.html)

V67 · Post by **V67** » 19 Jan 2007 16:42

I agree with imad regarding "Red Storm on the Reich" by Christopher Duffy. It's an excellent book describing Soviet operations from the Vistula to the Oder (after Bagration and before the Berlin Operation). It's very readable and a good combination of military description and analysis mixed in with some interesting ground level accounts.

Regards.

V67 · Post by **V67** » 19 Jan 2007 17:03

I found the "Road to Stalingrad" by John Erickson to be interesting also. His description of the Soviet military structure and condition before and on the eve of Barbarossa is very good. The book focuses on Soviet strategy and operations and a lot on Stalin and STAVKA. I do have mixed feelings overall about this book though. After hearing for years what a great book this was I must admit a letdown of sorts. At times the story is suspenseful and you feel the anxiety and imminent catastrophe on the Soviet side but other times I felt that I didn't have a great feel for the actual fighting and horror. There were times where my eyes just glazed over with too much information. This is a heavy read but very interesting and good overall.

Regards.

Kunikov · Post by **Kunikov** » 19 Jan 2007 17:08

I'd also recommend:
Stalin's Folly: The Tragic First Ten Days of World War Two on the Eastern Front (Hardcover)
by Constantine Pleshakov
Stalin's Keys to Victory: The Rebirth of the Red Army (Hardcover)
by Walter Dunn
Thunder in the East: The Nazi-Soviet War, 1941-1945
by Evan Mawdsley

Baltas · Post by **Baltas** » 25 Jan 2007 09:41

Icebreaker: Who Started the Second World War? (Hardcover)
by Viktor Suvorov, Thomas B. Beattie (Translator)
# Hardcover: 384 pages
# Publisher: Viking Pr (August 1990)
# Language: English
# ISBN-10: 0241126223
# ISBN-13: 978-0241126226

An excellent book.
Above all, this book details the vast Soviet preparations for an invasion of Europe in the summer of 1941 with the goal of Sovietizing central and western Europe. Suvorov is not alone in his view. It is also affirmed by a number of non-Russian historians, such as American scholar R. H. S. Stolfi in his 1991 study Hitler's Panzers East: World War II Reinterpreted (reviewed by me in the Nov.-Dec. 1995 Journal).

Dmitry · Post by **Dmitry** » 26 Jan 2007 18:55

Please try to keep arguments about Suvorov in the new thread entitled Books of Viktor Suvorov contains a lot of myths

Baltas · Post by **Baltas** » 30 Jan 2007 08:07

For Russian readers.
Солонин Марк Семёнович
Бочка и обручи, или когда началась Великая Отечественная война? «Военная литература»: militera.lib.ru
Издание: Солонин М.С. Бочка и обручи, или когда началась Великая Отечественная война? — Дрогобыч: Відродження, 2004
Книга на сайте: militera.lib.ru/research/solonin_ms/index.html
Иллюстрации: нет
Источник: Библиотека Максима Мошкова (lib.ru); изд-во «Відродження» (http://www.vidrodzhenia.org.ua).
Дополнительная обработка: Hoaxer (hoaxer@mail.ru)
In the book the initial period of war between Hitlerite Germany and Stalin Soviet Union is examined. On the basis of data, extracted of previously classified documents and materials, and also the analysis of scientific history and memoir literature the author refutes the kept balance and new myths about the reasons of the catastrophic defeats of the Red Army in the first months of war, gives the objective, deep reasoned treatment of the course of military events. Paramount attention is given to human factor. The book is intended to historians and by all, who is interested World War II.

Regard Baltas

Alex Yeliseenko · Post by **Alex Yeliseenko** » 30 Jan 2007 19:24

For Russian, Baltian and Slavs readers.

Mechanized Corps of Red Army. Moscow. 2005.

Rodan Lewarx · Post by **Rodan Lewarx** » 31 Jan 2007 09:26

Alex, do you means the book "Mechanized corps of Red Army in a battle" by Eugene Drig?
Cover can be viewed for example here and book ordered too.
Excellent book. Hope it'll be published in other languages too.

Regards

Alex Yeliseenko · Post by **Alex Yeliseenko** » 31 Jan 2007 14:26

Rodan Lewarx wrote:Alex, do you means the book "Mechanized corps of Red Army in a battle" by Eugene Drig?
Cover can be viewed for example here and book ordered too.
Excellent book. Hope it'll be published in other languages too.

Regards

Yes. Eugene Drig.

Regards.

Dmitry · Post by **Dmitry** » 01 Feb 2007 12:50

A post from Baltas containing a colored provocative remark was deleted by moderator. Please wrote descriptions in a neutral tone.

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Recommended reading on the Soviet forces

Recommended reading on the Soviet forces

Soviet orders and medals

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