Rating: 
Summary: What is all the hype about this book?
Review: The book is highly overrated. Very lacking in details. Beevor often decribes important events in very vague terminology...which makes me suspect how well he really knows the battle. A solid example of his lack of research is his inclusion of the German 76 Infanterie Division in the 9/13/42 assault into the city. That alone shows he did not consult the OKH situation maps, and that is deplorable. I would refer the interested student to either Craig for the personal account, Erickson for the operational account from the Russian eyes, and Ziemke & Bauer for the German study. Beevor's attempt is highly overrated, and fails to expand on the work of his predecessors. Should have been published as "Stalingrad for Dummies"
Rating: 
Summary: Great Drama, Great Read
Review: Many americans are not aware of how much the USSR suffered in WWII, nor do they understand that it was only because germans dedicated most of their forces to the eastern front that the US and Britan were able to succeed at Normandy.Unlike other books on this subject, Beevor does not shy away from Stalin's evil or his willingness to throw away the lives of his own people into the mill of the advancing german army. Instead, he attempts to show us what life was like for those on the ground at Stalingrad. His prose are lucid and convey a great deal of the suffering and pain that the survivors of this titanic battle endured. A fun read for military history buffs.
Rating: 
Summary: Stalingrad : The Fateful Siege, 1942-1943: The best book eve
Review: I can only say that is one of the best books I have ever read in my life. I took the book on a holiday to Argentina. Sadly enough for my girlfriend I did not stop reading untill I finished the book.
Rating: 
Summary: Good history book, not to good storytelling.
Review: After reading reviews for this I thought this was going to be an exciting book. But I found out that it is not very exciting. The author gives good historical insight to the battle of Stalingrad, but the stories are often dry, leaving me reading it numbingly. I found it to "to the point". He tells you what happened, but leaves no room for emotions. All in all it's a good history book, but not if you're looking for some excitement.
Rating:
Summary: "Stalingrad Gefallen?", the answer is "Nyet!"
Review: There are some interesting details about this mammoth battle revealed in this journalistic re-telling by Antony Beevor. STALINGRAD was such a huge battle in terms of men committed, casualties, length of engagement, and most significantly - impact. It is generally regarded as the turning point of the war for Germany - psychologically - if not materially. After the encirclement and capture of the German Sixth Army, there was a growing belief that the war could not be won, but also the beginning of disillusionment with Hitler. Some of the more interesting details that color this narrative are the emphasis on Stalingrad as a "rassenkampf" or race war, the Russian obsession with snipers, the many "Hilfswillige" or Russian volunteers that fought for Germany, and the behavior of the soldiers of both sides. Drawing on official reports and personal letters this account is more about the experiences of the soldiers and focuses on elements such as: Commanders and officers, the battleground, the conditions, morale, supplies, German and Russian culture, and of course Hitler and Stalin. While the strategic significance of the battle is highlighted, military history buffs may be a little disappointed with the actual description of the battles, as it is a bit muddled. Perhaps it's the scope of the fighting and the length of the campaign that causes this, but you have to occasionally re-read some sections that refer to units, and refer to the maps to keep a track of the unfolding battle. A German and Soviet Order of Battle at the back helps a little by listing the major units that comprised the Sixth Army and those of the Red Army on the Stalingrad Front. The photographs, although few in number certainly give a good feel for the difficulties of fighting in the bitter cold and the grimness of house to house warfare.
Rating: 
Summary: An Exercise in Good Journalism
Review: Mr. Beevor has done an admirable job in portraying the conflict at Stalingrad. Surmising (I assume) that other works have suitably treated the military side of the battle, Mr. Beevor takes a more jouranlistic approach. Often going 'behind the scenes', Mr. Beevor takes on a whirlwind tour of factors not often well considered in other works, from the employment of Russians in the German Army to the treatment of prisoners and the severe Russian attitude towards its own soldiers. This said, many of Mr. Beevor's generalizations detract from his historical treatments. Mr. Beevor is often at his worst when attempting to portray the attributes of various leaders on both sides, and additionally he struggles with distinctions. For example, when describing the effects of shell-shock and combat fatigue in the German Army, Mr. Beevor closes off by noting that while the Germans rarely acknowledged shell-shock in official reports, it must have been fairly bad because British records of shell-shock in Normandy indictaed this to be true of their own soldiers. This kind of generalization needs qualification to be taken seriously. The British Army in Normandy (well-portrayed by Max Hastings in his book Overlord) suffered from some unique problems-namely the use of formations that had fought throughout the desert campaigns and felt they 'had done their bit', as well as scraping the bottom of the manpower barrel. For a suitable treatment of the German soldier, look to the book Frontsoldaten by Stephen G. Fritz to see what motivated the German soldier to fight when others quit. Atrocities committed to German prisoners, while adequately described, are fobbed off when Mr. Beevor suggests that this should have been the typical Soviet response after what Russians had suffered at the hands of the Germans. Perhaps so, but little analysis is put into why-is this type of barbarism to be expected of any nation which has suffered at the hands of an invader, or is it typical response of a regime like Soviet Russia (who committed many an atrocity upon their own people, to say nothing of the Germans, which Mr. Beevor does note making his generalization alll the more puzzling)? Unfortunately, the book is rife with generalizations of this kind, and aims less to be a work of history than a 'sweeping drama' more characteristic of a work of journalism. There are parts that feel rushed and disconnected from the whole, with little indication of any serious research. There are enough errors that would mislead the reader with little background on the battle that ultimately the book fails. For an account of the human side of the conflict, it is a good read, if not heavily tilted to the Russian experience. For the reader interested in the military aspoects of this fight, it cannot be recommended.
Rating:
Summary: A wonderful piece of history telling
Review: having read a few WW2 history book, i can definetly say that this book is one of the best i have read to date. any history fan or ww2 scholar should read this well written book. Highly recommended!
Rating:
Summary: too long and cumbersome but good overview
Review: read the tile of the review
Rating:
Summary: Short title, long book
Review: Stalingrad reads like a Jackie Collins novel, with plenty of juicy details and shock moments and yet it can be scholarly. It covers the battle and siege with great tact and care but also shows how cruel and ruthless both sides were to each other and themselves. The only downside to this excellent book is not its length or accuracy but its undeniably excruciating attention to detail which can go just that little bit to far and end up losing the reader along the way. I look forward to a 350 page abridged version!
Rating:
Summary: Harrowing, deeply illuminating
Review: I don't think I ever quite understood World War II until I read Antony Beevor's astounding work. The grinding together of two systems of madness and evil in one cataclysmic battle is so masterfully portrayed as to defy description. Read this book.
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