Rating: 
Summary: A very powerful narrative
Review: Because the book focuses on presenting the story as it unfolded and let the bare facts speak for themselves, it maintained a very powerful narrative. The author thankfully did not fall into the trap of trying to describe in different words how horrible Stalingrad really was. Such lack of emotional suggestion succeeding in communicating the atrocities of the siege even more convincingly. In addition, the author did not default into a dry academic style either, but maintained a highly readable prose. Therefore, this book is a rare combination of a thoroughly researched, well told and believable account of an incredible moment in history.
Rating:
Summary: The best book on the battle yet!
Review: I would like the thank Antony Beevor. This book is one of the greatest books written on the most important battle of the last 200 years. He goes into detail on everything and every aspect of the war and the people involved but not enough to completely bore the reader. I read this book in less than a week because I could not put it down. Also, he is able to let the reader know what actual German soldiers thought and wrote during the fateful siege, instead of facts from outside sources. If you like history, World War 2, or anything involving Military History, or if you need a book to read, buy this book. You will not regret it.
Rating: 
Summary: Well done, thought provoking work
Review: Its easy for us born far after the events of WWII to fail to understand the hell that the world and particularly Europe dealt with only 50+ years ago. The thing I found most fascinating about the story of Stalingrad was the magnitude of change that occurred during a relatively short time scale. During the beginning of the German advance into Russia they decimated the Russians who were "meat for their guns." The fighting stalled in Stalingrad partly because the Russians would'nt give it up and Hitler would'nt listen to his generals. This combined with the Russian winter made the situation terrible. It took the Russians about 6 months of incredible suffering and loss to turn the tables, and when they did, the german army was left for dead. This book defines the true suffering and triump of the Russian army.Also I found it quite interesting that the Russian women were involved in the war effort much like american women were, building tanks and planes etc. The cruelty of the Russians toward their own men was quite a shocker as. The hardships endured by the people during this time just goes to show how well we have it today. As a side note, many of the things that are in this book can be seen on History channel programs.
Rating:
Summary: Engrossing Human Story
Review: When I began the book I wasn't sure what to expect, other than the history of one of the pivotal battles of the 20th Century. To say that I was pleasantly suprised is an understatement. Beevor's book is much more than just a history of the Battle of Stalingrad. Rather it is a history of the individuals who participated in the battle and its human cost. Given the history of the Russian Army from the outbreak of the was up to Stalingrad, one would not have expected that the Soviets would have been able to made the stand that they did. Beevor explains the process that led to the transformation of the Russian Army, blemishes and all. He does the same for the German Army. Stalingrad is ultimately a human drama, since notwithstanding the generals and commanders it was the Russian soldier that defeated the German soldier. That is the strength of the book and makes it a very good read.
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Summary: Devasting portrait of the freezing hell called Stalingrad
Review: One of the best books written concerning the mind-numbing combat of the Russian front during WWII, Beevor's book offers a complete portrait of the battle that turned the tide against Hitler. This book is a must for any person interested in WWII. Beevor gives the reader detailed information from the viewpoints of everyone involved in this battle: Hitler and Stalin, the generals on both the Soviet and German sides, right down to the officers and soldiers who fought in conditions which went beyond human comprehension. "Stalingrad: The Fateful Siege, 1942-1943", is unstinting in exposing the atrocities committed by both sides. It also exposes the follies and blunders committed by the Germans and Soviets. Readers will learn the plight of Soviet citizens who chose to fight for the Germans, understand the fate of Soviets captured by the beseiged German garrison, endure with doctors who have no medicine to treat their patients, witness the harsh fate which awaited Soviet citizens and soldiers who showed any signs of "defeatism", and see the strategies which resulted in German defeat right at the moment Hitler believed that he had won. This book is a masterwork of the horror man can inflict upon man. I read this book during the heat of a summer which broke records, yet I got chills from reading of the freezing hell of Stalingrad. Buy it now!
Rating:
Summary: Powerful
Review: This book is hard to put down. It has terrific pace and meter without sacrificing detail. Extremely thought provoking and vivid, it demonstrates without resorting to theatrics, the horror and futility of war. Mr. Beevor's depiction of the protagnists from Hitler To Stalin, from each sides generals, and soldiers provides a fascinating insight into the battle. I thank god that I was not a participant. This book really rocks. If you like military history, don't miss it.
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Summary: Sow the wind; reap the whirlwind
Review: One by-product of the opening of the Soviet archives and the 50th anniversary of the great WWII battles has been a spate of excellent books about the Eastern Front. This one is a perfect balance of scholarly exactitude and layman's narrative, as well as being just to both sides regarding their conduct of the battle. More than fifty years after the event, the gigantism of the events around Stalingrad remains astounding. Beevor does a great job showing both the big picture of the campaign and the attitudes and conditions of the fighting men. It is clear that Hitler bungled fatally in overriding his generals--amateurs think strategy, professionals think logistics. It is also clear that Stalin finally wised up and starting trusting his generals--for awhile, at least. One general, Rokossovsky, was released from the gulag to lead a Soviet army. The murderous fanaticism of Nazism and the murderous paranoia of Communism accounted for an appalling number of atrocities, quite apart from the ferocious combat. Even during the most desperate fighting, the NKVD busily executed thousands of Soviet soldiers on one pretext or another. The Germans treated Russian peasants and prisoners worse than their own horses. The descent of the typical German soldier from confidence to despair is well-illustrated with first-hand accounts; ditto for the near super-human determination of the Soviet soldiers. There was no pity or chivalry in this battle; it was all hell. To pack so much of this truth into so readable an account is quite an accomplishment.
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Summary: The best book of any kind I have read in several years
Review: As World War II histories go, this is as good as they get. Vivid in my mind over a year since reading it: --the anti-tank dogs the Germans met on the outskirts of Moscow. --Stalin's directive in October ordering cowards to be shot on site, and those comrades refusing to shoot them to be shot on site, resulting in over 10,000 Russian casualties in one day. Beevor has created a masterpiece that reads so well and seems so extraordinary that the reader is frequently overcome with constant realizations that all this actually happened. Our days are filled with slow computers, bad traffic, noisy neighbors - the events in this book seem so outlandish it's hard to remember sentence-by-sentence that this is history. This book moved me to tears more than once, and could possibly qualify for the best non-fiction book I've ever picked up. A MUST READ.
Rating:
Summary: Very, Very Readable
Review: The trouble with many historical works is that they often tend to either swamp the reader with too much indigestible technical data or alternatively be too anecdotal. Antony Beevor's work successfully straddles both stools. Despite the reality that the book documents one of the most brutal and uncompromising battles fought during the twentieth century Beevor nevertheless manages to present the episode like a bestselling thriller. His work is all of gripping, depressing and humbling. I have now read the book twice and can unreservedly recommend it to any individual seeking an insight into the pivotal battle of World War 2. It also serves as a reminder that the decisive war was fought in the East despite the importance of other theatres of conflict. The gigantic nature of the struggle could translate into an epic movie provided the director steered clear of the sentimentality that usually characterises these works and keeps it almost documentary in nature. It would require a steel hearted Spielberg to achieve it. I suspect a Russian with Dreamworks backing could best do it.
Rating:
Summary: One of the Best
Review: This book, outlined in explicit detail, provided a gripping day-by-day overview of the bloodiest battle of all time. This marked the turning point of the Second World War and ultimately led to the fall of the Third Reich. Little is known in the West about this brutal battle and this is a must read for students and World War II history buffs.
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