Blood And Iron: The German Conquest of Sevastopol

By C.G. Sweeting

Book Overview

This title tells the story of one of the most dramatic campaigns of World War Two, the German conquest of the Crimean Peninsula and the port of Sevastopol in 1941-1942. Sevastopol was the world's most... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1574887971
• ISBN13: 9781574887976
• Release Date: November 2005
• Publisher: Potomac Books Inc
• Length: 200 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 10.0" x 0.8" x 7.0"

Customer Reviews

great book very informative

Sweeting provides an excellent account of the great german victory at sevastopol. He also give's a good account of the stuborn russian defenders, who put up a good fight, and the madness of the self destructing red comissars in massive suicide attacks. But nonetheless the wehrmacht's iron will and excellent leadership,under by many considered to be one of the most talented commanders of the 20th century, Erich von Manstein. He also gives a detailed description of the weaponry deployed by both side's wich was very to my liking. good book, i reccomend it to evryone interested in the eastern front 1941-45

GLEN SWEETING SCORES ANOTHER BULL'S EYE!

"BLOOD AND IRON" by G.C. Sweeting, published by Brassey's, is a fine study for the general reader. It was not written for the wargamer or the student of military history who wants hundreds of pages of tedious particulars about order of battle and exacting day-to-day movements of every unit. There's plenty of detail here for the average buff who wishes an accurate as well as interestingly written history of the last major German victory, the conquest of the Crimea and the siege of Sevastopol, the world's strongest fortress. Sweeting offers lots of fascinating information not found anywhere else: ... what is was like to be a German soldier, the rations, equipment and even secret weapons such as the massive 800mm "DORA," the biggest gun ever built. It's the first comprehensive account of Germany's major ally, the Romanian army, on the Eastern Front... and Sweeting answers many questions such as why Hitler invaded the Soviet Union, and why, after spectacular early victories his Wehrmacht was unable to defeat the Red Army. The first critical months of "Barbarossa" are briefly described. Emphasis is strong on the German Eleventh Army and their Romanian allies in the Crimea under General von Manstein. A significant chapter is devoted to the Luftwaffe, which played such a vital role in that campaign. I found details and comparison of German and Soviet weapons and tanks especially engrossing, a feature seldom offered in any campaign histories. Perhaps of greater importance, the book answers the intriguing question of how Von Manstein defeated the stronger Soviet forces in the Crimea and then managed to devise the daring plan to break through Sevastolpol defenses and win over all odds. The author has based his work mainly on German sources and has fully footnoted them. A great many of the profuse photographs have never been published before in the West... and there is a welcome Glossary of German terms and abbreviations which will prove a great asset to anyone interested in the broad subject. It truly has something for everyone... and I heartily recommend it to the general reader! Steven Augutis Deerfield Beach, FL

Excellent Analysis

Glenn Sweeting is always on target and this book is on a par with his previous efforts on World War II aviation equipment and clothing. I found the information on weaponry to be particularly good-it puts in one spot the information found in many sources. The attack on Sevastapol is placed in context with the overall invasion of Germany, and the chronological approach Mr. Sweeting uses makes the whole battle easier to understand.

Enhanced with more than a hundred vintage photographs

Blood And Iron: The German Conquest Of Sebastopol by C. G. Sweeting (military historian and former curator at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum) focuses the pivotal and bloody battles for control of the Crimea peninsula and the port of Sebastopol in 1941 and 1942. Fought with German forces at the height of their power, the struggle for the world's most strongly fortified port city and the home of the Soviet Black Sea fleet resulted in what was to be the last major German victory of the war when the captured the city in 1942. Soon afterwards, the battle for Stalingrad was to undermine the German triumph as the momentum of war along the Eastern Front between German and Soviet forces was to irrevocably shift back into the Russians favor. Visually enhanced with more than a hundred vintage photographs and other illustrations, Blood And Iron is informed and informative reading. Also very highly recommended as additions to Military Studies library collections are C. G. Sweeting's earlier military studies: Hitler's Personal Pilot: The Life And Times Of Hans Baur and Hitler's Squadron: The Fuhrer's Personal Aircraft And Transport Union, 1933-45.

Excellent Presentation on use of the Luftwaffe in battle

This is one of the best books I've seen on the last major German Victory of World War II. It presents both sides fairly and does an EXCELLENT job on covering the important use of the Luftwaffe in winning the battle. I really appreciated the way the author put the battle in the context of the bigger social and military picture. While the military role-playing "gamer" that wrote the negative review may not find this book to his liking, most history and military buffs would be thrilled to find it under the Christmas tree!! Glenn Sweeting is known for his meticulous research and the illustrations and appendices are worth the price of the book alone.