Kharkov 1942

by David M. Glantz

Book Overview

Kharkov was one of the last German victories on the Russian Front; this is a detailed examination of Soviet command decisions and German battlefield innovations in an important but neglected battle.... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1885119542
• ISBN13: 9781885119544
• Release Date: August 1998
• Publisher: Da Capo Press
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 1.63 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.2" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

A historical review of the tragic 1942 battle at Kharkov

First, this book is not a nice historical novel. This book is the dry recollection of the decisions, orders, order of battle and development of the Russian offensive in the Southwestern Front by General Semyon Konstantinovich Timoshenko and the following counterstrike by the German forces led by Marshall Fedor von Bock and General Kleist near the city of Kharkov in May 1942. This battle was a great defeat for Russian forces that lost close to 300,000 soldiers and officers. An invaluable historical document. A delight for all military history buffs.

almost everything you'll ever want to know about this battle

The book attempts to describe the battle of Kharkov by using both Soviet and Germans sources. Particularly interesting is the use of a hitherto-classified Soviet study of the battle, written a few years after the war. Both what the study says and what it ommits are very revealing. This book is a masterpiece in its genre and recommended to anyone with an interest in the Eastern Front, but I confess I would like both a more thorough OB, like the one in "Operation Mars", his other book, and better maps.

A must-have for all students of the War.

Simply put, Col. Glantz is THE leading authority on the Eastern Front. I simply could not put this book down when I got it last year, and I find myself periodically returning to it, gleaning new information. Highly recommended.

One of the best military histories I've ever read.

This is an excellent work. It's probably the best book I've read devoted to a single battle. The analysis is almost entirely from the Russian perspective, but the other side can be gleaned from other sources. The author gained access to recently available Soviet documentation to tell the Russian side of the confrontation. This is not to say the German side is ignored, however. There is very extensive use of quotations from the Soviet General Staff Study of the battle, yet the author counters any bias. The book covers everything you'd want in an analysis: terrain, force structure, order of battle, tactical and strategic decision making, etc. The maps are better and more numerous than in those in most works of this type. The only real problem I have with it is that the author doesn't really explain why the Russian 9th Army attacked at Maiaki. This was on the southeastern end of the Barvenkovo bridgehead. It was against this southern flank that the Germans launched their counterattack that doomed the Russian offensive and the Maiaki attack weakened the Russian forces on this flank. Except to say the attack was conducted and it was a bad idea, the book fails to explain what led the Russian commander to conduct it in the first place. Nevertheless, this is a very minor complaint with what is a very excellent book.

Excellent history of the Kharkov campaign

This history is well researched, well documented and written with style as well as analytical depth. It addresses one of critisims that I have with many military histories: it does have plentiful maps, but not sufficiently detailed. If I were to venture a suggestion, I would include a supplimental map (3' X 3') sufficiently detailed to assist the reader to follow the material. This work is devoid of usual strong German orientation, and concentrates on the new evidence which this work introduces. This book uses both Russian and German sources and maintains a balanced and intellectual approach to the campaign. Glantz's account provides a comprehensive picture of this epic battle. A great book for novices and experts alike.