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Anonymous
Posted June 26, 2003
Nash has written, I believe to be, one of the greatest works on the East Front. Stories of courage, imagination, and leader innovation are traits that mark the history of the East Front and are clearly present in this book. What makes this book an anomaly as my heading states? It is the fact that Douglas Nash clearly projects how personal the war was - not only at a tactical level, but also at the operational. The Battle of Cherkassy (Korson) Pocket signified the destruction of the last German offensive capability in the East. More importantly, it symbolizes two great operational struggles: The Russian will to destroy their invaders by attempting to create another Stalingrad catastrophe and the German resolve to survive and escape annihilation. The Book describes the battle in three major levels: strategic, operation, and tactical. Each level includes the planning, coordination, and execution of their respective missions. The decisive characteristic of this work is the smooth integration of all three of the levels and their respective components. Coupled with the operational and strategic awareness, Nash presents a myriad of personal accounts and stories at the tactical level that are uncommon for a book that covers an event of such size and magnitude. As a result, one will easily 'feel' the desperation on the opposing forces. The result of Nash's diligent work: one will become immersed in the story rather than bored or confused from the complexity of the battlefield. Finally, I want to address to the physical attributes of the book. The old saying, 'Don't judge a book by its cover' should NOT apply here. The size, material, mere construction, and the cover pic leave an incredible, positive impression which is absolutely fulfilled by its content. I became fascinated with the Battle of the Cherkassy (Korson) Pocket after reading about it in Paul Carrel's SCORCHED EARTH; however, Carrel left me yearning for more detail about the battle - Douglas Nash successfully filled the void.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted August 12, 2002
Douglas Nash's first book about the Battle of the Cherkassy Pocket is bound to be an Eastern Front classic. It is extremely well researched, with tons of detail. More importantly, it is an easy read. He has interviewed both German and Soviet veterans and provides a thoroughly unbiased presentation of the day by day events that made up this historic battle for survival. The maps provided are detailed, yet easy to read and understand. The photo's found within are excellent and provide some insight into the hell that was the 'kessel' (cauldron), as the German soldiers referred to the area in which they were surrounded. I would recommend this book to anyone that is a serious historian of World War II and the battleground that was the Eastern Front.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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