Baillie Gifford Prize Winner

Stalingrad

by Antony Beevor

Summary

A visceral account of the pivotal 1942–43 battle on the Eastern Front, tracing the encirclement and destruction of the German Sixth Army through the eyes of soldiers on both sides. Beevor draws on thousands of letters, diaries, and Soviet and German military records to reconstruct events at both the strategic and deeply personal level. The book transformed public understanding of the Second World War's decisive turning point and became one of the best-selling works of military history ever published.

Historical Context & Significance

The inaugural winner; it sold over 1 million copies, proving rigorous military history could be a commercial success.