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The Drive on Moscow, 1941
- Operation Taifun and Germany’s First Great Crisis of World War II
- Narrated by: Dave Courvoisier
- Length: 8 hrs and 49 mins
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The Drive on Moscow, 1941
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Summary
At the end of September 1941, more than a million German soldiers lined up along the frontline just 180 miles west of Moscow. They were well trained, confident, and had good reasons to hope that the war in the East would be over with one last offensive. Facing them was an equally large Soviet force, but whose soldiers were neither as well trained nor as confident. When the Germans struck, disaster soon befell the Soviet defenders. German panzer spearheads cut through enemy defenses and thrust deeply to encircle most of the Soviet soldiers on the approaches to Moscow. Within a few weeks, most of them marched into captivity, where a grim fate awaited them.
Despite the overwhelming initial German success, however, the Soviet capital did not fall. German combat units as well as supply transport were bogged down in mud caused by autumn rains. General Zhukov was called back to Moscow and given the desperate task to recreate defense lines west of Moscow. The mud allowed him time to accomplish this, and when the Germans again began to attack in November, they met stiffer resistance. Even so, they came perilously close to the capital, and if the vicissitudes of weather had cooperated, would have seized it. Though German units were also fighting desperately by now, the Soviet build-up soon exceeded their own.
The Drive on Moscow: Operation Taifun, 1941 is based on numerous archival records, personal diaries, letters, and other sources. It recreates the battle from the perspective of the soldiers as well as the generals. The battle, not fought in isolation, had a crucial role in the overall German strategy in the East, and its outcome reveals why the failure of the German assault on Moscow may well have been true turning point of World War II.
Niklas Zetterling is a researcher at the Swedish Defense College. Along with Anders Frankson he has previously written Kursk 1943: A Statistical Analysis and The Korsun Pocket: The Encirclement and Breakout of a German Army in the East, 1944. Both authors currently live in Sweden.
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What listeners say about The Drive on Moscow, 1941
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- J
- 27-06-14
It Certainly Drove The Story Home
A very informative and well created story with plenty to keep the listener paying attention. Given the scale of the battles and advances talked about in this book having a map to hand or giving one a quick review whilst listening is a must as I found it very difficult to follow what was happening at times.
The narrator did quite a good job of maintaining interest however there are others who's narration I have enjoyed more. If you have an interest in World War 2 then this is a great audiobook for anyone who already has plenty of knowledge about the war on the Eastern front or for those looking to start learning about it.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Dippy
- 08-06-17
LEAVES OUT THE BEST PART--THE RUSSIA COUNTERATTACK
What made the experience of listening to The Drive on Moscow, 1941 the most enjoyable?
GREAT NARRATION
What was most disappointing about Niklas Zetterling and Anders Frankson ’s story?
LEFT OUT THE RUSSIAN COUNTER OFFENSIVE---SPENT TOO MUCH TIME ON THE GERMAN ENCIRCLEMENT-IF YOU DIDN'T READ THE LAST CHAPTER YOU'D THINK THE GERMANS WON WW2
Which scene did you most enjoy?
POOR HORSES--BUT I DIDN'T ENJOY IT
Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
WHAT IF HITLER HADN'T INTERFEARRED? WE'D ALL BE SPEAKING GERMAN NOW.
Any additional comments?
PLEASE, DEAR AUTHORS, WRITE PART 2--THE RUSSIAN DRIVE ON BERLIN--BEGINNING WITH THE COUNTER ATTACK AT MOSCOW
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