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To Besiege a City

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What to expect

Bloomsbury presents To Besiege a City by Prit Buttar, read by Leighton Pugh.

'[An] excellent account.' - Richard Overy, The Telegraph

Shortlisted for the Military History Matters Book of the Year Award 2024

A ground-breaking history of the siege of Leningrad, masterfully brought to life by a leading expert using original Russian and German source material.

Starting in September 1941, the Red Army and the civilian population of Leningrad endured a bitter 900-day siege, struggling against constant bombing, shelling, and starvation inflicted by the encircling Axis forces. The Soviets made repeated, but unsuccessful, bids to break German lines and reach the city, failing to end the siege but nevertheless defying the odds to construct and defend the ‘Road to Life’ over the frozen Lake Ladoga, across which meager supplies were transported to the embattled garrison. Although they defeated Russia’s Second Shock Army twice over, the German infantry divisions were also steadily eroded, their resources and morale depleted under the pressure of near-constant assaults and battles.

With To Besiege a City, Eastern Front historian Prit Buttar interweaves first-hand accounts with revelatory research to deliver the first major history of the siege of Leningrad in over a decade, expertly analyzing strategic failings on both sides while simultaneously detailing the horrific realities of daily life during a merciless war.

Critics Review

[An] excellent account.
The Telegraph
This is another masterly account by this excellent Osprey author, covering the first year of the siege of Leningrad.
Miniature Wargames
Buttar's meticulous and even-handed research leaves no stone unturned.
History of War
Brings to life a dark chapter of World War II history that ought to never be forgotten.
Morning Star
This will surely become the definitive reference work on the Siege of Leningrad.
Classic Military Vehicle

User Reviews

Book 4.0
Narration 4.0
Author Prit Buttar
Narrator Leighton Pugh
Duration 20 hours and 2 minutes
Release Date
ISBN 9781472856524
Format Audiobook
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing
Genre Land forces and warfare, Second World War, Specific battles
Availability AU, GB, IE, US
Rating
4.0 (1 review)
Narration
4.0 (1 review)

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