Hells Gate

[Paul D]

Paul,
Just wondering if you have read Demolishing The Myth by Valeriy Zamulin? If so, is it any good? I am reading Blood, Steel & Myth at the moment and it is indeed a fantastic read - much better than I thought it was going to be and with great maps. Demolishing The Myth covers the same area but from the Russian side and was just wondering how they compare as I may well get it next.

I haven't read that one mate but have heard of it , it sounds like a good comparison read , i did a post on Blood Steel and Myth after i read it as it sets Kursk and Prochorowka on their heads !!

[Scout]

Interesting.

I have a copy of Hells Gate and it is a superbly researched history of the Cherkassy pocket , Doug Nash is one of the Top authors on the Eastern Front in the same league as George Nipe.

These books contain excellent veteran accounts / photos / maps and in depth research into the Strategic and tactical situations of both protagonists . Due to the amount of information and the quality of the publishing these books cost more than many of the spate of recent memoirs that are hitting the market but in my opinion are far superior and well worth the money !!

I also recommend the following

Last Victory in Russia by Geoege Nipe about the Battle of Kharkov

Blood , Steel and Myth by Nipe , if you only buy one book about Kursk this is it

Platz der Leibstandarte by Nipe and Remy Spazzano , Kharkov again

SS Panzer Aufklarungs Abteilung 11 Nordland by Pollner / Mansson / Westburg , Armoured Recce with the Waffen SS on the Eastern Front

Viking Panzers by Ewald Klapdor

cheers

Paul

mauser9 mentioned Mannstein.

Might I also recommend the book by said general: 'Verlorene Siege

[Paul D]

Link to Blood , Steel and Myth !!

Blood, Steel,Myth II SS Panzer Korps and the Road to Prochorowka !

[4md]

I have just got both books and are halfway through blood,steel,myth. So far its brilliant!

regards Paul

[hucks216]

The thing I wonder about sometimes is that with such work as Blood, Steel & Myth etc is how much will it influence the future re-writing of history? It should change the way people view the battle from now (and judging by the title so should Demolishing The Myth) but if in the future another documentary is made about the battle what line will they follow - the tired old one of a great armoured clash or the works that have shown that clash to be something else entirely? It is the same as Erich Hartmann - with a growing belief that his 352 Kills were far lower than that (and I believe with research in Russia so far only accounting for 80 kills so far) how much has to be written and discussed before new revised research becomes the accepted norm and the old research & figures are finally laid to rest?

[Paul D]

Yes it will be interesting to see how History documentary makers take all this new information onboard , their continuing of the " party line " re Kursk has brought the myths of Kursk and the Great Armoured Clash to the masses, will someone put it all right ? Who knows , that said sadly the general quality of research into many of the documentaries is so poor i;m not sure who would be capable of turning the Myth on it's head and producing a top quality doc on what really happened !!

The research by Nipe certainly brings to the fore the part weather in particular the huge summer storms turning the ground into a morass effected the progress of the fighting from the point of the German Armoured units again going against the image of Tank formations roaring across the sun drenched Steppe !!

Having had the fortune to have interviewed many German vets including Tankers and Assault Gunners they left me with the impression that Kill counts were very much tongue in cheek and open to dispute for a number of reasons , the Luftwaffe has never been by area of interest but i assume it is the same and present research seems to indicate that !!

cheers

Paul