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When Titans Clashed: How the Red Army Stopped Hitler (Modern War Studies) | 
 enlarge | Authors: David M. Glantz, Jonathan M. House
Publisher: University Press of Kansas
Category: Book
List Price: $17.95
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Avg. Customer Rating:  43 reviews
Sales Rank: 254883
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 384
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.4
Dimensions (in): 8.8 x 6 x 1
ISBN: 0700608990
Dewey Decimal Number: 940
EAN: 9780700608997
ASIN: 0700608990
Publication Date: February 1998
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Book Description
By the time Pearl Harbor had ripped apart America's peacetime pretensions, the German blitzkrieg had already blasted the Red Army back to the gates of Moscow. Yet, less than four years later, the Soviet hammer-and-sickle flew above the ruins of Berlin, stark symbol of a miraculous comeback that destroyed the German army and shattered Hitler's imperial designs. Told in swift stirring prose, When Titans Clashed provides the first full account of this epic struggle from the Soviet perspective. David Glantz, one of the world's foremost authorities on the Soviet military, and Jonathan House present a fundamentally new interpretation of what the Russians called the "Great Patriotic War." Based on unprecedented access to formerly classified Soviet sources, they counter the German perspective that has dominated previous accounts and radically revise our understanding of the Soviet experience during World War II. Placing the war within its wider political, economic, and social contexts, the authors recount how the determined Soviets overcame their initial disasters to defeat the most powerful army ever assembled. As they vividly show, this truly was war waged on a titanic scale, sweeping across a half-million square miles from Moscow to Berlin, featuring monumental offensives and counteroffensives, and ultimately costing both sides combined a staggering forty million casualties. Their work offers new revelations on Soviet strategy and tactics, Stalin's role as supreme commander of the Red Army, the emergence of innovative and courageous commanders in the crucible of combat, numerous previously concealed or neglected military operations, German miscalculations on the road to the Red capital, the effect of D-Day and the "second front" on the Soviet effort, and the war's devastating impact on the Soviet economy and civilian population. An essential volume for anyone interested in World War II or Soviet history, When Titans Clashed will change forever how we look at one of the greatest military confrontations in world history. This book is part of the Modern War Studies series.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 38 more reviews...
 Very good book, but with flaws. May 24, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This book is truly good: well-researched and fascinating and the battle descriptions are quite engaging; not an easy thing for most to do. I find faults with this book, though:
1--The writers go into great detail about what Zhukov did in his preparations for Kursk and how the battle went along. This is all written very well and is exciting, BUT...one thing is sorely missing: ANY mention of the fact that Zhukov (whom the writers have no shortage of accolades for, though they do speak of his defeats in Operation Mars and at the Seelow Heights) KNEW exactly what the Germans were going to do and where they were going to do it because they were getting information from the Lucy Ring, which was supposedly a bunch of disgruntled German officers but most likely was the Brits way of getting their Enigma intel to the Soviets. Any idiot can create a good defense when he's given the other side's playbook denoting EVERYTHING that the enemy is going to do. I was very surprised and upset not to see any mention of this VERY IMPORTANT fact.
2--On page 275, the authors--in the context of the happenings of the `Second Period of War (Nov. '42--Dec. '43)--say, `...the Red Army destroyed Blitzkrieg as a viable offensive military concept'. Apparently the writers had their heads in the sand during the two Gulf Wars because BOTH Coalition Forces commanders--General H. Norman Schwarzkopf and General Tommy Ray Franks--used Blitzkrieg-style tactics to defeat Saddam Hussein's forces. Blitzkrieg works and, more interestingly, the way the writers describe the Soviets tactics during their drive into Central Europe VERY much shows them to echo the tactics of the afore mentioned unviable Blitzkrieg. Odd.
3--My third and final problem with the book is that they answer the question of `Who defeated Germany?' with the only answer possible after looking through the information in this book: it was the Soviets who beat Germany. The only problem is--THIS IS WRONG!!! The Soviets DID NOT defeat Germany; America, Briton AND the USSR defeated Germany. Not a single one of them could have defeated Germany on their own. America needed the UK as a place to launch the attack, Briton would have been starved into submission if it wasn't for the US getting food and supplies to them across the Atlantic and the USSR not only needed the aid it got from the US, as well, but, even though it did fight the majority of German divisions, the Germans had to worry about not only the Soviets but also Briton and later America. If Germany did not have to expend its already limited resources against these two foes, as well, things might have been different. The writers also say that the Russians would have defeated Germany regardless of D-day happening: I can't think of a more ridiculous statement in this book. D-day and the Germans preparations for it tied up a large amount of forces (and Rommel) which could have had a definite impact on the Ostfront. The fact that Stalin was continually urging the Allies to open a second front I think lends credence to this.
The authors also say that Hitler's interference with his generals in the field was not as important as it was eventually made out to be and that it was basically a convenient excuse for the German failure. This is untrue; Hitler did the WORST thing to the generals in the field with his orders: he prevented them from using the very revolutionary tactics that had not only brought them success in the beginning of the war, but were being used AGAINST them by ALL of their enemies.
I do think that this is a book worth getting; the wealth of information on the Soviet struggle is worth it alone, but there are just some things to look out for. This could have been a great book, but the writers, as is usual with many books on this topic, have found their niche and are going to play it up.
 Basic Eastern Front Primer May 11, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
This book should be the first book those interested in WW2 history should pick up. The very basic truths of the war are clearly presented: 1.The Soviets beat the Germans basically- the Western Allies fought about 1/4 of the war in Europe; 2. the Soviets learned as the war dragged on- staring from a 20-1 Soviet/German kill ratio we end up with a 1.5/1 ratio- respectable for an offensive army (explaining also the mythical German 5 or 10 to one kill ratio of some reviews); 3. Stalin meddled less with his generals as the war dragged on- Hitler meddled more with bad results; 4. the Soviets took blitzkrieg to a new level and by the end of the war were superior in tank breakthroughs and encirclements; 5. the Red Army was the best land army in the world by the end of the war- combining intelligence and tactics with a brutal trajectory toward any goal.
The book may come across as being very pro-Soviet but that is only because of the literally thousands of tomes about the Western Allies and the German Army which give short shrift to the Soviets- when actual Soviet achievements are exposed they cannot help but look better than we're used to thinking. My only criticism of this book is in the department of statistics- I think it tends to exaggerate Soviet casualties and the numbers given on tables aren't consistent throughout the book. Still- the best basic primer on WW2.
Good as Fact Book but lacks emotions December 17, 2007
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
I have read the other reviews and I would also agree that this Book supplies you with all the facts , most of them I have not read in other places. However I would recommend this book only for academics or collector of hard facts. This book is more of a text book than interesting read. Nothing against the book. But this is not the kind of treatment I was looking for, just miles and miles of yarns of facts.
I like all stories to have some emotion and some human face. Even war stories. The battle of Stalingrad is dealt with in 2 pages, everything cut down to basic dry facts. In fact I think wikipedia article on battle of stalingrad does a better job. So make your choice based on what you are looking for.
A disappointing tactical review December 4, 2007
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
This book presents a lot of tactical detail. E.g., Unit A was reorganized and attacked the left flank of Unit B in the early morning of XYZ. It works neither on the human nor the strategic levels. Moreover, the authors seem rather approving of Stalin. E.g., they switch back and forth from calling "Dictator" and "Premier". The latter seems a stretch in anyone's lexicon.
Great strategic overview August 21, 2007
This is an excellent book of the Soviet struggle against the German invasion in WW2. The book has oustanding references and well researched. The maps and tables provide excellent information to reinforce their description over the 3 stages of war fought in the Soviet Union.
What stands out the most is the Stalin's initial paranoia and purge of the Soviet military in the late 1930's that led to their disasters in 1941 that was later changed to Stalin's ceding of power and trust to a select few Field Marshalls. In comparison, Hitler's delegation of authority led to initial German success, but later growing paranoia and micromanagement led to multiple disasters and complete defeat as he fired his best Field Marshalls when they refused to follow his commands that would result in the senseless deaths of thousands of German soldiers.
The book describes on how the Soviets decided to form Guards and Shock Armies to mass their best fighting soldiers, artillery, and majority of their tanks to maximize offensive combat power as the war progressed. Meanwhile, ineptly managed by Hitler, the front line and experienced German Panzer units could not receive replacement tanks to maintain their combat strength. Instead, raw green units were formed and sent piecemeal to block massed and experienced Soviet formations. History definitely shows which method of leadership and delegation of authority by a country's ruler can lead to victory.
The Soviet Union endured five bloody years of war and millions of casualties so that the United States could mobilize and train our soldiers to fight and win against the Germans. Towards the end of WW2, the United States was running out of front line infantry replacements and many units were becoming war weary (read a Band of Brothers regarding the 101st Airborne Division) after two years of combat. How both the German and Soviet armies were able to endure such massive losses and still have the ability to mobilize and sustain combat formations until the brink of annihilation is testament to the bravery of those who served and sacrificed for their nation regardless of who their political leaders were.
The Soviets adapted and refined their tactics and strategy that utilized their strengths to overwhelm the Germans at the point of attack. The Germans declined in strength and only had limited, but very high quality, formations and equipment that could have won if under the proper command and leadership.
Would be very interesting if the authors decided to write a hypothetical book comparing if Patton fought against the Soviets in 1946. Good book to include in a collection.
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