"Battle of the Cities" is a well researched examination of warfare on the Eastern Front during the Second World War. This book focuses on urban warfare and follows the progress of the war through the cities of Russia, Eastern Europe and Middle Europe that were most heavily affected. This book is primarily a survey work focused on current interpretations of the subject and it does not delve into new territory or offer any new research based findings. However, the book does provide a solid, well researched introduction to the war on the Eastern Front that should prove valuable to both serious students and casual readers.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher , Pen & Sword, for providing me me with an eARC is exchange for my honest review.

I recently completed my read of an ARC of Anthony Tucker-Jones' "Battle of the Cities: Urban Warfare on the Eastern Front" (published by Pen and Sword Military who provided me with the ARC). The book takes a large "top-down" operational approach very much in line with traditional military history. Roughly the first half of the book looks at the German (and their allies, principally Finland and Romania) advance into the Soviet Union while the second half shifts to an emphasis on the Soviet reconquest of the the conquered territories , conquest of Eastern Europe and advance to Berlin. The author uses the cities referenced in the title simply as anchor points for the narrative and that does, to a very limited extent, distinguish this text from others on the same subject matter. I had hoped for a much more detailed tactical approach/description of the fighting, but if that is what you are looking for here, you might find other texts that do a better job with it. If you are accustomed to "traditional" operational histories you might expect that this is heavy on statistics associated with each battle and very light on "bottom up" narrative history, and you would be correct. It certainly has a place on interested parties shelves as long as its limitations (and in my view they are significant) are kept in mind. There are many far more detailed histories available although they tend to focus much more tightly on individual engagements without necessarily placing those engagements in perspective as part of the larger struggle on the Eastern Front. The text's value to the interested student depends on what they hope to take away from it.

Unlike previous wars where most battles were fought out side of cities, in open areas where Cavalry could were free to roam against each other and infantry. During the battles between the Soviet Union and the Germans most major cities were fought over in the streets. The problem with street fighting is that defenders can hide in buildings and even in sewers, and have to be driven out.

The most monumental of all the street battles was the fight for Stalingrad. The Germans had tried to soften up the defenders but ended up creating a battlefield full of broken buildings and collapsed roads. Every building could be defended with soldiers fighting on one floor of a building at a time.

Even with the advantage of the air forces and tank corps, it still came down to the infantry fighting one man against another. The story of how these battles were fought is the primary reporting of this book and how men were use as human battering rams to overwhelm the enemy.

An interesting look at the war between the Germans and Soviets during WW2. The first-hand accounts and descriptions of the battles added to the enjoyable read. The hardships faced by the armies on both sides and the ineptness of the generals during the battles was heartbreaking. a good historical read.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

‘Battle of the Cities’ examines the fighting between Axis and Soviet forces from the unleashing by Hitler of Operation Barbarossa , the invasion of the Soviet Union, through the rapid and brutal advance of Axis forces to the eventual turning of the tide, and concluding with the successful assault on Berlin that led to Hitler’s suicide and - together with the Western Allies advances into Axis territory - to the eventual Allied victory. So far, so not very unusual; the author, however, has chosen to explore this much-written about aspect of the Second World War by reference to the devastating battles that took place in the cities of Poland; present day Russia, Ukraine, Byelorussia and Slovakia; the Baltic States and Austria.

The battles that saw many of the cities razed to the ground are covered in exhaustive detail, including the way in which the tide of war, with its tactical advances and retreats saw some of the cities enduring no fewer than four battles as they fell initially to German forces before being temporarily retaken by Soviet forces that were too weak to hold against the relentless counter attacks, which were such a hallmark of Wehrmacht doctrine. The recapture by German forces before their expulsion in the final decisive Soviet advances necessarily saw still further death and destruction. This is not a book for the faint hearted as the narrative requires close attention to gain the most from the detailed descriptions of the ebb and flow of battle.

Readers in 2023 and later will note, with considerable sadness, that much of the territory contested is currently in the news as Ukrainian forces strive to counter the brutal Russian invasion of Ukraine. Other striking historical parallels relate to Hitler’s many disastrous tactical decisions, especially to prohibit withdrawal when it was necessary to preserve fighting units for future defence of German, that undoubtedly contributed to the difficulties eventually faced by German forces trying to resist the overwhelming Soviet advances that recovered territory lost in the German advance and then took the fighting to the very capital of the Third Reich. Heads of State who take their rile as Commander in Chief too literally may want to learn from this precedent.