Opening the Gates of Hell

Operation Barbarossa, June–July 1941

By: Richard Hargreaves

Narrated by: Philip Pope

Bloomsbury presents Opening the Gates of Hell: Operation Barbarossa, June-July 1941 by Richard Hargreaves, read by Philip Pope.

A unique account of the opening weeks of history’s largest, most brutal conflict, told through the eyes of those who were there and based on original source material from across Europe.

Opening the Gates of Hell is based on over a decade’s research in archives and sites across Europe. It is a ground-breaking examination of the start of the Nazi–Soviet conflict, a narrative history not just of the fighting, but also the impact on civilians, the atrocities committed by both sides and ethnic cleansing carried out by the inhabitants of the regions invaded.

This fascinating history tells the stories of bravery, cowardice, misery and horror through the eyes of those who were there including ordinary soldiers, generals, leaders, politicians and civilians on both sides. The book draws on published and unpublished sources from across Germany and Eastern Europe with the majority of the material never having appeared in English-language accounts of the conflict before.

The combination of combat accounts, analysis of high-level diplomacy and leadership and the visceral accounts of the atrocities committed by both sides gives this book a unique approach to the war on the Eastern Front and will ensure that it is regarded as the definitive work on the subject for many years to come.

©2025 Richard Hargreaves (P)2025 Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

Detailed

This book goes into great and gory detail of the atrocities committed in operation Barbosa.

Unbiased & well presented

Unlike any other breakdown I’ve read since it focuses on a relatively short period of time. The level of violence committed is hard to imagine. It’s very well balanced to provide a nuanced understanding of the human cost behind the front lines

Detailed and Vivid

First off, the narration is great, easy to listen to and engaging. The detail for such a short period of time is welcomed and at time really digs into the important minutia and details that had a greater effect of the war. I also really appreciate the detailed story behind the actions of the NKVD. Brutal story telling.

I Simply Do. NOT. BELIEVE IT.

I don't believe that the narrator—O blessed Universe, who most often taketh away—ACTUALLY CAN DO HIS JOB.

Meaning that this man—unlike (take a look in my library and it'll quickly become clear) so, SO many before him, could actually PRONOUNCE THE WORDS—the names, the places, the people, EVERYTHING—he switches effortlessly from Polish to Russian to German and does it all without blinking aurally)—it's so shocking to encounter such a narrator that I believe the last time was when I heard‚ yes, I even remember his name—Brian Nishi—someone who could SPEAK Japanese, as opposed to the others who tortured the words until they shrieked—"Yama SHEE-TA!" (you get the picture) so, well, you can somewhat get an idea of how shocking an event this is for ME—not a linguist or a historian, but just someone who speaks more than one language and recognises when a narrator is mangling the poor victims, be they French (most often, by far. What is it about this language that is so difficult? It escapes me.)

I have more to add, but it must wait. I shall be back.

(About a week later)

I should have known. The second I heard the word "Kaunas" my mind immediately said "Garage." And I knew that was very bad news indeed, because for reasons best known to myself I went down that rabbit hole, all the way to its ghastly end about ten years ago. All you have to know is "Christopher Browning"—I didn't mean I didn't want to continue listening‚ it just shot up a few red flares into the night sky—*turbulence ahead.* But what the hell—you can't sugarcoat any of these things—they simply MUST be told.

People just should NOT be allowed to relax in their little worlds of dandelions and butterflies—they have to be pushed to the window and told: THIS IS REALITY. But THAT was reality, and people actually DID what this author is saying they did. To pretend otherwise is a ludicrous and self-deluding worldview that can—and does—influence how people interact with the world of today,

I actually had to calm down a family member who said she was terrified of America invading Europe (where she lives. I asked her, "Are there roving mobs of young men carrying clubs roaming the streets of Paris?" Meaning, of course, the Freikorps of old, but still, I meant it as a "Don't be ridiculous."

Don't be ridiculous. But DO pay close attention, because we’re gonna have a TEST. And the only way anyone is gonna pass this test is to know what went down just around when your grandfathers were themselves young men . . . within a relatable distance in time, not some Napoleonic squabbles in another Epoch . . .

I must reiterate my amazed happiness with the narrator—he is either a born speaker of Polish, Russian, French, Lithuanian, Latvian and German, or he's a damned good actor, because he sure fooled me.

Some lucky audiobook startup should snag this guy and make him re-narrate all those books I have in my list here . . . lemme see, where should we begin, oh yeah, "Sorge . . . An Impeccable Spy . . ."

Oh, and find my Youtube channel so you can answer the question: "What Historians Get Wrong About WWII."

violence

the amount of violence committed by other than the NAZI's against more than just Jews.