The Battle for Moscow

By: David Stahel

Narrated by: John Lee

In November 1941, Hitler ordered German forces to complete the final drive on the Soviet capital, now less than 100 kilometers away. Army Group Center was pressed into the attack for one last attempt to break Soviet resistance before the onset of winter. From the German perspective, the final drive on Moscow had all the ingredients of a dramatic final battle in the east, which, according to previous accounts, only failed at the gates of Moscow.

David Stahel challenges this well-established narrative by demonstrating that the last German offensive of 1941 was a forlorn effort, undermined by operational weakness and poor logistics and driven forward by what he identifies as National Socialist military thinking.

With unparalleled research from previously undocumented army files and soldiers' letters, Stahel takes a fresh look at the battle for Moscow, which even before the Soviet winter offensive, threatened disaster for Germany's war in the east.

©2015 David Stahel (P)2024 Tantor

Surprised by many details

Interesting book, well presented. I had always thought the battle for Moscow was a much closer fight than explained here. Interesting information

A little leary

I was a little leary at the beginning of this history book because they started getting into the daily deaths from the war. I had another WW2 book that did something similar and it made it brutal to listen to. But, it picks up after the first chapter and made for a very interesting listen/book after that point. I would have maybe like a little more post history after the failed attack on Moscow but, it does finish up ok.

what can go wrong?

A great series of books. Attack on Moscow highlights the German general staff total isolation from the field conditions.

Classic Stahel

Simply amazing content. Solid data and beautiful presentation of the operations around Moscow in 1941

Compelling Story

Part two in Stahel's trilogy of the 1941 phase of the Russo German war. Painstakingly researched, written and read entertainingly, these books put Stahel up there with David Glanz as the top historians of this conflict. I enjoyed the presentation as much as the content. This book is a must for any serious student of the "War in the East" and a necessary compliment to the earlier "Operation Typhoon". Am looking forward to listening to "Retreat from Moscow" next.