To Besiege a City

Leningrad 1941–42

Prit Buttar

$59.99

Hardback

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English

Osprey
01 January 2024

History; 20th century history: c 1900 to c 2000; Military history; Second World War; Land forces & warfare; Battles & campaigns

A ground-breaking history of one of the greatest ever sieges. Masterfully brought to life by a leading expert

using original Russian and German source material.

'[An] excellent account.' - Richard Overy, The Telegraph

Shortlisted for the Military History Matters Book of the Year Award 2024

This new history of the first two years of this crucial battle for the heart and soul of Russia is the first in over a decade and also the first to look comprehensively at the wider military strategies of both sides.

At a huge cost, the Red Army and the civilian population of Leningrad ultimately endured a bitter 900-day siege, struggling against constant bombing, shelling, and starvation. Throughout the siege, Soviet forces tried to break the German lines and restore contact with the garrison. To Besiege a City charts the first of these offensives which began in January 1942 and was followed by repeated assaults. Acclaimed Eastern Front historian Prit Buttar details how although the Red Army suffered huge casualties in the swampy and forested terrain, the German infantry divisions were also steadily eroded. Indeed, by keeping control of parts of the shores of Lake Ladoga, the Soviet Union was able to sustain Leningrad through the winters of the siege via the ‘road of life’, constructed across the frozen lake. This epic history details the dramatic race to create the road across the ice and first-hand accounts from both Soviet and German soldiers, many never previously translated, bring the horrific series of battles and assaults to life.

Ultimately the determination of the defenders to hold out during this first phase of the siege and the desperate attempts to break it became a hugely significant part of Russian wartime history. The echoes of the battle persist to this day helping to define both a country and its politics. There is no better time to fully understand this history and To Besiege a City is the most comprehensive account to date.

By: Prit Buttar
Imprint: Osprey
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 153mm,
ISBN: 9781472856555
ISBN 10: 1472856554
Pages: 464
Publication Date: 01 January 2024
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

List of Illustrations List of Maps Dramatis Personae Introduction Chapter 1: The Window to the West Chapter 2: Stalin's Purges Chapter 3: Flawed Plans for War Chapter 4: Barbarossa Unleashed Chapter 5: The Approach to Leningrad Chapter 6: Sinyavino and Tikhvin Chapter 7: Starvation: The First Winter Chapter 8: Bandenkrieg: The Partisan War Chapter 9: Lyuban: The Price of Optimism Chapter 10: Lyuban: Attrition and Failure Chapter 11: Summer 1942 Chapter 12: A Bloodstained Autumn Chapter 13: Towards the Second Winter Chapter 14: A Bitter Stalemate Notes Bibliography Index

Prit Buttar is an established expert on the Eastern Front in 20th century military history. His previous books include the critically acclaimed Battleground Prussia: The Assault on Germany's Eastern Front 1944-45 (Osprey, 2010) and Between Giants: The Battle for the Baltics in World War II (Osprey, 2013). His most recent publication was The Reckoning: The Defeat of Army Group South, 1944. His books have been translated into Polish, Lithuanian, Estonian, Finnish, Italian, Hungarian and Chinese. Prit originally studied medicine at Oxford and London before joining the British Army as a doctor. He latterly worked as a General Practitioner for several years. He now writes exclusively from his home in rural Scotland where he can also indulge his hobbies for wildlife and astro photography.

Reviews for To Besiege a City: Leningrad 1941–42

[An] excellent account. -- Richard Overy * The Telegraph * This is another masterly account by this excellent Osprey author, covering the first year of the siege of Leningrad. * Miniature Wargames *