Its been a popular myth since the end of the war that the Smolensk campaign had been small, unimportant and had little influence on the German defeat at Moscow a few months later. It was also at this time that Hitler had generated huge consternation with his leading Commanders over the decision of delaying the attack on Moscow for the potential encirclement at Kiev. Mr Glantz categorically refutes this myth, seeing this period as extremely important. He has gone to great lengths to write extensively in his first two volumes to defend his contrarian position. To give even greater credence to his position, this third volume was released. Though the first two volumes had their own Appendix, this new volume "guilds the lily" by adding a magnitude more reference material. There are small threads of material relating to the Germans throughout the book but overwhelmingly the book is Soviet centric. In addition to the 25 appendices that cover both first volumes, there are 16 new maps and a few new tables to study as well. The maps are typical Glantz: not bad but some are not easily viewed or studied.
This Grand Appendix that consumes the entire book has a mixed character, covering different aspects of the battle action. There are Orders of Battle and Composition reports. There are also many battle orders and Stavka directives that are explained and commented on. These orders describe defensive postures like the defense of the Smolensk Pocket as well as the several main counter offensives that began on July 23rd and August 6th or Zhukov's offensive to eliminate the Elnia Pocket. The author also includes a useful Table of Contents and a special Index to make it easier for readers to find specific information. The Appendix is laid out chronologically, following the formatting of the first two volumes and if you have read those volumes then you won't have trouble navigating this book.
I normally jump at buying a new Glantz book but not this time. I was happy with and understood the first two books and wasn't planning on buying this book. The thought of wading through another six hundred pages was overwhelming but I slowly convinced myself that if new book could improve my understanding of the campaign by ten percent, it would be worth it.
This book should appeal to dedicated campaign enthusiasts or researchers and in that venue the book is worth its weight in gold. Despite my enthusiasm for the Eastern Front, my main focus will remain on the first two volumes and will use the third volume as a resource when the other volumes need a boost. I'm glad I changed my mind for this book is a worthy addition but potential buyers should consider the scale, degree of difficulty and subjective nature of the book before purchasing it.
OR
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Top reviews from other countries
Andrew Lale
Eastern Front History done properly
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