Description
ABOUT THIS PRODUCT
Against the wishes of Hitler, German forces under Erich von Manstein were
forced to retreat following the failure of the Kursk offensive of July 1943.
The weakened force only had one possible refuge, behind the wide Dnepr
River. The race to the natural defensive line was on, with the Soviets
launching one of their largest offensives of the war - with over 2 million
men on the move. Expert Eastern Front historian Robert Forczyk describes the
dramatic four-month campaign that saw the Red Army not only succeed in
crossing the Dnepr at multiple points, but also liberate Kiev, capital of
the Ukraine. Revealing new detail about the largest Soviet airborne
operation of the war and the increasingly desperate delaying tactics
employed by Manstein as catastrophic casualties mounted on both sides,
Forczyk charts the course of the battle that confirmed to many observers
that the relentless Soviet advance westward could not be halted. Berlin
would be next.
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE
Robert Forczyk has a PhD in International Relations and National Security
from the University of Maryland and a strong background in European and
Asian military history. He retired as a lieutenant colonel from the US Army
Reserves having served 18 years as an armour officer in the US 2nd and 4th
infantry divisions and as an intelligence officer in the 29th Infantry
Division (Light). Dr Forczyk is currently a consultant in the Washington, DC
area.Steve Noon was born in Kent, UK, and attended art college in Cornwall.
He's had a life-long passion for illustration, and since 1985 has worked as
a professional artist. He has provided award-winning illustrations for the
publishers Dorling Kindersley, where his interest in historical illustration
began. Steve has illustrated over 30 books for Osprey.
CONTENTS
Introduction
Chronology
Opposing commanders
Opposing armies
Opposing plans
The campaign
Aftermath
The battlefield today
Further reading
Index
