Kamen Nevenkin

This is a good introduction to a variety of topics, ranging from Marshal of the Soviet Union Konstantin Rokossovsky's wartime career, to the evolution of the Red Army throughout the Second World War, and some of the key battles and clashes on the Eastern Front. The book features numerous photos of Rokossovsky and the battlefields he found himself on as well as useful maps to put the larger context of the campaigns being described in front of readers. However, that being said, this could have been an invaluable source if the author utilized citations throughout. As it stands, the bibliography is limited and the citations are too few to make this a useful resource for any scholar/historian/independent researcher. While first-hand accounts (both Soviet and German) are footnoted, any and all other information (battle statistics, breakdowns of unit strengths and/or losses, etc.) is not. This drastically reduces the utility of this volume and it's an absolute shame because some of the information is critically important if readers want to understand why Rokossovsky's forces enjoyed success and experienced failure at various points in the war. That being said, for those interested in the Eastern Front and Soviet commanders, this is a good starting point.… (meer)