Description
From critically acclaimed Eastern Front expert Prit Buttar comes this detailed and engrossing account of the war on the Eastern Front as the German forces were driven back following the Battle of Kursk.
Beginning towards the end of the Battle of Kursk, Retribution explores the massive Soviet offensive that followed Operation Zitadelle, which saw depleted and desperate German troops forced out of Central Ukraine. In this fascinating title, Buttar describes in detail the little-known series of near-constant battles in which a weakened German army was confronted by a tactically sophisticated force of over six million Soviet troops. As a result, the Wehrmacht was driven back to the Dnepr and German forces remaining in the Taman Peninsula withdrew into the Crimea.
As the Germans withdrew, the horrors they had inflicted on occupied lands were gradually uncovered, from the "scorched earth" program to the mass deportations and executions of countless men, women and children. With an avenging Soviet army in pursuit, retribution was inevitable.
In this masterful narrative, renowned Eastern Front historian Prit Buttar weaves German and Soviet first-hand accounts into a detailed analysis of the strategies and tactics employed in this tumultuous period, bringing vividly to life the dark, desperate days of 1943.
About the Author
Prit Buttar studied medicine at Oxford and London before joining the British Army as a doctor. After leaving the army, he worked as a GP, first near Bristol and then in Abingdon, Oxfordshire. He is extensively involved in medical politics, both at local and national level, and served on the GPs' Committee of the British Medical Association. He has appeared on national TV and radio, speaking on a variety of medical issues. He contributes regularly to the medical press.
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) and a definitive four-part series on the Eastern Front in World War I which concluded with The Splintered Empires: The Eastern Front 1917–21 (2017). He now lives in Kirkcudbright in Scotland.
Praise For…
“[A]n excellent strategic and operational analysis of this mostly ignored campaign …” —New York Journal of Books
“The author is an established expert on the Eastern Front during both world wars … This new book continues his established pattern of in-depth research and a readable, well-organized narrative.” —WWII History