Black Cross/Red Star : Vol. 1, Operation Barbarossa 1941

Rating:
Summary: A very good study of a little known part of WW2
Review: The opening paragraph of this book's conclusion states: 'The war on the Eastern Front in 1941, in the air as well as on the ground, has few rivals in terms of it's bitterness.' The first volume BC/RS illustrates this point very well. It can be difficult to comprehend the massive forces, and the subsequent massive losses, that were involved. However, the authors have a rare skill - they effectively put across to the reader the grand scale of the battles which made up the invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941, but also include snapshots from the conflict with stories of the pilots and the individual battles that they fought. In this way, the reader is given both a macro and a microscopic view of 'Barbarossa'. This style works well, as does the way in which the chapters of the book are arranged. The flow of the book is reminiscent of different scenes from a film, in which the reader is shown the various factors which made up the bigger picture. The book also has a certain pace to it which is rare in works of non-fiction, let alone those that deal with historical events. All in all, this first volume is a significant step in the evaluation of the air war that developed between the Luftwaffe and the Soviet airforce. Having had access to a great deal of documentation from boths sides, the authors compare and contrast the tactics, successes and failures of both sides involved. This helps to put to rest several myths that have haunted the history of this epic battle since the war's end, and sheds new light on the subject as a whole. Such things should be welcomed. The only weaknesses of the book are minor, and are not the fault of the authors themselves - the maps and photos which illustrate the book can sometimes be indistinct, but this is not a serous bone of contention for me. With just this first installment, it's easy to see that 'BC/RS' will develop into an indispensible account of a sorely negelected but extremely significant series of events in world history. It is both accessible, encompassing and engrossing, and I for one recommend it.

Rating:
Summary: Black Cross - Red Star
Review: This is an excellent book. Well written, great photographs. It gives equal coverage to both the Luftwaffe and the Russian Air Force. The book covers the first six or seven months of Operation Barbarossa and shows enough of the ground war to show the importance of the air forces of each side to the movement of the ground forces, and how important the air forces were to the movements of the ground forces. Both Mr. Bergstrom and Mr. Mikhailov deserve accolades for the writing of this book. I am looking forward to Volume 2.