The 7th Guards Army form Kursk to Prague 1943-1945 - Dann Falk

 This review has been submitted to Iron Cross magazine.

Title: The 7th Guards Army form Kursk to Prague 1943-1945
Author: Dann Falk
ISBN: 978-1-732-60742-2
Publisher: Falken Books
Year: 2022
Softcover
Pages: 547
Photos/Maps: 56/77 

Much has been written at the macro-level about operations on the Eastern Front during WW2. Dann Falk has uniquely decided to focus his efforts on the operational history of the 7^th Guards Army (formally the 64^th Army) and, in this second installment, traces its activities from Stalingrad to the end of the war in Prague. Due to its stellar performance in defence of the southern region around Stalingrad, it was one of only 11 Infantry Armies and 5 Tank Armies that would receive the Guards designation from Stalin throughout the war. 

Falk’s approach to writing entails a daily synopsis of the activities of the Combined Arms Infantry Army, challenges that it faced and the efforts of the Germans on those days to counter the Soviet maneuvers. Thus it is that each day provides a unique snapshot of the Eastern Front within an ongoing narrative. Falk’s research is phenomenal and the level of detail both in terms of personnel and equipment as well as activities is noteworthy. In addition, he weaves accounts of specific elements of the adversaries (such as logistics, women in combat, operational environments and personal anecdotal narrative) that add depth and complexity to the account. 

Particular consideration needs to be paid to the high quality of the charts and maps provided by the author as references to the narrative; each was drawn and drafted by the author. Thus, unlike many histories of the region that use original German or Soviet maps that, while interesting, are, in many cases, of limited value due to their language and complexity, the maps provided by Falk are clear, easy to follow and provide excellent references to actions within the storyline. The charts that he developed present an excellent synopsis of different aspects of the book being discussed; particularly those of the conclusion at the end of the book that provide first-rate summaries of pan war achievements of the 7^th Army as well as available Soviet forces for ongoing operations should that have been necessary. 

Falk has drafted a brilliant, yet highly readable, account of the exploits of this superb fighting Army. His attention to detail is impressive and his research comprehensive; however, these aspects of the book do not prevent the reader from appreciating the full spectrum of experiences associated with the complexity of operations on the eastern Front. His anecdotal style and operational assessments serve to highlight the continuing professional development of the Army in terms of joint competency as the War progressed. The author does not hesitate to present an unvarnished account, at the personal level, of the humour, tragedy, and brutality of the conflict from both the German and Soviet perspectives with a strong emphasis on the latter. This work is a nuanced and very balanced assessment of the Soviet forces covering the spectrum of operational and logistical support elements in equal measure. 

The quality of the publication is excellent, the font easy to read and the layout of the book clear and concise. Falk has provided an extremely comprehensive bibliography that gives the reader the opportunity to follow up through a myriad of primary and secondary sources. This book is an outstanding source for those who are either serious WW2 bibliophiles or casual historians.

Armoured Warfare in the Battle for Budapest - Norbert Szamveber

 This review has been submitted to Military History Online

Title: Armoured Warfare in the Battle for Budapest
Author: Norbert Szamveber
ISBN: 978-615-5583-09-4
Publisher: Peko Books
Year: 2018
Hardcover
Pages: 879
Photos/Maps: 0/48 

As 1944 drew to a close, the Soviet forces encompassing the 2nd and 3rd Ukrainian Fronts, were driving on Budapest in an effort to knock Hungary out of the war. Commencing their offensive in October, 1944, the Russians ran into motivated and prepared Axis forces (primarily German and Hungarian), whose efforts ground down the anticipated quick drive into Hungary into a grinding slug match that lasted for more than three months before Budapest was finally surrounded. The Panzer and panzergrenadier units drew upon their deep experience to fight an effective delaying combat. The author is a historian and author of great repute in this period of the Second World War and has drafted a number of books relating specifically to Hungarian participation and armoured combat. This contribution traces the first phase of the Soviet Budapest operations; drawing upon mainly archival sources and primary source material from Russian, German and Hungarian sources.

The work itself is a daunting tome and not for the faint of heart. The 65 days of the campaign leading up to the encirclement of Budapest, is divided into into four distinct phases. Each day of the campaign is presented in an identical manner. The ten (average) pages of text explaining the events of the day each commences with the weather and temperature. Interspersed within the discussion are recollections drawn from diaries and letters relating individual experiences from the different adversaries. The challenge for the reader is the author’s emphasis on the tactical and operational focus of his narrative. A stupendous amount of information is presented but it is difficult to view it in context as there is no opportunity provided to take a strategic perspective of the front. Coloured maps are provided together at the rear of the book but none provide the ‘big picture’. The maps relate to tactical encounters described within the narrative and are of excellent quality but would have been of better utility co-located with the discussion itself. Additionally, nowhere in the narrative is there a connection made to a specific map; and certainly the lack of an overall front map is a drawback. The author also makes use of a plethora of sources and his footnotes denote a variety of primary and secondary references. Interestingly however, he provides no overall bibliography or index at the back of the book. 

Despite the above observations, this is a book of noteworthy quality and depth. The research behind the narrative is among the most comprehensive in English relating to this campaign. Following the completion of the daily entries, the author presents over seventy pages of tables on equipment, personal and armoured fighting vehicle stats. He also presents five essays on various elements of the campaign including command and control, units, and equipment of the opposing forces. These are not a dry rendition of statistics but are in fact the author’s analysis of these critical elements of the campaign.

Peko has published a book of very high quality; any student or historian interested in the Eastern Front would be well served to expand their library with a copy of this work. Szamveber has done his subject great honour with this history.