Leningrad by Michael Jones
When the German High Command encircled Leningrad it was a deliberate policy to eradicate the city's civilian population by starving them to death. As winter set in and food supplies dwindled, starvation and panic set in. A specialist in battle psychology and the vital role of morale in desperate circumstances, Michael Jones tells the human story of Leningrad. Drawing on newly available eyewitness accounts and diaries, he shows Leningrad in its every dimension including taboo truths, long-suppressed by the Soviets, such as looting, criminal gangs and cannibalism. But, for many ordinary citizens, Leningrad marked the triumph of the human spirit. They drew deeply on their inner resources to inspire, comfort and help one another. At the height of the siege an extraordinary live performance of Shostakovich's Seventh Symphony profoundly strengthened the city's will to resist. When German troops heard it in their trenches one remarked: 'We began to understand we would never take Leningrad. Yet, Leningrad's self-defence came at a huge price. When the 900-day siege ended in 1944 almost a million people had died and those who survived would be permanently marked by what they had endured, as this superbly insightful history delineates.
'Jones's book is set apart from other histories by his careful and judicious use of witness accounts' * Sunday Business Post *
'Detailed account of the 872-day siege of the Soviet Union's iconic city' * Morning Star *
Praise for Michael Jones' Stalingrad:
'A milestone in the treatment of the battle.. highly effective and utterly captivating. Previous accounts have been unable to fully convey the desperate ferocity of the battle. Now we see it in all its horror - and better understand the courage of Stalingrad's defenders. This is the finest history of its type published to date'
* David Glantz *'Detailed account of the 872-day siege of the Soviet Union's iconic city' * Morning Star *
Michael Jones has a PhD in History from Bristol University. He subsequently taught at Bristol Polytechnic, Glasgow University and Winchester College. He is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and now works freelance as a writer, media historical consultant and presenter. He has written two books and for the last 5 years he has conducted Battlefield Tours of the Eastern Front.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780719569227 |
| ISBN 10 | 0719569222 |
| Title | Leningrad |
| Author | Michael Jones |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Hardback |
| Publisher | John Murray Press |
| Year published | 2008-05-01 |
| Number of pages | 352 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |