Red Road From Stalingrad (Paperback)
Recollections of a Soviet Infantryman
Imprint: Pen & Sword Military
Pages: 195
ISBN: 9781526760708
Published: 6th November 2019
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Mansur Abdulin fought in the front ranks of the Soviet infantry against the German invaders at Stalingrad, Kursk and on the banks of the Dnieper. This is his extraordinary story. His vivid inside view of a ruthless war on the Eastern Front gives a rare insight into the reality of the fighting and into the tactics and mentality of the Red Army's soldiers across the Steppes to the banks of the Dnieper river where he was seriously wounded and invalided out. He was decorated orded of Red Star for his feat on the right bank of the river.
In his own words, and with a remarkable clarity of recall, he describes what combat was like on the ground, face to face with a skilled, deadly and increasingly desperate enemy. The terrifying moments of action, the discomfort of existence at the front, the humorous moments, the absurdities and cruelties of army organization, and the sheer physical and psychological harshness of the campaign – all these aspects of a Soviet soldier's experience during the Great Patriotic War are brought dramatically to life in Mansur Abdulin's memoirs.
The grand strategy of the campaigns across the Eastern Front is less important here than the sequence of brutal and bloody engagements that were the first-hand experience of the common soldier. It is this closeup view of combat that makes Mansur Abdulin's reminiscences of such value.
The story of this mans war, fighting as a Russian soldier, against the German invader is a story that I have never read before. There are many accounts from German survivors who fought in this was, on the long road to Moscow and the subsequent retreat back to Berlin. It makes a pleasing change to read of the experiences of someone fighting on the Russian side. The clarity with which Mansur remembers the war, makes reading this book a pleasure, as the words flow rather than stutter.
Armorama
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The autobiography of Mansur Abdulin provides an intimate image of his experiences during the Second World War. Flawed leadership, failure of soldiers to act appropriately (such as friendly fire) and mistreatment all pass by. For those who want to get an intriguing image of the brutal battle at the Eastern Front, this book is undoubtedly recommended.
Traces of War
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Abdulin’s account is often grim, rife with death and horror, and desperate fighting under often extreme conditions...An excellent read for anyone interested in the Eastern Front or soldiers and soldiering.
The NYMAS Review, Spring 2020
This is a well written book that has been written by your everyday soldier which seems a rarity for this conflict. It is very well balanced and doesn’t go into some of its subject too deeply as this would be too graphic for some. This soldier fought in the main battle of Stalingrad which is very realistic and when you think of the amount of death and bloodshed involved in this battle it is amazing how he survived... I would definitely recommend it as a good read.
UK Historian
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Grand strategy, brilliant tactics often mean less than the battles and the men who fought them, making this memoir of a Soviet infantryman all the more valuable and interesting. The author volunteered for the Red Army in 1942. – Very Highly Recommended.
Firetrench
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As featured on Chiznoids via Instagram
Chiznoids
Written by a member of the Red army infantry, the reader gets a boots on the group d experience of the battle and afterwards.
Amazon Customer, Richard Domoney-Saunders
The author pulls no punches and this adds to the vivid detail and takes the reader into the heart of the red army.
It is a recommended book for anyone who wants to know what this battle was like and how it affected those who fought in it.
About Mansur Abdulin
Mansur Abdulin volunteered to fight for the Red Army in 1942. After completing his course at the Tashkent infantry school, he fought on the Stalingrad front, during the encirclement of the German 6th Army, participated in the bitter, decisive battle at Kursk and harried the Germans as they retreated across the Steppes to the banks of the Dnieper river where he was seriously wounded.
About Artem Drabkin
Artem Drabkin is a Russian author and historian who has written widely about the Second World War, focusing on the experiences of Russian soldiers and snipers. His published works include Panzer Killers: Anti-Tank Warfare on the Eastern Front, Barbarossa andThe Retreat to Moscow and T-34 in Action. He is also the creator of I Remember, a website devoted to recording the oral history of the soldiers and airmen who fought on the Eastern Front.