PDF The Fall of Hitler's Fortress City: The Battle for Konigsberg; 1945 by Isabel Denny in History

Review

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. Some useful background; but this is a too general narrative with sketchy detail on the "fortress" and the battle.By lyndonbrechtThis is a disappointment. There's little of the battle in the book. The writing is fairly good; but repetitive. It's more of an overview of the loss of Prussia. There is some useful background on the origin and history of the city; and how it became annexed to the USSR (and hence; now Russia). The book uses some diaries or journals from several people but could have used more; although what's used gives something of a sense of what life was like.The book mentions over and over again how German savagery motivated Soviet revenge; and how what the Prussians suffered did not compare with the scale of the German outrages--and then it covers the Soviet outrages. Denny says that of 5 million people in East Prussia two million were killed and three million rendered homeless (by being forced out after the war as much as being refugees during it). That is a larger figure for fatalities than I've read elsewhere.The book does cover some of the privations of life before the battle; the sad development of the Volkssturm; the city full of refugees and the overwhelming military superiority of the Soviets (Denny uses "Russians" most of the time; which isn't quite correct). The photos are interesting; although more would have been helpful.I can recommend the early portion as good background; but as for the "fortress city" and the battle itself; this really isn't a very useful book.3 of 4 people found the following review helpful. Yawn. Read something else on this topic; not this book.By Jay BazzinottiThis reads like a high school term paper. While it gives some good historical background it is nothing more than an overview; devoid of drama; absent any real personality and with absolutely no merit from a militarily historical perspective. In addition; certain passages are repeated over and over as if the author lacks either any imagination or perhaps a thesaurus. While it wasn't worthless; it wasn't all that worthwhile either. I would try just about anything else before reading this. The best you can say for it is that it's easily readable; written at maybe a junior high school level; which is why it reads like a C+ term paper.24 of 24 people found the following review helpful. Where is the battle of Königsberg?By DimitriosThe title is misleading since this book is not about the battle of Königsberg really; but a rather loose and general history of that city during World War II; with a short introduction of its ancient past. Although some readers may find some points interesting; like the attitude of the city's inhabitants toward the Nazi party; or their agony and fears while Operation "Barbarossa" was raging in the East and the tide turned; the battle of Königsberg begins after page 180 and is a kind of epilogue to the book with no significant military details. On the opposite; whole chapters are devoted to well known campaigns like that of Moscow (1941) and Stalingrad (1942-43) which do not add really any new aspects to what we already know. If you are looking for a more decent account of the city's siege and fall you should better read Christopher Duffy's excellent "Red Storm on the Reich".