"Dimbleby offers a lucid and harrowing account accessible to a popular audience . Readers new to the subject will find a detailed account of the causes and consequences of this critical campaign and the human tragedy behind the maniacal whims of the Nazi high command." -- David Sutton, Michigan War Studies Review"A chilling account of war at its worst," --Bear Grylls"A great read. Dimbleby gives an excellent account of the relationships between the leaders and, thanks to a wide range of sources, an authentic sense of the military experience.he brings Barbarossa very vividly to life, as if you are there," --Robert Kershaw, author of War Without Garlands: Operation Barbarossa 1941-1942 and Borodino Field 1812/1941"With his customary literary flair and capacity to master and mobilize very many and varied sources, Jonathan Dimbleby gives us the best single-volume account of the Barbarossa campaign to date," --Andrew Roberts, author of Churchill: Walking with Destiny"Like a fast-moving juggernaut of horror, Dimbleby's Operation Barbarossa is a page-turning descent into Hell and back. Part warning, part fable, but all too true, this fresh and compelling account of Hitler's failed invasion of the Soviet Union should be on everyone's reading list for 2021," --Dr. Amanda Foreman, author of A World on Fire"Jonathan Dimbleby's analysis of this monumental struggle is masterly, not least by his use of unpublished Russian sources. It is a deeply researched epitaph on Barbarossa, the huge scale of which was greater even than that of the Western Allies' advance from Normandy," --General Sir Mike Jackson"Jonathan Dimbleby rightly identifies the last six months of 1941 - following Hitler's invasion of the Soviet Union as the fulcrum on which the history of twentieth century Europe turns.

It's a vital story, one everyone should know, and Dimbleby tells it with verve and elan," --Laurence Rees, author of Hitler and Stalin"Jonathan Dimbleby's thought-provoking and elegantly written study of Operation Barbarossa describes in compelling detail how Nazi-Germany, despite its earlier military triumphs, had lost this war already by the end of 1941. This book is a captivating eye-opener for all interested in the history of the 20th century," --Professor Dr. Gerhard Hirschfeld, University of Stuttgart, former President of the International Committee for the Study of the Second World War"Jonathan Dimbleby's masterly account of the most monumental conflict in human history is an impressive achievement. The vast scale on which Barbarossa was fought, the complex ever-shifting politics, and the rich mix of personalities surrounding Hitler, Stalin, Churchill and Roosevelt, are woven into a fast-paced, gripping read. But it is the wealth of eyewitness evidence detailing the unspeakable horror and hardship, the apocalyptic scenes and sheer savagery of Barbarossa that leaves the most lasting impression," --Julia Boyd, author of Travellers in the Third Reich"This book simply cannot live up to its hyperbolic back cover marketing as "transforming our understanding of the Second World War and of the 20th Century." While Dimbleby presents a brilliant summary of existing scholarship and provides some fresh perspectives and insights here and there, the study adds little to what is already known. Its great strength is its masterful and compelling narrative synthesis. For this reason, it is a must read for anyone interested in the Second World War, the War on the Eastern Front, and the myopic stupidity and genocidal tendencies of ideologically motivated totalitarian regimes.

" -- Russell A. Hart, Journal of Modern History.