World War II Database

While I had long since learned that one should never judge a book by its cover, I could not help it but commit that very sin. With a sturdy cloth-covered slip case, Atlas of the Eastern Front 1941-45 by Robert Kirchubel with Gary Komar was easily the among the most handsome books in my library. Of course, content would always be the most critical factor when judging a book, and this book did not disappoint in that aspect either. As a life long map geek, I truly enjoyed thumbing through the 100+ maps detailing the Russo-German War. A combination of strategic and tactical maps provided excellent visuals on how each engagement progressed. For example, on page 101, a map noting the starting positions of units around the city of Sevastopol in Apr 1942 established a foundation for the subsequent maps which carried me through the battle. A few maps took the scale down to the city level, showing how the Soviets were really pinned against the Volga River in Stalingrad and how close the opposing positions were during the Warsaw Uprising. Last but not least, the accompanying text were very helpful, providing a bird's eye view, and then some, of each campaign.

I had enjoyed the few miscellaneous maps at the end of the book. These maps depicted areas where Soviet partisan and Polish resistance were active, locations of facilities of economic importance, German administrative divisions over occupied Eastern Europe, etc. I had gained a feeling that they would come in handy for me down the road.

Atlas of the Eastern Front 1941-45 was a treasure of a volume worthy on its own for those interested in maps, and certainly the perfect companion to books about the 1941-1945 war between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union.