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Stalin's General: The Life of Georgy Zhukov
Widely regarded as the most accomplished general of World War II, the Soviet military legend Marshal Georgy Zhukov at last gets the full-scale biographical treatment he has long deserved.
A man of indomitable will and fierce determination, Georgy Zhukov was the Soviet Union’s indispensable commander through every one of the critical turning points of World War II. It was Zhukov who saved Leningrad from capture by the Wehrmacht in September 1941, Zhukov who led the defense of Moscow in October 1941, Zhukov who spearheaded the Red Army’s march on Berlin and formally accepted Germany’s unconditional surrender in the spring of 1945. Drawing on the latest research from recently opened Soviet archives, including the uncensored versions of Zhukov’s own memoirs, Roberts offers a vivid portrait of a man whose tactical brilliance was matched only by the cold-blooded ruthlessness with which he pursued his battlefield objectives.
After the war, Zhukov was a key player on the geopolitical scene. As Khrushchev’s defense minister, he was one of the architects of Soviet military strategy during the Cold War. While lauded in the West as a folk hero—he was the only Soviet general ever to appear on the cover of Time magazine—Zhukov repeatedly ran afoul of the Communist political authorities. Wrongfully accused of disloyalty, he was twice banished and erased from his country’s official history—left out of books and paintings depicting Soviet World War II victories. Piercing the hyperbole of the Zhukov personality cult, Roberts debunks many of the myths that have sprung up around Zhukov’s life and career to deliver fresh insights into the marshal’s relationships with Stalin, Khrushchev, and Eisenhower.
A remarkably intimate portrait of a man whose life was lived behind an Iron Curtain of official secrecy, Stalin’s General is an authoritative biography that restores Zhukov to his rightful place in the twentieth-century military pantheon.
A man of indomitable will and fierce determination, Georgy Zhukov was the Soviet Union’s indispensable commander through every one of the critical turning points of World War II. It was Zhukov who saved Leningrad from capture by the Wehrmacht in September 1941, Zhukov who led the defense of Moscow in October 1941, Zhukov who spearheaded the Red Army’s march on Berlin and formally accepted Germany’s unconditional surrender in the spring of 1945. Drawing on the latest research from recently opened Soviet archives, including the uncensored versions of Zhukov’s own memoirs, Roberts offers a vivid portrait of a man whose tactical brilliance was matched only by the cold-blooded ruthlessness with which he pursued his battlefield objectives.
After the war, Zhukov was a key player on the geopolitical scene. As Khrushchev’s defense minister, he was one of the architects of Soviet military strategy during the Cold War. While lauded in the West as a folk hero—he was the only Soviet general ever to appear on the cover of Time magazine—Zhukov repeatedly ran afoul of the Communist political authorities. Wrongfully accused of disloyalty, he was twice banished and erased from his country’s official history—left out of books and paintings depicting Soviet World War II victories. Piercing the hyperbole of the Zhukov personality cult, Roberts debunks many of the myths that have sprung up around Zhukov’s life and career to deliver fresh insights into the marshal’s relationships with Stalin, Khrushchev, and Eisenhower.
A remarkably intimate portrait of a man whose life was lived behind an Iron Curtain of official secrecy, Stalin’s General is an authoritative biography that restores Zhukov to his rightful place in the twentieth-century military pantheon.
400 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2012
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855 people want to read
About the author
Geoffrey Roberts
39 books31 followersGeoffrey Roberts was born in Deptford, south London in 1952. A pupil of Addey and Stanhope Grammar School, he left aged 16 and started his working life as a clerk with the Greater London Council. In the 1970s, he was an International Relations undergraduate at North Staffordshire Polytechnic and postgraduate research student at the London School of Economics. In the 1980s, he worked in the Education Department of NALGO, the public sector trade union. He returned to academic life in the 1990s following the publication of his acclaimed first book The Unholy Alliance: Stalin’s Pact with Hitler, 1989.
Roberts is a fellow of the Royal Historical Society and teaches History and International Relations at University College Cork, Ireland. He has won many academic awards and prizes, including a Fulbright Scholarship to Harvard University and a Government of Ireland Senior Research Fellowship. He is a regular commentator on history and current affairs for British and Irish newspapers and a contributor to the History News Service, which syndicates articles to American media outlets. He has many radio and TV appearances to his credit and has acted as an historical consultant for documentary series such as Simon Berthon's highly praised Warlords, broadcast in 2005.
Roberts is a fellow of the Royal Historical Society and teaches History and International Relations at University College Cork, Ireland. He has won many academic awards and prizes, including a Fulbright Scholarship to Harvard University and a Government of Ireland Senior Research Fellowship. He is a regular commentator on history and current affairs for British and Irish newspapers and a contributor to the History News Service, which syndicates articles to American media outlets. He has many radio and TV appearances to his credit and has acted as an historical consultant for documentary series such as Simon Berthon's highly praised Warlords, broadcast in 2005.
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February 11, 2016
Description: Widely regarded as the most accomplished general of World War II, the Soviet military legend Marshal Georgy Zhukov at last gets the full-scale biographical treatment he has long deserved.
A man of indomitable will and fierce determination, Georgy Zhukov was the Soviet Union’s indispensable commander through every one of the critical turning points of World War II. It was Zhukov who saved Leningrad from capture by the Wehrmacht in September 1941, Zhukov who led the defense of Moscow in October 1941, Zhukov who spearheaded the Red Army’s march on Berlin and formally accepted Germany’s unconditional surrender in the spring of 1945. Drawing on the latest research from recently opened Soviet archives, including the uncensored versions of Zhukov’s own memoirs, Roberts offers a vivid portrait of a man whose tactical brilliance was matched only by the cold-blooded ruthlessness with which he pursued his battlefield objectives.
After the war, Zhukov was a key player on the geopolitical scene. As Khrushchev’s defense minister, he was one of the architects of Soviet military strategy during the Cold War. While lauded in the West as a folk hero—he was the only Soviet general ever to appear on the cover of Time magazine—Zhukov repeatedly ran afoul of the Communist political authorities. Wrongfully accused of disloyalty, he was twice banished and erased from his country’s official history—left out of books and paintings depicting Soviet World War II victories. Piercing the hyperbole of the Zhukov personality cult, Roberts debunks many of the myths that have sprung up around Zhukov’s life and career to deliver fresh insights into the marshal’s relationships with Stalin, Khrushchev, and Eisenhower.
A remarkably intimate portrait of a man whose life was lived behind an Iron Curtain of official secrecy, Stalin’s General is an authoritative biography that restores Zhukov to his rightful place in the twentieth-century military pantheon.
Opening: SIC TRANSIT GLORIA: THE RISES AND FALLS OFMARSHAL GEORGY ZHUKOV: OF ALL THE MOMENTS OF TRIUMPH IN THE LIFE OF MARSHAL GEORGY KONSTANTINOVICH Zhukov nothing equaled that day in June 1945 when he took the salute at the great Victory Parade in Red Square. Zhukov, mounted on a magnificent white Arabian called Tspeki, rode into the square through the Spassky Gate, the Kremlin on his right and the famous onion domes of St. Basil’s Cathedral directly ahead. As he did so a 1,400-strong orchestra struck up Glinka’s Glory (to the Russian Motherland). Awaiting him were columns of combined regiments representing all the branches of the Soviet armed forces.
Glinka , "Glory!" «Славься, славься, святая Русь!
A potted history of Zhokov's career after that moment of triumph in Red Square:
- within three months Zhukov had been sacked by Stalin and banished to the command of the Odessa Military District
- February 1947 he was expelled from the Communist Party Central Committee on grounds that he had an “antiparty attitude.”
- an investigation began into the war booty Zhukov had extracted while serving in Germany.
- January 1948 Zhukov was demoted to the command of the Urals Military District based in Sverdlovsk. Further punishment came in the form of treating Zhukov as an “unperson.” He was written out of the history of the Great Patriotic War.
- In October 1952 Zhukov was a delegate to the 19th Party Congress and he was restored to candidate (i.e., probationary) membership of the Central Committee
- In March 1953 Stalin died and Zhukov was a prominent member of the military guard of honor at the dictator’s state funeral
- February 1955 made minister of defense by Khrushchev, Stalin’s successor as party leader.
- In July 1955 Zhukov attended the great power summit in Geneva
- In June 1957 Zhukov played a pivotal role in resisting an attempt to oust Khrushchev from the leadership by a hard-line faction led by Vyacheslav Molotov
- In October 1957 Zhukov was accused of plotting to undermine the role of the Communist Party in the armed forces.
- Khrushchev sacked Zhukov as minister of defense and in March 1958 he was retired from the armed forces at the relatively young age of sixty-one.
- In October 1964, however, Khrushchev was ousted from power and there began a process of rehabilitating Zhukov as a significant military figure.
- Zhukov’s memoirs were published in April 1969. Zhukov’s triumph in the battle for the historical memory of the Great Patriotic War was not one that he lived to savor.
- In 1968 Zhukov had suffered a severe stroke from which he never really recovered.
- he passed away aged seventy-seven in the Kremlin hospital in June 1974
Stalin’s purge of the Red Army in the late 1930s was the second development to impact Zhukov’s career. This was not the first purge of the Red Army—in the 1920s and early 1930s there had been several purges of former tsarist officers and those suspected of sympathies with Stalin’s great rival, Leon Trotsky, driven into exile from the USSR in 1929. However, the 1937 purge was the first to engulf the Soviet High Command itself. It began in dramatic fashion in May 1937 with the arrest of Marshal Tukhachevsky and seven other high-ranking officers on charges of treason and involvement in a conspiracy with Nazi Germany to overthrow the Soviet government."
The war Hitler wanted to wage against Russia was ideological. “The war against Russia,” he told his generals in March 1941, “cannot be conducted in a knightly fashion; the struggle is one of ideologies and racial differences and will have to be conducted with unprecedented, unmerciful and unrelenting harshness.” To this end Hitler issued decrees exempting German soldiers from punishment for any atrocities they might commit in Russia and ordering them to execute all communists on the spot. Contained in these orders was the germ of the Holocaust, which began with the German execution in 1941–1942 of more than a million Soviet Jews. They were also at the root of the savage German treatment of Soviet POWs—three million of whom died in captivity in appalling conditions of starvation, disease, and maltreatment."
A man of indomitable will and fierce determination, Georgy Zhukov was the Soviet Union’s indispensable commander through every one of the critical turning points of World War II. It was Zhukov who saved Leningrad from capture by the Wehrmacht in September 1941, Zhukov who led the defense of Moscow in October 1941, Zhukov who spearheaded the Red Army’s march on Berlin and formally accepted Germany’s unconditional surrender in the spring of 1945. Drawing on the latest research from recently opened Soviet archives, including the uncensored versions of Zhukov’s own memoirs, Roberts offers a vivid portrait of a man whose tactical brilliance was matched only by the cold-blooded ruthlessness with which he pursued his battlefield objectives.
After the war, Zhukov was a key player on the geopolitical scene. As Khrushchev’s defense minister, he was one of the architects of Soviet military strategy during the Cold War. While lauded in the West as a folk hero—he was the only Soviet general ever to appear on the cover of Time magazine—Zhukov repeatedly ran afoul of the Communist political authorities. Wrongfully accused of disloyalty, he was twice banished and erased from his country’s official history—left out of books and paintings depicting Soviet World War II victories. Piercing the hyperbole of the Zhukov personality cult, Roberts debunks many of the myths that have sprung up around Zhukov’s life and career to deliver fresh insights into the marshal’s relationships with Stalin, Khrushchev, and Eisenhower.
A remarkably intimate portrait of a man whose life was lived behind an Iron Curtain of official secrecy, Stalin’s General is an authoritative biography that restores Zhukov to his rightful place in the twentieth-century military pantheon.
Opening: SIC TRANSIT GLORIA: THE RISES AND FALLS OFMARSHAL GEORGY ZHUKOV: OF ALL THE MOMENTS OF TRIUMPH IN THE LIFE OF MARSHAL GEORGY KONSTANTINOVICH Zhukov nothing equaled that day in June 1945 when he took the salute at the great Victory Parade in Red Square. Zhukov, mounted on a magnificent white Arabian called Tspeki, rode into the square through the Spassky Gate, the Kremlin on his right and the famous onion domes of St. Basil’s Cathedral directly ahead. As he did so a 1,400-strong orchestra struck up Glinka’s Glory (to the Russian Motherland). Awaiting him were columns of combined regiments representing all the branches of the Soviet armed forces.
Glinka , "Glory!" «Славься, славься, святая Русь!
A potted history of Zhokov's career after that moment of triumph in Red Square:- within three months Zhukov had been sacked by Stalin and banished to the command of the Odessa Military District
- February 1947 he was expelled from the Communist Party Central Committee on grounds that he had an “antiparty attitude.”
- an investigation began into the war booty Zhukov had extracted while serving in Germany.
- January 1948 Zhukov was demoted to the command of the Urals Military District based in Sverdlovsk. Further punishment came in the form of treating Zhukov as an “unperson.” He was written out of the history of the Great Patriotic War.
- In October 1952 Zhukov was a delegate to the 19th Party Congress and he was restored to candidate (i.e., probationary) membership of the Central Committee
- In March 1953 Stalin died and Zhukov was a prominent member of the military guard of honor at the dictator’s state funeral
- February 1955 made minister of defense by Khrushchev, Stalin’s successor as party leader.
- In July 1955 Zhukov attended the great power summit in Geneva
- In June 1957 Zhukov played a pivotal role in resisting an attempt to oust Khrushchev from the leadership by a hard-line faction led by Vyacheslav Molotov
- In October 1957 Zhukov was accused of plotting to undermine the role of the Communist Party in the armed forces.
- Khrushchev sacked Zhukov as minister of defense and in March 1958 he was retired from the armed forces at the relatively young age of sixty-one.
- In October 1964, however, Khrushchev was ousted from power and there began a process of rehabilitating Zhukov as a significant military figure.
- Zhukov’s memoirs were published in April 1969. Zhukov’s triumph in the battle for the historical memory of the Great Patriotic War was not one that he lived to savor.
- In 1968 Zhukov had suffered a severe stroke from which he never really recovered.
- he passed away aged seventy-seven in the Kremlin hospital in June 1974
Stalin’s purge of the Red Army in the late 1930s was the second development to impact Zhukov’s career. This was not the first purge of the Red Army—in the 1920s and early 1930s there had been several purges of former tsarist officers and those suspected of sympathies with Stalin’s great rival, Leon Trotsky, driven into exile from the USSR in 1929. However, the 1937 purge was the first to engulf the Soviet High Command itself. It began in dramatic fashion in May 1937 with the arrest of Marshal Tukhachevsky and seven other high-ranking officers on charges of treason and involvement in a conspiracy with Nazi Germany to overthrow the Soviet government."
The war Hitler wanted to wage against Russia was ideological. “The war against Russia,” he told his generals in March 1941, “cannot be conducted in a knightly fashion; the struggle is one of ideologies and racial differences and will have to be conducted with unprecedented, unmerciful and unrelenting harshness.” To this end Hitler issued decrees exempting German soldiers from punishment for any atrocities they might commit in Russia and ordering them to execute all communists on the spot. Contained in these orders was the germ of the Holocaust, which began with the German execution in 1941–1942 of more than a million Soviet Jews. They were also at the root of the savage German treatment of Soviet POWs—three million of whom died in captivity in appalling conditions of starvation, disease, and maltreatment."
January 24, 2020
A biography like a Playboy fold-out: glossy with accents in all the right places.
It's also the perfect companion to Marshal of Victory: The Autobiography of General Georgy Zhukov
Two concise chapters on his youth & service in the Russian Civil War suffice to bring us to the banks of Nomonhan. The classical rythm for the Eastern Front is there; From Barbarossa onward, a firefighter's pace takes us to Kursk, after which it slows down. There is a ton of retrospection, supplemented with an overall evaluation of Zhukov as 'the best overall general of WWII' who was neither a great strategist or tactician, but handled all branches of the Soviet forces in both defense and attack with equal skill.
His brutality was reputedly born out of his iron will to win; the extent to which his post-war apologies for the harsh treatment of his troops and the heavy casualties his successes entailed remains questionable - Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn doesn't attack you by poem for nothing.
His post-war disgrace & rehabilitation, for all the political games to be unraveled behind it, reads as a basic symptom of dictatorial (and "democratic") power not unique to the Soviet Union: non-conformism and streaks of independence shall not be tolerated. Even from a dedicated communist who spoke his mind to but never squarely disobeyed Stalin.
Recollections by his daughter add some colour to the marble edifice of the Marshal of Victory. This rests on a pedastal built by his memoirs - which again and again are checked against a reconstruction of the facts. Errors, omissions, alterations between editions depending on how khrushchevite the winds blew in Moscow...taking credit from Zhukov where it is due or defending him against his underlings/rivals.
It's also the perfect companion to Marshal of Victory: The Autobiography of General Georgy Zhukov
Two concise chapters on his youth & service in the Russian Civil War suffice to bring us to the banks of Nomonhan. The classical rythm for the Eastern Front is there; From Barbarossa onward, a firefighter's pace takes us to Kursk, after which it slows down. There is a ton of retrospection, supplemented with an overall evaluation of Zhukov as 'the best overall general of WWII' who was neither a great strategist or tactician, but handled all branches of the Soviet forces in both defense and attack with equal skill.
His brutality was reputedly born out of his iron will to win; the extent to which his post-war apologies for the harsh treatment of his troops and the heavy casualties his successes entailed remains questionable - Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn doesn't attack you by poem for nothing.
His post-war disgrace & rehabilitation, for all the political games to be unraveled behind it, reads as a basic symptom of dictatorial (and "democratic") power not unique to the Soviet Union: non-conformism and streaks of independence shall not be tolerated. Even from a dedicated communist who spoke his mind to but never squarely disobeyed Stalin.
Recollections by his daughter add some colour to the marble edifice of the Marshal of Victory. This rests on a pedastal built by his memoirs - which again and again are checked against a reconstruction of the facts. Errors, omissions, alterations between editions depending on how khrushchevite the winds blew in Moscow...taking credit from Zhukov where it is due or defending him against his underlings/rivals.
August 11, 2012
This is a much needed biography of General Georgy Zhukov. His career in World War II is chronicled nicely in this volume, as is his up and down career thereafter (sacked twice, but able to rebound).
Zhukov began life in humble circumstances, as part of a peasant family. As the work notes (Page 13): ". . .Zhukov's humble origins and stratospheric rise are keys to understanding his lifelong loyalty to communism and to the Soviet system." Born in 1896, he served in World War I and was wounded. In the interwar period, he remained in the military and moved upward over this time frame.
His career really took off in 1939 when he was sent east to examine the unsatisfactory record of the Russian forces against Japanese troops along the Khalkin-Gol River on the boundary between Manchuria and Mongolia. After his work concluded, he was named to lead the Soviet forces there. He prepared assiduously and, finally, attacked the Japanese army. He used mechanized forces very well. The end result was a victory (some referred to it as another Cannae), and Zhukov was given great credit.
Subsequently, he was dispatched to the main battlefront against the Germans, returning westward in 1940. Here, the narrative turns to his leadership (with others, of course), culminating in the decisive defeat of Germans forces in Stalingrad. The book continues with his role in pushing the German Army back toward Germany's borders. We read of the hard fighting (including--sometimes--infighting among Russian generals).
Then, his postwar career, in which he was sacked twice--once by Stalin and a second time by Khrushchev. Each time, like a phoenix, he rose from the ashes of a care seemingly ended.
The book also tells the reader of his family life. Rather bittersweet, it turns out.
Overall, this is a fine, well written biography of a major figure. The assessment of his career as a general is nicely done, neither praising him over effusively nor speaking ill of the subject. In short, a fine work.
Zhukov began life in humble circumstances, as part of a peasant family. As the work notes (Page 13): ". . .Zhukov's humble origins and stratospheric rise are keys to understanding his lifelong loyalty to communism and to the Soviet system." Born in 1896, he served in World War I and was wounded. In the interwar period, he remained in the military and moved upward over this time frame.
His career really took off in 1939 when he was sent east to examine the unsatisfactory record of the Russian forces against Japanese troops along the Khalkin-Gol River on the boundary between Manchuria and Mongolia. After his work concluded, he was named to lead the Soviet forces there. He prepared assiduously and, finally, attacked the Japanese army. He used mechanized forces very well. The end result was a victory (some referred to it as another Cannae), and Zhukov was given great credit.
Subsequently, he was dispatched to the main battlefront against the Germans, returning westward in 1940. Here, the narrative turns to his leadership (with others, of course), culminating in the decisive defeat of Germans forces in Stalingrad. The book continues with his role in pushing the German Army back toward Germany's borders. We read of the hard fighting (including--sometimes--infighting among Russian generals).
Then, his postwar career, in which he was sacked twice--once by Stalin and a second time by Khrushchev. Each time, like a phoenix, he rose from the ashes of a care seemingly ended.
The book also tells the reader of his family life. Rather bittersweet, it turns out.
Overall, this is a fine, well written biography of a major figure. The assessment of his career as a general is nicely done, neither praising him over effusively nor speaking ill of the subject. In short, a fine work.
August 8, 2018
Brilliant. One of the best biographies I’ve read.
I duly applaud the amount of painstaking research that has gone into this book. It is a well rounded book which outlines a wide range of important historical events surrounding ww2 and also many battles undertaken by the red army under the soviet regime.
I also appreciate how many maps were put in for almost all the important battles. It made it more interesting and easier to understand.
What I love about the authors narrative is that he took no sides regarding marshal Georgy Zhukov’s military and post-war political life/events.
He argued for and against many of Zhukov’s traits,weaknesses,strengths,victories and losses. It was a combination of an extensive look into his character as a man and as a marshal of the soviet regime to which he was fiercely loyal but a regime which also caused his post-war fall from his legendary status as a top Russian commander.
This book in my opinion tries it’s best to strip the myths and legends surrounding Zhukov and tries to capture the true realities of a very complex and great man who rose from a peasant family to become one of the foremost legendary Russian heroes.
It is a book I think that will cause you to think for yourself about this contradictory character which will forever live among the minds of people as a great general and hero of a war that overcame the nazi Germany, for which I think we can all be grateful for.
I duly applaud the amount of painstaking research that has gone into this book. It is a well rounded book which outlines a wide range of important historical events surrounding ww2 and also many battles undertaken by the red army under the soviet regime.
I also appreciate how many maps were put in for almost all the important battles. It made it more interesting and easier to understand.
What I love about the authors narrative is that he took no sides regarding marshal Georgy Zhukov’s military and post-war political life/events.
He argued for and against many of Zhukov’s traits,weaknesses,strengths,victories and losses. It was a combination of an extensive look into his character as a man and as a marshal of the soviet regime to which he was fiercely loyal but a regime which also caused his post-war fall from his legendary status as a top Russian commander.
This book in my opinion tries it’s best to strip the myths and legends surrounding Zhukov and tries to capture the true realities of a very complex and great man who rose from a peasant family to become one of the foremost legendary Russian heroes.
It is a book I think that will cause you to think for yourself about this contradictory character which will forever live among the minds of people as a great general and hero of a war that overcame the nazi Germany, for which I think we can all be grateful for.
October 10, 2012
When he first began researching this book, author Geoffrey Roberts planned to be highly critical of General Zhukov, and provide a "warts and all" portrait that would expose many myths about the Soviet war hero. However, he admits that as he delved deeper and deeper into the subject, he became more sympathetic to this complex character.
This book provides an excellent, balanced, in-depth portrait of a man who was largely responsible for the defeat of the Nazis in World War II. Roberts compares him to other famous generals such as Eisenhower, Patton, and Montgomery. He concludes that Zhukov was the best all-around general, but that he was so adapted to the Communist system that he would not have been able to duplicate his success in a different army.
I found this book to be very engrossing and well done, comparable to the excellent biography of General Patton by Carlos D'Este. Patton, like Zhukov, was a man who overcame many obstacles through an amazing faith in himself and will to win.
Russia itself can be very enigmatic. For instance, the Russians idolize General Kutuzov, who helped defeat Napoleon, although Adam Zamoyski in his excellent book, Moscow 1812, depicts Kutuzov as a waffling old man despised by many of his contemporaries. When one deals with generals, it is often difficult to separate the man from the legend. This is particularly true of Zhukov, who has been obscured by Soviet secrecy and revisionism. At one point Zhukov was a nonperson; at others he was a hero.
This book will let you see him "warts and all" and you may, as Roberts did, grow to admire his better qualities. One lone reservation that I have about the book is that it is focused on the big picture of World War II, and does not dwell in detail on the tactics of specific battles. If you are looking for many maps and diagrams showing how Zhukov won some of his most famous battles, such as Kursk and Nomonohan, look elsewhere. There is a good account here of the battle of Nomonohan, but this fight has been the subject of a book in itself. This biography is focused more on the overall Soviet strategy of the war, how Zhukov made it work, and what sort of a man he was in both his public and his private lives.
This book provides an excellent, balanced, in-depth portrait of a man who was largely responsible for the defeat of the Nazis in World War II. Roberts compares him to other famous generals such as Eisenhower, Patton, and Montgomery. He concludes that Zhukov was the best all-around general, but that he was so adapted to the Communist system that he would not have been able to duplicate his success in a different army.
I found this book to be very engrossing and well done, comparable to the excellent biography of General Patton by Carlos D'Este. Patton, like Zhukov, was a man who overcame many obstacles through an amazing faith in himself and will to win.
Russia itself can be very enigmatic. For instance, the Russians idolize General Kutuzov, who helped defeat Napoleon, although Adam Zamoyski in his excellent book, Moscow 1812, depicts Kutuzov as a waffling old man despised by many of his contemporaries. When one deals with generals, it is often difficult to separate the man from the legend. This is particularly true of Zhukov, who has been obscured by Soviet secrecy and revisionism. At one point Zhukov was a nonperson; at others he was a hero.
This book will let you see him "warts and all" and you may, as Roberts did, grow to admire his better qualities. One lone reservation that I have about the book is that it is focused on the big picture of World War II, and does not dwell in detail on the tactics of specific battles. If you are looking for many maps and diagrams showing how Zhukov won some of his most famous battles, such as Kursk and Nomonohan, look elsewhere. There is a good account here of the battle of Nomonohan, but this fight has been the subject of a book in itself. This biography is focused more on the overall Soviet strategy of the war, how Zhukov made it work, and what sort of a man he was in both his public and his private lives.
March 10, 2019
I enjoyed this balanced and well written book a lot and learned a great deal about Zhukov which I did not know before. (On the other hand, there was a lot of military and political background history which was so familiar to me I often wished it had been left out). There was something thuggish and unpleasant about Zhukov the man (certainly compared with Rokossovsky, the only Soviet general I think I might have enjoyed drinking a glass of vodka with). One only has to look at a photograph of him to see that: chest swollen with pride and medals, ugly bullet head with expression of peasant cunning and barely suppressed violence...and yet...we surely owe him a debt of gratitude as one of those key allied generals of WW2 who did so much to secure victory.
As a military leader, he made mistakes, was overly bullying and unjust to subordinates, and too lavish with the lives of his men. But he undoubtedly played an important – probably vital – role in winning the war. One sympathises with the attempts by Stalin and Khruschev to sideline him – both motivated by petty jealousy and spite – and it is pleasing that he outlived them both and died full of years and honour. Of course his memoirs were self serving, but so were Churchill’s. This does not detract from his genuine merits and abilities.
As a military leader, he made mistakes, was overly bullying and unjust to subordinates, and too lavish with the lives of his men. But he undoubtedly played an important – probably vital – role in winning the war. One sympathises with the attempts by Stalin and Khruschev to sideline him – both motivated by petty jealousy and spite – and it is pleasing that he outlived them both and died full of years and honour. Of course his memoirs were self serving, but so were Churchill’s. This does not detract from his genuine merits and abilities.
September 9, 2013
There is an interesting extended essay here on how Zhukov became the Soviet Union's pre-eminent general, arguably the architect of victory in WWII and a survivor of purges by two separate Soviet leaders. Sadly this and there is much good stuff there, is padded out with a workmanlike retelling of WWII in Russia. If, for instance, you read Beevor's "Stalingrad" you might think you were reading about a different war, a fascinating and surprising one. Also, there is much retelling of obvious stuff, especially in the run-up to WWII. Of course, not everyone has a working knowledge of the Russian Revolution, Civil War and WWII, but it is a pretty safe bet that you wouldn't choose to read a biography of Zhukov if you didn't. Not as famous in the West as he deserves to be.
Nonetheless, there are interesting details here, such as Zhukov publicly denying the deterrent effect of nuclear missiles. Surprising frankness from a high ranking Soviet offical as the Cold War froze.
Nonetheless, there are interesting details here, such as Zhukov publicly denying the deterrent effect of nuclear missiles. Surprising frankness from a high ranking Soviet offical as the Cold War froze.
December 1, 2012
Excellent perspective
3.5 Stars
This is the first account I've read on Marshall Georgy. All other works detailed his tactical abilities around Leningrad, Moscow, Stalingrad and Kursk. They weren't all encompassing and provided more of a larger brush stoke on his career.
The first three quarters of the book pretty much rehashed many of the facts I was aware of. In fact, at times I wondered if the author was talking about Zhukov or trying to give a full history of Stavka during the perilous first years of WWII.
Now the last quarter of the book is what I was looking for. Insightful information not previously known to novice or even esteemed historians . This was well worth the wait. I was not aware of the personal attacks he endured after leading the USSR to its greatest victory ever. His accomplishments were not only his legacy but his demise. We in the West could only read papers or listen on the news as to how the communist government treated those they felt a threat. It was fascinating how many times he escaped the executioners wrath under Stalin, Krushchev and Brezhnev. How many men could have endured such attacks in any army?
The most interesting part was no matter how many times he was attacked or accused of being an instigator against the state, he never wavered or blamed lessor men. He remained a staunch supporter of Stalin and the Communist Regime. How many Germans who went on trial at Nuremberg attempted to blame their dead superiors for the atrocities they carried out in the name of National Socialism?
The one area that wasn't covered was the release of German POW'S. This topic was completely over looked. Why? The west was demanding they be released but there is no mention of this. Again, why was this not addressed?
As far as Zhukov being a harsh commander, of course he was, along with the rest of the Russian generals and Political Commissioners such as Krushchev. In Guderian's memoirs he was appalled at how the Russians kept coming at his troops with no hope of winning. He described the dead as "cord wood piling up." He was disgusted with the waste of lives the Russians kept throwing into the guns of the Wehrmacht. These tactics might seem barbaric to those of us in the west, but the tactics kept slowing down the German advance. Do I find fault with the Marshall for using such strategies? No. If he refused to discipline his men, he himself would have been disciplined and perhaps imprisoned and shot for disregarding his superior:Stalin.
Overall, this a very good work and should be read by all historians, novice and professional who are looking for the truth.
3.5 Stars
This is the first account I've read on Marshall Georgy. All other works detailed his tactical abilities around Leningrad, Moscow, Stalingrad and Kursk. They weren't all encompassing and provided more of a larger brush stoke on his career.
The first three quarters of the book pretty much rehashed many of the facts I was aware of. In fact, at times I wondered if the author was talking about Zhukov or trying to give a full history of Stavka during the perilous first years of WWII.
Now the last quarter of the book is what I was looking for. Insightful information not previously known to novice or even esteemed historians . This was well worth the wait. I was not aware of the personal attacks he endured after leading the USSR to its greatest victory ever. His accomplishments were not only his legacy but his demise. We in the West could only read papers or listen on the news as to how the communist government treated those they felt a threat. It was fascinating how many times he escaped the executioners wrath under Stalin, Krushchev and Brezhnev. How many men could have endured such attacks in any army?
The most interesting part was no matter how many times he was attacked or accused of being an instigator against the state, he never wavered or blamed lessor men. He remained a staunch supporter of Stalin and the Communist Regime. How many Germans who went on trial at Nuremberg attempted to blame their dead superiors for the atrocities they carried out in the name of National Socialism?
The one area that wasn't covered was the release of German POW'S. This topic was completely over looked. Why? The west was demanding they be released but there is no mention of this. Again, why was this not addressed?
As far as Zhukov being a harsh commander, of course he was, along with the rest of the Russian generals and Political Commissioners such as Krushchev. In Guderian's memoirs he was appalled at how the Russians kept coming at his troops with no hope of winning. He described the dead as "cord wood piling up." He was disgusted with the waste of lives the Russians kept throwing into the guns of the Wehrmacht. These tactics might seem barbaric to those of us in the west, but the tactics kept slowing down the German advance. Do I find fault with the Marshall for using such strategies? No. If he refused to discipline his men, he himself would have been disciplined and perhaps imprisoned and shot for disregarding his superior:Stalin.
Overall, this a very good work and should be read by all historians, novice and professional who are looking for the truth.
November 7, 2024
Overall, the book's second part was more interesting for me, as it was more oriented to Zhukov, a politician rather than a general. Even though Zhukov was one of the people who are responsible for the defeat of Nazi Germany, deflecting the course of history against a fascist regime, he was demoted twice by his country whom he served until he died. If I didn't know better about the country of the USSR, it would be surprising - it's not.
Competency as a virtue for the Bolshevist regime wasn't common, and it happened that Zhukov was more than a competent general. What surprised me the most, or at least what I imagined Zhukov to be was a master strategist - he wasn't. But he was good at deployment and dealing with issues on the spot. After all, he didn't lose a single battle and was the one who defeated Berlin.
While, it's subjective some parts of the book weren't interesting, mostly because, in my opinion, weren't as important. For example, the author often mentions numerous people whose importance is questionable, and some parts don't seem to be important at all, such as the description of where he placed a desk in his room.
Competency as a virtue for the Bolshevist regime wasn't common, and it happened that Zhukov was more than a competent general. What surprised me the most, or at least what I imagined Zhukov to be was a master strategist - he wasn't. But he was good at deployment and dealing with issues on the spot. After all, he didn't lose a single battle and was the one who defeated Berlin.
While, it's subjective some parts of the book weren't interesting, mostly because, in my opinion, weren't as important. For example, the author often mentions numerous people whose importance is questionable, and some parts don't seem to be important at all, such as the description of where he placed a desk in his room.
June 18, 2019
A short biography that cross-checks his autobiographical memoirs with the latest discovered sources and archives. You learn who supported whom and how volatile his reputation was. Since he held the most flexible job and was active on almost every front and big battle, it draws a general picture of the Eastern Front as well.
December 7, 2015
Georgy Zhukov has become one of those figures from the Second World War to achieve near mythical status, and is probably the first (only?) Russian general that many people could name. This book tries to separate fact from myth, but is not totally successful.
As a biography, it fails the main test, in that I didn't feel I got to know the man by the end, however, there are probably good reasons for this. Given the time and place he grew up in, there are scant details of his birth and childhood. As for his later life, anyone in a position of power in the Soviet Union from the 1930's through the 1960's largely had their life written for them by the state, and that story changed with every twist of favour. The result is several different versions of every event, and the author's task is to try and get to the truth.
Geoffrey Roberts does a good job when describing the political machinations around Stalin, from whom all power emanated. He paints an authoritative picture of how Stalin worked. Unlike Hitler (particularly in the last years), Stalin was generally aware of his own limitations; he knew he needed trusted people to carry out his plans, and he was prepared to listen and debate (though only to a certain point).
Zhukov was one such person, a soldier from the First World War onwards, he was also a committed communist, and something of a free thinker. This latter quality was to get him into trouble, but it was also what made him different. It was this quality that Stalin valued (and also needed to control) and made Zhukov so successful.
Overall the book gives us little about the man himself, a few letters home, a few affairs. It goes into detail about the campaigns he was involved in, though it is sometimes difficult to understand his exact role in them.
By the end, I had certainly learnt more about his relationship with Stalin, with his peers (a very interesting group in their own right), and the vagaries of power after Stalin's death. I still didn't feel very close to the man himself, but given the obstacles, I suspect this may be as close as we will get.
As a biography, it fails the main test, in that I didn't feel I got to know the man by the end, however, there are probably good reasons for this. Given the time and place he grew up in, there are scant details of his birth and childhood. As for his later life, anyone in a position of power in the Soviet Union from the 1930's through the 1960's largely had their life written for them by the state, and that story changed with every twist of favour. The result is several different versions of every event, and the author's task is to try and get to the truth.
Geoffrey Roberts does a good job when describing the political machinations around Stalin, from whom all power emanated. He paints an authoritative picture of how Stalin worked. Unlike Hitler (particularly in the last years), Stalin was generally aware of his own limitations; he knew he needed trusted people to carry out his plans, and he was prepared to listen and debate (though only to a certain point).
Zhukov was one such person, a soldier from the First World War onwards, he was also a committed communist, and something of a free thinker. This latter quality was to get him into trouble, but it was also what made him different. It was this quality that Stalin valued (and also needed to control) and made Zhukov so successful.
Overall the book gives us little about the man himself, a few letters home, a few affairs. It goes into detail about the campaigns he was involved in, though it is sometimes difficult to understand his exact role in them.
By the end, I had certainly learnt more about his relationship with Stalin, with his peers (a very interesting group in their own right), and the vagaries of power after Stalin's death. I still didn't feel very close to the man himself, but given the obstacles, I suspect this may be as close as we will get.
April 13, 2017
I read this book out loud to Steve as we drove to and from SF on ship days. It was recommended by one of the crew members. It is a biography of the Russian equivalent of Eisenhower - a biography of the "lead" general of the Soviet Union - as important on the Eastern Front in defeating Hitler's armies as the Western forces. The books covers his success in Khalkin Gol in Mongolia against the Japanese in 1939, his continued success against Hitler, and his career during the Stalin era, his political struggles during and after the Khruschev era and his "rehabilitation." In many ways it was dry (lots of tedious detail about numbers of troops, etc.) and not always well-written (although the author obviously knows his Russian/Soviet history). But we certainly learned about the soviet Union that hung ominously over our heads when we were growing up.
December 6, 2024
I wish this book had been better, and unfortunately it wasn't.
The first two-thirds are at the same time too detailed and not detailed enough, especially covering the Russian front in WWII. The problem is that Zhukov fades in and out of those details, and doesn't really emerge as a figure until the last third of the book.
Roberts also has a habit of introducing someone and then telling you why they will be important later on, rather than developing their character as they were in that moment. It's a style that could work for an academic article, but not for a biography.
It's clear there are some figures he either knows more about, or is more interested in, and Stalin and Rokossovsky are the primary beneficiaries of this treatment. In fairness if you look at the introduction and Roberts' other books that shouldn't be a surprise, it was just a surprise how clearly in this book they emerged as admirable figures where most others remained obscured or two dimensional, including the titular figure.
Additionally, constant questioning of Zhukov's memoir during the first part of the book makes you feel like Zhukov's a liar, rather than placing him in the context of his time. Roberts' statements about which era the sources he questions were published in fall flat with no context as to the importance and what the stakes were.
Presumably you know a little of the atmosphere in communist Russia if you're reading this, but that assumption needs to be backed up with the human element (ie. some narrative or some description) in a biography.
If I hadn't read through to the fall of Berlin I would have assumed Roberts doesn't know how to write a biography, and Zhukov wasn't just uninteresting but unimpressive. The last third of the book belies that though. Finally some colour on Zhukov's personality, family, interests, and beliefs come through. The post-war segments are interesting, include background information on the setting and period, and leave me wanting to read a biography of Zhukov.
Unfortunately, I just did. I may have also read a dry and brief (only because of the size of the topic) history of the eastern front of WWII.
Overall? There was a lot of research put into this, but the topic deserved a more insightful biography than 70 pages worth at the end of 300.
The first two-thirds are at the same time too detailed and not detailed enough, especially covering the Russian front in WWII. The problem is that Zhukov fades in and out of those details, and doesn't really emerge as a figure until the last third of the book.
Roberts also has a habit of introducing someone and then telling you why they will be important later on, rather than developing their character as they were in that moment. It's a style that could work for an academic article, but not for a biography.
It's clear there are some figures he either knows more about, or is more interested in, and Stalin and Rokossovsky are the primary beneficiaries of this treatment. In fairness if you look at the introduction and Roberts' other books that shouldn't be a surprise, it was just a surprise how clearly in this book they emerged as admirable figures where most others remained obscured or two dimensional, including the titular figure.
Additionally, constant questioning of Zhukov's memoir during the first part of the book makes you feel like Zhukov's a liar, rather than placing him in the context of his time. Roberts' statements about which era the sources he questions were published in fall flat with no context as to the importance and what the stakes were.
Presumably you know a little of the atmosphere in communist Russia if you're reading this, but that assumption needs to be backed up with the human element (ie. some narrative or some description) in a biography.
If I hadn't read through to the fall of Berlin I would have assumed Roberts doesn't know how to write a biography, and Zhukov wasn't just uninteresting but unimpressive. The last third of the book belies that though. Finally some colour on Zhukov's personality, family, interests, and beliefs come through. The post-war segments are interesting, include background information on the setting and period, and leave me wanting to read a biography of Zhukov.
Unfortunately, I just did. I may have also read a dry and brief (only because of the size of the topic) history of the eastern front of WWII.
Overall? There was a lot of research put into this, but the topic deserved a more insightful biography than 70 pages worth at the end of 300.
August 2, 2022
It's an ok by-the-numbers book. No big issues but few selling points either. Does give the reader a good sense of how improvised the soviet WW2 front was. No plan could have prepared for the savagery of the nazi blitzkrieg and the first weeks of the invasion were a harried fighting retreat. What counted for the soviets were their numerical advantage (and hence, in a macabre logic, their ability to lose soldiers and replenish them with fresh recruits) and iron command structure keeping the war effort together despite incurring defrat after defeat. Zhukov exemplified these traits to a t.
March 22, 2025
Enjoyable from the perspective of reading about Zhukov’s exploits on the battlefields of the eastern front against the Nazi war machine as well as his post war fall from grace.
As a biography though it doesn’t quite hit the mark for me as I felt that it glossed over the personal side of his life which for some may not be necessary, but is something that I feel needs to be addressed to complete the picture of Zhukov the man as well as Zhukov the general.
As a biography though it doesn’t quite hit the mark for me as I felt that it glossed over the personal side of his life which for some may not be necessary, but is something that I feel needs to be addressed to complete the picture of Zhukov the man as well as Zhukov the general.
May 3, 2024
Interesting guy and accomplished but quite a heavy boom on tactics. This really makes you realise how much we owe the Soviets for victory in WW2
June 2, 2019
Geoffrey Roberts’ ‘Stalin’s General: The Life of Georgy Zhukov’ is a reflection on the life and experiences of the famous Soviet Marshall Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov. This biography is a well presented and remarkably personal account of a man who many claim to be a savior of the Soviet Union and the man who crushed the Nazi German state.
Across 14 chapters, the author presents the reader to a well laid out and concise insight into the major milestones of Zhukov’s life. By drawing upon both primary and secondary sources Roberts highlights the resolute and firm character of Zhukov, while also being able to play devil's advocate and continuing to maintain an unbiased view. Sources such as Zhukov’s own autobiography along with archival evidence helps to illustrate a man who overcame huge obstacles within his life. From Zhukov’s early years to his participation in the Russian Civil War and his later experiences of fighting the Japanese in the Khalkin-Gol and later the Germans in the Great Patriotic War, Roberts gives an influential and measured approach to him and maintains this throughout. Moreover, the level of detail demonstrated in the little-known aspects of Zhukov’s life such as his post-war career under Stalin, Khrushchev and later Brezhnev, is hugely commendable.
One reservation I do have on this piece is that the author does focus more on the bigger picture especially during the Great Patriotic War (as the Russians call WW2). Therefore, if one wants to learn of the more detailed and specific aspects on the campaigns such as the tactical thinking of the Kursk offensive and the earlier Yelnya offensive it is advised that one looks elsewhere. However, I hasten to add that this should not detract from the overall readability of this book.
In conclusion, Geoffrey Roberts does an exemplary job of demonstrating his knowledge and understanding of a complex and often misinterpreted figure from the Second World War. Georgy Zhukov can often be interpreted as a man with few flaws and an outstanding General, but, as this book establishes, there is so much more to him than meets the eye. Given Robert’s background as an academic, this conclusion should come as no surprise and I thus look forward to reading more of his works in this area of study.
Across 14 chapters, the author presents the reader to a well laid out and concise insight into the major milestones of Zhukov’s life. By drawing upon both primary and secondary sources Roberts highlights the resolute and firm character of Zhukov, while also being able to play devil's advocate and continuing to maintain an unbiased view. Sources such as Zhukov’s own autobiography along with archival evidence helps to illustrate a man who overcame huge obstacles within his life. From Zhukov’s early years to his participation in the Russian Civil War and his later experiences of fighting the Japanese in the Khalkin-Gol and later the Germans in the Great Patriotic War, Roberts gives an influential and measured approach to him and maintains this throughout. Moreover, the level of detail demonstrated in the little-known aspects of Zhukov’s life such as his post-war career under Stalin, Khrushchev and later Brezhnev, is hugely commendable.
One reservation I do have on this piece is that the author does focus more on the bigger picture especially during the Great Patriotic War (as the Russians call WW2). Therefore, if one wants to learn of the more detailed and specific aspects on the campaigns such as the tactical thinking of the Kursk offensive and the earlier Yelnya offensive it is advised that one looks elsewhere. However, I hasten to add that this should not detract from the overall readability of this book.
In conclusion, Geoffrey Roberts does an exemplary job of demonstrating his knowledge and understanding of a complex and often misinterpreted figure from the Second World War. Georgy Zhukov can often be interpreted as a man with few flaws and an outstanding General, but, as this book establishes, there is so much more to him than meets the eye. Given Robert’s background as an academic, this conclusion should come as no surprise and I thus look forward to reading more of his works in this area of study.
June 25, 2019
In this classic case of rags-to-riches story, Georgy Zhukov managed to become a Soviet Marshal and one of the greatest military leaders of World War II. From a humble peasant family, Bolshevik Revolution provided him a chance to move up in life by joining the army. Long known as a strict disciplinarian who abhorred desk job, Zhukov first made his name in Khalkin Gol skirmish against Japanese during early stage of World War II. Later, he was credited as one of Soviet’s architect of victory against Germany, again and again became Stalin’s troubleshooter for troubles in Moscow, Kursk, and Stalingrad, among others. Militarily powerful but politically naïve, and also very popular, he became victim of Stalin’s jealously, causing him a spectacular downfall. His fate was reversed with the rise of Khrushchev, when he picked the right side on a power struggle. However, his political tactlessness, coupled with Khrushchev’s jealousy of his popularity, became the catalyst of his second and final downfall. Amazingly, despite those treatments, his faith in communism remained unshaken.
Just like many other figures of Soviet Union, biographies of Zhukov remain scarce, while the available ones sometimes are not really faithful in depicting Zhukov the man, rather than Zhukov the general. Perhaps those scarcity was the reason why this book is mostly filled with discussion Soviet military strategy during World War II instead of Zhukov’s life. However, I also believe that Zhukov cannot be separated with his achievement, which also his greatest legacy.
Just like many other figures of Soviet Union, biographies of Zhukov remain scarce, while the available ones sometimes are not really faithful in depicting Zhukov the man, rather than Zhukov the general. Perhaps those scarcity was the reason why this book is mostly filled with discussion Soviet military strategy during World War II instead of Zhukov’s life. However, I also believe that Zhukov cannot be separated with his achievement, which also his greatest legacy.
August 3, 2012
Zhukov wasn’t a bombardier, and he did not return to a regular civilian life after accepting Germany’s surrender. He garnered so much success that he was elevated to commander-in-chief of the ground forces. His fame was as fickle as Stalin was suspicious, however. In a matter of months he was busted down in rank and sent away from Moscow. After Stalin died Zhukov participated in the arrest of Beria, and was rehabilitated under Khrushchev. He rose again to the position of Defense Minister, only to be deposed and exiled once more.
Zhukov was Stalin’s go to general, the one he sent into besieged Leningrad, recalled to defend Moscow, deployed to hold Stalingrad at all costs, and put on the offensive at Kursk. Stalin appointed him marshal of the Soviet Union two months before assuming the title for himself, and gave him the honor of reviewing the Victory Parade. When his popularity rivaled that of Stalin he was removed from the capital and the authorized history of the war. In present day Russia Stalin is still revered by some for leading them through the Great Patriotic War, in spite of all the self-inflicted damage he caused. Zhukov’s reputation has been restored in all its complexity, and he is no less revered for it.
Zhukov was Stalin’s go to general, the one he sent into besieged Leningrad, recalled to defend Moscow, deployed to hold Stalingrad at all costs, and put on the offensive at Kursk. Stalin appointed him marshal of the Soviet Union two months before assuming the title for himself, and gave him the honor of reviewing the Victory Parade. When his popularity rivaled that of Stalin he was removed from the capital and the authorized history of the war. In present day Russia Stalin is still revered by some for leading them through the Great Patriotic War, in spite of all the self-inflicted damage he caused. Zhukov’s reputation has been restored in all its complexity, and he is no less revered for it.
July 18, 2021
Very good book. Some errors made in Stavka decisions with more releases by former-Soviet archives, however it was well researched
October 19, 2012
I was fascinated by Zukov's story, he fought in four wars: World War 1; The Russian Civil War; Russian/Japanese War; and World War 2, and in WW2 he played a role in every significant Soviet campaign: Barbarossa; Leningrad; Moscow; Stalingrad; Kursk; Warsaw; Berlin; and others.
Second only to Stalin during WW2, he was subsequently purged by the dictator, rehabilitated and then again purged by Khrushchev,
Zukov lost favour with Stalin, Khrushchev and many senior officers because "he tended to take credit for practically all the decisive victories the Red Army had won."
He was a severe disciplinarian even in an army which executed 158,000 of their own men, and sent tens of thousands of others to penal battalions which suffered 50% fatality rates.
Nice guys don't get to be generals - possibly with the exception of Eisenhower.
Second only to Stalin during WW2, he was subsequently purged by the dictator, rehabilitated and then again purged by Khrushchev,
Zukov lost favour with Stalin, Khrushchev and many senior officers because "he tended to take credit for practically all the decisive victories the Red Army had won."
He was a severe disciplinarian even in an army which executed 158,000 of their own men, and sent tens of thousands of others to penal battalions which suffered 50% fatality rates.
Nice guys don't get to be generals - possibly with the exception of Eisenhower.
May 8, 2017
Excellent account of a general whom I knew a lot about but never read a book on. The Russians suffered greatly in wwII and though had different strategies and tactics took an extraordinary share of the casualties. They were not of course without their own atrocities but they did what it took to win. Interesting life of a man who was very well loved by his people. Nicely researched without too much detail in this book.
June 8, 2020
Excellent biography of Marshall Zhukov. Despite an enduring interest in WWII this is the first biography I have read on Zhukov and it was well worth it. Zhukov emphasized the importance of high standards and iron will for military leaders. This book helps the reader to understand the sheer cost of WWII for the Soviet system and provides insight into some of the key men responsible for that effort.
July 5, 2020
A very focused account of Marshal Zhukov's career, one of, if not THE most important generals of the Second World War in Europe. The author stays on track, and uncommonly for a book about a Soviet figure, rarely engages in tangential discussions about the early crimes of the Soviet system or Stalin, except where there is a direct nexus with Zhukov. An accessible and unique read on the topic of World War II.
July 18, 2018
I would almost go as far as to call this book a masterpiece detailing Georgy Zhukov's life and military career. I enjoyed the way Geoffrey Roberts chose detail just about every square inch of the major battles inside Russia, but wish he would have spent a little more time writing about post Patriotic-War-Zhukov.
February 28, 2017
Well studied and written book, about one of the greatest Marshals of the
Second World War. Much is still a controversy and a guess, but that was
because Soviet Union was what it was. Perhaps that is also one of the reasons
behind this mythic man ?
Second World War. Much is still a controversy and a guess, but that was
because Soviet Union was what it was. Perhaps that is also one of the reasons
behind this mythic man ?
July 19, 2017
A marvellous account from (personal view only) the greatest General of the modern era. Zhukov was not afraid to tell Stalin advice the General Secretary did not want to hear. Brilliant reading of 20th century history
July 25, 2020
Brilliantly written and well researched. There are pieces of information that you can't find online like Batov's reminiscences about Zhukov. Although author diligently presents different views on Zhukov the reader can't help a feeling that the author deeply sympatises Zhukov and very fond of him.
November 4, 2023
【2023Book09】"Stalin's General: The Life of Georgy Zhukov" by Geoffrey Roberts (Chinese edition). While reading this book, I realized again and again how complex a person can be. In the past, when Zhukov was mentioned, I would think of four shining words: the Mars of USSR. But obviously, these four words are far from enough to summarize this man. He was a farmer's son. He was an apprentice to a cobbler. He was the savior of Moscow and Leningrad, the victor in Stalingrad and Kursk, and the so-called liberator of Poland and Ukraine; he was also a ruthless commander who didn't hesitate to sacrifice tens of thousands of soldiers in the Battle of Berlin just to compete for historical fame with his colleagues. He was the defender of Russian civilians; he was also a brutal suppressor during the Hungarian Uprising. He was a daredevil who threw a tactical nuclear bomb over his own troops' heads during exercises and watched at close range himself; he was also an explorer of possibilities of peace between the USA and the USSR. He was an unfaithful husband; he was also a husband who died of grief from his second wife's death. He was a loyal communist warrior, Stalin's trustworthy general; he was also the man who arrested the devil Beria literally by his own hands; and most importantly, he was a victim of political persecution. He was a good hunter, and he loved to play the accordion… Perhaps this is the meaning of reading a biography: stripping away celebrities' divinity, admitting their success and faults, and feeling sympathy for their joys and sorrows.
Additionally, Stalin and Khrushchev were truly scum. Zhukov helped Stalin quell crises during World War II time and time again, saved the nation from the brink of collapse, and rescued the people from peril. And yet, not even a year after the war ended, Stalin expelled Zhukov, carried out a brutal purge of his subordinates, and erased Zhukov from the historical narrative of the Soviet-German War. After Stalin's death, Zhukov returned to the core of power and supported Khrushchev when Khrushchev was catfighting with Molotov, helping him weather the storm. But just four months later, Khrushchev once again exiled Zhukov and eliminated him from the historical narrative, taking credit for Zhukov's wartime achievements. Even someone as strong as Zhukov could still face such a fate. History is genuinely sad to read.
PS: Simonov's poem, "Wait for Me," is heartbreaking.
【2023年的第九本书】《朱可夫——斯大林的将军》。读的过程中最大的感受是：人都是复杂的。以往一提起朱可夫，就会想到四个牛B闪闪的大字：苏联战神。但是显然这四个字完全不足以概括这个男人。他是农民的儿子。他是皮匠的学徒。他是莫斯科和列宁格勒的拯救者，斯大林格勒和库尔斯克的胜利者，波兰与乌克兰的解放者（大概）；他也是为了和同僚争夺历史地位而不惜在柏林战役中牺牲数万官兵的冷酷的指挥官。他是俄国平民的保卫者；他也是匈牙利事件中残酷的镇压者。他是在演习中往自己的部队头上扔战术核弹同时自己也近距离观看的猛人；他也是美苏和平可能性的探路者。他是出轨的丈夫；他也是死于第二任妻子亡故带来的悲痛的丈夫。他是忠诚的共产主义战士，是斯大林倚为柱石的将军；也是亲手逮捕恶魔贝利亚的人；更是屡遭体制迫害的受害者。他是优秀的猎人；他是爱好拉手风琴的人……这也许就是读人物传记的意义：去除一个名人的神性，正视他的功与过，共情他的喜与悲。另外，斯大林和赫鲁晓夫真真正正是人间之屑。朱可夫在二战中一次又一次地帮大林挽狂澜于既倒，扶大厦于将倾，护社稷于危亡，救生民于倒悬，结果战争结束不到一年。大林就把朱可夫外放，残酷清洗其下属，并把朱可夫踢出了苏德战争的历史叙述。斯大林死后，朱可夫回到权力核心，并在赫鲁晓夫和莫洛托夫撕逼的时候力挺前者，助其渡过难关，结果四个月后穗宗又将朱可夫外放，并将朱可夫又一次清除出历史叙述，把朱可夫在战争中的功劳据为己有。纵使强如朱可夫，依然会遭遇这样的命运，历史读起来真的是令人唏嘘。PS：西蒙诺夫的《等着我吧》真的读得人潸然泪下。
Additionally, Stalin and Khrushchev were truly scum. Zhukov helped Stalin quell crises during World War II time and time again, saved the nation from the brink of collapse, and rescued the people from peril. And yet, not even a year after the war ended, Stalin expelled Zhukov, carried out a brutal purge of his subordinates, and erased Zhukov from the historical narrative of the Soviet-German War. After Stalin's death, Zhukov returned to the core of power and supported Khrushchev when Khrushchev was catfighting with Molotov, helping him weather the storm. But just four months later, Khrushchev once again exiled Zhukov and eliminated him from the historical narrative, taking credit for Zhukov's wartime achievements. Even someone as strong as Zhukov could still face such a fate. History is genuinely sad to read.
PS: Simonov's poem, "Wait for Me," is heartbreaking.
【2023年的第九本书】《朱可夫——斯大林的将军》。读的过程中最大的感受是：人都是复杂的。以往一提起朱可夫，就会想到四个牛B闪闪的大字：苏联战神。但是显然这四个字完全不足以概括这个男人。他是农民的儿子。他是皮匠的学徒。他是莫斯科和列宁格勒的拯救者，斯大林格勒和库尔斯克的胜利者，波兰与乌克兰的解放者（大概）；他也是为了和同僚争夺历史地位而不惜在柏林战役中牺牲数万官兵的冷酷的指挥官。他是俄国平民的保卫者；他也是匈牙利事件中残酷的镇压者。他是在演习中往自己的部队头上扔战术核弹同时自己也近距离观看的猛人；他也是美苏和平可能性的探路者。他是出轨的丈夫；他也是死于第二任妻子亡故带来的悲痛的丈夫。他是忠诚的共产主义战士，是斯大林倚为柱石的将军；也是亲手逮捕恶魔贝利亚的人；更是屡遭体制迫害的受害者。他是优秀的猎人；他是爱好拉手风琴的人……这也许就是读人物传记的意义：去除一个名人的神性，正视他的功与过，共情他的喜与悲。另外，斯大林和赫鲁晓夫真真正正是人间之屑。朱可夫在二战中一次又一次地帮大林挽狂澜于既倒，扶大厦于将倾，护社稷于危亡，救生民于倒悬，结果战争结束不到一年。大林就把朱可夫外放，残酷清洗其下属，并把朱可夫踢出了苏德战争的历史叙述。斯大林死后，朱可夫回到权力核心，并在赫鲁晓夫和莫洛托夫撕逼的时候力挺前者，助其渡过难关，结果四个月后穗宗又将朱可夫外放，并将朱可夫又一次清除出历史叙述，把朱可夫在战争中的功劳据为己有。纵使强如朱可夫，依然会遭遇这样的命运，历史读起来真的是令人唏嘘。PS：西蒙诺夫的《等着我吧》真的读得人潸然泪下。
June 14, 2020
Geoffrey Roberts book on Zhukov is a fine entry into the life, times and military experiences of this charismatic WWII Soviet General.
Roberts' style is narrative rather than academic which easily moves through the phases of Zhukov’s life. He rarely gets bogged down in the detail which makes this an accessible read for those wanting an overview of one of the Soviets greatest generals.
Recommend this book as a tester for more in-depth examination of Zhukov the man, his operations, and battles.
Roberts' style is narrative rather than academic which easily moves through the phases of Zhukov’s life. He rarely gets bogged down in the detail which makes this an accessible read for those wanting an overview of one of the Soviets greatest generals.
Recommend this book as a tester for more in-depth examination of Zhukov the man, his operations, and battles.
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