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Leningrad: State of Siege
When the German High Command encircled Leningrad it was a deliberate policy to eradicate the city???s civilian population by starving them to death. As winter set in and food supplies dwindled, starvation and panic set in.
A specialist in battle psychology and the vital role of morale in desperate circumstances, Michael Jones tells the human story of Leningrad. Drawing on newly available eyewitness accounts and diaries, he shows Leningrad in its every dimension including taboo truths, long-suppressed by the Soviets, such as looting, criminal gangs and cannibalism.
But, for many ordinary citizens, Leningrad marked the triumph of the human spirit. They drew deeply on their inner resources to inspire, comfort and help one another. At the height of the siege an extraordinary live performance of Shostakovich???s Seventh Symphony profoundly strengthened the city's will to resist. When German troops heard it in their trenches one remarked: ???We began to understand we would never take Leningrad.
Yet, Leningrad???s self-defence came at a huge price. When the 900-day siege ended in 1944 almost a million people had died and those who survived would be permanently marked by what they had endured, as this superbly insightful and moving history shows.
A specialist in battle psychology and the vital role of morale in desperate circumstances, Michael Jones tells the human story of Leningrad. Drawing on newly available eyewitness accounts and diaries, he shows Leningrad in its every dimension including taboo truths, long-suppressed by the Soviets, such as looting, criminal gangs and cannibalism.
But, for many ordinary citizens, Leningrad marked the triumph of the human spirit. They drew deeply on their inner resources to inspire, comfort and help one another. At the height of the siege an extraordinary live performance of Shostakovich???s Seventh Symphony profoundly strengthened the city's will to resist. When German troops heard it in their trenches one remarked: ???We began to understand we would never take Leningrad.
Yet, Leningrad???s self-defence came at a huge price. When the 900-day siege ended in 1944 almost a million people had died and those who survived would be permanently marked by what they had endured, as this superbly insightful and moving history shows.
368 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 1, 2008
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July 24, 2019
“Germany declared war on the Soviet Union on Sunday 22 June 1941.”
In Leningrad: State of Siege author Michael Jones outlines Hitler’s policy with regard to the Soviet Union, describes the three-pronged advance into Russia, problems within the Soviet command, and then devotes the rest of this book to the actual siege of Leningrad.* “The siege of Leningrad – popularly known as the 900 days–lasted 872 days, from 8 September 1941, when the Germans first blockaded the city, to 27 January 1944, when their armies were finally repulsed from Leningrad.” Mr Jones states: “My understanding of the siege is informed not by official Soviet records of the people’s valour but by actual accounts of those trapped in the city.” He gathers his information from interviews with survivors and from some of the many diaries in which the populace recorded what was actually happening and how they responded to these events.
Even before the siege of Leningrad, the Germans committed horrendous atrocities such as the murder on 26th June 1941 of a large number of Jews in Lithuania. ”On 26 June over a thousand Jews were herded together and then clubbed to death at the Lietukis Garage, less than 200 yards from Sixteenth Army’s HQ. Large numbers of German soldiers stood by and watched. No one attempted to stop the killing.” “A German ordnance sergeant from the 562nd Bakery Company later recalled: ‘I saw these people being rounded up and then just had to look away, as they were clubbed to death right before our eyes. It was all so cruel and brutal. A great many German soldiers, as well as Lithuanians, stood there watching. They did not express either assent or disapproval–they just stood, totally indifferent.’” Racial hatred was extended to captured Red Army soldiers (the Slavs being described as “a race of inferior beings”) who had to march hundreds of miles instead of travelling by train “…for fear of their ‘contaminating and soiling the wagons’.” The siege is itself an atrocity, but during the siege there were also barbarous acts such as the Lychkovo massacre on the 18th August, 1941, in which a train full of children being evacuated from Leningrad was deliberately bombed, and very many children died.
It is not surprising that the Germans achieved one of their major goals with relative ease. This goal was to lay siege to Leningrad, which was deliberately chosen as “‘The fall of Leningrad will deprive the Soviet state of the symbol of its revolution’”. During 1937-38 there had been a massive purge of the Red Army in which thousands perished including “Of the five marshals of the Soviet Union, three were shot; fifteen out of sixteen army commanders were eliminated; sixty out of sixty-seven corps commanders; 136 out of 169 divisional commanders.” Even before the siege had to be endured more than 30,000 Leningraders had been arrested; some of these were executed whilst other were deported to labour camps. Stalin’s loyal friend, Kliment Voroshilov who was appointed as the commander at Leningrad simply wasn’t up to the task and made some catastrophic mistakes. These are detailed in this book.
Leningrad's major food store at Badayev had been destroyed by the Germans on the 8th September, 1941 (there had been plans to disperse the food stores, but Voroshilov never got around to doing it) so that the bulk of the city’s food disappeared in an inferno of burning butter, sugar, ham, etc. Rations were inevitably introduced, and inevitably these shrunk and shrunk so that by 20th November 1941 (in the midst of winter) the daily bread ration was 250g for factory workers, 125g for office workers and 125g for dependants. Bread of course was not a delicious baguette or ciabatta; no, it was “Because ingredients were so scarce, the proportion of flour used in a loaf made in the besieged city was constantly revised. In mid-September, oats that had formerly been reserved for horse fodder were added to the commercial bread recipe, as was malt. In October mouldy grain–retrieved from a ship that had been sunk in Lake Ladoga–was dried out and also added. By November, a standard Leningrad loaf also contained ‘edible’ cellulose, cottonseed oil cake, dust shaken out of flour sacks and floor sweepings. The bread was heavy and, when you took it in your hands, water dripped from it.” Glue was extracted from wallpaper and from books to boil into a jelly or soup. Small pieces of leather belts were chewed on. People in bread queues were frequently targeted by the Germans.
That winter of 1941 the temperatures dropped and dropped. Conditions were dire. Trams had stopped operating, there was no electricity and there were water shortages. Windows were blown out of buidings. There were fires. Residents were left homeless. Even when the ration sizes were increased the civilians who had been waiting outside the bread bakeries since 3:00 a.m. could not get bread as there was insufficient water and no fuel to bake the bread. Bodies began piling up. Lethargy and exhaustion were the order of the day. Small Pox broke out, so did Typhus. Hunger drove some people to commit horrendous crimes including theft of rations, ration cards and cannibalism. Other people selflessly helped others, for example by helping those who collapsed in the snow, or by going house to house to collect children who had been orphaned and left without food. The performing arts fraternity provided whatever entertainment they could to lift the spirits of their fellow citizens. During one stage performance of The Three Musketeers one of the stars dropped dead, but the show continue with two musketeers. Poets Anna Akhmatova and Olga Berggolts did radio broadcasts. There was ballet, there was music. Sometimes the audience didn’t have enough energy to applaud, but would simply stand to show their appreciation.
“An inoculation programme was introduced and more than 400 disinfecting points were set up. Vitamin C was extracted from pine needles, and a drink was manufactured to combat scurvy. At the beginning of April Leningrad’s power generators were repaired. And on 15 April the trams started running again.” A massive cleaning operation was underway to remove bodies for burial in communal graves, and for cleaning the mounds of debris from the heavily shelled city. As spring appeared cabbages and potatoes were grown. Things started looking up (a little).
“At the beginning of April 1942 the Leningrad Front received a new commander, Lieutenant-General Leonid Govorov.” The very famous concert of Dmitri Shostakovich’s Seventh Symphony was to be conducted by Karl Eliasberg on the 9th August, 1942.** “The Germans had boasted that they would capture the city on 9 August and hold a victory celebration at Leningrad’s Astoria Hotel. The date for the Seventh Symphony’s premiere was thus deliberately chosen.” “And on 9 August 1942, several hours before the performance of Shostakovich’s Seventh Symphony began, he [Gogorov] ordered a barrage of shells to be fired at German gun emplacements. This was a most dramatic overture – Govorov had realised that lighting up the Philharmonic Hall for the concert would make it a target, and as a precaution he launched Operation Squall, blasting all the enemy’s artillery positions. The Germans were unable to recover in time to disrupt the concert. Govorov understood that the symphony would lift the morale of the defenders and shake the enemy’s confidence, so he set up radio transmitter dishes, ensuring that Red Army soldiers could easily listen to it, and also ordered the concert to be played on speakers pointing towards the German lines.”
In September 1942 the great Battle of Stalingrad was fought, and the tide turned. By early 1943 Leningrad was finally liberated. “On 6 February 1943 the first trainload of provisions arrived at Leningrad.”
Much of the information was initially suppressed. “Great leaders rally people at a time of crisis, and win over the dissident and the critic to the larger cause. Yet Leningrad’s collective unity had arisen from a remorseless policy of repression. ‘Even when there was no electric light, no water supply, no newspapers,’ Dmitry Likhachev recalled, ‘the authorities were still watching over us.’ It is this aspect of Leningrad’s story which has kept these events from being fully understood by the wider world until now, and which still bewilders and deters Western attempts to integrate Soviet heroism into the narrative of resistance to Nazism.”
Although I had previously read other accounts of the Leningrad Siege, this book kept me at the edge of my seat for three days. The story is told with pathos, and we read the words of those who were actually there. I have but scratched the surface, as the details are for you to read. Any errors in this review are my own.
#
Contents
Preface
Timeline
Bread Rations
Introduction
1. ‘An Almost Scientific Method’ The German Advance
2. ‘The Biggest Bag of Shit in the Army’ Attempts to Defend
3. The Butcher’s Hook Ordinary Civilians’ Experience
4. The Noose The Blockade Is Not Broken
5. Elena’s Sketchbook The Emerging Horror
6. The Abortionist The Onset of Mass Starvation
7. One Black Beret The Authorities Lose Control
8. The Road of Life Keeping Hope Alive
9. The Symphony Finding the Will to Survive
10. Operation Spark The Military Breakthrough
11. Something Necessary The Siege is Lifted
Epilogue
Notes
Bibliography
**Much has been written about this famous concert, including Julian Barnes’s wonderful novel The Noise of Time.
In Leningrad: State of Siege author Michael Jones outlines Hitler’s policy with regard to the Soviet Union, describes the three-pronged advance into Russia, problems within the Soviet command, and then devotes the rest of this book to the actual siege of Leningrad.* “The siege of Leningrad – popularly known as the 900 days–lasted 872 days, from 8 September 1941, when the Germans first blockaded the city, to 27 January 1944, when their armies were finally repulsed from Leningrad.” Mr Jones states: “My understanding of the siege is informed not by official Soviet records of the people’s valour but by actual accounts of those trapped in the city.” He gathers his information from interviews with survivors and from some of the many diaries in which the populace recorded what was actually happening and how they responded to these events.
Even before the siege of Leningrad, the Germans committed horrendous atrocities such as the murder on 26th June 1941 of a large number of Jews in Lithuania. ”On 26 June over a thousand Jews were herded together and then clubbed to death at the Lietukis Garage, less than 200 yards from Sixteenth Army’s HQ. Large numbers of German soldiers stood by and watched. No one attempted to stop the killing.” “A German ordnance sergeant from the 562nd Bakery Company later recalled: ‘I saw these people being rounded up and then just had to look away, as they were clubbed to death right before our eyes. It was all so cruel and brutal. A great many German soldiers, as well as Lithuanians, stood there watching. They did not express either assent or disapproval–they just stood, totally indifferent.’” Racial hatred was extended to captured Red Army soldiers (the Slavs being described as “a race of inferior beings”) who had to march hundreds of miles instead of travelling by train “…for fear of their ‘contaminating and soiling the wagons’.” The siege is itself an atrocity, but during the siege there were also barbarous acts such as the Lychkovo massacre on the 18th August, 1941, in which a train full of children being evacuated from Leningrad was deliberately bombed, and very many children died.
It is not surprising that the Germans achieved one of their major goals with relative ease. This goal was to lay siege to Leningrad, which was deliberately chosen as “‘The fall of Leningrad will deprive the Soviet state of the symbol of its revolution’”. During 1937-38 there had been a massive purge of the Red Army in which thousands perished including “Of the five marshals of the Soviet Union, three were shot; fifteen out of sixteen army commanders were eliminated; sixty out of sixty-seven corps commanders; 136 out of 169 divisional commanders.” Even before the siege had to be endured more than 30,000 Leningraders had been arrested; some of these were executed whilst other were deported to labour camps. Stalin’s loyal friend, Kliment Voroshilov who was appointed as the commander at Leningrad simply wasn’t up to the task and made some catastrophic mistakes. These are detailed in this book.
Leningrad's major food store at Badayev had been destroyed by the Germans on the 8th September, 1941 (there had been plans to disperse the food stores, but Voroshilov never got around to doing it) so that the bulk of the city’s food disappeared in an inferno of burning butter, sugar, ham, etc. Rations were inevitably introduced, and inevitably these shrunk and shrunk so that by 20th November 1941 (in the midst of winter) the daily bread ration was 250g for factory workers, 125g for office workers and 125g for dependants. Bread of course was not a delicious baguette or ciabatta; no, it was “Because ingredients were so scarce, the proportion of flour used in a loaf made in the besieged city was constantly revised. In mid-September, oats that had formerly been reserved for horse fodder were added to the commercial bread recipe, as was malt. In October mouldy grain–retrieved from a ship that had been sunk in Lake Ladoga–was dried out and also added. By November, a standard Leningrad loaf also contained ‘edible’ cellulose, cottonseed oil cake, dust shaken out of flour sacks and floor sweepings. The bread was heavy and, when you took it in your hands, water dripped from it.” Glue was extracted from wallpaper and from books to boil into a jelly or soup. Small pieces of leather belts were chewed on. People in bread queues were frequently targeted by the Germans.
That winter of 1941 the temperatures dropped and dropped. Conditions were dire. Trams had stopped operating, there was no electricity and there were water shortages. Windows were blown out of buidings. There were fires. Residents were left homeless. Even when the ration sizes were increased the civilians who had been waiting outside the bread bakeries since 3:00 a.m. could not get bread as there was insufficient water and no fuel to bake the bread. Bodies began piling up. Lethargy and exhaustion were the order of the day. Small Pox broke out, so did Typhus. Hunger drove some people to commit horrendous crimes including theft of rations, ration cards and cannibalism. Other people selflessly helped others, for example by helping those who collapsed in the snow, or by going house to house to collect children who had been orphaned and left without food. The performing arts fraternity provided whatever entertainment they could to lift the spirits of their fellow citizens. During one stage performance of The Three Musketeers one of the stars dropped dead, but the show continue with two musketeers. Poets Anna Akhmatova and Olga Berggolts did radio broadcasts. There was ballet, there was music. Sometimes the audience didn’t have enough energy to applaud, but would simply stand to show their appreciation.
“An inoculation programme was introduced and more than 400 disinfecting points were set up. Vitamin C was extracted from pine needles, and a drink was manufactured to combat scurvy. At the beginning of April Leningrad’s power generators were repaired. And on 15 April the trams started running again.” A massive cleaning operation was underway to remove bodies for burial in communal graves, and for cleaning the mounds of debris from the heavily shelled city. As spring appeared cabbages and potatoes were grown. Things started looking up (a little).
“At the beginning of April 1942 the Leningrad Front received a new commander, Lieutenant-General Leonid Govorov.” The very famous concert of Dmitri Shostakovich’s Seventh Symphony was to be conducted by Karl Eliasberg on the 9th August, 1942.** “The Germans had boasted that they would capture the city on 9 August and hold a victory celebration at Leningrad’s Astoria Hotel. The date for the Seventh Symphony’s premiere was thus deliberately chosen.” “And on 9 August 1942, several hours before the performance of Shostakovich’s Seventh Symphony began, he [Gogorov] ordered a barrage of shells to be fired at German gun emplacements. This was a most dramatic overture – Govorov had realised that lighting up the Philharmonic Hall for the concert would make it a target, and as a precaution he launched Operation Squall, blasting all the enemy’s artillery positions. The Germans were unable to recover in time to disrupt the concert. Govorov understood that the symphony would lift the morale of the defenders and shake the enemy’s confidence, so he set up radio transmitter dishes, ensuring that Red Army soldiers could easily listen to it, and also ordered the concert to be played on speakers pointing towards the German lines.”
In September 1942 the great Battle of Stalingrad was fought, and the tide turned. By early 1943 Leningrad was finally liberated. “On 6 February 1943 the first trainload of provisions arrived at Leningrad.”
Much of the information was initially suppressed. “Great leaders rally people at a time of crisis, and win over the dissident and the critic to the larger cause. Yet Leningrad’s collective unity had arisen from a remorseless policy of repression. ‘Even when there was no electric light, no water supply, no newspapers,’ Dmitry Likhachev recalled, ‘the authorities were still watching over us.’ It is this aspect of Leningrad’s story which has kept these events from being fully understood by the wider world until now, and which still bewilders and deters Western attempts to integrate Soviet heroism into the narrative of resistance to Nazism.”
Although I had previously read other accounts of the Leningrad Siege, this book kept me at the edge of my seat for three days. The story is told with pathos, and we read the words of those who were actually there. I have but scratched the surface, as the details are for you to read. Any errors in this review are my own.
#
Contents
Preface
Timeline
Bread Rations
Introduction
1. ‘An Almost Scientific Method’ The German Advance
2. ‘The Biggest Bag of Shit in the Army’ Attempts to Defend
3. The Butcher’s Hook Ordinary Civilians’ Experience
4. The Noose The Blockade Is Not Broken
5. Elena’s Sketchbook The Emerging Horror
6. The Abortionist The Onset of Mass Starvation
7. One Black Beret The Authorities Lose Control
8. The Road of Life Keeping Hope Alive
9. The Symphony Finding the Will to Survive
10. Operation Spark The Military Breakthrough
11. Something Necessary The Siege is Lifted
Epilogue
Notes
Bibliography
**Much has been written about this famous concert, including Julian Barnes’s wonderful novel The Noise of Time.
March 19, 2020
'I will talk to you during the artillery fire,' she said, 'lit by its glow . . . What can the enemy do — destroy, kill, that's it . . . but I can love. It is not possible to count the treasures of my soul. I will love and I will live.'
Michael Jones tells us about the 872-day siege of Leningrad.
Relying on an extensive collection of personal diaries collected by the Blockade Museum in Saint-Petersburg, he has also met visual witnesses (Andrei Krukov's and Elena Martilla's testimonies are the most salient ones). Significantly, the middle section of the book displays a range of sketches drawn by 18-y.o. Elena Martilla from the locals, stating more eloquently than any official history how they faced the harrowing situation they found themselves in... This book is about 'bringing humanity back into this extraordinary story and allow these lost voices to speak again'.
You are told as much about the general conduct of war, about the official bread ration throughout the war, about how some Leningraders carried on with their usual professions, about the power shortages, about the atrocious, hellish living conditions during the most grievous times of the blockade, spanning three months, from December 1941 to March 1942, when there was hardly any water, gas, power or food supplies, with average temperature around -30°C to -40°C.
1. The awful shortcomings of the Soviet Regime
Leningrad - State of Siege is also an account of the awful failure of the (local) Soviet authorities, and how they tried to hide the facts about starvation, and their hardly doing anything to assuage it during the 872-days siege. Michael Jones adresses official versions and redresses the history of the incredibly resilient Leningraders.
You can see how dreadfully unprepared both the militaries and the Soviet Premier were when the war broke out on 22 June 1941, how shockingly irresponsible Voroshilov and reckless Zhukov, two men in charge of the region's defenses. How utterly unforeseeing the city's authorities, constantly monitoring the citizens, but not ensuring the minimal food supply to the population during critical times. How fear and censorship totally paralyzed the decision process, preventing an efficient defense of Leningrad to be set up. It all gave way to foodstuffs diverted from those most in need of them, to theft, black market, and bribery. So much so that even the food supplies reaching Leningrad via daring convoys on frozen Ladoga Lake were mostly not reaching the famished and crucial evacuations forever postponed.
2.'Thousands were dying everyday but beleaguered Leningrad had somewhat stayed alive'
As you read excerpts from eyewitnesses' and inhabitants' personal diaries, you realise what allowed several hundred thousands to escape these abysmal odds: people were cultivating a purpose, a bond, a sense of responsibility towards their fellow sufferers in the city, achieving trust and self-belief. In turn, they managed to survive longer, propped by the sense of belonging to something larger than their weakened selves.
3. This book draws out efficiently the turning points in the conflict
You can refer to a short, summarized timeline, consult a bunch of maps to figure out the whole alarming situation of the city under siege.
Among the key events :
- The German capture of Shlisselburg, blockading and opening the siege of Leningrad (8 September 1941).
- First convoy of lorries bringing in supplies across Lake Ladoga's Road of Life (22 November 1941).
- Leonid Govorov taking command of the Leningrad Front (1 April 1942).
- Tram services resume along three routes in Leningrad (27 April 1942).
- Performance of Shostakovich's Seventh Symphony (9 August 1942).
- Operation Iskra breaks the German blockade in the 'Bottleneck' area from Shlisselburg to Siniavino (18 January 1943).
- The offensive led by Leonid Govorov secures the complete liberation of Leningrad
(27 January 1944).
---------
Throughout, there are remarkable instances of this wonderful Russian black humour and self-derision I have had the chance to confirm visiting present-day Petersburg in 2018.
My most sincere thanks to TBV for his kind and most pertinent recommendation.
Related works :
L'URSS de la Révolution à la mort de Staline, 1917-1953
A Writer at War: Vasily Grossman with the Red Army
Les Bienveillantes
Musical score :
Shostakovich's Seventh Symphony.
Michael Jones tells us about the 872-day siege of Leningrad.
Relying on an extensive collection of personal diaries collected by the Blockade Museum in Saint-Petersburg, he has also met visual witnesses (Andrei Krukov's and Elena Martilla's testimonies are the most salient ones). Significantly, the middle section of the book displays a range of sketches drawn by 18-y.o. Elena Martilla from the locals, stating more eloquently than any official history how they faced the harrowing situation they found themselves in... This book is about 'bringing humanity back into this extraordinary story and allow these lost voices to speak again'.
You are told as much about the general conduct of war, about the official bread ration throughout the war, about how some Leningraders carried on with their usual professions, about the power shortages, about the atrocious, hellish living conditions during the most grievous times of the blockade, spanning three months, from December 1941 to March 1942, when there was hardly any water, gas, power or food supplies, with average temperature around -30°C to -40°C.
1. The awful shortcomings of the Soviet Regime
Leningrad - State of Siege is also an account of the awful failure of the (local) Soviet authorities, and how they tried to hide the facts about starvation, and their hardly doing anything to assuage it during the 872-days siege. Michael Jones adresses official versions and redresses the history of the incredibly resilient Leningraders.
You can see how dreadfully unprepared both the militaries and the Soviet Premier were when the war broke out on 22 June 1941, how shockingly irresponsible Voroshilov and reckless Zhukov, two men in charge of the region's defenses. How utterly unforeseeing the city's authorities, constantly monitoring the citizens, but not ensuring the minimal food supply to the population during critical times. How fear and censorship totally paralyzed the decision process, preventing an efficient defense of Leningrad to be set up. It all gave way to foodstuffs diverted from those most in need of them, to theft, black market, and bribery. So much so that even the food supplies reaching Leningrad via daring convoys on frozen Ladoga Lake were mostly not reaching the famished and crucial evacuations forever postponed.
2.'Thousands were dying everyday but beleaguered Leningrad had somewhat stayed alive'
As you read excerpts from eyewitnesses' and inhabitants' personal diaries, you realise what allowed several hundred thousands to escape these abysmal odds: people were cultivating a purpose, a bond, a sense of responsibility towards their fellow sufferers in the city, achieving trust and self-belief. In turn, they managed to survive longer, propped by the sense of belonging to something larger than their weakened selves.
3. This book draws out efficiently the turning points in the conflict
You can refer to a short, summarized timeline, consult a bunch of maps to figure out the whole alarming situation of the city under siege.
Among the key events :
- The German capture of Shlisselburg, blockading and opening the siege of Leningrad (8 September 1941).
- First convoy of lorries bringing in supplies across Lake Ladoga's Road of Life (22 November 1941).
- Leonid Govorov taking command of the Leningrad Front (1 April 1942).
- Tram services resume along three routes in Leningrad (27 April 1942).
- Performance of Shostakovich's Seventh Symphony (9 August 1942).
- Operation Iskra breaks the German blockade in the 'Bottleneck' area from Shlisselburg to Siniavino (18 January 1943).
- The offensive led by Leonid Govorov secures the complete liberation of Leningrad
(27 January 1944).
---------
Throughout, there are remarkable instances of this wonderful Russian black humour and self-derision I have had the chance to confirm visiting present-day Petersburg in 2018.
My most sincere thanks to TBV for his kind and most pertinent recommendation.
Related works :
L'URSS de la Révolution à la mort de Staline, 1917-1953
A Writer at War: Vasily Grossman with the Red Army
Les Bienveillantes
Musical score :
Shostakovich's Seventh Symphony.
January 7, 2020
Leningrad: A State of Siege by Michael Jones is an endearing history about the almost superhuman endurance of the people of Leningrad during the Nazi siege that lasted over two years.
Told with a historian’s candor and eye for detail but without the stuffiness and encyclopedia like statistical dreariness that bogs down other scholarly histories, especially military history. What stands out is the precarious spot in which the Leningraders found themselves: between the Scylla of the cruel, merciless Nazi aggression and the Charybdis of the incompetent paranoia and bureaucratic ineptitude of the Soviet state.
Responding to incomparable stress and a daily struggle to persist, the people of the city, through Jones’ exceptional narration, leave us with an inspirational tale of fortitude and an unconquerable will to not just survive, but to live and hold onto their humanity.
The most powerful scenes in the book are when the citizens of Leningrad, starving and being led by an emaciated conductor, gathered for a symphony performance while the Nazis listened from their trenches.
Told with a historian’s candor and eye for detail but without the stuffiness and encyclopedia like statistical dreariness that bogs down other scholarly histories, especially military history. What stands out is the precarious spot in which the Leningraders found themselves: between the Scylla of the cruel, merciless Nazi aggression and the Charybdis of the incompetent paranoia and bureaucratic ineptitude of the Soviet state.
Responding to incomparable stress and a daily struggle to persist, the people of the city, through Jones’ exceptional narration, leave us with an inspirational tale of fortitude and an unconquerable will to not just survive, but to live and hold onto their humanity.
The most powerful scenes in the book are when the citizens of Leningrad, starving and being led by an emaciated conductor, gathered for a symphony performance while the Nazis listened from their trenches.
February 18, 2021
This is my third book in a little over a year that I’ve read about the Siege of Leningrad and in none of them did they have much to say about just how the Germans carried it out and maintained it for so long. This book gives some explanation as it shows just how the Russians cocked it up pretty badly from the start of Operation Barbarosa, “a colossal assault involving three million German troops and thousands of tanks and planes, advancing along an 1,800-mile front running from the Baltic to the Black Sea.
The Soviet military began by trying to ignore the invasion and pretend it wasn’t happening.
Marshal Timoshenko, the Soviet Union’s defence minister, came on to the line. ‘Prepare our troops for war - but do not engage,’ Timoshenko said carefully. Then, struggling to master his emotions, he repeated several times, ‘We must not be provocative. Under no circumstances must our troops retaliate.’
Marshal Kliment Voroshilov, was one of Leningrad’s defenders until his incompetence could no longer be ignored.
Nikita Khrushchev produced a blunter appraisal, succinctly describing him as ‘the biggest bag of shit in the army’.
To find the roots of the Soviet military problems, you’d have to rewind back to the end of May 1937, when a highly decorated and effective general named Tukachevsky was arrested and tortured, a confession extracted, and then shot. A bloody purge of the Red Army followed with thousands of able officers murdered leaving the Soviet army in chaos.
Stalin initially assigned General Zhukov to defend Leningrad, but he made a disastrous miscalculation. Erroneously believing that the Germans still intended to capture the city, he pushed his soldiers into a series of wasteful assaults against the enemy instead of preparing for a siege. By the time the city realized the German tactic, it was too late and Russia was hanging on by a thread, from Leningrad to Moscow, to parts south.
This book’s description of the suffering of the citizens of Leningrad will make you appreciate every bite of food you shovel into your fat gob, at least it did for me, at least for a meal or two. I am reminded of this quote from Antony Beevor’s The Fall of Berlin 1945) of a British soldier who was held captive by the Germans and witnessed the Russian entry into the German capital, “I’ll forgive the Russians absolutely anything they do to this country when they arrive. Absolutely anything.”
For the Germans, Leningrad wasn’t even a military target, they were there to destroy the city and murder its occupants, plain and simple. Genocide. They meant to starve the city, and they did, but they never finished the job. Until even after the siege had been lifted, the German army targeted civilians in their attacks.
At the end of July the Germans commenced a series of spite artillery attacks, firing in short, concentrated bursts and singling out civilian targets.
But history was on the side of the Soviets in WWII.
At 11.00 p.m. on 18 January (1944) a communiqué was read over the radio to the besieged city. It announced simply: ‘The blockade of Leningrad has been broken.’
But Stalin ensured that the celebrations were muted. The Soviet leader did not want the rest of the country to learn the extent of the tragedy suffered by Leningrad, or to ask how so many people had been left to starve to death. ‘No one seems to have the remotest idea of what the city has gone through. They say that Leningraders are heroes, but they don’t know what that heroism consisted of. They don’t know that we starved, they don’t know that people were dying of hunger.
At 8.00 p.m. on 27 January Govorov proudly announced: ‘The city of Leningrad has been entirely liberated.’ The 872-day siege was over.
A thus began the Soviets' inexorable march to Berlin.
The Soviet military began by trying to ignore the invasion and pretend it wasn’t happening.
Marshal Timoshenko, the Soviet Union’s defence minister, came on to the line. ‘Prepare our troops for war - but do not engage,’ Timoshenko said carefully. Then, struggling to master his emotions, he repeated several times, ‘We must not be provocative. Under no circumstances must our troops retaliate.’
Marshal Kliment Voroshilov, was one of Leningrad’s defenders until his incompetence could no longer be ignored.
Nikita Khrushchev produced a blunter appraisal, succinctly describing him as ‘the biggest bag of shit in the army’.
To find the roots of the Soviet military problems, you’d have to rewind back to the end of May 1937, when a highly decorated and effective general named Tukachevsky was arrested and tortured, a confession extracted, and then shot. A bloody purge of the Red Army followed with thousands of able officers murdered leaving the Soviet army in chaos.
Stalin initially assigned General Zhukov to defend Leningrad, but he made a disastrous miscalculation. Erroneously believing that the Germans still intended to capture the city, he pushed his soldiers into a series of wasteful assaults against the enemy instead of preparing for a siege. By the time the city realized the German tactic, it was too late and Russia was hanging on by a thread, from Leningrad to Moscow, to parts south.
This book’s description of the suffering of the citizens of Leningrad will make you appreciate every bite of food you shovel into your fat gob, at least it did for me, at least for a meal or two. I am reminded of this quote from Antony Beevor’s The Fall of Berlin 1945) of a British soldier who was held captive by the Germans and witnessed the Russian entry into the German capital, “I’ll forgive the Russians absolutely anything they do to this country when they arrive. Absolutely anything.”
For the Germans, Leningrad wasn’t even a military target, they were there to destroy the city and murder its occupants, plain and simple. Genocide. They meant to starve the city, and they did, but they never finished the job. Until even after the siege had been lifted, the German army targeted civilians in their attacks.
At the end of July the Germans commenced a series of spite artillery attacks, firing in short, concentrated bursts and singling out civilian targets.
But history was on the side of the Soviets in WWII.
At 11.00 p.m. on 18 January (1944) a communiqué was read over the radio to the besieged city. It announced simply: ‘The blockade of Leningrad has been broken.’
But Stalin ensured that the celebrations were muted. The Soviet leader did not want the rest of the country to learn the extent of the tragedy suffered by Leningrad, or to ask how so many people had been left to starve to death. ‘No one seems to have the remotest idea of what the city has gone through. They say that Leningraders are heroes, but they don’t know what that heroism consisted of. They don’t know that we starved, they don’t know that people were dying of hunger.
At 8.00 p.m. on 27 January Govorov proudly announced: ‘The city of Leningrad has been entirely liberated.’ The 872-day siege was over.
A thus began the Soviets' inexorable march to Berlin.
February 6, 2010
This is a decent book covering the World War Two siege of Leningrad. The book is full of first-hand accounts from those caught in the city and besieged by the German Army who had adopted a deliberate policy of starving the city to death. It’s not an in-depth military history, for that you will have to look elsewhere (David Glantz and Harrison Salisbury).
Most of the accounts are from Russian civilians caught up in this terrible siege and generally cover the slow starvation of the city and its affects on the population. Some of the stories are fairly horrific with accounts of cannibalism and murder as morals break down with those slowly starving to death. The book is full of sad and terrible accounts with the occasional uplifting story of the human spirit persevering against all odds.
One thing with this book was that I was quite taken back with the ineptitude of the Soviet command within the city and the abuse of power of those who made decisions affecting the lives of so many innocent people. While those in position of authority stuffed themselves with delicacies the average person tried to survive on an adulterated bread ration as low as 150 grams.
Overall a decent account of this terrible WW2 siege, but for those who want more on the military aspects of the siege of Leningrad they may need to look elsewhere.
Most of the accounts are from Russian civilians caught up in this terrible siege and generally cover the slow starvation of the city and its affects on the population. Some of the stories are fairly horrific with accounts of cannibalism and murder as morals break down with those slowly starving to death. The book is full of sad and terrible accounts with the occasional uplifting story of the human spirit persevering against all odds.
One thing with this book was that I was quite taken back with the ineptitude of the Soviet command within the city and the abuse of power of those who made decisions affecting the lives of so many innocent people. While those in position of authority stuffed themselves with delicacies the average person tried to survive on an adulterated bread ration as low as 150 grams.
Overall a decent account of this terrible WW2 siege, but for those who want more on the military aspects of the siege of Leningrad they may need to look elsewhere.
August 27, 2013
-Sobre la Ciudad Heroica y más sobre las experiencias de los implicados que puramente bélica.-
Género. Historia.
Lo que nos cuenta. Relato de los acontecimientos que rodearon los 872 días de asedio de la ciudad de Leningrado durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial, desde septiembre de 1941 cuando el Grupo de Ejércitos Norte cierra el cerco y se aplica la estrategia de evitar asaltos o rendiciones con la intención de resolver el asunto condenando a los residentes a morir de hambre, pasando por la ruptura del bloqueo durante la Operación Centella, hasta la liberación completa de los alrededores de la ciudad alejando el frente de sus aledaños.
¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:
http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...
Género. Historia.
Lo que nos cuenta. Relato de los acontecimientos que rodearon los 872 días de asedio de la ciudad de Leningrado durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial, desde septiembre de 1941 cuando el Grupo de Ejércitos Norte cierra el cerco y se aplica la estrategia de evitar asaltos o rendiciones con la intención de resolver el asunto condenando a los residentes a morir de hambre, pasando por la ruptura del bloqueo durante la Operación Centella, hasta la liberación completa de los alrededores de la ciudad alejando el frente de sus aledaños.
¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:
http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...
June 4, 2022
Just ok, a very depressing window into the schizophrenic Soviet side of the siege of Leningrad. I appreciated the detailed story of how Tukhachevsky came to his untimely end at the hands of lesser men and the tragedy that befell Leningrad due to his absence. The siege story is a mix of human courage under fire and human depravity by the Germans and by the Soviet leadership. 2 Stars
November 28, 2021
Westerners tend to think of their losses, sacrifices, etc., when thinking about WWII, and Americans in particular like to "brag" on how not only did they save the world twice in less than 35 years, but "won" WWII. I'm an American with family who fought in that horrible war, who went in on D-Day and suffered terrible wounds and casualties, so I'm not trying to make light of this situation, nor am I a Russian "fan," commie supporter, etc., as some might accuse me upon reading this. But if you study WWII, the US certainly played a big role, and really carried the war in the far west late in the game, but as for Europe, well, we didn't come close to suffering the horrible atrocities, suffering and losses the Russians did. Not even close. The US, in total, lost slightly over 400,000 people in the war, a horrible figure to be sure. But Russia, or the Soviet Union, suffered roughly 10 Million military deaths and combined with civilian deaths, the total was closer to 25 MILLION, which basically makes all of the other countries fighting in that theater look like they were going to a high school dance, because if you want to read about some true atrocities (aside from the Holocaust itself, of course), study the Leningrad and Stalingrad campaigns. We love to laud Patton as an ass kicker, and he was a charismatic leader, but he had nothing on the Soviets, whose Field Marshal Zhukov beat the shit out of the Germans while driving them back to Berlin where the Germans surrendered to him personally. I don't write this to mock my own country, nor to disrespect our losses and sacrifices. But I've basically had it with "patriots" who love to talk about how America kicked everyone's ass in WWII while saving the world when we barely partook of the majority of the years, battles and campaigns other countries did, and while our civilians at home had nothing to worry about as opposed to nearly all European countries, as well as many in the Pacific theater. If you are unaware of these facts, I advise you to read this book, read another on Stalingrad I have listed in my bookshelves here, and anything else educational, because it really opens the eyes and makes one appreciate just how horrible things were on the eastern front, and how many people in other countries might be justified in arguing that it was the Soviets and not the Americans who won the war... Recommended.
July 2, 2025
Read. Eat. Be happy.
November 7, 2017
Dentro de las innumerables batallas que se dieron durante la campaña oriental de la Segunda Guerra Mundial, una de las más brutales, despiadadas e inhumanas tal vez fue el sitio de Leningrado. 872 días soportaron sus habitantes lo inenarrable entre fríos inviernos rusos, bombardeos constantes alemanes, incompetencia de los funcionarios soviéticos, hambrunas despiadadas, raciones que ni siquiera superaban los 125 gramos de pan por persona, saqueos, canibalismo, ausencia de electricidad, calefacción, agua corriente o alcantarillado... muerte, desolación y destrucción por doquier. La tragedia humana vivida en dicho asedio es descrita con soltura, amenidad y erudición por parte del historiador inglés Michael Jones, quien se detiene lo justo en los aspectos militares y se dedica a narrar la tragedia humana de uno de los peores asedios de la historia humana. A partir de cartas, diarios y entrevistas con los sobrevivientes, Jones reconstruye el día a día de los habitantes y refugiados de la ciudad, y el espiral de locura y deshumanización en la que muchos cayeron cuando el hambre se empezó a apoderar de Leningrado, con desgarradores testimonios sobre la serie de porquerías a las que la gente tuvo que acudir para suplir la ausencia de calorías, incluido el canibalismo. Pero más aterrador que eso, resulta el relato de la cruel indiferencia de las autoridades de Leningrado y los miembros del partido comunista hacia el sufrimiento de sus habitantes, su ineptitud e incapacidad para mantener la ciudad abastecida y repeler el asalto alemán.
Un libro que tal vez no gustará a quienes buscan más información sobre tácticas e historia militar, pues contiene lo justo para contextualizar al lector, pero que resulta ampliamente recomendado para todos aquellos que buscan conocer la historia a partir de los testimonios directos de quienes padecieron en carne propia los sufrimientos de la Segunda Guerra Mundial. Un testimonio de lo que padeció el pueblo de Leningrado, de su resistencia, de su supervivencia y ante todo, de su esfuerzo para mantener su humanidad.
"Lo que soportó y venció Leningrado trascendió la lucha de la Segunda Guerra Mundial. El increíble heroísmo de la ciudad pertenece a una escala más grandiosa e intemporal".
Un libro que tal vez no gustará a quienes buscan más información sobre tácticas e historia militar, pues contiene lo justo para contextualizar al lector, pero que resulta ampliamente recomendado para todos aquellos que buscan conocer la historia a partir de los testimonios directos de quienes padecieron en carne propia los sufrimientos de la Segunda Guerra Mundial. Un testimonio de lo que padeció el pueblo de Leningrado, de su resistencia, de su supervivencia y ante todo, de su esfuerzo para mantener su humanidad.
"Lo que soportó y venció Leningrado trascendió la lucha de la Segunda Guerra Mundial. El increíble heroísmo de la ciudad pertenece a una escala más grandiosa e intemporal".
June 27, 2016
3.5 stars.
I can't read books about WWII and not be sucked into it, be shocked by it and touched by the heroism of the victims and survivors.
This non-fiction book tells the story of the siege of Leningrad.
The horrible 900 days siege (two and a half years!!) that started soon after the Nazis declared war on Russia.
Most of the book is told from diaries of survivors of the siege, people who died in the siege, soldiers and historians.
It is shocking and humbling at once.
The first chapter tells the story of the invasion (operation Barbarossa) from the POV of surviving German soldiers or diaries of fallen ones.
The second chapter is the story of the invasion from Red Army soldiers POV.
The next chapter is mostly about the leaders of Leningrad. Of how they operated, their twisted way of thinking, how human lives meant almost nothing for them...
Of how Stalin's paranoia made him chose the wrong and under qualified ppl to lead the city and the army, only because he knew they won't betray *him*.
Then, we got to the part of the people of Leningrad.
The unbelievable acts of heroism, desperation, sadness...
Also the ugly side of the starvation, the ppl who ate books, wallpapers, glue.
The fear, the cold of the winter, of living at -40 degrees, with no electricity, no petrol, no running water.
Of small children fighting it all by themselves, after everyone around them died...
The last part is of the Russians FINALY getting the upper hand, the "victory", and how the survivors of Leningrad did their best to move on after the years of horror.
Very very informative book, but it is not written in a way that "moved" me as deep as it should.
Many parts written too "dry" for my liking, and some parts where repetitive.
Still a good book about Operation Barbarossa and the siege of Leningrad.
I can't read books about WWII and not be sucked into it, be shocked by it and touched by the heroism of the victims and survivors.
This non-fiction book tells the story of the siege of Leningrad.
The horrible 900 days siege (two and a half years!!) that started soon after the Nazis declared war on Russia.
Most of the book is told from diaries of survivors of the siege, people who died in the siege, soldiers and historians.
It is shocking and humbling at once.
The first chapter tells the story of the invasion (operation Barbarossa) from the POV of surviving German soldiers or diaries of fallen ones.
The second chapter is the story of the invasion from Red Army soldiers POV.
The next chapter is mostly about the leaders of Leningrad. Of how they operated, their twisted way of thinking, how human lives meant almost nothing for them...
Of how Stalin's paranoia made him chose the wrong and under qualified ppl to lead the city and the army, only because he knew they won't betray *him*.
Then, we got to the part of the people of Leningrad.
The unbelievable acts of heroism, desperation, sadness...
Also the ugly side of the starvation, the ppl who ate books, wallpapers, glue.
The fear, the cold of the winter, of living at -40 degrees, with no electricity, no petrol, no running water.
Of small children fighting it all by themselves, after everyone around them died...
The last part is of the Russians FINALY getting the upper hand, the "victory", and how the survivors of Leningrad did their best to move on after the years of horror.
Very very informative book, but it is not written in a way that "moved" me as deep as it should.
Many parts written too "dry" for my liking, and some parts where repetitive.
Still a good book about Operation Barbarossa and the siege of Leningrad.
March 28, 2014
A decent account of the siege of Leningrad but with many grammatical errors in the kindle version.
If you are wanting to read this fascinating read about a very important date in history than I would highly recommend either the paperback or hardback version.
P.s This book would have got 4stars if it was not for the grammatical errors.
If you are wanting to read this fascinating read about a very important date in history than I would highly recommend either the paperback or hardback version.
P.s This book would have got 4stars if it was not for the grammatical errors.
May 20, 2023
Excelente descripción del asedio de Leningrado, con énfasis en el padecimiento de la población civil pero sin descuidar los aspectos militares.
May 21, 2016
The Michael Jones' book, of the siege of Leningrad, the city founded for Czar Peter the great; but no about the military history of the siege, he writes account of the experiences of the people, starvation, cold, canibalism.
Jones show us a picture of the worst situation for the Leningrad's people; one book based on interviews, contemporary accounts and diaries, a new perspective about Salisbury's The 900 Days. Highly recommended.
Jones show us a picture of the worst situation for the Leningrad's people; one book based on interviews, contemporary accounts and diaries, a new perspective about Salisbury's The 900 Days. Highly recommended.
March 19, 2022
It is 0521 and I have just finished this book. It has been a harrowing experience. No words of mine could possibly describe the torture of the population of Leningrad over the 872 days of the Siege. Read the book.
February 28, 2021
Libro que se queda muy corto. Al menos en la edición española, se vende como una historia completa del sitio pero no deja de ser una colección de testimonios hilados de una docena de personas que vivieron el cerco. Por ello carece de cualquier contexto militar, político, diplomático e incluso social y deja sin analizar aspectos imprescindibles para comprender mínimamente el por qué y el cómo de todo lo que sucedió. No se analiza el papel de los finlandeses, de la logística, de las prioridades de abastecimiento soviéticas, etc. Además, está plagado de lugares comunes como los múltiples "puntos de inflexión" que señala el autor, las ingentes energías positivas que encuentran los autores de los testimonios y lo de puntillas que se pasa por los aspectos moralmente negativos del asedio en los que los protagonistas nunca participaron, por supuesto. En definitiva, si se busca un libro de testimonios cumple, pero si se busca una obra profunda y analítica no llega ni a la superficie.
November 19, 2020
872 días de asedio de la ciudad de Leningrado durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial
Grandes historias, historias tristes, desgarradoras
Nos cuenta la historia del sitio tanto del lado soviético como del lado alemán, desde que se cerró el cerco en 1941, la forma de resistir de la gente de la ciudad y como pasa en todos lados los altos mandos y algunas personas seguían teniendo acceso a la comida como si nada sucediera.
Me gustó el libro, entretiene y no cansa la lectura, si hay algunas partes que llegan a cansar pero son muy pocas.
Recomendado el libro para conocer de manera general sin adentrarse tanto en la parte militar.
Grandes historias, historias tristes, desgarradoras
Nos cuenta la historia del sitio tanto del lado soviético como del lado alemán, desde que se cerró el cerco en 1941, la forma de resistir de la gente de la ciudad y como pasa en todos lados los altos mandos y algunas personas seguían teniendo acceso a la comida como si nada sucediera.
Me gustó el libro, entretiene y no cansa la lectura, si hay algunas partes que llegan a cansar pero son muy pocas.
Recomendado el libro para conocer de manera general sin adentrarse tanto en la parte militar.
March 9, 2020
Sotahistoria ei kaipaa kuorrutuksia, vierastan kirjailijan tapaa värittää henkilökohtaloita omalla tulkinnalla. Kuvat, päiväkirjat, faktat olisivat riittäneet. Piiritys sinällään jo tarpeeksi karu tarina.
October 21, 2017
Un frickin' believable. How can humans behave like this towards each other? Why is this story not taught in US schools?
September 10, 2024
De todos los autores de todos los testimonios de la guerra este me parece el mejor, hace que acompañes a los situados en su día a dia
December 5, 2019
Some good oral accounts of the siege but the author certainly has a western bias.
April 25, 2020
How does one keep their humanity in the mist of a great inhumanity? How does one stay human during war, famine or pestilence?
Only history can show us how and in Michael Jones book Leningrad we see some examples. Michael Jones covers the siege from the invasion of the Soviet Union until it is finally broken in early 1944. Only the first chapter focuses on the Germans and their deliberate policy of starvation of the large city. Jones focuses mainly on the city and its citizens themselves. The people were caught between a war of annihilation and a government that proved to be incompetent and no where near up to the task. If the Soviet authorities had truly been of the people than many lives would have been spared by planning ahead. The corruption at the top in Leningrad is the most startling feature for me in this book. They lived well, while the people died of hunger and cold. Much of that story would be suppressed by the government and a mythology would replace the truth.
The Soviets admitted only over 600,000 died during the siege but the real numbers could have been 3 times higher. In the 3 month span from January 1942- March as many as 25,000 people were dying each day. Food at this point was reaching the city but the local government didn't know how or didn't care to get it to the people. The stories of cannibalism, of parents killing their own children for food in their famine madness, are truly scary as the people of Leningrad were as normal as in other cities.
At the same time there are acts of kindness during the worst of times in the siege that make one realize that despite all the privations, some will always feel for their fellow human. What is remarkable to me was the people of Leningrad striving to maintain some sort of civilization and culture. To not lose their identity in the mist of one of the worst times anyone has been through.
The siege of Leningrad is not as well know in the west but it should be. Michael Jones book here is an excellent introduction to a very dark time. I highly recommend this very readable book.
Only history can show us how and in Michael Jones book Leningrad we see some examples. Michael Jones covers the siege from the invasion of the Soviet Union until it is finally broken in early 1944. Only the first chapter focuses on the Germans and their deliberate policy of starvation of the large city. Jones focuses mainly on the city and its citizens themselves. The people were caught between a war of annihilation and a government that proved to be incompetent and no where near up to the task. If the Soviet authorities had truly been of the people than many lives would have been spared by planning ahead. The corruption at the top in Leningrad is the most startling feature for me in this book. They lived well, while the people died of hunger and cold. Much of that story would be suppressed by the government and a mythology would replace the truth.
The Soviets admitted only over 600,000 died during the siege but the real numbers could have been 3 times higher. In the 3 month span from January 1942- March as many as 25,000 people were dying each day. Food at this point was reaching the city but the local government didn't know how or didn't care to get it to the people. The stories of cannibalism, of parents killing their own children for food in their famine madness, are truly scary as the people of Leningrad were as normal as in other cities.
At the same time there are acts of kindness during the worst of times in the siege that make one realize that despite all the privations, some will always feel for their fellow human. What is remarkable to me was the people of Leningrad striving to maintain some sort of civilization and culture. To not lose their identity in the mist of one of the worst times anyone has been through.
The siege of Leningrad is not as well know in the west but it should be. Michael Jones book here is an excellent introduction to a very dark time. I highly recommend this very readable book.
April 4, 2020
Focused on the front end of the siege, Jones relates the suffering of Leningrad well. Sketching out the military aspects of the commanders and armies in the first two chapters, the remainder of the book is dedicated to suffering and surviving. It is unimaginable to me how one endures temperatures of negative 20 or negative 30 degrees Fahrenheit for months at a time with no central heating, little or no firewood, cardboard or blankets draped across shattered windows, eating nothing but a few slices of lumpy bread, boiled wallpaper paste, scones made of used coffee grounds, chewing on leather belts to give the illusion of eating.
It is unimaginable to me to think of running from a cannibal, axe in hand down a narrow alleyway.
Don't forget the Germans are trying to kill you with shelling and bombing, too.
If you like survival horror stories, even if you don't like military history, give this one a go.
It is unimaginable to me to think of running from a cannibal, axe in hand down a narrow alleyway.
Don't forget the Germans are trying to kill you with shelling and bombing, too.
If you like survival horror stories, even if you don't like military history, give this one a go.
November 8, 2010
Jones has done a large amount of research to write about the suffering of Leningrad's population during World War II. The Soviets after the war tried to repress the tale because of how grim the situation was in Leningrad. The book does a great job explaining how the tactics by both sides that led to siege of Leningrad. The first three chapters explain the war and then Jones starts telling the stories of those trapped in Leningrad.
The book seemed to get bogged down in the middle by the sheer number of stories and some repetition of similar stories. Jones does a great job of not holding back and telling some truly horrific stories. The last third of the book was my favorite, the orchestra, and the triumph of the human spirit really was an amazing read.
If you are at all interested in history, anthropology, survivor horror, or human nature you need to read this book. This is a story that needs to be told and if you can handle the subject matter you really should pick this up and read it.
The book seemed to get bogged down in the middle by the sheer number of stories and some repetition of similar stories. Jones does a great job of not holding back and telling some truly horrific stories. The last third of the book was my favorite, the orchestra, and the triumph of the human spirit really was an amazing read.
If you are at all interested in history, anthropology, survivor horror, or human nature you need to read this book. This is a story that needs to be told and if you can handle the subject matter you really should pick this up and read it.
July 13, 2021
Jonesin kirja ei täytä mielestäni kriittisen historiantutkimuksen kriteereitä, eikä hän edes pyri neutraaliin ilmaisuun. Jonesin kirjaa kannattaakin lähestyä enemmänkin kunnianosoituksena niitä tavallisia sinnikkäitä leningradilaisia kohtaan, jotka onnistuivat säilyttämään toivonkipinän ja inhimillisyytensä kauhujen keskellä. Jones antaa heille äänen. Suosittelen ehdottomasti kirjaa kaikille toisesta maailmasodasta ja Leningradin piirityksestä kiinnostuneille.
Siviilien kohtalo piiritetyssä Leningradissa oli toisen maailmansodan kauhujen ja inhimillisen kärsimyksen keskelläkin suorastaan järkyttävä. Arvioiden mukaan lähes 900 päivää kestäneen piirityksen aikana kuoli yli miljoona ihmistä. Suurin osa nääntyi nälkään, tai kuoli nälän heikentämänä kulkutauteihin. Olen lukenut useita keskitysleirikuvauksia ja ne tulivat mieleen, kun luin miten toivottoman kamalaa elämä oli etenkin ensimmäisenä piiritystalvena. On vaikea käsittää miten osa ihmistä kykeni silti säilyttämään ihmisyytensä ja elämänhalunsa moisissa oloissa.
Ei tullut yllätyksenä, että neuvostojärjestelmä kontribuoi itse murhenäytelmään. Epäpätevät politrukit etunenässä Vorosilov ja Zdanov laiminlöivät puolustuksen organisoinnin eivätkä esimerkiksi hajauttaneet kaupungin ruokavarastoja. Natsit tuhosivat Badajevin varastot pommituksin ja pyrkivät tuhoamaan myös voimalaitokset ja vedenjakelun. Kaupungin ympärille oli helppo kiristää hirttosilmukka. Myös marsalkka Zukov teki isoja virheitä, kun ei ymmärtänyt natsien strategiaa. Hitler ei aikonutkaan vallata kaupunkia, vaan näännyttää sen nälkään ja tauteihin. Nevan sillanpääasemaan takertuminen ja sen pitäminen sotilaiden kuolemanloukkona hämmästyttää. Pienelle maanpläntille lähetettiin lukematon määrä sotilaita kuolemaan täysin turhaan. Myös typerät ja toivottovat piirityksen murtoyritykset tuntuvat hirvittävältä ihmishenkien haaskaukselta. No, eipä se ihmishenki mitään painakaan totalitaarisessa järjestelmässä. Miehistöuhrauksista ei yksinkertaisesti tarvinnut välittää.
Epäpätevä, lähinnä omasta asemastaan kiinnostunut virkakoneisto aiheutti osaltaan pahimman nälkäkatastrofin talvella 1941-1942 organisoimalla ruoanjakelun täysin kelvottomasti. Eliitti kyllä huolehti, että sille itselleen riitti Smolnassa ruokaa ja muita ylellisyyksiä. Samaan aikaan kaupungissa kuoli 20 000 ihmistä viikossa. Ruumiita oli joka paikassa. Kannibalismi rehotti. Kaupunkiin syntyi pimeät ihmislihan markkinat. Pöyristyttävää.
Virkamieskoneisto kämmäsi pahemman kerran myös siviilien evakuoinnin. Kurkkua kuristi lukea kuinka täydellisesti juuri ennen piiritysrenkaan sulkeutumista tehty lasten evakuointi epäonnistui. Lapsien mukaan ei ehditty esimerkiksi antaa tunnistetietoja. Tiedot kirjoitettiin hätäisesti käsivarteen tussilla ja merkinnät pyyhkityivät pois. Olisi siis ollut mahdotonta enää koskaan palauttaa lapsia perheisiinsä. Evakkomatkaa tehtiin puutteellisella ruoalla ja juomalla. Hyvin pian, vielä lähellä Leningradia matka päättyi Saksalaisten massiiviseen pommitukseen. Muutamat eloonjääneet lapset palasivat hysteerisinä Leningradiin. Yleisesti ottaen lasten kohtalot olivat kirjan murheellisinta osuutta. Ajoittain tätä kirjaa oli mahdoton lukea itkemättä.
Elämän tieksi nimetty reitti Laatokan yli oli leningradilaisten suussa Kuoleman tie. Olosuhteet talvisen Laatokan selällä olivat kirjaimellisesti jäätävät. Pakkasta saattoi olla 40 astetta. Huolto- ja evakuointiautoja upposi varsinkin alussa jäiden ollessa vielä liian heikkoja. Huoltoautoja ajavat kuskit ajoivat usein ohjaamon kopin ovi auki, jotta he olisivat valmiita hyppäämään kyydistä mikäli auto vajoaisi jäihin. Kaupungista pois vietävät siviilit joutuivat taittamaan matkaa kauhistuttavissa ja hengenvaarallisissa olosuhteissa roikkuen autojen katoilla.
Kuvaukset kulttuurin merkityksestä kuitenkin elähdyttävät. Kurjuuden ja toivottomuuden keskellä osa leningradilaisista jatkoi tutkimuksentekoa ja opiskelua. Kirjastossa käytiin lukemassa, vaikka sinne tuuperruttiin nälästä, joskus jopa kuoltiin kirjan ääreen. Musiikillinen komediateatteri piti ovensa auki, vaikka näyttelijät olivat nälän heikentämiä ja jatkuvat pommitukset piinasivat kaupunkia. Ihan oma lukunsa on toki myös Sostakovitsin Leningrad-sinfonian esittäminen elokuussa 1942 keskeltä piiritettyä kaupunkia. Leningradin piiritys todistaa, että totisesti ihminen ei elä yksin leivästä!
Siviilien kohtalo piiritetyssä Leningradissa oli toisen maailmansodan kauhujen ja inhimillisen kärsimyksen keskelläkin suorastaan järkyttävä. Arvioiden mukaan lähes 900 päivää kestäneen piirityksen aikana kuoli yli miljoona ihmistä. Suurin osa nääntyi nälkään, tai kuoli nälän heikentämänä kulkutauteihin. Olen lukenut useita keskitysleirikuvauksia ja ne tulivat mieleen, kun luin miten toivottoman kamalaa elämä oli etenkin ensimmäisenä piiritystalvena. On vaikea käsittää miten osa ihmistä kykeni silti säilyttämään ihmisyytensä ja elämänhalunsa moisissa oloissa.
Ei tullut yllätyksenä, että neuvostojärjestelmä kontribuoi itse murhenäytelmään. Epäpätevät politrukit etunenässä Vorosilov ja Zdanov laiminlöivät puolustuksen organisoinnin eivätkä esimerkiksi hajauttaneet kaupungin ruokavarastoja. Natsit tuhosivat Badajevin varastot pommituksin ja pyrkivät tuhoamaan myös voimalaitokset ja vedenjakelun. Kaupungin ympärille oli helppo kiristää hirttosilmukka. Myös marsalkka Zukov teki isoja virheitä, kun ei ymmärtänyt natsien strategiaa. Hitler ei aikonutkaan vallata kaupunkia, vaan näännyttää sen nälkään ja tauteihin. Nevan sillanpääasemaan takertuminen ja sen pitäminen sotilaiden kuolemanloukkona hämmästyttää. Pienelle maanpläntille lähetettiin lukematon määrä sotilaita kuolemaan täysin turhaan. Myös typerät ja toivottovat piirityksen murtoyritykset tuntuvat hirvittävältä ihmishenkien haaskaukselta. No, eipä se ihmishenki mitään painakaan totalitaarisessa järjestelmässä. Miehistöuhrauksista ei yksinkertaisesti tarvinnut välittää.
Epäpätevä, lähinnä omasta asemastaan kiinnostunut virkakoneisto aiheutti osaltaan pahimman nälkäkatastrofin talvella 1941-1942 organisoimalla ruoanjakelun täysin kelvottomasti. Eliitti kyllä huolehti, että sille itselleen riitti Smolnassa ruokaa ja muita ylellisyyksiä. Samaan aikaan kaupungissa kuoli 20 000 ihmistä viikossa. Ruumiita oli joka paikassa. Kannibalismi rehotti. Kaupunkiin syntyi pimeät ihmislihan markkinat. Pöyristyttävää.
Virkamieskoneisto kämmäsi pahemman kerran myös siviilien evakuoinnin. Kurkkua kuristi lukea kuinka täydellisesti juuri ennen piiritysrenkaan sulkeutumista tehty lasten evakuointi epäonnistui. Lapsien mukaan ei ehditty esimerkiksi antaa tunnistetietoja. Tiedot kirjoitettiin hätäisesti käsivarteen tussilla ja merkinnät pyyhkityivät pois. Olisi siis ollut mahdotonta enää koskaan palauttaa lapsia perheisiinsä. Evakkomatkaa tehtiin puutteellisella ruoalla ja juomalla. Hyvin pian, vielä lähellä Leningradia matka päättyi Saksalaisten massiiviseen pommitukseen. Muutamat eloonjääneet lapset palasivat hysteerisinä Leningradiin. Yleisesti ottaen lasten kohtalot olivat kirjan murheellisinta osuutta. Ajoittain tätä kirjaa oli mahdoton lukea itkemättä.
Elämän tieksi nimetty reitti Laatokan yli oli leningradilaisten suussa Kuoleman tie. Olosuhteet talvisen Laatokan selällä olivat kirjaimellisesti jäätävät. Pakkasta saattoi olla 40 astetta. Huolto- ja evakuointiautoja upposi varsinkin alussa jäiden ollessa vielä liian heikkoja. Huoltoautoja ajavat kuskit ajoivat usein ohjaamon kopin ovi auki, jotta he olisivat valmiita hyppäämään kyydistä mikäli auto vajoaisi jäihin. Kaupungista pois vietävät siviilit joutuivat taittamaan matkaa kauhistuttavissa ja hengenvaarallisissa olosuhteissa roikkuen autojen katoilla.
Kuvaukset kulttuurin merkityksestä kuitenkin elähdyttävät. Kurjuuden ja toivottomuuden keskellä osa leningradilaisista jatkoi tutkimuksentekoa ja opiskelua. Kirjastossa käytiin lukemassa, vaikka sinne tuuperruttiin nälästä, joskus jopa kuoltiin kirjan ääreen. Musiikillinen komediateatteri piti ovensa auki, vaikka näyttelijät olivat nälän heikentämiä ja jatkuvat pommitukset piinasivat kaupunkia. Ihan oma lukunsa on toki myös Sostakovitsin Leningrad-sinfonian esittäminen elokuussa 1942 keskeltä piiritettyä kaupunkia. Leningradin piiritys todistaa, että totisesti ihminen ei elä yksin leivästä!
October 27, 2019
This meticulously researched account of arguably the deadliest siege in history was by turns moving, incensing, horrifying and inspiring.
Michael Jones organises his material in a well structured manner. Events are more or less relayed in chronological order, but each chapter is told from a particular vantage point. So Chapter 1 describes the blitzkrieg invasion of the Soviet Union but entirely from the Germans' point of view. It is in this chapter too that the stakes are set out in the starkest, most brutal terms, with Hitler's Petersburg Directive:
[i] The Führer has decided to raze the city of Petersburg from the face of the earth... It is proposed to blockade it closely and by means of artillery fire of all calibre and ceaseless bombardment from the air to raze it to the ground. If this creates a situation which produces calls for surrender, they will be refused. In this war, we are not interested in preserving even a part of the population of this large city. [/i]
In other words, the siege would not be lifted until every inhabitant of Leningrad was dead.
Chapter 2 shows the initial reaction, mostly incompetent, from key Soviet decision makers, also a bit of recent history as to how the Soviets were so woefully under-prepared. Then Chapter 3 shifts the focus to the Leningrad people dealing with the immediate aftermath of the blockade of their city.
After that the book focuses on the steady, horrific disintegration of the city, told almost entirely through the eyes of its inhabitants, apart from the occasional bland, soulless report from the NKVD (the secret police) describing the deteriorating conditions. The extensive use of citizens' first-hand accounts makes this truly a "people's history".
Michael Jones has a writer's way with words, but for the most part he tells this story with chilling restraint. For example, "Across the yard from Zaitseva, the little girl she used to play with had disappeared. Her mother and grandmother, maddened with hunger, had eaten her."
There's an important theme running throughout the book about the importance of the arts, not just in civilising us but as a source of spiritual strength that can help us endure the darkest hours. Again and again Jones recounts incidents where the arts helped sustain people, through music, through drawing, through writing (mainly diaries but also poetry) and through reading.
A tough read, but one of the best history books I've read.
Michael Jones organises his material in a well structured manner. Events are more or less relayed in chronological order, but each chapter is told from a particular vantage point. So Chapter 1 describes the blitzkrieg invasion of the Soviet Union but entirely from the Germans' point of view. It is in this chapter too that the stakes are set out in the starkest, most brutal terms, with Hitler's Petersburg Directive:
[i] The Führer has decided to raze the city of Petersburg from the face of the earth... It is proposed to blockade it closely and by means of artillery fire of all calibre and ceaseless bombardment from the air to raze it to the ground. If this creates a situation which produces calls for surrender, they will be refused. In this war, we are not interested in preserving even a part of the population of this large city. [/i]
In other words, the siege would not be lifted until every inhabitant of Leningrad was dead.
Chapter 2 shows the initial reaction, mostly incompetent, from key Soviet decision makers, also a bit of recent history as to how the Soviets were so woefully under-prepared. Then Chapter 3 shifts the focus to the Leningrad people dealing with the immediate aftermath of the blockade of their city.
After that the book focuses on the steady, horrific disintegration of the city, told almost entirely through the eyes of its inhabitants, apart from the occasional bland, soulless report from the NKVD (the secret police) describing the deteriorating conditions. The extensive use of citizens' first-hand accounts makes this truly a "people's history".
Michael Jones has a writer's way with words, but for the most part he tells this story with chilling restraint. For example, "Across the yard from Zaitseva, the little girl she used to play with had disappeared. Her mother and grandmother, maddened with hunger, had eaten her."
There's an important theme running throughout the book about the importance of the arts, not just in civilising us but as a source of spiritual strength that can help us endure the darkest hours. Again and again Jones recounts incidents where the arts helped sustain people, through music, through drawing, through writing (mainly diaries but also poetry) and through reading.
A tough read, but one of the best history books I've read.
May 24, 2020
Hesarin perusteella otin luettavaksi. Meni melkeinpä illassa. On erittäin tarpeellinen kirja lukea, niin julmuuden ymmärtämiseksi kuin Suomen sotahistorian ja jatkosodan seurausten tuntemiseksi.
Kirja on kammottavaa luettavaa. Siinä on vain välttämättömät kuvaukset taisteluista ja rintamista, jotta lukija osaa sijoittaa sen itärintaman taisteluihin. Muuten kirja kesittyy leningradilaisiin piirityksen alaisena. Kirjassa asukkaat pääsevät ääneen päiväkirjojen ja muistelmien ansiosta.
250g leipää, joka supistuu 125 grammaan, ennen kuin katkeaa kokonaan. Kun tämä ei riittänyt, korviketta haettiin keittämällä puusepän liimaa (se oli ennen eläinperäistä), keitettiin vöitä tai mitä tahansa, mistä voisi saada jotain energiaa tai edes kylläisyyden tunnetta. Kannibalismia esiintyi myös.
Kaupungissa ihmiset tuupertuivat koteihin tai kadulle. Joskus toiset auttoivat tuupertuneita ylös, joskus omat voimat eivät riittäneet tähän ja kuolevan ohi piti kävellä.
Keskellä kauheuksia oli kuitenkin myös inhimillisyyttä. Tätä kirjoittaja painottaa, hän kertoo huomattavan paljon ihmisten auttamisesta ja uhrautuvuudesta. Esimerkiksi tarina kertoo, että kun pikkutyttö oli viemässä leipäannosta sairaalaan ja kärryt kaatuivat, nälkäiset ihmiset ryntäsivät tietenkin paikalle. Kertomalla, minne leivät olivat menossa, ihmiset jostain mielensä pohjilta keräsivät voimaa auttaa tyttöä saamaan ruoan takaisin kärryihin. Tai Sostakovichin 7. sinfonian kantaesitys elokuussa 1942, keskellä piiritystä. Sitä voi miettiä, millainen ponnistus tämä oli, kun kaupunki oli ollut piirtettynä vuoden ja ihmisten kunto oli rapistunut.
Kirjassa paneudutaan tosiaan selkeästi enemmän inhimillisyyteen ja ihmisyyden hyviin puoliin. Kannibalismit, ryöstöt, hyväksikäyttö sekä poliittisen johdon mässäily kaupungissa samaan aikaan jäävät vähemmälle. Tämä on varmasti kauheuksista selvinneille kunniaksi, mutta en tiedä antaako se tarkan kuvan ihmisistä näissä tilanteissa. Ilmeisesti Jones uskoo, että se osa hyvä voittaa pahuuden lopulta, tai ainakin suuri osa on kykeneviä hyvään myös äärimmäisissä olosuhteissa. Minä en ole asiasta ehkä niin varma ko. ajanjakson ja muun historian perusteella.
Kirja on kammottavaa luettavaa. Siinä on vain välttämättömät kuvaukset taisteluista ja rintamista, jotta lukija osaa sijoittaa sen itärintaman taisteluihin. Muuten kirja kesittyy leningradilaisiin piirityksen alaisena. Kirjassa asukkaat pääsevät ääneen päiväkirjojen ja muistelmien ansiosta.
250g leipää, joka supistuu 125 grammaan, ennen kuin katkeaa kokonaan. Kun tämä ei riittänyt, korviketta haettiin keittämällä puusepän liimaa (se oli ennen eläinperäistä), keitettiin vöitä tai mitä tahansa, mistä voisi saada jotain energiaa tai edes kylläisyyden tunnetta. Kannibalismia esiintyi myös.
Kaupungissa ihmiset tuupertuivat koteihin tai kadulle. Joskus toiset auttoivat tuupertuneita ylös, joskus omat voimat eivät riittäneet tähän ja kuolevan ohi piti kävellä.
Keskellä kauheuksia oli kuitenkin myös inhimillisyyttä. Tätä kirjoittaja painottaa, hän kertoo huomattavan paljon ihmisten auttamisesta ja uhrautuvuudesta. Esimerkiksi tarina kertoo, että kun pikkutyttö oli viemässä leipäannosta sairaalaan ja kärryt kaatuivat, nälkäiset ihmiset ryntäsivät tietenkin paikalle. Kertomalla, minne leivät olivat menossa, ihmiset jostain mielensä pohjilta keräsivät voimaa auttaa tyttöä saamaan ruoan takaisin kärryihin. Tai Sostakovichin 7. sinfonian kantaesitys elokuussa 1942, keskellä piiritystä. Sitä voi miettiä, millainen ponnistus tämä oli, kun kaupunki oli ollut piirtettynä vuoden ja ihmisten kunto oli rapistunut.
Kirjassa paneudutaan tosiaan selkeästi enemmän inhimillisyyteen ja ihmisyyden hyviin puoliin. Kannibalismit, ryöstöt, hyväksikäyttö sekä poliittisen johdon mässäily kaupungissa samaan aikaan jäävät vähemmälle. Tämä on varmasti kauheuksista selvinneille kunniaksi, mutta en tiedä antaako se tarkan kuvan ihmisistä näissä tilanteissa. Ilmeisesti Jones uskoo, että se osa hyvä voittaa pahuuden lopulta, tai ainakin suuri osa on kykeneviä hyvään myös äärimmäisissä olosuhteissa. Minä en ole asiasta ehkä niin varma ko. ajanjakson ja muun historian perusteella.
September 16, 2024
Βαθμολογία: 9/10
Καιρός ήταν να ξεκινήσω να διαβάζω non-fiction βιβλία σχετικά με το Ανατολικό Μέτωπο του Β' Παγκοσμίου Πολέμου, και βρίσκοντας σε τοπικό βιβλιοπωλείο όπου έκανα τις διακοπές μου το συγκεκριμένο βιβλίο, που είναι εξαντλημένο στα ελληνικά, σκέφτηκα ότι θα ήταν μια καλή αρχή: Λοιπόν, δυνατό βιβλίο, εξαιρετικά ευκολοδιάβαστο και αρκετά γλαφυρό, σίγουρα ο συγγραφέας καταφέρνει να αποτυπώσει τα γεγονότα, τα σκηνικά και την ατμόσφαιρα του Λένινγκραντ κατά τη διάρκεια της πολιορκίας της πόλης από τους Γερμανούς, κατά τον Β' Παγκόσμιο Πόλεμο. Μιλάμε τώρα για ένα τραγικό γεγονός, με εκατοντάδες χιλιάδες θύματα, ένα από τα πολλά εγκλήματα που έγιναν κατά τη διάρκεια του συγκεκριμένου αιματηρού πολέμου. Ο Μάικλ Τζόουνς χρησιμοποιεί σαν πηγές διάφορες μαρτυρίες κατοίκων και στρατιωτών, καθώς και ιστορικά στοιχεία από επίσημα έγγραφα, έτσι ώστε να συνθέσει τη μεγάλη εικόνα της πολιορκίας του Λένινγκραντ. Ο συγγραφέας δεν διστάζει να αναδείξει και μια άλλη εικόνα για τους υπερασπιστές του Λένινγκραντ, και συγκεκριμένα για τα καθάρματα του Κόμματος, που θα έλεγε κανείς ότι δεδομένων των συνθηκών έκαναν εξίσου μεγάλα εγκλήματα με αυτά των πολιορκητών Γερμανών. Δεν χρειάζεται να μπω σε λεπτομέρειες, όσοι έχουν δει σχετικές ταινίες και ντοκιμαντέρ καθώς και όσοι έχουν διαβάσει βιβλία ιστορίας, μπορούν να καταλάβουν τις παραλείψεις, τα λάθη, τα κομματικά παιχνίδια κ.λπ. των υπευθύνων. Απλά κρίμα για τους εκατοντάδες χιλιάδες κατοίκους, που βρέθηκαν σε μια τόσο ελεεινή κατάσταση, που δεν τους έφταναν οι πολιορκητές, είχαν να αντιμετωπίσουν και την Κομματική παράνοια, αλλά και διάφορους εγκληματίες, πλιατσικολόγους, ακόμα και κανίβαλους! Αν μη τι άλλο, σε τέτοιες καταστάσεις ο άνθρωπος μπορεί να δείξει το καλύτερο αλλά και το χειρότερο πρόσωπό του, και αυτό είναι κάτι που αναδεικνύεται στο βιβλίο του Τζόουνς. Μπορεί να μην είναι και άριστο βιβλίο, ή το απόλυτο βιβλίο για το συγκεκριμένο θέμα -όλο και κάποιες επαναλήψεις υπάρχουν στις μαρτυρίες των κατοίκων σχετικά με την πείνα και την ανέχεια που αντιμετώπισαν-, όμως γενικά είναι ένα αξιανάγνωστο βιβλίο για την πολιορκία του Λένινγκραντ.
Καιρός ήταν να ξεκινήσω να διαβάζω non-fiction βιβλία σχετικά με το Ανατολικό Μέτωπο του Β' Παγκοσμίου Πολέμου, και βρίσκοντας σε τοπικό βιβλιοπωλείο όπου έκανα τις διακοπές μου το συγκεκριμένο βιβλίο, που είναι εξαντλημένο στα ελληνικά, σκέφτηκα ότι θα ήταν μια καλή αρχή: Λοιπόν, δυνατό βιβλίο, εξαιρετικά ευκολοδιάβαστο και αρκετά γλαφυρό, σίγουρα ο συγγραφέας καταφέρνει να αποτυπώσει τα γεγονότα, τα σκηνικά και την ατμόσφαιρα του Λένινγκραντ κατά τη διάρκεια της πολιορκίας της πόλης από τους Γερμανούς, κατά τον Β' Παγκόσμιο Πόλεμο. Μιλάμε τώρα για ένα τραγικό γεγονός, με εκατοντάδες χιλιάδες θύματα, ένα από τα πολλά εγκλήματα που έγιναν κατά τη διάρκεια του συγκεκριμένου αιματηρού πολέμου. Ο Μάικλ Τζόουνς χρησιμοποιεί σαν πηγές διάφορες μαρτυρίες κατοίκων και στρατιωτών, καθώς και ιστορικά στοιχεία από επίσημα έγγραφα, έτσι ώστε να συνθέσει τη μεγάλη εικόνα της πολιορκίας του Λένινγκραντ. Ο συγγραφέας δεν διστάζει να αναδείξει και μια άλλη εικόνα για τους υπερασπιστές του Λένινγκραντ, και συγκεκριμένα για τα καθάρματα του Κόμματος, που θα έλεγε κανείς ότι δεδομένων των συνθηκών έκαναν εξίσου μεγάλα εγκλήματα με αυτά των πολιορκητών Γερμανών. Δεν χρειάζεται να μπω σε λεπτομέρειες, όσοι έχουν δει σχετικές ταινίες και ντοκιμαντέρ καθώς και όσοι έχουν διαβάσει βιβλία ιστορίας, μπορούν να καταλάβουν τις παραλείψεις, τα λάθη, τα κομματικά παιχνίδια κ.λπ. των υπευθύνων. Απλά κρίμα για τους εκατοντάδες χιλιάδες κατοίκους, που βρέθηκαν σε μια τόσο ελεεινή κατάσταση, που δεν τους έφταναν οι πολιορκητές, είχαν να αντιμετωπίσουν και την Κομματική παράνοια, αλλά και διάφορους εγκληματίες, πλιατσικολόγους, ακόμα και κανίβαλους! Αν μη τι άλλο, σε τέτοιες καταστάσεις ο άνθρωπος μπορεί να δείξει το καλύτερο αλλά και το χειρότερο πρόσωπό του, και αυτό είναι κάτι που αναδεικνύεται στο βιβλίο του Τζόουνς. Μπορεί να μην είναι και άριστο βιβλίο, ή το απόλυτο βιβλίο για το συγκεκριμένο θέμα -όλο και κάποιες επαναλήψεις υπάρχουν στις μαρτυρίες των κατοίκων σχετικά με την πείνα και την ανέχεια που αντιμετώπισαν-, όμως γενικά είναι ένα αξιανάγνωστο βιβλίο για την πολιορκία του Λένινγκραντ.
July 5, 2022
War is nothing but a failure of humans to live up to their humanity. There is nothing noble nor chivalrous of war. It is just plain suffering, anguish and hellish experience. This book laid it all. Simply put, the level of horrors and sufferings by people of Leningrad reached biblical proportion and their leaders were apathetic. Surviving on 125 grams of bread which consist of sawdust and very little flour per day, famine and diseases run rampant. Mothers eating their own children just to stay alive, soldiers being sent to literal grinding meat of German war machines, people barely had the strength even to walk, yet sliver of humanity managed to persist amidts the extreme privations. The sheer will of the ordinary civilian to stay alive and most importantly to stay human is the testament of the indomitable soul that reside in each person. Amidst the barrage of artilery shells and extreme hunger, Leningraders refuses to surrender and even managed to conduct a Symphony which gave the soldiers and civilians the avenue to relish their humanity. The last paragraph of Epilogue sums it all.
"We will never fully understand the horror of the siege of Leningrad or how people found the will to survive. The heroism of the city's beleguered inhabitants is so extraordinary it is difficult even to grasp. But Krukov looked up at me, gathered himself and spoke with simple conviction: "We wanted to repel all that. The suffering was on unimaginable scale-yet, astonishingly, Leningrad did not succumb. People somehow found the strength to reach out and help others, and by doing this, something mysterious yet deeply powerful came into being. We were fighting a battle to keep a human face, to stay human beings. And we won it"
"We will never fully understand the horror of the siege of Leningrad or how people found the will to survive. The heroism of the city's beleguered inhabitants is so extraordinary it is difficult even to grasp. But Krukov looked up at me, gathered himself and spoke with simple conviction: "We wanted to repel all that. The suffering was on unimaginable scale-yet, astonishingly, Leningrad did not succumb. People somehow found the strength to reach out and help others, and by doing this, something mysterious yet deeply powerful came into being. We were fighting a battle to keep a human face, to stay human beings. And we won it"
July 31, 2019
Se trata de un libro tremendamente bien escrito. Es apabullante. Michael Jones nos sumerge de lleno en la Batalla de Leningrado, un asedio moderno realmente brutal en el que los alemanes, por orden expresa de Hitler, bloquearon la ciudad buscando que sus habitantes muriesen de hambre. A través de sus páginas, el autor nos muestra, con gran cantidad de referencias históricas, que van desde bibliografía hasta documentos oficiales pasando por entrevistas personales, la dureza y la crudeza de una de las batallas más terribles de la Historia de la Guerra. Aún así, lo que más peso tiene, y en lo que más se ha basado el autor, es en relatos personales, diarios oficiales y testimonios de supervivientes, lo que ofrece una dimensión humana a la tragedia que resulta más que impactante.
Abarca todos los campos, desde el puramente táctico hasta el social, con especial interés en cómo tuvieron que sobrevivir los habitantes de Leningrado en un infierno que duró novecientos días. La ineficacia y al incompetencia de mandatarios soviéticos, los fallos de los alemanes en su avance, las consecuencias políticas y cómo los habitantes de la ciudad tuvieron que poner a prueba su existencia están relatados de forma sobrecogedora. Realmente, al leerlo, uno comprende por qué los rusos hablan de una Generación de Leningrado.
Se trata de un libro bien escrito, sencillo, fácil de leer y con abundante bibliografía y referencias para poder ampliar cualquier dato que nos resulte curioso o extraño.
Abarca todos los campos, desde el puramente táctico hasta el social, con especial interés en cómo tuvieron que sobrevivir los habitantes de Leningrado en un infierno que duró novecientos días. La ineficacia y al incompetencia de mandatarios soviéticos, los fallos de los alemanes en su avance, las consecuencias políticas y cómo los habitantes de la ciudad tuvieron que poner a prueba su existencia están relatados de forma sobrecogedora. Realmente, al leerlo, uno comprende por qué los rusos hablan de una Generación de Leningrado.
Se trata de un libro bien escrito, sencillo, fácil de leer y con abundante bibliografía y referencias para poder ampliar cualquier dato que nos resulte curioso o extraño.
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