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Katusha #2
Katusha Book Two: The Shaking of the Earth
This is a story of courage, survival and family; of self-sacrifice, betrayal, brutality, and suffering; it is a tale of love, told against the backdrop of the bloodiest conflict in human history: the 1941-1945 war between Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia. Seen through the eyes of a Ukrainian teenage girl, KATUSHA is not only a coming-of-age story, but a carefully researched account of one of the most turbulent and important periods of the twentieth century. Following the events of Book One, Katusha, and her adopted sister Milla join the Red Army and are sent to tank school. Trained to operate the mighty T-34, Katusha fights from countryside to cities, but as in any way there is always a steep price to for victory, and Katusha must deal with her own devastating personal loss."
184 pages, Paperback
First published December 11, 2013
99 people want to read
About the author
Wayne Vansant
110 books39 followers I was born and raised near Atlanta, GA, and served in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War. I graduated from the Atlanta College of Art in 1975 and have had many jobs, including being a salesman, security guard, milk delivery man, and the Director of Security for a large art museum.
I began my writing and illustration career in 1986 with Marvel Comics' "Savage Tales" and "The 'Nam." Since then I have written and/or illustrated many books and comics on historical/military subjects such as Battle Group Peiper, Days of Darkness, Antietam: The Fiery Trial (commissioned by the National Park Service), Blockade: The Civil War at Sea, The War in Korea, The Hammer and the Anvil (profiling Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass), Normandy (profiling D-Day and the entire Normandy Campaign), Gettysburg (profiling the Battle of Gettysburg), and many others.
I am currently working on graphic histories of the Battle of the Bulge, Manfred von Richthofen, aka the Red Baron, and and am finishing up my Russian Front trilogy entitled Katusha: Girl Soldier of the Patriotic War, which is currently available as an eBook on Comics Plus, a leading comics book app.
I began my writing and illustration career in 1986 with Marvel Comics' "Savage Tales" and "The 'Nam." Since then I have written and/or illustrated many books and comics on historical/military subjects such as Battle Group Peiper, Days of Darkness, Antietam: The Fiery Trial (commissioned by the National Park Service), Blockade: The Civil War at Sea, The War in Korea, The Hammer and the Anvil (profiling Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass), Normandy (profiling D-Day and the entire Normandy Campaign), Gettysburg (profiling the Battle of Gettysburg), and many others.
I am currently working on graphic histories of the Battle of the Bulge, Manfred von Richthofen, aka the Red Baron, and and am finishing up my Russian Front trilogy entitled Katusha: Girl Soldier of the Patriotic War, which is currently available as an eBook on Comics Plus, a leading comics book app.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
April 20, 2014
Coming of Age inside the Well of a T-34
(Full disclosure: I received a free copy of this book for review through Goodreads' First Reads program.)
Roughly 800,000 women served in the Soviet Armed Forces during World War II (also known in Russia as the Great Patriotic War): as pilots, snipers, machine gunners, tank crew members, and partisans. Of these, a quarter were decorated, and 89 received the highest honor, the Hero of the Soviet Union.
A number of children also fought in the war. Prior to WWII, the age of conscription for men was 19; just before the war began, it was lowered to 17. Teenagers and children fought in insurrections, belonged to youth movements, and in some cases, orphans were allowed join the Red Army in an official capacity. (See e.g.)
In the graphic novel series Katusha: Girl Soldier of the Great Patriotic War, Wayne Vansant shines a light on these lesser-known aspects of World War II.
Refugees from their native country of Ukraine, Book 2: The Shaking of the Earth sees Katusha and her adopted older sister Milla ("Big and Little Tymoshenko") arrive in Russia just in time for the bombing of Stalingrad on August 23, 1942. The young women quickly graduate from partisans to militia members, as they're recruited to defend the women and children still remaining in the city. In an attempt to keep them safe (wherein "safe" is a relative term), their father later arranges for them to attend tank driving school in Chelyabinsk. After several months of study, they're sent to the front lines to fight with the Red Army, where Milla earns the honor of Hero of the Soviet Union for her bravery at the Battle of Prokhorovka in July 1943.
Katusha is just seventeen years old at the outset of Book 2; she celebrates her 18th birthday on the battlefield. Katusha is a coming of age story that takes place under the harshest conditions imaginable. Along with her budding feelings for an older officer, Katusha must come to grips with the violence, loss, and deprivations that are part of everyday life during wartime.
The middle of three installments, I'm having a difficult time rating Book 2: I entered to win copies of Books 1 and 2 through Goodreads, but only scored Book 2. And I'm not sure I enjoyed the story enough to purchase Book 1 on my own (or at least not at the current prices). While the war stories are easy enough to follow, I feel like I'm missing quite a bit of background information on the characters, especially Katusha and Milla, and their time in Ukraine prior to the beginning on WWII. (Um, Milla is sleeping with her uncle? I know she's adopted, but still!) If you're interested in the series, definitely read them in sequence from the beginning!
That said, the artwork is above par and the storytelling, engaging. There's quite a bit of discussion about weaponry (particularly tanks) and battle strategy, which makes sense, but mostly bored me to tears. Vansant touches upon the female experience during wartime, though not in the detail I'd hoped. Milla's backstory is especially engaging; I'd love for Vansant to delve into collectivization in Ukraine further. I was surprised to see so many families serving together (e.g., Katusha, Milla, and their Uncle Taras).
Katusha and Milla elect to fight as Russians in the "Patriotic War" in the hope that they may someday return home to their native Ukraine - making the series title somewhat ironic. Should they find their way back in Book 3, it will only be at a great cost.
http://www.easyvegan.info/2014/04/30/...
(Full disclosure: I received a free copy of this book for review through Goodreads' First Reads program.)
Roughly 800,000 women served in the Soviet Armed Forces during World War II (also known in Russia as the Great Patriotic War): as pilots, snipers, machine gunners, tank crew members, and partisans. Of these, a quarter were decorated, and 89 received the highest honor, the Hero of the Soviet Union.
A number of children also fought in the war. Prior to WWII, the age of conscription for men was 19; just before the war began, it was lowered to 17. Teenagers and children fought in insurrections, belonged to youth movements, and in some cases, orphans were allowed join the Red Army in an official capacity. (See e.g.)
In the graphic novel series Katusha: Girl Soldier of the Great Patriotic War, Wayne Vansant shines a light on these lesser-known aspects of World War II.
Refugees from their native country of Ukraine, Book 2: The Shaking of the Earth sees Katusha and her adopted older sister Milla ("Big and Little Tymoshenko") arrive in Russia just in time for the bombing of Stalingrad on August 23, 1942. The young women quickly graduate from partisans to militia members, as they're recruited to defend the women and children still remaining in the city. In an attempt to keep them safe (wherein "safe" is a relative term), their father later arranges for them to attend tank driving school in Chelyabinsk. After several months of study, they're sent to the front lines to fight with the Red Army, where Milla earns the honor of Hero of the Soviet Union for her bravery at the Battle of Prokhorovka in July 1943.
Katusha is just seventeen years old at the outset of Book 2; she celebrates her 18th birthday on the battlefield. Katusha is a coming of age story that takes place under the harshest conditions imaginable. Along with her budding feelings for an older officer, Katusha must come to grips with the violence, loss, and deprivations that are part of everyday life during wartime.
The middle of three installments, I'm having a difficult time rating Book 2: I entered to win copies of Books 1 and 2 through Goodreads, but only scored Book 2. And I'm not sure I enjoyed the story enough to purchase Book 1 on my own (or at least not at the current prices). While the war stories are easy enough to follow, I feel like I'm missing quite a bit of background information on the characters, especially Katusha and Milla, and their time in Ukraine prior to the beginning on WWII. (Um, Milla is sleeping with her uncle? I know she's adopted, but still!) If you're interested in the series, definitely read them in sequence from the beginning!
That said, the artwork is above par and the storytelling, engaging. There's quite a bit of discussion about weaponry (particularly tanks) and battle strategy, which makes sense, but mostly bored me to tears. Vansant touches upon the female experience during wartime, though not in the detail I'd hoped. Milla's backstory is especially engaging; I'd love for Vansant to delve into collectivization in Ukraine further. I was surprised to see so many families serving together (e.g., Katusha, Milla, and their Uncle Taras).
Katusha and Milla elect to fight as Russians in the "Patriotic War" in the hope that they may someday return home to their native Ukraine - making the series title somewhat ironic. Should they find their way back in Book 3, it will only be at a great cost.
http://www.easyvegan.info/2014/04/30/...
April 23, 2014
I didn't realize that this book was written like a comic book, but I was impressed how the story flowed and even with the pictures, the story held my interest.
This is the second book and Katusha, Milla, and their uncle travel across the land, getting stopped in a small town where they have to stay. The girls are sent to tank training school and end up doing battle against the Germans. Many lives are lost including their uncle. They are very proficient running the tanks and using weapons. This book is very well researched and I learned a bit of Russian history even though this is fiction. It does show what people will do to protect what is theirs.
If young people want to learn a bit about Russian history, this is a good book to learn and to enjoy.
T won this book in a goodreads giveaway.
This is the second book and Katusha, Milla, and their uncle travel across the land, getting stopped in a small town where they have to stay. The girls are sent to tank training school and end up doing battle against the Germans. Many lives are lost including their uncle. They are very proficient running the tanks and using weapons. This book is very well researched and I learned a bit of Russian history even though this is fiction. It does show what people will do to protect what is theirs.
If young people want to learn a bit about Russian history, this is a good book to learn and to enjoy.
T won this book in a goodreads giveaway.
April 1, 2014
Wayne Vansant is the preeminent artist/writer of serious graphic non-fiction. This, however, is a fictionalized account of a Ukrainian tank driver's early experience on the eastern front of World War II. If you like historical fiction and haven't given comics a chance yet, you have to do so. This is better than most movies you will ever see.
April 27, 2014
Katusha Book Two -
Russia/Ukraine
I actually enjoyed this graphic novel a lot, it was very interesting to see a perspective other than the 'Rah Rah Merica!' and the struggle/camaraderie of the Russian/Ukrainian people. Unfortunately, that is not currently happening in the world today but this book shows how the two places came together in time of great need, WWII. The descriptions of each tank was almost like an added bonus; included both sides German & Russian. I loved the artwork as well, it was very well done and I felt as though between the art and the story I could place myself there. I would continue reading the others if I came across them at the library.
Russia/Ukraine
I actually enjoyed this graphic novel a lot, it was very interesting to see a perspective other than the 'Rah Rah Merica!' and the struggle/camaraderie of the Russian/Ukrainian people. Unfortunately, that is not currently happening in the world today but this book shows how the two places came together in time of great need, WWII. The descriptions of each tank was almost like an added bonus; included both sides German & Russian. I loved the artwork as well, it was very well done and I felt as though between the art and the story I could place myself there. I would continue reading the others if I came across them at the library.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews