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The Battle of Prokhorovka: The Climactic Tank Battle at Kursk, the Largest Clash of Armor in History
The Battle of Kursk was one of the defining moments of World War II. In July 1943, German forces under Erich von Manstein--one of Germany’s best generals--launched a massive attack in an offensive code-named Citadel. A week later, the Soviets counterattacked, sparking a huge clash of tanks at Prokhorovka, the largest armor battle in history, pitting more than 600 Soviet tanks against some 300 German panzers. Though the Germans gained a tactical victory, destroying huge numbers of Soviet tanks, they failed to achieve their objectives, and in the end the battle marked a turning point on the Eastern Front. The Red Army gained the strategic initiative and would not lose it.
- GenresHistoryWorld War II
640 pages, Hardcover
First published June 1, 2019
8 people are currently reading
48 people want to read
About the author
Christopher A. Lawrence
15 books7 followersChristopher A. Lawrence is a professional historian and military analyst. He is the Executive Director and President of The Dupuy Institute, an organization dedicated to scholarly research and objective analysis of historical data related to armed conflict and the resolution of armed conflict.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
October 5, 2025
This is a masterclass study in the largest clash of armor in history. This was a highly detailed breakdown that pulled from the original 1,662-pagr mega-book: Kursk: The Battle of Prokhorovka by the same author. This book gave a minute to minute breakdown during each stage & maneuver on both sides of the battle. This was detailed with maps, tables of organization & equipment (mechanized infantry, armored groups, munitions & supplies), tables of information & statistics, maneuvering tables & diagrams (infantry, air support, armored tank), and detailed battl e reports (duration, weather, terrain, casualty stats, equipment losses, etc.).
Similar to other Stockpole publications, there were sections dedicated to terrain photos, commanders' photos, aerial reconnaissance photos, battlefield photos as they related to the day-to-day engagement from both sides.
My initial reflection after reading: the tacticians & military commanders of this era are unmatched with decision-making, foresight of rapid deployment, and the intestinal fortitude it takes to engage in face-to-face & upfront conflict when you literally are killing the enemy directly in front of you. I guess it's kill or be killed.
Similar to other Stockpole publications, there were sections dedicated to terrain photos, commanders' photos, aerial reconnaissance photos, battlefield photos as they related to the day-to-day engagement from both sides.
My initial reflection after reading: the tacticians & military commanders of this era are unmatched with decision-making, foresight of rapid deployment, and the intestinal fortitude it takes to engage in face-to-face & upfront conflict when you literally are killing the enemy directly in front of you. I guess it's kill or be killed.
War is never devoid of political and psychological considerations. pg 15Highly recommended for those interested in the Eastern Front of World War II. Thanks!
December 26, 2019
Condensing the biggest doorstopper in WWII historiography to a third of its length was a wise move, but it cannot compensate the inherent imbalance of the source material. German veterans were interviewed by the author, Russian veterans in absentia by an interpreter, with their stories heavily condensed.
August 9, 2019
An epic study of the Battle of Kursk on the Russian/Eastern front of World War 2 focuses on the key Battle of Prokhorovka on the southern front.
Very very detailed and probably more for the military history student rather than the casual reader.
If interested then snap these up before it goes out of print and unaffordable like the authors previous book on Kurskz
Very very detailed and probably more for the military history student rather than the casual reader.
If interested then snap these up before it goes out of print and unaffordable like the authors previous book on Kurskz
March 14, 2026
Mr. Lawrence continues to turn out another book from the Dupuy Institute's massive Kursk data base. This book is a deep dive into the southern pincer approaching Kursk and the largest tank battle in WWII at Prokhorovka. It presents the day-by-day account of the three attacking German corps against two Soviet armies. Most of the book's action is on the corps level until the focal battle, then it covers action of division and lower echelons. This is done quite satisfactory. The book contains numerous maps, photographs, charts, graphs, and side bars that explain the fighting. After each action, the author provides a thorough analysis. The analysis contains leaders' mistakes, opportunities missed, as well as what was done right.
Adding color to the battle is the account described by LSAH company commander Rudolf Von Ribbentrop. His descriptions are thrilling and breathtaking.
Aside from the data base, the book is well researched. The research draws from official German and Soviet official reports and personal accounts from survivors of the battle. All this led to a debunking of the many fallacies that surround the battle. A reoccurring source is the book, "Demolishing the Myth" by Russian historian, Valerii Zamulin. Mr. Lawrence also answers many of "what if" questions that surround the battle.
If readers are not familiar with Russian geography it may be difficult to orient locations with the opposing forces. Unfortunately, the maps are not the clearest to read let alone many are in Russian.
Otherwise, Mr. Lawrence's book is a valuable addition to the history of WWII.
Adding color to the battle is the account described by LSAH company commander Rudolf Von Ribbentrop. His descriptions are thrilling and breathtaking.
Aside from the data base, the book is well researched. The research draws from official German and Soviet official reports and personal accounts from survivors of the battle. All this led to a debunking of the many fallacies that surround the battle. A reoccurring source is the book, "Demolishing the Myth" by Russian historian, Valerii Zamulin. Mr. Lawrence also answers many of "what if" questions that surround the battle.
If readers are not familiar with Russian geography it may be difficult to orient locations with the opposing forces. Unfortunately, the maps are not the clearest to read let alone many are in Russian.
Otherwise, Mr. Lawrence's book is a valuable addition to the history of WWII.
November 22, 2020
I've been hungry to learn more about the Eastern front in WW2. This was a very detailed book about a very small piece.
The Good:
The book is meticulously researched. The day by day events for each of the units involved is impressive.
The Bad:
The editing and visual aids are inconsistent, not enough maps to help the reader.
The author frequently repeats things almost verbatim a page apart. Its almost like some of the smaller sections were pasted in from a previous smaller work, so they often say the same thing that was just said.
Here are some examples of bad editing. In chapters 1-5 the subheadings are all in italics. Then in chapter 6 they mostly switch to boldface.....mostly, but not all. And what is still in italics is not consistent. Starting with chapter 7, the book then switches to ALL CAPS for headings. I gave up tracking after that, but noticed italics, boldface and ALL CAPS were used at various times in the rest of the book.
The first two chapters have some very helpful maps. They set up where forces are before the battles. But then they disappear. In chapter 3-5 we get grainy pictures of actual maps used at the time with some markings on them. I am sure as a historian these are items to drool over. But as a reader they are useless.
Chapters 3-4 have these nice daily diagrams of each units armor, and how they faced off against each other. They are moderately helpful in visualizing the front. Then they go away in chapters 5-6. But later appear again.
Can't recommend.
The Good:
The book is meticulously researched. The day by day events for each of the units involved is impressive.
The Bad:
The editing and visual aids are inconsistent, not enough maps to help the reader.
The author frequently repeats things almost verbatim a page apart. Its almost like some of the smaller sections were pasted in from a previous smaller work, so they often say the same thing that was just said.
Here are some examples of bad editing. In chapters 1-5 the subheadings are all in italics. Then in chapter 6 they mostly switch to boldface.....mostly, but not all. And what is still in italics is not consistent. Starting with chapter 7, the book then switches to ALL CAPS for headings. I gave up tracking after that, but noticed italics, boldface and ALL CAPS were used at various times in the rest of the book.
The first two chapters have some very helpful maps. They set up where forces are before the battles. But then they disappear. In chapter 3-5 we get grainy pictures of actual maps used at the time with some markings on them. I am sure as a historian these are items to drool over. But as a reader they are useless.
Chapters 3-4 have these nice daily diagrams of each units armor, and how they faced off against each other. They are moderately helpful in visualizing the front. Then they go away in chapters 5-6. But later appear again.
Can't recommend.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews