En snikskytters dagbok

by Vasili Zaitsev

Reading Vassili Zaitsev's memoir of his nightmarish experiences as a sniper at Stalingrad is both a frightening and fascinating experience. Despite doubts concerning some of the details of the fighting, and its initial appearance under communist auspices, as a literary work, Notes of a Sniper is comparable to E.B. Sledge's With the Old Breed, and as a memoir of courage reminiscent of Xenophon's Anabasis. Zaitsev's account of the carnage in the hellish war between Hitler's shock troops and Stalin's desterate defenders is right out of Dante's Inferno, and should be read by every student of World War II- and anyone else interested in the human condition.

Genres: History, War, Nonfiction, Russia, World War II, Biography, Military Fiction

277 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1956

Reviews

[Rodrigo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recuerdo que leí este libro no mucho más tarde de ver la película "enemigo a las puertas" que trataba sobre el asedio a Stalingrado, en la cual aparecía este francotirador ruso, de hecho, es uno de sus protagonistas. De ahí me vino el interés.
No estuve equivocado al leer su " biografía", nos muestra desde su niñez, su adolescencia, como aprendió a disparar, con su padre, creo y más tarde su alislamiento en el ejercito ruso y sus hazañas contra los nazis en Stalingrado.
Mató con su rifle a más de 200 sodados nazis, teniendo que enviar a un francotirador de prestigio el ejercito aleman para darle caza...
Quizá no sea la prosa mas fluída pero nos da idea de las condiciones tan penosas e infrahumanas que pasaron todos los combatientes de ambos bandos en dicho sitio.
8/10

[Javir11 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Se nota que esta escrito por alguien que no es un profesional de la escritura, pero es entretenido y se lee en dos ratos.

Muy recomendable para aquellos a los que les guste la segunda guerra mundial.

[Meaghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having seen the movie Enemy at the Gates, I wanted to read the real Vassili Zaitsev's story and see how it compared. The results didn't surprise me: Enemy at the Gates is hopelessly inaccurate (but still a good movie).

And as for the book? If you are looking for a fast-paced, action-packed war story, you've found it here. Zaitsev is a plain man but he has a good story to tell and he's very direct and honest about what went on and even about his own mistakes and shortcomings. I really got a sense of how hellish Stalingrad must have been during that time, and how incredibly difficult a sniper's job is. I'd never thought about it before. Imagine having to sit for hours or DAYS in some cramped spot (like in a drainage pipe, or under a sheet of iron) without being able to move, lest you give away your position, through heat and cold and thirst and sleep deprivation, and once you decide to fire you only get one chance, and then right away you have to leap up and run like heck to another spot and hope the enemy are bad shots. I came away from this book with great respect for Zaitsev and the men like him.

One thing that surprised me about this book is that it's not really very Russian or very Communist. Zaitsev sounds pretty apolitical: he's a loyal enough Communist and a member of the komsomol, but that's only mentioned in passing. If you changed the people's names, you could be talking about soldiers anywhere.

This book is worth your time, if you like war stories.

[Ben-Ain · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Memorias de un francotirador en Stalingrado" es la biografía de guerra del laureado Vasili Zaitsev, héroe de la Unión Soviética y terror del ejército alemán durante su ataque y posterior derrota a las orillas del Volga, en Stalingrado.

No estamos aunque una obra magistral que haga que uno se desviva por leerla, pero es un libro muy entretenido y esclarecedor, y aconsejo su lectura a todo aquel interesado en tener una visión muy cercana del conflicto y, más concretamente, de la batalla que sería un punto de inflexión en la contienda.

Escrito por un firme defensor de la Madre Rusia y mienbro del del partido, Vasili Zaitsev describe con un lenguaje ágil y entretenido sus vivencias durante el conflicto, incluidos algunos retazos de su infancia y posterior formación educativa que le llevaría primero a la flota del pacífico como contable. Ya entrado el conflicto, y sabedor de que su pueblo sufría en el oeste, decide pedir el traslado desde Vladivostov para alistarse en la infantería. Poca gente pensaba que aquel contable acabaría convirtiendose en tamaña leyenda para el pueblo Ruso. Casi 250 bajas acreditadas dan fe de lo que un hombre era capaz de hacer entre las ruinas y amasijos de hierro y acero de la ciudad.

Los pararelismos con la película, Enemigo a las Puertas, son más bien mínimos. Hay retazos que sí que se podrían considerar como interpretaciones muuuuuy libres de que lo que se narra, pero aun así no creo que compartan más que el nombre del protagonista y que luchaba en el ejército Rojo.

Lo recomiendo a todos los que le guste la historia militar de la Segunda Guerra Mundial.

[Ana · Rating 4 out of 5]

En estas memorias, Vasili Záitsev, un soldado ruso, narra su experiencia en combate durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial, donde es reclutado como marinero pero su excepcional puntería lo llevó a convertirse en un legendario francotirador en la batalla de Stalingrado, una de las más sangrientas, incluso fue recompensado con la Estrella de Oro de Héroe de la Unión Soviética.

Narra el recorrido desde su infancia hasta que es recompensado, incluso expone escenas militares, estrategias de guerra, posiciones, anécdotas, etc. Todo ello escrito con un lenguaje muy sencillo, por lo que es ágil e interesante de leer.

[Vivek KuRa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Books translated from Russian to English are most of the time hard to read. But this one was surprisingly well translated it was readable . After reading this book I realized how inaccurate and made up the movie (Enemy at the gates) was in portraying Vasili Zaitsev the rabbit . That is Hollywood for you. Vasili's writing skills are as good as his sniping for sure. The narration was very gripping and majority of the book was about his experience in the eastern front . The story was told with sincere honesty with out mixing any propaganda IMO. Seige of Stalingrad was a brutal stalemate for both sides and for a long time both sides grunted back and forth like deer with locked horns. The Kessel was only possible by the Russian sharp shooters in this battle. Unlike the war in vast steppes, it was an urban warfare in the midst of factories and mangled metal and concrete. Vasili takes us along with him across Volga into stalingrad and let us get a glimpse of the carnage and horrid conditions surrounded him along with his sniping experiences and so many near death experiences. The translators did a good job of including foot notes explaining Russian words , Idioms and Jokes. A must read for eastern front history enthusiast of the Great Patriotic War.

[Javier Casado · Rating 3 out of 5]

Puede que el nombre de Vasili Zaitsev no os diga mucho, pero seguro que si os digo que es el protagonista de la película "Enemigo a las puertas", la cosa cambia. Buena peli, por cierto, aunque a ratos poco rigurosa por su rabioso anticomunismo y por dar espectáculo.

De vez en cuando, muy de vez en cuando, leo memorias de combatientes. Si tuviera que definirme, tiro más a pacifista que a belicista, desde luego soy de los que opinan que las guerras son una maldición para la humanidad, pero supongo que queda en mí algo atávico que hace que "disfrute" (¿morbosamente? quién sabe...) con películas y relatos bélicos. Y no escarmiento. Porque por mucho que un determinado fulano haya sido destacado, o incluso heroico (palabra que no me gusta; supongo que no creo en el heroísmo) en la guerra, eso no le hace buen escritor, ni siquiera buen cronista de lo que pasó. Ni de lejos.

De eso, una vez más, adolece este libro. Se valora su papel como testimonio histórico, pero está lejos de transmitir sensaciones, de conseguir situarte en la acción. Relata hechos estremecedores y te dejan frío. Lees cómo un pequeño grupo de personas pasan días enteros escondidos entre escombros, sin agua ni comida, sin dormir, en un duelo a muerte entre francotiradores al acecho que te abatirán en cuanto te descuides o te muevas más de la cuenta, y te parece estar leyendo la guía telefónica. Algo aprendes, sí, pero no se disfruta como esperas de un buen libro.

Por lo demás... bueno, a los que hayáis visto la película deciros que el cruce real del Volga, al menos en el caso de Zaitsev, fue nocturno y absolutamente tranquilo. Todo lo contrario de esas espectaculares y estremecedoras escenas de los ataques continuos de la aviación alemana en "Enemigo a las puertas". Todo sea por el espectáculo, se le perdona, y seguro que algún caso así hubo, aunque no le tocara a Zaitsev. Peor es el retrato que hace la película de los comisarios políticos o de los mandos que enviaban a los soldados soviéticos al matadero sin ni siquiera un arma, o que los abatían si huían ante el enemigo. Nada de eso aparece en la obra de Zaitsev, y hoy sabemos que en realidad casi nada de eso ocurrió en realidad, salvo casos aislados en batallones penales (formados por presos a los que se conmutaba la pena por servir a la patria en el frente). El régimen de un país, por perverso que sea (y el estalinismo tenía su lado perverso, sin duda) no hace perversos a sus ciudadanos, que son los que forman el pueblo... y los ejércitos.

En fin, una lectura interesante para los aficionados a la historia bélica, y en particular la de la Segunda Guerra Mundial. Para los demás, hay lecturas mejores, la verdad...

[Jose Luis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ágil, bueno y en momentos emocionante.
El punto de vista del francotirador en Stalingrado, me gustó la redacción y que no te llega a saturar, aburrir o enfadar.
Una lectura obligada para conocer la batalla en Stalingrado del lado soviético. Hay momentos que piensas que estuviera manipulada estas "memorias" otorgándole un sobrevalor al ejército soviético pero son pocas y a mi parecer me convencieron.

Lectura Recomendada.

[Rowan Lister · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vasya makes you feel as if he is imparting his war time stories to you over a glass of vodka in a raucous inn lying in a valley of the Urals. One does not mind the more romanticized language and elements he barks and whispers to you, simply because the more ridiculous elements are too insane to be outright lies. Put your propaganda goggles on before you get out the popcorn, you’re in for a treat.

[FK_THIS_SITE · Rating 5 out of 5]

ИСТИНСКАТА история на снайпериста Василий Зайцев, разказана лично от него. Нищо общо с холивудската помия "Враг пред портата".

[Karib · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vasily Zaitsev takes us through some of his experiences as a Russian sniper in one of the most dangerous battles of World War Two: Stalingrad. Somehow managing to survive near-death experiences, like being buried alive, shot in the leg, and battling with an expert German sniper, Vasily's witty style of writing and amazing tales make this a must-read for anyone who wants to learn more about Stalingrad, sniping, or World War Two in general. In a place where the average soldier's life expectancy was a mere day, somehow Zaitzev manages to beat the odds and help assure the Red Army's victory in Stalingrad.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got tired of irony and picked up this book last night. ... This book is one of the most oddly-written books I've read in a while. Some of the strangeness may come from the translation, but the way Zaitsez describes really horrible happenings while at the same time making it seem almost like a party- it's just ODD. I got away from this book for a while, but now I'm having a hard time putting it down.

[Cornapecha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tiene un estilo muy naif y es obviamente un ejercicio de propaganda de la extinta URSS. Pero por una vez se agradece una narración sencilla, sin inventos ni ínfulas literarias. Y de vez en cuando se agradece que la publicidad venga de otro lado. De leer y ver las hazañas de los que eran sus rivales ya estamos servidos...

Se intuye una historia real mucho más dramática e interesante, pero es lo que hay.

[Ane Ellasdatter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Veldig interessant med et innblikk i slaget om Stalingrad. Til tider er det veldig spennende, men innimellom er det også forvirrende med mange nye navn, hopp i tid, og kommentarer som jeg ikke forstår betydningen av. Anbefales til de som er interessert i andre verdenskrig! 3,5 stjerner

[Kenji Shimomura · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best book about this aclaimed sniper. Not only because was written by him, because he speaks he's thoughts and feelings.

[Adam Ott · Rating 5 out of 5]

In “Notes Of A Russian Sniper” by Vassili Zaitsev, the main character, the story starts off with Vassili’s training at basic. How he was recruited into the USSR Navy to aid on the Eastern front against a fascist Nazi Germany. He did not even try to deny his communist beliefs and how he believed that the German’s were the scum of the Earth. His true feelings towards the Americans were that they were cowards and weak for needing help from the USSR. While in basic, he recollects many thoughts of his previous life. Some of these stories include his first training to shoot a rifle. His grandfather taught him when he was a young kid. He remembered stories of his grandfather taking him hunting during the brutal winters; and his first experience killing an animal. He revelled at how the wolf he shot cackled with pain and how it tried running while he knew it was a clean kill shot. He loved hunting and the challenges it brings to him. However he goes into the most detail about when he went into the woods to track a wolf he had gotten caught in a trap. While he and his brother headed into the woods after dark his brother presumed it would be a good idea if they built a fire and camped there for the night since they were at least 15 miles into the woods. After the stories are finished being recalled, Zaitsev talks about graduating boot camp and before being shipped out to the Navy to fight the fascist Nazi Germany, he along with a couple of his friends volunteer to take up fighting at the front, then known as the battle for the Volga. We know this war as the Battle of Stalingrad. As Zaitsev is travelling to his front line position, he runs into a beautiful nurse, Masha. He instantly fell in love with this woman. But as he was called to the 284th rifle division, his love for her slipped, and his knowledge of the battlefield was about to increase drastically. The volga, if you could picture it, was a river to the far rear of the Russians, and as you get close to the dead zone, there was a group of factories on the Eastern side, so facing north (towards the fascist Nazi Germans) the factories would be to your right. On the western wall was a small town area surrounded by light woods. Down main street was complete open road, that turned into a mile long dead zone. Meaning you only went into that area if you had a death wish. As the Russians held off and slowly pushed back the fascist Nazi German raids, he advanced from factory to factory until finally the Russians had kicked the fascist Nazi Germans back out of the industrial area of the Volga. He used his PPSH-41 submachine gun most of the time, however for some of his longer early engagements he used a 90/31 Mosin Nagant rifle equipped with a scope for seeing the enemy from a longer distance easier. His commander, Starshiy Leytenant Bolshakov noticed this, and immediately had him tried and put into position holding a group of snipers in his command. Due to his expert marksmanship he was revered as an extreme threat by the fascist Nazi Germany and his group of friends all had hits put on their heads. Having some of his comrades or “toravich’s” killed made it an even higher goal of Zaitsev’s to end the German front and win the war against the fascist Nazi Germany. He is wounded a couple times by bullet fragments or nearby exploding shells from exploding rounds from a sniper or bomb raids from the fascists. Zaitsev’s worst experience in the story is when he was bombed in a factory near the edge of the northern side, a bomb landed about 10 feet from him in the pile of loose dirt he was standing on and right below Zaitsev laid a tunnel made when the factory still ran meant for transporting goods. When Zaitsev woke up from this encounter, he was in a completely filled in crater. In. Pitch. Black. When he rolled a cigarette to calm himself down, Zaitsev used a match as light to see around him, and to his horror he was surrounded by dead Russians. As he broke out of there he later went on to fight along the front lines to engage in combat. And is famously known among Russians for killing one of the most pristine fascist Nazi German snipers who actually taught the snipers in their army how to shoot. Vasilli Zaitsev was a Russian hero who was and still is praised for his heroics. His skills and tactics are still used today in sniper schools across the world.

[Raquel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve only shot three times in my life. The three of them were the same day. Nothing fancy, an old shotgun. It was in the wild, middle of nowhere. I won’t forget the feeling of the kickback in my shoulder, and I still have a very clear image of the bruise that was left there for some days. Even though not many people can say that they know how it feels to shoot something that is actually alive, I think that that day I was a step closer to understanding the figure of a professional sniper. Being a sniper is not only waiting, watching and pulling the trigger. There is something mystical, heroic, primordial and intimate in keeping still, surveilling, aiming. While I was reading Zaitsev’s memoir I experienced again those feelings long forlorn in my shooting day in the forest.
This book is an outstanding account by one of the leading snipers of the Red Army. Zaitsev’s style is sober and to-the-point and sometimes a bit fragmentary. From a young soldier who arrives to Stalingrad as a unit messenger, to the moment when he gets his first sniper assignment almost by chance, we can follow the trail of a man who started hunting squirrels in his hometown of the Urals. From domestic hunting to surviving during one of the hardest sieges in military history, Zaitsev was a sailorman who shot three Nazi soldiers at a range of 600 yards, only using a gun with standard sights. It was astonishing to read that he had never seen or used a sniper rifle until he was in Stalingrad, and to discover that as a self-taught marksman he was able to create a deadly sniper detachment on the spot.
Of the various accounts I’ve read about WWI and WW2 this one gave me a real close feel of the battle from the perspective of a plain soldier. There is no space for flamboyancy or glamour in Zaitsev’s diary. This is a must-read for anyone interested in the “Great Patriotic War”, as Stalin called it.

[Theodoros · Rating 3 out of 5]

Όποιος έχει δει την ταινία "Εχθρός προ των πυλών", μπορεί να νομίζει πως η μονομαχία ελεύθερων σκοπευτών ήταν απλώς προϊόν μυθοπλασίας. Όμως, πράγματι ο Ζάιτσεφ αναφέρει πως οι πληροφορίες του Κόκκινου Στρατού ανέφεραν ότι έφθασε στο μέτωπο αεροπορικώς ο επικεφαλής των εκπαιδευτών του σχολείου ελεύθερων σκοπευτών του Βερολίνου, ταγματάρχης Καίνινγκς με σκοπό να τον ξετρυπώσει τον "ρώσο λαγό" και να τον εξουδετερώσει.
Ο Ζάιτσεφ, άρχισε να μετρά τις πιθανότητες επιβίωσής του...
Πώς είχε καταφέρει να επιβιώσει φθάσει ως εδώ ; Κάθε μέρα φόνευε 4-5 γερμανούς και γύρω του έπεφταν άλλοι τόσοι σύντροφοί του.
Στο Στάλινγκραντ ο μέσος όρος χρόνου επιβίωσης των σοβιετικών ήταν λίγο πάνω από 24 ώρες.
Οι κομισσάριοι με την ντουντούκα στο στόμα και το πιστόλι στο χέρι πυροβολούσαν στην πλάτη τους "δειλούς" του κόκκινου στρατού, χωρίς καν στρατοδικείο, κάνοντας πράξη το τη διαταγή "ούτε ένα βήμα πίσω" του λαϊκού κομισσάριου Άμυνας Ι.Στάλιν.
Αντίστοιχα, οι γερμανοί έφτασαν να συγκροτήσουν 100 λόχους τιμωρημένων στρατιωτών και 10 τάγματα αξιωματικών που είχαν δειλιάσει ή είχαν υποστεί κάμψη των νεύρων τους, και αφού τους αφαίρεσαν τα παράσημά τους, τους έστειλαν στους πιο επικίνδυνους τομείς. Τα SS επιφορτίσθηκαν το ρόλο της στρατονομίας γι' αυτούς ...
Σ'αυτό το τρελάδικο, τα σκληρά αγροτόπαιδα της ανατολικής Πρωσίας και οι πονηροί κυνηγοί της αφιλόξενης τάιγκας, ήσαν οι μόνοι που ήξεραν ήδη από την πολιτική ζωή τους πώς να επιβιώνουν σε ακραίες συνθήκες, να είναι καρτερικοί, να κυριαρχούν στο φόβο τους και να ελέγχουν το θήραμά τους.
Οι υπόλοιποι είχαν γίνει ήδη ένας αριθμός σε στατιστικό πίνακα...

[Carlos Sáez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Me ha fascinado el relato de este héroe de guerra soviético. Cuenta de primera como fue su trayectoria en la guerra contra los Nazis.

Este relato te hace ver las falsedades de la película americana “Enemigo en las puertas” aunque bueno, que se puede esperar de la propaganda de USA, según ellos fueron los que derrotaron a los Nazis.

No quiero introducirme en si un sistema político es mejor que el otro, si occidente o si oriente es mejor.

Este libro no va de eso, va de cómo hombres y mujeres defendieron su tierra y a su gente, gente corriente, de la máquina de guerra nazi dándolo todo, hasta la vida.

“¡Qué poderosas pueden ser la fe y la confianza! Cuando nadie te cree, el alma se te seca, pierdes la fuerza y te conviertes en un pájaro con las alas rotas. Pero cuando la gente confía en ti, te vuelves capaz de cosas que jamás habrías soñado. La confianza es la fuente de inspiración del soldado, y la fe, la madre de la amistad y el valor.” - Iván Grigóriev.

Encantado de leer historias de la guerra de primera mano de los soldados, los que estuvieron en las trincheras. Te muestra la auténtica realidad, tanto del vencedor como del perdedor y el auténtico SER de los humanos, en la bondad y en su maldad.

[Burt]

Wow! What an odd book. Written, presumably, in Russian, published by a no-name publisher in Las Vegas, and printed in South Korea on paper a tad thinner than note card, it suffers from three translators and an editor who had no idea what editing entailed. Notes of a Sniper has so much going against it, but it has one thing going for it--a series of great stories.

Vassili Zaitsev was one of the most outstanding snipers during the battle for Stalingrad in 1942. This book purports to be his notes/recollections of his experiences there. The work consists of a series of mostly unconnected but chronological stories. Each translator's style and abilities are clearly separate, so it seems that some sections are far smoother than others. There is no sign that the editor has done anything to stitch the parts together.

Nevertheless, I enjoyed the stories and I hope you will too, provided that you can thread your way through a rather disconnected book.

[Tyler H · Rating 5 out of 5]

This extraordinary piece of literature written by one of the greatest heroes of the Second World War, Vassili Zaitsev was amazing and encompassed true heroism, loyalty, friendship and, so much more. This book is pretty much the late Russian soldier Vassili Zaitsev's account about the brutal fighting that occurred every day in the ruined Russian city of Stalingrad. This book is truly one of the better books about ww2 as it does not hesitate to leave out any details about the daily struggle for survival during ww2. To top it all off Zaitsev paints a detailed picture of many of his kills and most importantly the most famous sniper duel of all time being his duel with a German Sniper named Erwin Konig. Read for yourself to learn more about one of the most famous heroes of Russia during ww2.

[Nate Briggs · Rating 3 out of 5]

No PTSD here. Zaitsev is quite plain in expressing that the Germans had no business invading Russia - and so he made it his business to kill as many of them as he could.

It's often remarked how adaptable people can be. We can literally get used to almost anything.

Zaitsev narrates the most horrifying episodes of urban warfare in the same tone as relating how he bought new tires for his car, and - in the end - I don't think the true horror of the battle comes through. Killing was just his day job.

Originally published in the 1950s, we can also assume that a lot of the narrative was "adjusted" by the Party censors.

[Dennis Kocik · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well written, and translated, story of this mans extraordinary life and experiences in one of World War II's most horrific battles in Stalingrad. I did watch "Enemy at the Gates" and realize that that movie captured only some of the experiences of this man and his sniper battles, and distorted some of the story to make it more "Hollywood". Still, that does not detract from the movie itself, nor lessen the spirit and value of this memoir. Highly recommended and a quick read that brings one into the sights and sounds of Stalingrad - and how close the Germans came to winning, but for the courage and perseverance of men like Vasili and his snipers.

[Deborah Kaple · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent account of a real sniper in the famous Stalingrad battle, great details, very evocative. We can only imagine what his life was like--from the very dramatic escape from a mass grave, to the very touching scene between his friend Kuzma who sees his mother by chance as they are marching through his town, in full view of the battalion that waited patiently for the mother and son to part. Very much worth reading.

[Ivette · Rating 5 out of 5]

La batalla de Stalingrado es LA batalla que más me apasiona de la segunda guerra mundial. Cuando conocí quién era Vasili Zaitsev, quise conocer su historia contada por él.

Es un libro de su memoria, no es una lectura rápida y/o amena, simplemente porque Vasili no era un escritor. Sin embargo, las diferentes misiones que se le dieron, y que él mismo nos esté contando sus historias, logran hacer que sigas leyendo.

[Rubén · Rating 5 out of 5]

Es un libro excelente. El autor narra su experiencia de la batalla de Stalingrado. Inicia narrando su niñez. "Todo el mundo recuerda su infancia". Se convierte en un gran cazador. Luego se va de voluntario al ejercito y sigue compartiendo su vida hasta llevarnos al al campo de batalla.
Es un gran testimonio de un héroe de guerra.

[Guillermo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best military book i've read. Written by the sniper himself in a clear, direct prose, always to the point. Many good stories based on true events. A clear view of what it meant to be a sniper on Stalingrado.

[Jack Rea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vasily Zaitsev’s intelligence blow my mind throughout this book, he is a genius when it comes to tactics. I love history and his unique view on the battle of Stalingrad intrigued me. Great read for any body looking for a sniper or a history book

[Baco · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic war stories, and lots of great info about what's involved in being a master sniper. I read this carefully, knowing Zaitsev's status as a figure in Soviet propaganda, but I can't seem to find any fact-checking or critical discussion about it online.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fue una lectura interesante para mí que casi no conozco nada de Rusia ni de las guerras. Aprendí muchas cosas, pero debo admitir que se me hizo pesado el libro, más por el tema que por otra cosa. Sin embargo, para quien gusta de esto, es un gran libro.