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At Leningrad's Gates
- The Combat Memoirs of a Soldier with Army Group North
- Narrated by: Jonathan Cowley
- Length: 8 hrs and 47 mins
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At Leningrad's Gates
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Summary
This is the remarkable story of a German soldier who fought throughout World War II, rising from conscript private to captain of a heavy weapons company on the Eastern Front.
William Lubbeck, age 19, was drafted into the Wehrmacht in August 1939. As a member of the 58th Infantry Division, he received his baptism of fire during the 1940 invasion of France. The following spring his division served on the left flank of Army Group North in Operation Barbarossa. After grueling marches amidst countless Russian bodies, burnt-out vehicles, and a great number of cheering Baltic civilians, Lubbeck's unit entered the outskirts of Leningrad, making the deepest penetration of any German formation.
The Germans suffered brutal hardships the following winter as they fought both Russian counterattacks and the brutal cold. The 58th Division was thrown back and forth across the front of Army Group North, from Novgorod to Demyansk, at one point fighting back Russian attacks on the ice of Lake Ilmen. Returning to the outskirts of Leningrad, the 58th was placed in support of the Spanish "Blue" Division. Relations between the allied formations soured at one point when the Spaniards used a Russian bath house for target practice, not realizing that Germans were relaxing inside.
A soldier who preferred to be close to the action, Lubbeck served as forward observer for his company, dueling with Russian snipers, partisans and full-scale assaults alike. His worries were not confined to his own safety; however, as news arrived of disasters in Germany, including the destruction of Hamburg where his girlfriend served as an Army nurse.
In September 1943, Lubbeck earned the Iron Cross First Class and was assigned to officers' training school in Dresden. By the time he returned to Russia, Army Group North was in full-scale retreat. Now commanding his former heavy weapons company, Lubbeck alternated sharp counterattacks with inexorable withdrawal, from Riga to Memel on the Baltic. In April 1945 Lubbeck's company became stalled in a traffic jam and was nearly obliterated by a Russian barrage followed by air attacks.
In the last chaotic scramble from East Prussia, Lubbeck was able to evacuate on a newly minted German destroyer. He recounts how the ship arrived in the British zone off Denmark with all guns blazing against pursuing Russians. The following morning, May 8, 1945, he learned that the war was over.
After his release from British captivity, Lubbeck married his sweetheart, Anneliese, and in 1949 immigrated to the United States where he raised a successful family. With the assistance of David B. Hurt, he has drawn on his wartime notes and letters, Soldatbuch, regimental history and personal memories to recount his four years of frontline experience. Containing rare firsthand accounts of both triumph and disaster, At Leningrad's Gates provides a fascinating glimpse into the reality of combat on the Eastern Front.
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What listeners say about At Leningrad's Gates
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Kenny Hamilton
- 12-09-19
A must read.
A brutally honest account of a German front line soldier on the eastern front. Fantastic.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- john
- 11-02-18
An interesting insight into the Wermacht
Would you consider the audio edition of At Leningrad's Gates to be better than the print version?
Jonathan Cowley's performance is very good. This is the first book that I've picked up from a German soldier's perspective of WW2. William Lubbeck's survival of the Eastern Front is a story in itself. He made the most of post-war life and became a leader in his field of work. An easy listen and an interesting one at that.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Mike
- 14-01-15
Great personal perspective
I have read this book in the past and decided to get it on audible due it being so long since I read it. I loved it as much as the first time and have actually listened to it twice through now. if you are after a gritty first person account of combat then this book probabaly isn't for you. If you want a very honest and personal opinion on the war from a German soldier then this book is perfect. the author comes across as a very modest individual and tried to convey to the listener/reader what the feeling was like at the time. I found it completely engrossed me in his life everything from his childhood growing up on his families farm to his life after the war in America. A truly remarkable individual and story. I would personally recommend it.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 30-11-23
Well worth your time
Although at times this sounded like it was being read by a robot I enjoyed it a lot. Interesting from several perspectives, WW2 obviously but also German life before and after the conflict. The last chapters about life in Canada and The USA were a great conclusion to an interesting life, well lived.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Ian A
- 26-04-18
Not what I was looking for...
A story of a farm boy who falls in love. And there is a war on. If you are looking for a war story, I dont think this is for you. Nevertheless I quite enjoyed it. Stories of childhood go on way too long.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Northern Monkey
- 14-03-18
was ok but the narrator let it down
some interesting things in the book but the narrator let it down with numerous pronunciation... for example I'd expect the word Wehrmacht to be spoken correctly.
A small detail but it annoyed me!
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- T
- 30-03-16
A very good biography, But...
A very good biography, very interesting. But spoilt by the narrator's word pronunciation which has to be heard to be believed!
Shocking!
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- TKJ
- 19-11-15
This book is truly an amazing story of the day to day life of a German soldier during the highs and lows of Hitlers nazi germany
Having read and listened to many books regarding the Second World War , I must say this book is excellent and gives a different perspective on the war and most importantly from the German side of the war .
I would highly recommend this book .....
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Richard Denis Chadwick
- 23-01-23
really goof book
always good to read the german point of view on life. always much different from the rubbish told growing up
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Mathew Powell
- 19-02-24
Good memories but spoiled by narrator
Good memories but narrator made it boring to listen to.
Read very monotone with some mispronounced military words
Very poorly executed
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