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Enemy at the Gates

The Battle for Stalingrad

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Enemy at the Gates

By: William Craig
Narrated by: David Baker
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About this listen

A classic work of World War II history that brings to vivid, dramatic life one of the bloodiest battles ever fought - and the beginning of the end for the Third Reich.

On August 5, 1942, giant pillars of dust rose over the Russian steppe, marking the advance of the 6th Army, an elite German combat unit dispatched by Hitler to capture the industrial city of Stalingrad and press on to the oil fields of Azerbaijan. The Germans were supremely confident; in three years, they had not suffered a single defeat. The Luftwaffe had already bombed the city into ruins. German soldiers hoped to complete their mission and be home in time for Christmas.

The siege of Stalingrad lasted five months, one week, and three days. Nearly two million men and women died, and the 6th Army was completely destroyed. Considered by many historians to be the turning point of World War II in Europe, the Soviet Army's victory foreshadowed Hitler's downfall and the rise of a communist superpower.

Best-selling author William Craig spent five years researching this epic clash of military titans, traveling to three continents in order to review documents and interview hundreds of survivors. Enemy at the Gates is the enthralling result: the definitive account of one of the most important battles in world history. The book was the inspiration for the 2001 film of the same name, starring Joseph Fiennes and Jude Law.

©1973 William Craig; This edition published in 2015 by Open Road Integrated Media, Inc. (P)2015 Audible, Inc.
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What listeners say about Enemy at the Gates

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  • Overall
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Confusing pronunciations

Whilst the performance all in all was quite good to listen to, for someone who speaks German and understands enough of Russian, listening to the horrible pronunciations of most not English words and some names, was at times confusing and at times it hurt my brain. Quite disappointing, that the actor didn't take the time to familiarise himself with these ~20 words.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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Really amazing book! Would highly recommend

I really enjoyed this book! And I would highly recommend it.

The narration was really good and he did a very good job!

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  • Overall
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Riveting listening

I had read Anthony Beevor’s Stalingrad which I really admired, and wondered if the story could really be told any differently. But it can! This book explains clearly the battle-plans, but makes much more use of military documents and personal letters and diaries to tell a more intimate story of this tragedy, including some of the aftermath.The narrator is very good too. I will be listening again and thoroughly recommend it.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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GREAT BOOK - NOT SO GREAT READER

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes - if you are interested in WW2 then this is one of the turning points

Who might you have cast as narrator instead of David Baker?

Someone who can pronounce European words

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No - too long - but ideal excuse for a few long walks

Any additional comments?

Reader's mispronunciation of so many European words / terms / places grates terribly

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12 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Unbelievable true story of human hardship.

This has just been such a shocking story from start to beginning of human hardship, loyalty, cruelty and sadness. The pointless sacrifice of brave tigers on both sides. It left me with real and genuine sadness.......

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3 people found this helpful

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very interesting and informative

This book gives you a first hand account of what it was like for both sides of the battle in Stalingrad. The stories from survivors is truly amazing . How anyone survived is unbelievable. It also shows how inept Hitler was as a strategist.

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2 people found this helpful

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Gruesome.

I did not realise that the germans axis partners, the Italians would resort to Cannibalism to stay alive .

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Amazing

This story encapsulates the bloodbath that was Stalingrad very well. It was such a tragic event and a huge turning point that thousands of men paid for with their lives due to their leaders' incompetence.

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4 people found this helpful

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exceptional

the amount of research that must have went into this is unreal. a fascinating listen

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

A battle indeed

This is not a book to be enjoyed. More a book to be endured. Yet, it is an important book, well written that deserves to be read (or listened to). The reason behind this apparent paradox is the subject matter - it is relentless in depicting the horrors and futility of war. William Craig tells the big story largely through the personal stories of many who took part - from top generals to humble grunts. I was pleased to hear their stories brought up-to-date (at least to 1973) in the epilogue but was disappointed not to find an assessment of the strategic importance of the battle - considered by many to be the turning point of WWII. To help make sense of the story, I also missed not having maps of the general area and a street plan for Stalingrad - almost certainly present in the original book but of course a non-starter for an audiobook! The narrator does an excellent job, coping with the tongue-twisting names.

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