| "I give snatches; I describe episodes; I make-as it | | | | not eagerly provide. It is important to note that |
| were-snapshots in time; I reflect personal recollections, | | | | Broekmeyer did not intend to write a purely historical |
| thoughts, experiences, and views of specific | | | | work enumerating bold facts, but rather portray war |
| individuals.." those are the words of Marius | | | | from the point of view of Soviet nation. No other |
| Broekmeyer the author of Stalin, the Russians, and | | | | people in the world got to experience Nazism from |
| Their War, 1941-1945. This line represents the main idea | | | | their native government; this emotional despair that |
| of the book and its thesis. The author is providing the | | | | was present throughout military years was hanging |
| reader with authentic memoirs and thoughts of people | | | | over a huge country and caused more suffering than |
| who lived through that horrible war and thus he is | | | | the Germans. |
| taking the reader closer to the battle field than ever. | | | | Unsystematic anthology of memoirs does not satisfy |
| This book was not written to show readers specific | | | | historical requirements and lacks a balanced and logical |
| battles or military engagements of the Soviet Union in | | | | structure. This is a major weakness of the book, which |
| WWII, but it was meant to be a mirror of feelings | | | | however does not make it less appealing in a sense of |
| experienced by Soviet people during long years of | | | | genuine facts and their variety for those seeking |
| hunger and suffering. The author has collected more | | | | opinions from "the other side". Although, as was |
| than a thousand actual official records written by | | | | already said, this works is short of perspective view |
| almost five hundred persons in order to illustrate as | | | | and does not give an explanation of how this Soviet |
| vividly as possible horrifying impact which war had on | | | | war impacted the rest of the world, it does submerge |
| ordinary Soviet people. Obviously such approach | | | | the reader into the realm of fears and hopelessness |
| makes the book more believable, as the author himself | | | | that were reality for Soviets as a separate nation. The |
| is not a former Soviet Union citizen and thus cannot | | | | pages of the book represent diary of a huge country |
| relate completely to their lives. Therefore personal | | | | in struggle with the Germans as well as Soviet |
| accounts of participants and also spectators, although | | | | doctrine. By writing in the language of emotion the |
| all people were a part of the bloody mess, give a | | | | author omits many important political facts that would |
| more profound truthful and authentic idea of what was | | | | be essential in a historical work. On the other hand, the |
| really happening behind the iron curtain. | | | | possibility of seeing this war through eyes of |
| The variety of viewpoints from people of different | | | | witnesses leads to a more objective outlook on |
| classes and occupations provides a deeper | | | | problems that Soviets were experiencing. |
| understanding of situation during war period. The fact | | | | The initial idea of the author to show how horrible |
| that Broekmeyer left collected data without almost | | | | WWII was for the Soviet people is definitely well |
| any interpretation offers a strong evidence and | | | | illustrated in the course of examination of first-hand |
| trustworthy source for investigation of war as the | | | | accounts. On their basis he proves that WWII in other |
| Soviets have seen it. The author relies basically on this | | | | counties was completely different from that same war |
| information entirely and presents it to the reader in | | | | that was taking place on the territory of Eastern |
| such a vague state that the reader has to interpret | | | | Europe. A great literary value of Stalin, the Russians, |
| data individually. Clearly this technique has strong and | | | | and Their War, 1941-1945 rests in the minds of |
| week sides at the same time. People who are | | | | common people as it was taken from real life. |
| unfamiliar with the history of Soviet Union and war time | | | | Historical events could only be guessed in personal |
| would probably find it difficult to understand such | | | | tragic accounts but such was the ultimate goal of the |
| collection of personal horrifying stories in terms of | | | | book and the author did succeed in portraying WWII in |
| history that was being built at that time. Readers will be | | | | his unique way. |
| able to only relate to the emotional aspect of the book | | | | Jeff Stats is a writer at essay writing service |
| without support of historical facts that the author does | | | | Mindrelief.net. |