Island of Fire: The Battle for the Barrikady Gun Factory in Stalingrad

Historian Mark compiles a numbingly meticulous investigation of the German and Russian battle for the area surrounding the Barrikady gun factory during the larger battle for Stalingrad during the winter of 1942–1943. Mark chooses this focus because “this battered microcosm perfectly symbolizes the futility, waste, and changing fortunes known as ‘the Battle of Stalingrad.’ ” The book assumes a lot of knowledge on the reader’s part, leaving some military ranks and jargon such as shtrafnikov and Schirrmeister untranslated and unexplained. While Mark weaves in an impressively diverse set of primary sources, including soldiers’ letters home, speeches, military orders, combat journals, teletype messages, and situation reports, the result can sometimes feel more like a series of facts rather than a cohesive narrative or analysis of the battle. A few human moments come through in the story, such as a soldier finding time to celebrate his birthday during the battle, but they are few and far between. This herculean scholarly effort brings together a remarkable collection of materials—down to the precise number of mortar rounds fired—to create a useful reference but a challenging reading experience. [em](May) [/em]