{"title":"Prit Buttar","description":"\u003cp\u003ePrit Buttar’s works offer a compelling exploration of 20th-century military history, with a particular focus on the Eastern Front during World War II. His detailed narratives bring to life the strategic complexities and human experiences behind pivotal battles such as Bagration 1944 and the Siege of Berlin.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eReaders can expect meticulously researched accounts that blend tactical analysis with vivid storytelling, illuminating the harsh realities of war. Whether examining frontline confrontations or the broader sweep of conflict, Buttar’s books provide a nuanced perspective on military history’s most turbulent periods.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"the-reckoning-by-prit-buttar-9781472837929","title":"The Reckoning","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Reckoning\u003c\/em\u003e is vivid history, the tragic Eastern Front brought to life through the widest range of Russian and German sources I've ever read. Bravo.' -- Peter Caddick-Adams, author and broadcaster\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBy the end of 1944, the Red Army was poised on the very frontiers of the Third Reich. How had the once unstoppable, mighty Wehrmacht faltered so disastrously? Certainly, it had suffered defeats before, in particular the vast catastrophe of Stalingrad, but it was in 1944 that the war was ultimately lost. It was no longer a case of if but rather when the Red Army would be at the gates of Berlin.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003ePrit Buttar retraces the ebb and flow of the various battles and campaigns fought throughout Ukraine and Romania in 1944. January and February saw Army Group South encircled in the Korsun Pocket. Although many of the encircled troops did escape, in part due to Soviet intelligence and command failures, the Red Army would endeavour not to make the same mistakes again. Indeed, in the coming months, the Red Army would demonstrate an ability to learn and improve, reinventing itself as a war-winning machine, demonstrated clearly in its success in the Iasi-Kishinev operation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe view of the Red Army as a huge, unskilled horde that rolled over everything in its path is just one myth that \u003cem\u003eThe Reckoning\u003c\/em\u003e reassesses. So too does it re-evaluate the apparent infallibility of German military commanders, the denial of any involvement in (or often even knowledge of) the heinous crimes committed in the occupied territories by German forces, and the ineffectiveness of Axis allies, such as the Romanians at Iasi, to withstand the Soviet forces. Like all myths, these contain many truths but also a great many distortions, all of which are skilfully unpicked and analysed in this powerful retelling of 1944 on the Eastern Front.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Allen \u0026 Unwin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46850374926572,"sku":"9781472837929","price":41.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/10516813482712.jpg?v=1759084943"},{"product_id":"bagration-1944-by-prit-buttar-9781472863515","title":"Bagration 1944","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA fascinating history of the great summer offensive launched by the Red Army in 1944 which turned the tide of the war.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThroughout the war on the Eastern Front, there were two consistent trends. The Red Army battled to learn how to fight and win, while involved in a struggle for its very survival. By 1944, it had a leadership that was able to wield it with lethal effect and with far more effective equipment than before. By contrast, the Wehrmacht had commenced a slow process of decline after the invasion of the Soviet Union. Hitler became increasingly unwilling to delegate decision-making to commanders in the field, which had been crucial to earlier success. The long years of fighting had also taken a heavy toll. Thousands of irreplaceable junior officers and NCOs were dead, wounded, or prisoners.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eRenowned Eastern Front expert Prit Buttar expertly brings these contrasting fortunes to life, trends which culminated in the huge battles of \u003ci\u003eBagration\u003c\/i\u003e. As this masterful study conclusively shows, in 1944 the Red Army finally put together a campaign that utterly destroyed the German Army Group Centre. The Wehrmacht suffered the loss of over 300,000 men killed, wounded, or taken prisoner, and the Red Army rolled forward across Belarus to the outskirts of Warsaw. The end of the war was still many months away, and the Germans managed to reconstruct their line on the Eastern Front, but final victory for the Soviet Union was now only a matter of time as a direct consequence of \u003ci\u003eBagration\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Allen \u0026 Unwin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47000551915756,"sku":"9781472863515","price":78.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/10772673482712.jpg?v=1763283926"},{"product_id":"to-besiege-a-city-by-prit-buttar-9781472856562","title":"To Besiege a City","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e[An] excellent account. - Richard Overy, \u003ci\u003eThe Telegraph\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShortlisted for the \u003ci\u003eMilitary History Matters\u003c\/i\u003e Book of the Year Award 2024\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA ground-breaking history of one of the greatest ever sieges. Masterfully brought to life by a leading expert using original Russian and German source material.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis new history of the first two years of this crucial battle for the heart and soul of Russia is the first in over a decade and also the first to look comprehensively at the wider military strategies of both sides.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAt a huge cost, the Red Army and the civilian population of Leningrad ultimately endured a bitter 900-day siege, struggling against constant bombing, shelling, and starvation. Throughout the siege, Soviet forces tried to break the German lines and restore contact with the garrison. \u003ci\u003eTo Besiege a City\u003c\/i\u003e charts the first of these offensives which began in January 1942 and was followed by repeated assaults.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAcclaimed Eastern Front historian Prit Buttar details how although the Red Army suffered huge casualties in the swampy and forested terrain, the German infantry divisions were also steadily eroded. Indeed, by keeping control of parts of the shores of Lake Ladoga, the Soviet Union was able to sustain Leningrad through the winters of the siege via the ‘road of life’, constructed across the frozen lake. This epic history details the dramatic race to create the road across the ice and first-hand accounts from both Soviet and German soldiers, many never previously translated, bring the horrific series of battles and assaults to life.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eUltimately, the determination of the defenders to hold out during this first phase of the siege and the desperate attempts to break it became a hugely significant part of Russian wartime history. The echoes of the battle persist to this day, helping to define both a country and its politics. There is no better time to fully understand this history and \u003ci\u003eTo Besiege a City\u003c\/i\u003e is the most comprehensive account to date.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Allen \u0026 Unwin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47072948846828,"sku":"9781472856562","price":36.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/10703143482712.jpg?v=1765133854"},{"product_id":"into-the-reich-by-prit-buttar-9781472866998","title":"Into the Reich","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eEnriched by extraordinary first-hand accounts\u003c\/em\u003e, this is a fascinating history of the dying days of the Third Reich as Stalin sought to consolidate his own empire.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn January 1945, the Red Army launched a powerful offensive across the Vistula River to drive the Wehrmacht out of Poland, with the intention of securing a start line for an operation that would ultimately result in the capture of Berlin and the end of the war. But, as Prit Buttar expertly reveals, there were other issues at play. Stalin was determined to push the boundaries of the Soviet Union further west, restoring land lost by the tsars and securing vast industrial and mineral wealth.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWhile negotiations took place between the Allied powers regarding the fate of Poland, the Red Army burst through the German lines, liberating Auschwitz even as the SS drove concentration camp inmates onto frozen roads in a series of death marches.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe Wehrmacht staged a desperate fight back with their last major armoured offensive on the Eastern Front. Launched in February 1945 from the German-Polish border, it forced a halt to the Soviet forces on the banks of the Oder before the rush to Berlin.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWritten by an acknowledged expert on the Eastern Front and packed with first-hand accounts, \u003cem\u003eInto the Reich\u003c\/em\u003e is the definitive account of the strategic goals, both military and political, of Stalin, his generals, and their armies as they raced into the Reich, and of the German forces who stood in the way.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Allen \u0026 Unwin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47558942359788,"sku":"9781472866998","price":83.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781472866998-into-the-reich.jpg?v=1776923247"},{"product_id":"hero-city-by-prit-buttar-9781472856616","title":"Hero City","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAn impressive patch in the tapestry of written history that points toward the truth.\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cem\u003eThe Spectator\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOne of the greatest ever sieges is masterfully brought to life by a leading expert on the Eastern Front.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAt the height of World War II, the people of Leningrad endured a bitter 900-day siege, struggling against bombing, shelling, and starvation. Prit Buttar tells the story of how the siege was finally broken. The Red Army had suffered multiple setbacks in the preceding two years but achieved a partial success by breaking the blockage in early 1943. However, this was followed by further failed attempts to lift the siege.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBut by simply enduring the siege in the face of impossible odds, Russian soldiers and civilians beat the Germans. By the end of 1943, the German forces, broken by deprivations and extreme weather, began to pull back. Here was the opportunity the Soviet forces had been waiting for. The Red Army launched a decisive attack that broke through and ended the siege. Their determination to hold out has become a hugely significant part of Russian history, the echoes of the battle helping to define both a country and its politics.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis compelling history uses original source material to describe the experiences of those trapped. It also details the tactical successes and strategic failures of both sides and the appalling war crimes that have forever stained the ground in and around this historic city.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Allen \u0026 Unwin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47602982584556,"sku":"9781472856616","price":119.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781472856616-hero-city.jpg?v=1778051657"},{"product_id":"berlin-by-prit-buttar-9781472869661","title":"Berlin","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eWritten by one of the world's leading experts on the Eastern Front, this captivating history explores the final battle for Berlin and the heart of Germany.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis sweeping saga takes us from the banks of the River Oder as the Red Army begins its relentless drive towards the still beating heart of the Third Reich: Berlin. Only the Seelow Heights stood between the Soviet forces and the capital. Over the course of three days in May 1945, almost one million Soviet troops would attack these final entrenched positions. Once these defences were breached, it was guaranteed that a bitter street-by-street battle would take place in the city itself between a vengeful Red Army and desperate, fanatical Nazis until final capitulation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eUsing vivid first-hand accounts, Prit Buttar reveals the brutal combat that defined the final death throes of the Third Reich.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eNot only was the outcome of the war at stake. As the Red Army rolled into Berlin, this was already a foregone conclusion even if it would take its toll in blood. Already, battle lines for the forthcoming Cold War were being drawn. Stalin, fearful that the Western Powers would not honour their agreements, was determined to have boots on the ground to ensure his control of what would become the Soviet occupation zone.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eBerlin: Endgame 1945\u003c\/i\u003e is the brilliant account of the ferocious climax to World War II and a chilling prologue to the Cold War.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Allen \u0026 Unwin Aotearoa New Zealand","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48021957673196,"sku":"9781472869661","price":88.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781472869661-berlin.jpg?v=1785284642"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.pro\/collections\/prit-buttar.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}