Kursk: The Vital 24 Hours

Of the author's trilogy of introductory books (Barbarossa, Stalingrad, Kursk) this is his best book. They all have the same format: A summary intermixed with photos, maps and sidebars of information regarding key people, weapons, events etc. Some of the key people include Hauser, Kluge, Model, Rokossovsky, Khruschev, Vatutin, Rotimistrov and Manstein. The piece on tank ace, Michael Whittmann was especially interesting. With the other two books the author strays too much from the main theme but with this book he's more focused. As a introductory summary; its not meant to compete with Mark Healy's or David Glantz's books. The reason for 4 stars is that as a summary it is informative covering a lot of ground and easy to follow. It would be an excellent first book to read on the subject in order to get a foundation of understanding before moving to Healy, Glantz, Newton or Lodieu which are more involved. The author has done a good job of touching the key ingredients of the battle. He starts with the Kharkov Offensive of March which sets up Kursk. He includes in his narrative the key commanders, the key units and key events including the air war for both sides. The tank battle near Prokhorovka has its own chapter and its the largest in the book. In this chapter, Mr Fowler discusses the controversy of the number of tanks deployed and destroyed during the tank battle on July 12th. There is also coverage of the Russian counter offensive as well. There are sidebars of Russian defenses, logistics, rocket technology espionage, Allied tanks at Kursk, French volunteers, planes and more. The 112 photos are very good and adds to the story. Some are full page in size and some are colored and some can be seen in other books. There are 12 maps. All are in color but some of the maps are the latest computer generated and are helpful. Some are of a different style and are too simplistic giving less value. There are also eight color illustrations of tanks and planes. Also included is an Order of Battle, a Bibliography including websites and a Index. If you're looking for an easy or quick introduction with a decent amount of information, a Kursk collector or a photo hound, you should consider this book.

Kursk: The Vital 24 Hours by Will Fowler is a boon to both the general reader and the specialist. In his coverage of the largest tank battle in history, Fowler presents a remarkably thorough overview of the events of July 5, 1943 when the German and Soviet armies decided the ultimate fate of the Eastern Front. Readers with little knowledge of the battle will find Fowler's work most helpful. Those already familiar with the basic events will find a detailed and insightful summary of the actions of the two armies and the decisions of their commanders. Fowler manages to convey a stunning amount of detail on weapons, geography, and men without letting his work get bogged down in minutia. The maps are excellent.

A good resource and strong overview of the epic battle of Kursk. Hard core military historians will find it a little disappointing. Those with lighter tastes will find this a good read that provides a good setting for the crucial battles of the Kursk campaign.

Outstanding, well written, great maps and supporting vignettes. This book is a great resource. It provides great background information on the key players and events that lead up to this great event in history; but, also places a heavy focus on the first 24 hours of the Operation and on two key players: The elite II SS Panzer Corp and the Soviet 5th Guards Tank Army during the crucial first phase of Unternehmen Zitadel (Operation Citadell). The book is rich with illustrations, maps, photos and explanations and is a rich source of information for both the novice and the experienced student of the Eastern Front. It has great appendice's, the Soviet and German Order of Battle, a great bibliography and supporting internet/web sites references. Terry Tucker, Professor Military History/Studies (US Army, SGM,Ret)