But in his carefully researched new book “The Lighthouse of Stalingrad: The Hidden Truth at the Heart of the Greatest Battle of World War II,” Mr. MacGregor points out that “the mythologizing of the struggle for Stalin’s city can sometimes distort the true history, which in itself is unambiguously heroic.” Particularly at a time when Vladimir Putin is invoking the cult of the Great Patriotic War, as World War II is called in Russia, to justify his disastrous invasion of Ukraine, Mr. MacGregor argues that it is vital to separate fact from propagandistic fiction. A wonderful and important and timely book’– Alexander Kershaw, New York Times bestselling author of The Bedford Boys and First Wave The procession had arrived at the pathway to the enormous memorial complex, which covered 1.3 square miles of the eastern slope of the Mamayev. Before they would reach their destination, the mourners were now faced with a series of terraces to ascend, each with sculptures eulogizing a stage of the battle. 14 They began by walking up the 100-meter (328-foot) path, before climbing up the two hundred steps, representing the two hundred days of the battle, which took the cortege and the multitude of followers up to the Avenue of Lombardy Poplars. They were now walking through a circular piazza enclosed by birch trees, giving the mourners a dominating view across the Volga that emphasized how crucial in commanding the high ground this position had been to both sides. Carefully researched . . . This valuable addition to the body of work about Stalingrad goes a long way toward righting the balance between myth and reality. . . . compelling." — Wall Street Journal However, MacGregor’s real coup is not so much the exposure of the propaganda-myth of “Pavlov’s House” but the access he was given to the unpublished letters and memoirs of a German officer who was present at the battle from its inception to its end. Lieutenant Colonel Friedrich Roske is almost a Wehrmacht Officer from central casting. Cultured, intelligent, an able and dedicated soldier, his observations on Stalingrad add first-person authenticity to the familiar history of the battle. Furthermore, he officiated at the surrender of General Paulus, and his meticulous observations of the process are superbly and uniquely detailed.

The Lighthouse of Stalingrad: The Hidden Truth at the Heart The Lighthouse of Stalingrad: The Hidden Truth at the Heart

The Lighthouse of Stalingrad by Iain MacGregor is a tale of two books. Well, actually, one book and one major marketing error. The Lighthouse of Stalingrad: The Hidden Truth at the Heart of the Greatest Battle of World War II," by Iain MacGregor (ISBN: 781982163587), publishing date 29 November 2022, earns a strong four stars. The book is well researched but the title is quite misleading. It also seemed that the author sometime simply walked around the same topic over and over again without moving with their research. Make no mistake, this epic battle was as significant, if not more, than any other battle in the Second World War and since, and its legacy is just as great--even today. This book reveals new information that highlights just how great the Soviet sacrifice was, and, ironically, reminds the reader of how despots from all quarters can injure if not destroy any nation. It is a worthy read.First time @NAM_London today. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Thought the presentation & interpretation made the subject accessible..." If you thought you knew all about the Battle of Stalingrad, Iain Macgregor’ s gripping account will put you right. Drawing on a remarkable range of diaries, letters and memoirs, many of which have never been published before, he provides an illuminating, authoritative and unforgettable insight into the decisive days of that most terrible struggle on the banks of the Volga.” — Jonathan Dimbleby , BBC broadcaster and Sunday Times bestselling author of Barbarossa: How Hitler Lost the War Splendid. . . . MacGregor writes with great fluency and narrative drive, and his account of the context to the battle and the complexity of its fraught swings of fortune and misfortune is compellingly terse." — New Statesman (UK)

The Lighthouse of Stalingrad by Iain MacGregor | Waterstones

One thing that surprised me is that Russia lost some many soldiers during world war II. Towards the beginning of the book the author says the numbers lost by the United states, Britain, and Russia. American and Britain lost over 400 thousand while Russian lost 27 million. I think he was talking only about Soldiers.There was never a day when Covid-19 rules were fully followed in No 10, Whitehall’s former ethics chief has said. Helen MacNamara, who oversaw the Cabinet Office propriety and ethics team, said “hundreds” of officials and ministers probably broke the rules. She expressed “profound regret” for... There was never a day when Covid-19 rules were fully followed in No 10, Whitehall’s former ethics chief has said. Helen MacNamara, who oversaw the Cabinet Office propriety and ethics team, said “hundreds” of officials and ministers probably broke the rules. She expressed “profound regret” for... There was never a day when Covid-19 rules were fully followed in No 10, Whitehall’s former ethics chief has said. Helen... The story, particularly of the Lighthouse, shows us just how tenaciously a people will fight when their land, and indeed their homes, are being overrun by a foreign aggressor. As MacGregor pointedly reminds us, it is a lesson that at least one of Stalin’s successors appears to have forgotten. REVIEW BY CALUM HENDERSON The Lighthouse of Stalingrad: the hidden truth at the centre of WWII’s greatest battle I gave this book 3 stars out of 5. I feel guilty doing so as Iain MacGregor is an excellent writer and much of the book is excellent. However, the marketing seems to make a promise that it does not deliver on and that needs to be taken into account.

The Lighthouse of Stalingrad: The Hidden Truth at the Centre The Lighthouse of Stalingrad: The Hidden Truth at the Centre

Within this life-and-death struggle, Soviet war correspondents lauded the fight for a key strategic building in the heart of the city, “Pavlov’s House,” which was situated on the frontline and codenamed “The Lighthouse.” The legend grew of a small garrison of Russian soldiers from the 13th Guards Rifle Division holding out against the Germans of the Sixth Army, which had battled its way to the very center of Stalingrad. A report about the battle in a local Red Army newspaper would soon grow and be repeated on Moscow radio and in countless national newspapers. By the end of the war, the legend would gather further momentum and inspire Russians to rebuild their destroyed towns and cities.The maps and the detail help one get as good a picture as is feasible, 80 years later, of this battle that turned the tide of the Great Patriotic War, and quite possibly WWII as well.