In Russia''s War: 1941-1945, Richard Overy re-creates the Soviet Union''s apocalyptic struggle against Nazi Germany, from the point of view both of the troops and of the ordinary civilians.

In the course of human history there has probably been no more terrible place than Eastern Europe in 1941-45. Estimates of total Soviet military and civilian deaths in the period now stand at more than 25 million.

Yet without the Soviet war effort, it is unlikely that Germany could have ever been defeated. Drawing on a recent wealth of evidence to account for the Soviet Union''s remarkable victory against invading forces, Richard Overy''s Russia''s War is a fascinating account of the epic struggle that turned the tide of the Second World War.

''Masterly ... a vivid account''
   Robert Service, Independent
''A dramatic and exciting tale ... His set-piece descriptions of such visions of Hell as Stalingrad, the 900-day siege of Leningrad and the crucial battle of Kursk are as fascinating as they are horrifying''
   Alan Judd, Sunday Times
''Overy is a first-class military historian ... Now, we have an authoritative British account that understands both sides, without illusions''
   Norman Stone, Spectator
''Excellent ... Overy tackles this huge, complex and multifaceted story with the vital gifts of clarity and brevity''
   Antony Beevor, Literary Review

Richard Overy is Professor of History at the University of Exeter. His books include Why the Allies Won, Russia''s War, The Battle of Britain, The Morbid Age and The Dictators, which won the Wolfson and the Hessell Tiltman Prizes for history in 2005.