Kursk 1943 Book Review
By Rachel E. Veres
| Date of Review | November 2014 | Title | Kursk 1943 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Author | Robert Forczyk | Publisher | Osprey Publishing |
| Published | 2014 | ISBN | 9781782008194 |
| Format | 96 pages, softbound | MSRP (USD) | $21.95 |
Review
Following crippling losses during Operation Barbarossa and subsequent Soviet winter counter-offensive, Hitler decided to launch a new summer offensive. Subtitled "The Northern Front", Kursk 1943 describes Germany's final great offensive – Operation Zitadelle (Citadel) along the Eastern Front targeting the Kursk salient.
As in other "Campaign" books, after summarizing origins, Robert Forczyk devotes the first half to comparing opponents. Chapter contents flow from opposing plans to force compositions. Handy orders of battle finish the first half.
Operation Zitadelle as well as the Soviet counter-offensive – Operation Kutusov – consume remaining coverage. Within successive sections, the author meticulously details each confrontation and overall aftermath. A short chapter highlighting the battlefield today concludes contents.
Nearly 70 historical photographs, campaign maps and action artwork by the incomparable Steve Noon augment this informative account. A bibliography and index complete contents.
Readers seeking additional titles need only turn to the inside back cover.
Just one regular gripe – the military symbols size should, once again, be bigger. Unless you knew they were located inside the front cover, you could easily overlook them.
Nitpick aside, decidedly recommended reading.
My sincere thanks to Osprey Publishing for this review sample!