text: Although I'm not new to WWII histories, the First World War is one of my favorite historical periods to read about and one of my favorite books from that war is Alistar Horne's "The Price of Glory."  Since I enjoyed reading about one if WWI's most epic battles, I did not hesitate to read "Stalingrad: The Fateful Siege" by Antony Beevor.
  
  In both works, comparisons are made between the battles of Verdun and Stalingrad and for good reasons.  Both battles were initiated by German forces that underestimated the tenacity of their enemy, the course of battle spun wildly beyond their commander's control, and both battles cost a near unimaginable loss of life and human suffering.
  
  Beevor is especially keen on the amount of human agony throughout the battle of Stalingrad, which makes the book gutwrenching but at the same time the reader is unable to put it down.  From the well-documented cold, lice, and hunger that haunted Russian and German soldier alike, to the disease and desperation experienced by the Sixth Army as they were slowly strangled in Zhukov's trap, it seems that Beevor has overlooked nothing.  Unlike many battle histories that may focus on stategy or political fallout of the conflict, the emphasis on human suffering and heroism in Beevor's work makes the reader sympathize for Russians, Germans, Romanians, and anyone else unlucky enough to get caught in the battle.
  
  Not only does Beevor shed light on the plight of ordinary soldiers, he also examines the more famous players in the battle; including a paranoid Stalin, a dreaming Hitler, a finger-pointing von Manstein, and a indecisive Paulus.  Indeed, the reader gains perspective from Rastenburg and Moscow all the way down the heirarchy to the frozen bunkers of Stalingrad.
  
  Overall, "Stalingrad: The Fateful Siege" is an excellent book that is recommended for anyone interested in World War II or just any hard-hitting military history
  