Good story well narrated. Little known battle that was a clear turning point in WW2. Well thought out plot very successfully inserted into a realistic story of the very ugly combat world that this battle presented. ( )

not Robbins best novel. This one needed some tightening up. It seemed too disjointed. Unlike "War of the Rats" this one didn't have the suspense and action. Somehow it just didn't grab me like "War of the Rats" did. Trying to turn the T34 tank into a facsimile of a horse and the tank driver into a facsimile of a Cossack horseman from the Steppes just didn't work. The Spanish-turned-German tank commander had more life and likability than did the the Cossack. The battle action is fun to read and that seems to be Robbins talent. ( )

Maps, detailed drawings of tanks, and period quotes add to the feeling of authenticity in this intensively researched novel of the battle of Kursk. (Have to admit that with the many I've read about WWII this is an epic contest that slipped under my radar.) Is it a story about complex family relationships or the story of when "two million men clashed in the largest battle that mankind has ever seen?" Is it the story of individuals--men and women--fighting for their lives or machines battling for supremacy. Is it the story of generals calling the shots or the men on the field pulling the trigger.

It is the individual who kept me glued to the pages. You may know how the battle ends, but you don't know about the individuals. For me daughter, sister, lover, and fellow partisan Katya slipped from believable on several occasions, and some of her scenes, including the ending, were contrived. But man does not create perfect, and this book is great. ( )