'The best of the best' is how Marshal Georgy Zhukov has been described by his fellow Russian Generals. This book emphasises that Zhukov was a great general in the most stupendous war in history, and he stood apart in the galaxy of Russian generals who fought on the Nazi-Soviet front.Zhukov's leadership on the field is shown in such epic battles as Moscow, Stalingrad, Kursk and Berlin. Nobody was more decorated than Zhukov. This book also explores Zhukov's volatile relationship with Stalin and discusses his achievements and various appointments throughout the war. So why did one of the greatest military commanders of the twentieth century end his life in obscurity? This book holds the answers.
Some wrong-headed and misleading statements have been made about my biography of Marshal Zhukov, and unless they are refuted there are persons who may believe even these far-fetched opinions.
It is said that "a good proportion of the book is wasted, that some topics have little to do with Zhukov or are so widely known that only a first-time reader of history could be intrigued by the details." But first-time readers are expected to be part of the audience, and I hope they too are intrigued by the missing pages I have added. Here is what an expert, Sir Martin Gilbert, author of Winston S. Churchill and also The Second World War says of my book: "The story of Georgi Zhukov is here set out in fascinating detail. Every reader will gain an insight into Russia's struggle in its Great Patriotic War."
It is implied that one "wasted topic" is Hitler's death. The fact is the Fuehrer's suicide was a major event of the war, and verification was Zhukov's duty as leader of Russia's armies in occupied Germany.
My book is "poorly researched", says an ardent critic. But readers can judge for themselves. Here is what Professor Richard Overy of King's College, London, writes: "Albert Axell gets us closer to the real Zhukov than any previous biography...This is a compelling portrait of one of the most outstanding commanders of the 20th century."
-- by Albert Axell
