Battleground Prussia

The Assault on Germany’s Eastern Front 1944-45

By: Prit Buttar

Narrated by: Nigel Patterson

Length: 23 hrs and 45 mins

Publisher's Summary

The terrible months between the arrival of the Red Army on German soil and the final collapse of Hitler's regime were like no other in the Second World War. The Soviet Army's intent to take revenge for the horror that the Nazis had wreaked on their people produced a conflict of implacable brutality in which millions perished.

From the great battles that marked the Soviet conquest of East and West Prussia to the final surrender in the Vistula estuary, this book recounts in chilling detail the desperate struggle of soldiers and civilians alike. These brutal campaigns are brought vividly to life by a combination of previously unseen testimony and astute strategic analysis recognizing a conflict of unprecedented horror and suffering.

©2010 Prit Buttar (P)2019 Tantor

WW II Battleground Ignored by Western Historians

This is a great Audible selection if you have an interest in WW II history. It is a part of WW II history mostly ignored by Western Historians, especially those in the United States and Canada. Many WW II buffs probably know two things about Germany's notorious Eastern Front in WW II. Nazi Germany invaded the Soviet Union and there was a big battle at Stalingrad. Unfortunately, the rest of that important history is mostly ignored by Western Historians. Prussia as a nation or kingdom no longer exists. Battleground Prussia shines a light on why. This is the story of the German Army and German Civilians in Prussia, Koenigsberg, and Danzig after the Nazis were pushed out of the Soviet Union. It tells of events up until the Soviet forces reached the Polish/German border. With great detail, the author, Prit Buttar, tells how the final battles on the Eastern Front played out. You'll find out how a much outnumbered and outgunned German Military held out as long as they did against overwhelming numbers of Soviet soldiers and equipment. You will get to know the commanders on each side, the names of each army, and the view from the common soldier and officers. And, how civilians managed to escape the Soviet onslaught despite the worst intentions of Hitler and the Nazi Party apparatus. If Battleground Prussia has a fault it is that it is detailed to a fault. With names of units. After awhile Grenadier, Fusilier, and Army all start to run together. The performance by Nigel Patterson is excellent.

German war memoir

This book is told totally from a German point of view. I doubt slaves working on Prussian farms felt like “members of the family “. It might have been more believable if at least some Russians or German slaves were quoted. This is a German memoir, not a history book.

Russian Atrocities

This book narrates shameful conduct of Russians and allies to punish innocent german people by expelling them out of Prussia and other german territories east of River Oder. It provides a narrative of heroic struggle of german armed forces to defend their land and people from russian communist monster under the tutelage of Stalin. Shame on all that participated on the rape and murder of the german females.

Superb

Engrossing blow by blow account of the final battles around the southern coast of the Baltic towards the end of World War Two. Gives an great insight into the titanic struggle between these two implacable foes. Narration was top notch too.

Prit Buttar Always Delivers

"Battleground Prussia" is another outstanding and highly detailed work courtesy of one of our most accomplished living military historians. It was a bloodbath in the last year of the war on the Eastern Front. Yes, most of the narrative is that from the Prussia/ German. But given the title, one can expect that might be the focus. But Buttar puts into context the conflict of ideals between Germans and Russians, which translated to the war. Stalin drilled into the heads of his military forces that to kill a German was to serve their country, love their families, etc. They both saw each other as the fascists. And it is hard for us in the United States to imagine growing up in a totalitarian state like these men did. So that must be put into context.

The German atrocities committed when invading Poland and then Russia in 1939 were incomprehensible. And the bitterness was there when the Red Army regrouped and invaded Prussia in 1944, with the goal being the invasion of Berlin. Russian atrocities committed on Germans couldn't have been worse. There are no words for the horrors. And Buttar never glosses over that. It's just mostly driven by the Prussian viewpoint. And with this, it is electrifying. But you have to pay very close attention as to not miss details. I had to rewind too many times to count. There is that much detail.

Nigel Patterson's narration is spot on perfect. This could not be better.

Meat grinder

A great book on a rarely mentioned arena of ww2. The Hugh casualties of soldiers and misery of non-combatants served as a microcosm of the entire war. Clearly and intelligently narrated

Great!

A great summary of the events in (East) Prussia during the final months of WW2. Great job by the narrator! He really puts his best foot forward and, contrary to many other English language audiobooks, it is easy to follow him as he takes us through a region with fairly complicated place names.

Well Researched and Interesting.

The focus of this book is 1944-1945 in East Prussia, West Prussia, and Pomerania. Prit Buttar gives detailed strategy and division/regiment movements for all of the fighting that occured between German and Soviet forces in this. If you are into a very detailed account of the Ostfront, this is a great book. Nigel Patterson is a solid English narrator with a British accent.

Whitewashing

Good work with sources but the author glorifies and whitewashes the Wehrmach bit too much.

Exhaustive analytical take on 20th century war

The savagery in 20th century conflict get no harsher than this . The delivery gets a bit tedious after 10 hours or so ,but overall , t's essential historical conflict reading .
Unfortunately , we as a species have learned precious little from periods of insanity such as this .

Unsurpassed in detail.

A must for any serious history scholar. Unique and rare accounts that are expertly woven into a detailed delivery of an until now, little known part of World War 2 in Europe.

Expertly constructed, there is carefully sourced figures, units, places and times with personal accounts that bring this work to life.

We'll done.

Jez Walton

Exc The telling of the Wermacht's unequal battle

This book is an exceptionally well narrated story of the Wermacht's final Eastern Front battles. It tells vividly of the tenacity and innovation of an extremely well-discipline we army, out fixing superior forces throughout Russia. It leads me to believe as others do that the biggest enemy of the Wermacht was Adolf Hitler who had no tactical experience of moving large forces in battle. It makes me wonder had things been equal via fuel and equipment whether Russia would have beaten the German armies. Well narrated and very well explained. Wish I had used my European maps though to see the various battlefields. Excellent book

The War in the East in shocking detail!

This audible book is almost unique in that it tells a rarely covered story - that of the Russian invasion of Germany from the east. We are used to reading and hearing overwhelmingly of the allied war on Germany from the west, but here in superb detail is an impressively researched audible book of the horrors of the Eastern Front.

In shocking detail Prit Buttar deals with the comprehensive defeat of the Axis armies, the appalling effect on the population and refugees, the acts of random killing and rape and what in effect was ethnic cleansing.

Prit Buttar has had unequalled access to original documents and eyewitness statements. In parts I found it difficult to relate to the vastness of the overall battlefield and some of the towns referred to. Naturally, as an audio book maps are not available so I bought the actual book as an additional aid to relate to the action but the maps in the book aren't much help.In addition about 50% of the original German named towns and areas now have Russian names.

Having said all of that, this is a unique and welcome quality history of the war in the east from a superb writer and narrated by an excellent easy to listen to narrator. Highly recommended.

Brilliant

A great listen. Well read narration and as such I couldn’t stop listening to a fascinating book . Another excellent book by Pritt.
I will certainly be listening to it again !

Epic

I found this Audible book very informative. Will definitely listen to the audible book again.

too long but fascinating

lots and lots and lots of details.
fat too many.
but worth the effort !

Excellent.

On par with Max Hastings or Antony Beevor. The author has made a detailed study of the Eastern front conflict

A detailed military and social history

Covering both military and social context of the war in East Prussia, thorough, balanced, engaging from start to finish.

Good Book

well written & narrated
true history audio book
bought a few Prit Buttar now every ones been good 👍