Russia's Last Gasp: The Eastern Front 1916–17

Eastern Front Series, Book 3

By: Prit Buttar

Narrated by: Roger Clark

Length: 21 hrs and 19 mins

Publisher's Summary

In Russia's Last Gasp, Prit Buttar looks at one of the bloodiest campaigns launched in the history of warfare - the Brusilov Offensive, sometimes known as the June Advance. With British, French, and German forces locked in a stalemate in the trenches of the Western Front, an attack was launched by the massed Russian armies to the east. The assault was intended to knock Austria-Hungary out of the war and divert German troops from the Western Front, easing the pressure on Russia's allies. Russia's dismal military performance in the preceding years was forgotten, as the Brusilov Offensive was quickly characterized by innovative tactics. Most impressive of all was the Russian use of shock troops, a strategy that German armies would later use to great effect in the final years of the war.  

Drawing on first-hand accounts and detailed archival research, Buttar gives a dramatic retelling of final years of the war on the Eastern Front, with the Russian Army claiming military success at a cost so high that it was never able to recover.

©2016 Prit Buttar (P)2019 Tantor

A Graduate level education

This is book three of a four part series detailing the Eastern Front of WWI. I would satisfy any in-depth overview of a Graduate Military History program. There is nothing superfluous in Mr. Buttar's analysis. His analysis gives you the type of information someone seriously interested in the causes, conflicts, and outcomes of this theater of the war. Mr. Buttar gives brief biographical information on the major power players without going down a rabbit hole to the point you lose focus of his previous point The book does not bog down in biographical sketches that tell you little of the Casus belli from the point of view of the belligerents.
I'm happy that Roger Clark read the complete series. His voice led a gravity to the subject matter that gave the necessary weight and relevance to subject. It was a pleasure to listen to.
I am now reading book IV and will continue to read Mr Buttar's books. They are academic, but easy to follow without needing to much background education in the war.

Excellent series

Prit Buttar is one of the most engaging writers of all things eastern front, in both WW1 and WW2. This, though a very dense series, is fairly easy to follow and made even better by Roger Davis's spectacular narration. The eastern front in World War I was especially tragic, and the oft forgotten landscape. And Russia's involvement is especially sad, given the disarray within the country, and the countless dead on all sides. What a tragic war. Looking forward to part Four.

Very well done

3 rd book of 4 done on the East front in the First World War . Following along with troop movements is difficultt with out maps ( the book itself has scant few ) Sitting down to listen with a WW1 atlas really helps . The Brusilov offensive and the invasion of Romania are the high points . Buttar does an excellent job explaining the key players and politics of the warring nations. This series is one of my favorites . I plan on listening to this book numerous times . A+

Amazing

Told with a complete command of the facts, and clearly showed how the results of one event set the stage for the next.

Fantastic third book

This is the third book in a series of four. I have now listened to the first three in six weeks and I have to say: They have been nothing short of great.
Prit Buttar is a very good writer and the narrator is so good. On to the next one!