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A SUNDAY TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLER

‘With his customary literary flair and capacity to master and mobilize very many and varied sources, Jonathan Dimbleby gives us the best single-volume account of the Barbarossa campaign to date’ Andrew Roberts, author of Churchill: Walking with Destiny

‘Like a fast-moving juggernaut of horror, Dimbleby’s Barbarossa is a page-turning descent into Hell and back. Part warning, part fable, but all too true, this fresh and compelling account of Hitler’s failed invasion of the Soviet Union should be on everyone’s reading list for 2021’ Dr Amanda Foreman, author of A World on Fire

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Operation Barbarossa, Hitler’s invasion of Russia in June 1941, aimed at nothing less than a war of extermination to annihilate Soviet communism, liquidate the Jews and create Lebensraum for the German master race. But it led to the destruction of the Third Reich, and was cataclysmic for Germany with millions of men killed, wounded or registered as missing in action. It was this colossal mistake — rather than any action in Western Europe — that lost Hitler the Second World War.

Drawing on hitherto unseen archival material, including previously untranslated Russian sources, Jonathan Dimbleby puts Barbarossa in its proper place in history for the first time. From its origins in the ashes of the First World War to its impact on post-war Europe, and covering the military, political and diplomatic story from all sides, he paints a full and vivid picture of this monumental campaign whose full nature and impact has remained unexplored.

At the heart of the narrative, written in Dimbleby’s usual gripping style, are compelling descriptions of the leaders who made the crucial decisions, of the men and women who fought on the front lines, of the soldiers who committed heinous crimes on an unparalleled scale and of those who were killed when the Holocaust began. Hitler’s fatal gamble had the most terrifying of consequences.

Written with authority and humanity, Barbarossa is a masterwork that transforms our understanding of the Second World War and of the twentieth century.

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‘Superb. . . stays with you long after you have finished’ Henry Hemming, bestselling author of Our Man in New York

‘A chilling account of war at its worst’ Bear Grylls

Publisher Review

The best single-volume account of the Barbarossa campaign to date -- Andrew Roberts, author of 'Churchill: Walking with Destiny' It's a vital story, one everyone should know, and Dimbleby tells it with verve and elan -- Laurence Rees, author of 'Hitler and Stalin' Should be on everyone's reading list for 2021 -- Dr Amanda Foreman, author of 'A World on Fire' Masterly -- General Sir Mike Jackson Vivid and engrossing -- Brendan Simms, author of 'Hitler: Only The World Was Enough' An impressive achievement . . . a fast-paced, gripping read -- Julia Boyd, author of 'Travellers in the Third Reich' A great read . . . he brings Barbarossa very vividly to life, as if you are there -- Robert Kershaw, author of 'War Without Garlands: Operation Barbarossa 1941-1942' and 'Borodino Field 1812/1941' Thought-provoking . . . a captivating eye-opener -- Prof Dr Gerhard Hirschfeld, University of Stuttgart, former President of the International Committee for the Study of the Second World War Superbly well-written . . . the most comprehensive study of Hitler's invasion of the USSR in years -- Keith Lowe, author of 'Savage Continent' Expertly narrated and written with piercing clarity -- Frederick Taylor, author of '1939: A People's History' A chilling account of war at its worst -- Bear Grylls Superb . . . stays with you long after you have finished -- Henry Hemming, bestselling author of 'Our Man in New York' Brilliant . . . a wonderful piece of history -- Robert Fox Epic . . . captures all of Barbarossa's drama and magnitude -- Martin Sixsmith