The confrontation between German and Soviet forces at Stalingrad was a titanic clash of armies on an unprecedented scale—a campaign that was both a turning point in World War II and a lasting symbol of that war's power and devastation. Yet despite the attention lavished on this epic battle by historians, much about it has been greatly misunderstood or hidden from view—as David Glantz, the world's foremost authority on the Red Army in World War II, now shows. This first volume in Glantz's masterly trilogy draws on previously unseen or neglected sources to provide the definitive account of the opening phase of this iconic Eastern Front campaign. Glantz has combed daily official records from both sides—including the Red Army General Staff, the People's Commissariat of Internal Affairs, the German Sixth Army, and the Soviet 62nd Army—to produce a work of unparalleled detail and fresh interpretations. Jonathan House, an authority on twentieth-century warfare, adds further insight and context. Hitler's original objective was not Stalingrad but the Caucasus oilfields to the south of the city. So he divided his Army Group South into two parts-one to secure the city on his flank, one to capture the oilfields. Glantz reveals for the first time how Stalin, in response, demanded that the Red Army stand and fight rather than withdraw, leading to the numerous little-known combat engagements that seriously eroded the Wehrmacht's strength before it even reached Stalingrad. He shows that, although advancing German forces essentially destroyed the armies of the Soviet Southwestern and Southern Fronts, the Soviets resisted the German advance much more vigorously than has been thought through constant counterattacks, ultimately halting the German offensive at the gates of Stalingrad. This fresh, eye-opening account and the subsequent companion volumes—on the actual battle for the city itself and the successful Soviet counteroffensive that followed—will dramatically revise and expand our understanding of what remains a military campaign for the ages. "Fifteen years ago the late John Erickson wrote that the research of Glantz and house reflected an ‘encyclopaedic knowledge’ of the Nazi-Soviet war and constituted a benchmark for excellence in the field. The Stalingrad trilogy reflects the fact that they maintain that standard, while bringing to light a new understanding of many old questions."— War in History “Glantz is the world’s top scholar of the Soviet-German War.”— Journal of Military History "No previous work matches, or even approaches, the accuracy, detail, and fresh interpretation offered in this book. The trilogy is an essential addition to the library of any institution whose students study World War II. It is indeed a monumental work."— Slavic Review "I strongly recommend this book to serious World War II students; it certainly provides readers with a far greater understanding of this phase of history’s greatest land war."— Armor "A very important addition to all World War II collections. Highly recommended."— Choice "The combination of David Glantz’s accrued knowledge of the war on the Eastern Front during World War II and the rich source material in the extensive notes makes this book arguably the most authoritative operational study of the initial phases of the Stalingrad campaign ever published in English, or any language for that matter."— Parameters "Although he offers a deeply detailed, comprehensive operational history, Glantz nonetheless steps back just enough to offer cogent analysis and interpretation. . . . Glantz has made good use of the most recent Soviet and German sources and historiography to craft a nitty-gritty of the key 1942 summer campaign in Russia. As always, his information is substantial and his judgments are sound."— H-Net Reviews “A magisterial new survey that draws on a wealth of previously inaccessible Red Army records and will be indispensable reading for all serious students of the battle.”— Michael K. Jones , author of Stalingrad: How the Red Army Triumphed “In a way never before attempted, Glantz reveals how the battle proceeded through the step-by-step, day-by-day efforts of leaders to plan, supervise, and conduct combat operations amidst the fog of war.”— Roger R. Reese , author of Red Commanders "A magisterial new survey that draws on a wealth of previously inaccessible Red Army records and will be indispensable reading for all serious students of the battle."--Michael K. Jones, author of Stalingrad: How the Red Army Triumphed "In a way never before attempted, Glantz reveals how the battle proceeded through the step-by-step, day-by-day efforts of leaders to plan, supervise, and conduct combat operations amidst the fog of war."--Roger R. Reese, author of Red Commanders "Glantz is the world's top scholar of the Soviet-German War."-- Journal of Military History David M. Glantz is the author of numerous books, including The Battle for Leningrad, 1941-1944; Colossus R