Leningrado

The book that rescues from oblivion the citizens who were trapped between the two worst totalitarian systems in history.

On September 8, 1941, eleven weeks after Hitler launched the brutal surprise attack on the Soviet Union, known as Operation Barbarossa, the city of Leningrad was besieged. The siege lasted almost three years and more than seven hundred and fifty thousand civilians died of starvation. Had the city fallen, the history of World War II, and of the 20th century, would have been very different.

Leningrad is an interwoven account of personal stories that, based on chronicles and real testimonies from diaries of both sides, reflects the daily life of those who lived through the siege, 20th-century European civilians who endured terrible hardships: the incessant search for food and water; progressive discouragement and the loss of family ties; looting, murders and cannibalism; but, at the same time, extraordinary stories of courage and dedication.

Anna Reid also reveals the Nazis' deliberate decision to starve the inhabitants of Leningrad to force them to surrender, the consequences of Hitler's miscalculation, and the incompetence and cruelty of the Soviet high command. She also addresses a series of questions that still demand answers today: Was the overwhelming death toll as much Stalin's fault as Hitler's? How did Stalin's and Moscow's distrust of the old, Western-leaning St. Petersburg contribute to the disaster? Why didn't the Germans take the city? What prevented it from falling into anarchy? How did some manage to survive? An indispensable classic, a reference book on the subject, until now unpublished in Spanish.

Critics have said:

"A masterpiece. With rigor and without sentimentality, it brings us a terrible story, masterfully documented and beautifully narrated."
Anthony Beevor

"Masterful."
Orlando Figes

"An admirable way of narrating the extraordinary story of the siege. It intensely portrays what some consider the most horrifying episode of World War II."
Max Hastings

"Shocking and necessary. An astonishing and moving study of the price imposed by unrestricted political power on both sides."
The Daily Mail

"A masterful and beautifully written account that creates a powerful sense of intimacy. Reid pays special attention to vivid human details, without ignoring the broader context."
The Spectator

"Impeccably documented, well-paced, and beautifully written, Leningrad is the new reference book on the subject, with a more refined and objective interpretation for a new century."
Financial Times

"A detailed and heartbreaking account of life and death in Leningrad that gives people back their voices."
The Wall Street Journal