Defeat at the Dnepr

“In this magisterial yet engrossing work, Simon Waring demonstrates a superlative ability to depict operational warfare on the Eastern Front in a manner approaching and even rivalling that of Colonel David Glantz, the acknowledged master of this field of study. In his analysis of one of the Eastern Front’s less-well-known yet most critical battles of the latter half of 1943, the author not only examines the operations of the German defenders from the inside out, especially those of legendary Panzer Generals Balck and Hermann Hoth, but gives fair and thorough treatment to their primary opponent, General Nikolai Vatutin’s First Ukrainian Front. During Hoth’s failed counterattack to retake Kiev with Balck’s experienced XXXXVIII. Panzer Korps in the wake of Vatutin’s successful offensive of 3 November 1943, the rising expertise of the Red Army, in particular the leadership of its armored and mechanized forces, is ably demonstrated, as is the declining combat power and effectiveness of the Wehrmacht. Written in an engaging, fluid style, the author has managed to pull off an impressive feat–successfully depicting the flow of a major battle from an operational perspective, yet describing the actions in such a way that immediately seizes and maintains the reader’s attention.”–Colonel (Ret) Douglas E. Nash Sr., author of the trilogy “From the Realm of a Dying Sun: The History of the IV. SS Panzer Corps” and “Hell’s Gate: The Battle of the Cherkassy Pocket, January to February 1944”“Defeat at the Dnepr is serious military history and a notable contribution to the study of the Eastern Front in World War II. Simon Waring has thoroughly harvested the operational records of the forces involved to provide a thorough account of this largely overlooked battle. The author impressively explains this complex, combined arms action in a coherent, engaging narrative. The resulting work is exhaustively researched, critically assessed, clearly explained, and enjoyable to read–operational history at its finest!”–Peter F. Owen, author of “To the Limit of Endurance: A Battalion of Marines in the First World War” and “Fighting Falcons: The Campaigns of VMF-221 in the Pacific”

Simon Waring has had an avid interest in military history since his youth, a passion he pursued by obtaining a Bachelor of Arts in History and Political Science degree from the University of Ottawa and a Master of Arts in War Studies degree from the Royal Military College of Canada. Simon’s research primarily focuses on German–Soviet operations on the Eastern Front of the Second World War, but this has not precluded his interest in other subjects; he regularly contributes articles on strategy, United States history, and contemporary Canadian foreign policy to a variety of publications, including SITREP: The Journal of the Royal Canadian Military Institute. Simon lives and works in Toronto, Canada.

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