A ‘must read’ by historian and layman alike. –Col. David M. Glantz, author of Kursk An important book that will surely become the definitive account. –John Prados, author of Normandy CrucibleNazi Germany’s best chance of winning World War II on the Eastern Front came in October 1941. Most of the Red Army’s forces around Moscow had been smashed or encircled, and no reserves were available for the capital’s defense. All that stood in Germany’s way was a handful of Soviet rifle divisions, tank brigades, and militia. When their attack ground to a halt, the Germans blamed the mud, but close examination reveals that it was the scraped together and poorly coordinated resistance of the Red Army that stopped the Germans. Radey and Sharp tell the dramatic story in this study of a pivotal battle in the struggle for supremacy in the East. Compelling study of how the Soviets inflicted a stunning defeat on the Germans during the early years of World War II Relies on archival records from both sides to shatter old myths about this battle