Introduction

Concord Publications publish an extensive military history photo book series. They are typically short, in this case 52 pages, and as a result very light on narrative. They are to some degree a synopsis of the more narrative-driven Osprey titles. In the case of Battle of Smolensk & Roslavl, 1941 by Hans Seidler, you get a very short, general overview of the battles in the early stages of Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of Russia in the summer of 1941. Included are around 120 black and white photos and four color illustrations of German soldiers.

Review

The planning and implementation of Operation Barbarossa was a mix of tactical genius and strategic folly, the latter prevalent on both sides of the battlefield. The wide dispersion of Germany's panzer forces as they fanned out on three main, separate thrusts into Russia made the task of Army Group Center significantly more difficult as it closed in on Smolensk, a key gateway toward Moscow.

If you're looking for a detailed account of the battle, the Russians first major counter-attack, and especially any first person accounts, this is not the book for you. To be fair, however, it's doubtful this book was intended to enlighten any of those areas.

I understand the difficulty in finding quality photos for books like these, especially ones that come with information on the unit, the place, the date etc. This challenge is due in large part to the often prohibitive copyright fees charged by certain archives making publication of a book using their photos very expensive. That said, the collection of photos gathered here are general in the extreme. The captions are equally broad. Weapon systems and uniforms are often given, but without an appendix listing weapons such as artillery etc. its technical jargon with little explanation. And there is no map. For a book purporting to be about a specific set of battles, the lack of at least one map is disappointing.

It's also worth noting that the book is German oriented in both text and photos. While the cover images do allude to this, something in the title would have been welcome.

Concord Publications have some association with Dragon, a plastic model manufacturer. It is unsurprising then that this series is aimed more at hobbyists than those interested in studying history. With that in mind, the book does offer some interesting diorama ideas and some clear shots of uniforms and weapons along with the four nice color illustrations.

Disclosure

Chris Evans
Full disclosure - I was the military history editor at Random House/Ballantine and then Stackpole Books for 14 years. I created the Stackpole Military History Series and the Stackpole Military Photos Series. Lest anyone think I'll be reviewing other authors and publishers with an eye to denigrating their efforts, future reviews in the works will feature books I truly admire. My aim is to review honestly and hopefully, intelligently. Should anyone take issue with anything I welcome feedback.

I now write fantasy and military history full time and lead WWI and WWII battlefield tours in Europe.