This book examines in unprecedented detail the advance of Germany's Army Group Center through central Russia, toward Moscow, in the summer of 1941, followed by brief accounts of the Battle of Moscow and subsequent winter battles into early 1942. Based on hundreds of veterans’ accounts, archival documents, and exhaustive study of the pertinent primary and secondary literature, the book offers new insights into Operation Barbarossa, Adolf Hitler’s attack on Soviet Russia in June 1941. While the book meticulously explores the experiences of the German soldier in Russia, in the cauldron battles along the Minsk-Smolensk-Moscow axis, it places their experiences squarely within the strategic and operational context of the Barbarossa campaign. Controversial subjects, such as the culpability of the German eastern armies in war crimes against the Russian people, are also examined in detail. This book is the most detailed account to date of virtually all aspects of the German soldiers’ experiences in Russia in 1941.[AuthorName]By (author) Craig W.H. Luther[/AuthorName][AuthorBio]Dr. Craig Luther is a former Fulbright Scholar and recently retired Air Force historian. His other books include "Blood and Honor," a history of the 12th SS Panzer-Division "Hitler Youth," 1943-45, and a new edition of the SS-Commando Otto Skorzeny’s memoirs.[/AuthorBio][NumIllustration]220 b/w photos, and 22 color and b/w maps[/NumIllustration][CoAuthor][/CoAuthor][SubTitle]The German Blitzkrieg through Central Russia to the Gates of Moscow • June-December 1941[/SubTitle][ColorPattern]220 b/w photos, and 22 color and b/w maps[/ColorPattern]