In October 1941 Hitler launched Operation Typhoon the German drive to
capture Moscow and knock the Soviet Union out of the war. As the last
chance to escape the dire implications of a winter campaign, Hitler
directed seventy-five German divisions, almost two million men and three
of Germany's four panzer groups into the offensive, resulting in huge
victories at Viaz'ma and Briansk - among the biggest battles of the
Second World War. David Stahel's groundbreaking new account of Operation
Typhoon captures the perspectives of both the German high command and
individual soldiers, revealing that despite success on the battlefield
the wider German war effort was in far greater trouble than is often
acknowledged. Germany's hopes of final victory depended on the success
of the October offensive but the autumn conditions and the stubborn
resistance of the Red Army ensured that the capture of Moscow was
anything but certain.