War of the Rats

DNF at about 50 percent. It’s formulaic and trite. The characters are not very likable. And it contains grievous technical errors, stuff like a Soviet sniper instructor dismissing the gas system of the German KAR-98k as poor. Thing is, of course, bolt guns by definition literally don’t have gas systems. At all. Then there’s the part where shotguns are referred to as rifles….the whole thing is technically weak and reads like it was written by a person who did some research but understands none of it and may never have even been to a firing range.

I would avoid this clunker. Read Enemy at the Gates instead. Read non fiction accounts by actual snipers. My “read” list should give you some ideas if you’d like.

Finally I have read a novel by my former creative writing professor! I can stop feeling guilty now.

Wasn't sure if I would enjoy it because it is a war novel, but it is actually a love story masquerading as a war novel - kind of. Also it was about tactics, survival, humanity, good and evil, and some very good characters.

Yet at the same time, by the end, I found myself a little perplexed regarding what it was about - it both began long before and ended after the supposed central conflict of the novel, a sniper's duel. This off-center presentation was very appropriate, since war shouldn't be reduced to a simple high concept narrative, but it was rather noticeable by the end.

Most of the problem is that two characters are given highly show more unsatisfactory endings, which was not the author's intent - the editor decided to take out the last four chapters for mysterious editorial reasons; they are available on the author's website. When I get around to reading them I suspect I'll feel more satisfied.

Also, I felt like Zaitsev, one of the main characters, didn't become really complex until about halfway through - would've been nice to get to know him earlier.

Generally a beautifully written, high tension, character-driven story by one of the nicest, smartest people I know! show less

Really good historical novel of snipers during the horrible fighting in Stalingrad at the end of 1942. The Russian victory there against the Germans turned the tide in Europe in World War II. The main character is the famous Russian sniper from Siberia. Another expert sniper from Germany, the best they have, is sent to take him out. Somewhat like the movie, "Enemy at the Gates," but better in many ways and different.

I really liked the book of which there are several written about the sniper duel between Russian and German experts. I thought the writing was quite balanced between the German and Russian participants as far as sympathies go, thought the emphasis certainly is on the Russian life in Stalingrad at this time.

I liked the detail and getting into the heads of several characters as they perform. The pompous German aristocrat who has developed into a sniping killer contrasts well with the Siberian hunter who becomes an unwitting hero to the Russians when they desperately needed a hero in that struggle.

I liked how the author, David Robbins, created several characters on both sides of the conflict that, though they were secondary characters, show more they were well developed in their creation and you felt sympathy and interest in them all throughout the story.

As far as the book goes... I think it may be an accurate representation of life during that period but without a HEAVY EMPHASIS on the misery of the situation until the end of the novel as the Germans are retreating. There is misery ... no question, but it does not hijack the story... I have read other novels on Stalingrad that I could not complete because the story was too depressing to read.

I will search for other novels by David Robbins.... show less

This is easily one of the best WWII novels I've ever read. The research is fantastic, the characters are fascinating and the story is told from both sides. Two snipers, trying to kill each other, and their quest to survive the hell that is the Battle of and for Stalingrad. David Robbins has told an amazing tale here.

The entire time I read this book I wished I hadn't seen the movie _Enemy at the Gates_. It's obvious a huge amount of historical research went into this work, which depicts the exploits and adventures of key snipers on both sides of the horrific Battle of Stalingrad. Good adventure, but an even better testament to the warped effects of warfare, humanizing and dehumanizing different aspects of the characters like a funhouse mirror.

By 1942, the war against Russia had resolved itself to the outcome of one battle: that for Stalingrad. The Russians refused to budge and made the Germans pay for every foot of bombed-out city. The horrible bombing and shelling by the Germans turned the city into an enormous maze of dens and hiding places, perfect for snipers. The Russians created a special group of talented snipers who managed to put fear into the German soldiers. In response, the Germans sent a sniper whose job it was to find the leader of the Russian sniper team and kill him. Robbins has written a great story around these historical events. The Battle for Stalingrad became a high-water mark of human destruction. An estimated 1,109,000 soldiers died. Civilians were not show more immune. “Of a prewar population in Stalingrad numbering more than 500,000, only 1,500 were alive there after the battle.” Three of the four main characters were historical figures and the sniper hunt between the two great snipers is based entirely on historical records. One of these characters was an American woman of New York Russian immigrants. How she got to Stalingrad as part of an elite sniper team is an interesting story in itself. By January 1943, the situation was bleak and the Russians offered to surrender to the Germans, but Hitler refused the terms and the battle continued. The Russians later collected enough strength to attack in force and slaughtered the German Sixth Army, leaving alive only ninety thousand out of an original three hundred thousand German soldiers. show less