Nedrasov who fought as a sapper in the trenches of Stalingrad does not present a sweeping, patriotic novel of individual bravery, but rather a story of small episodes where individual soldiers flit in and out of the main characters life during the battle. Some are brave, some are stupid, some seek to earn medals while others wait for their end.
Starting with the Soviet retreats during the summer of 1942, the main character is part of a rear guard which is constantly trying to stay one step again of the German advance. Cut off from supplies and support, the main character eventually makes it into Stalingrad where the Germans have just begun their air campaign against the city. The rest of the book follows the everyday actions of common infantrymen and sappers as they try to hold back the Germans until the great offensive which traps the German Sixth Army. The characters are real, their actions concerned not with the big picture, but with the simple struggle to survive.
It was originally published in 1946 and awarded the Stalin Prize for literature (although it was criticized as not showing how the common infantryman fought with thoughts of Stalin constantly on his mind). Later, the author protested against Stalinism and was expelled from the Communist Party and lost his Soviet citizenship. He died in Paris in 1987.
A good basic war novel, one which shows the everyday life in the front line of that battle.
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