War of the Century: When Hitler Fought Stalin

The fall of Communism provided access to Russian archives never before available to the international community, making it possible to find and question many of those who experienced the "war of the century." Laurence Rees, author and producer of the Peabody Award–winning The Nazis: A Warning from History, uses previously unpublished material and photographs, dramatic interviews with witnesses who knew Hitler or Stalin, and the voices of soldiers and civilians on the Eastern Front to shed new light on Hitler's "war of annihilation."

A fierce ideological clash as well as a military one, Hitler's invasion of Russia played a major part in determining the outcome of World War II and shaped the political landscape of Europe in the Cold War which lasted for the next forty-five years. War of the Century focuses on key events and policies such as Hitler's decision to invade the Soviet Union, the legendary and horrific siege of Stalingrad, the Germans' barbaric treatment of Soviet civilians and Red Army prisoners of war, and Stalin's paranoid revenge against real and perceived enemies. With this new evidence, Rees explores the truth behind the war, its ruthless leaders and devastating effects on the military and civilian populations of both sides.

Laurence Rees, writer and producer of the BBC television series The Nazis, is the creative director of history programs for BBC Television. He lives in London.