The battle for Budapest told in unparalleled detail from both
a German and Soviet perspective. Entrapment deals with the enormous offensive
efforts of the Soviet Second and Third Ukrainian Fronts to capture the capital
of Hungary before the end of
1944 and thus to clear their way to Vienna. It also describes the desperate efforts
of Hitler to retain his last significant European ally and thus to prevent the
Red Army from reaching Vienna and seizing the
vital oil fields in south-western Hungary. The Soviet offensive against
Budapest began at the end of October 1944; with
the impending Yalta conference Stalin wished to capture the
city as rapidly as possible. Fierce fighting ensued, with the suburbs penetrated
by early November. By 26th December the city was encircled, but despite massive
Soviet efforts it remained in Axis hands at the end of 1944, and continued to
resist until February 1945. This book is an informative read with a fresh view
of the events in question. The author has utilised a large quantity of
previously unpublished Soviet and German documents discovered in the archives of
Germany, Russia and the USA. This allows
the story to be told from the perspective of both sides of the conflict. The
text is supported by a number of photographs, maps, references, tables and
detailed appendices, including orders of battle.
Available late 2012
