The Soviet-German conflict was an incredibly brutal struggle, but few aspects of that struggle were more horrific than the siege of Leningrad from September 1941 to January 1944. Cut off from outside support and subjected to daily artillery and air attacks, the city suffered more than a million dead, many from simple starvation.
British historian Michael Jones has done a superb job of putting a human face on this ordeal, of helping us understand the experiences and feelings of the besieged populace. Using interviews, diaries, and secret police reports, Jones has reconstructed daily life in wartime Leningrad. The result is a very human mix of generosity and selfishness. He cites many instances in which individuals went far beyond the call of humanity in an effort to encourage or help their peers, whether dragging sick and frozen people into shelters or performing music and plays to distract the inhabitants from their...