This is a fascinating record of the pivotal event of World War II, told through the personal accounts of the German and Soviet soldiers who fought it, the Russian civilians who watched the destruction of their city, and Western onlookers such as diplomats and newspaper correspondents. Many of these voices are gleaned from newly-discovered archive material, and from rare sources and reminiscences in Germany and Russia, including KGB sources. Many have never been published, or are totally unknown in the English-speaking world. All foreign voices are quoted in fresh and engaging new translations from the original sources. There are rare photographs of the battle, from both sides of the front.