By Jones Michael
Michael Jones, 2009
The German High Command's deliberate policy to starve Leningrad's civilian population led to widespread starvation and panic as winter set in. Michael Jones, a specialist in battle psychology, recounts the human story of Leningrad, utilizing newly available eyewitness accounts and diaries. The book delves into previously suppressed truths, including looting, criminal gangs, and cannibalism, alongside stories of remarkable resilience and mutual support among ordinary citizens. The performance of Shostakovich's Seventh Symphony became a powerful symbol of the city's will to resist, even impacting German troops. The 900-day siege, ending in 1944, came at a devastating cost, with nearly a million lives lost and survivors permanently marked by their ordeal.