The 900-day German siege of Leningrad is the most powerful testimony to the immeasurable cruelty and horror of World War II. As the sole British correspondent to have been in the city during the blockade, Alexander Werth presents a harrowing firsthand account of the savagery and destruction wrought by the Nazis against the civilian population of the city. His writing evokes compelling images of terror --- the bombing of children’s hospitals, mass starvation and cannibalism --- with rich and well-informed firsthand accounts and commentary on the internal politics of Soviet party chiefs, soldiers and civilian resistance fighters.

Both an authoritative historical document and a journalistic narrative of the overwhelming sadness, grief and futility of 20th century warfare, this is an invaluable look at one of the greatest losses of human life in recorded history.