by Александр Исаевич Солженицын
First published 1972
In the summer of 1914, the Russian Empire launches a disastrous invasion of Prussia. General Samsonov's army marches into a deadly trap, surrounded by the disciplined German forces. As their ammunition dwindles and morale crumbles, the beleaguered Russian soldiers fight a desperate battle for survival. This epic historical novel captures the human cost of military folly and the fraying of an entire nation.
Genres: historical-fiction, 20th-century, military-fiction, russian-literature
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, thought-provoking
Tropes: epic, war
Setting: Russia, Prussia
Period: WW1 (1914)
622 pages · Hardcover · Farrar Straus & Giroux,