The historiography of the Nazi-Soviet war has changed radically over time leading to a confusing array of competing narratives on many issues. Capturing this vast war in a single condensed, accessible and even-handed volume has eluded most attempts until relatively recently and Mawdsley’s Thunder in the East is without doubt the best. This new edition is brilliantly comprehensive and delightfully rich in German, Russian and English source material. The narrative is engaging, the analysis remarkably perceptive and Mawdsley’s conclusions are, as always, well-reasoned. This is the book to own on the Nazi-Soviet war.