Jonathan Dimbleby

Barbarossa, Hitler's invasion of Russia in June 1941, was the largest military operation in history; its aim nothing less than 'a war of extermination' to annihilate Soviet communism, liquidate the Jews and create lebensraum for the so-called German master race. But it led to the destruction of the Third Reich, and it was entirely cataclysmic: in six months of warfare, no less than six million were killed, wounded or registered as missing in action, and soldiers on both sides committed heinous crimes behind the lines on a scale without parallel in the history of warfare. In Barbarossa, drawing on hitherto unseen archival material - including previously untranslated Russian sources - in his usual gripping style, Jonathan Dimbleby recounts not only the story of the military campaign, but the politics and diplomacy behind this epic clash of global titans. With authority and panache, he charts the crucial decisions made in the world's capitals and the bitter struggles on the front lines, giving vivid insights into the experiences of all players, from the leaders on all sides to the men and women on the ground. Above all, Dimbleby reveals the significance of 1941 - the year in which the Soviet Union destroyed Hitler's chance of realising his demented vision - as the most important struggle in the annals of the 20th century.

The Battle of the Atlantic was - though often overlooked - crucial to victory in the Second World War. If the German U-boats had prevailed, the maritime artery across the Atlantic would have been severed. Mass hunger would have consumed Britain, and the Allied armies would have been prevented from joining in the invasion of Europe. There would have been no D-Day.

Through fascinating contemporary diaries and letters, from the leaders and from the sailors on all sides, Jonathan Dimbleby creates a thrilling narrative that uniquely places the campaign in the context of the entire Second World War.

Challenging conventional wisdom on the use of intelligence and on Churchill's bombing campaign, The Battle of the Atlantic tells the epic story of the decisions that led to victory, and the horror and humanity of life on those perilous seas.