“The comments in the review by 'Mick' are somewhat limited in their perspective: as any true military historian will tell you, the Russians won the war on the Eastern Front - they lost the most men, they fought the cream of the German army and their contribution to the defeat of Hitler was crucial to victory. The Eastern Fornt, in the Second World War, was the equivalent of the Western Front in the First World War - the main enemy fought on the main front. You don't have to like the Russians, or be a Stalinist sympathiser to appreciate this, nor does this belittle the contribution of the Western allies, it's just a clear facing of facts. Andrew Marr's series are those of a journalist, rather than a historian, and should be seen for what they are: a good overview and an entertaining way to spend a few hours. Would I cite the programmes (or the books, which are even better) if I were writing a doctoral thesis? No, but as a layman's guide they are both accessible and fa ctually accurate. Let's keep it in perspective - he's hardly David Irving!”

From: Julian

“Having omitted the vital catalyst that allowed Hitler to start the war - the despicable Russo-German pact,he proves he's not a historian, but a leftwing hack journalist. This lauder-of-the-left never mentioned consternation in the Soviet funded Communist Party of Great Britain, and it's subsequent treacherous acts, and the banning of the Daily Worker. His comments about the Red Army showing us some real fighting spirit in October 1942 are laughable. They'd not only performed the greatest sereies of retreats in history, but just lost three major battles - Kirsk, Khakov, and Sevastopol, and the Germans had crossed the Don and were besieging Stalingrad. Unlike us, they never fought alone, the Nazis were their allies when they invaded Poland, and we and the US were their allies when Hitler attacked them. ”

From: Mick