Well, it’s another of those books about a little known battle of World War II, but as I read this book, I became convinced that it was important for several reasons.
Demyansk is a small town in Russia which sits about halfway between Moscow and Leningrad. This position makes the battle important. The Wehrmacht had punched through the Soviet armies in the western Soviet Union, and made fast advances toward both Leningrad and Moscow. Because the terrain west of Demyansk is mostly swamps and marshes, the advance in the areas between Moscow and Leningrad were slower. Also, there weren’t as many troops provided for this less important push. The OKW was certain they’d have both of the major cities shortly, so why bother with the farmland and villages between?