# War of the Rats (Book review)



## Mike Bobbitt (6 Feb 2003)

*War of the Rats*
Book Review

War of the Rats is a great read. Basically that‘s all that needs to be said, but I guess I better justify that somewhat. The "novel" by David L. Robbins is based on a true story of a duel between two master snipers, one Russian and one German. 

Their duel is fought among the man made ****   that was the battle of Stalingrad, "Der Ratttenkreig". The War of the Rats. 

There are two things that I enjoyed most about this novel. First and foremost are the characters. The two main protagonists are both believable and flawed personas. 

Chief Master Sergeant Vasily Zaitev, is a Siberian woodsman and Soviet Naval Clerk who "volunteers" for Infantry duty in Stalingrad. His natural hunting skills are soon adapted to the street fighting and he becomes a premiere sniper. Eventually "the Hare" as he becomes known is tasked to set up a sniper school. 

The damage he and his students begin to inflict on the Germans, both physical and psychological soon demands a response. Enter SS Colonel Heinz Thorvold, "the Headmaster" the chief instructor at a Berlin sniper school. He‘s dispatched with one mission to hunt down and kill the "hare". 

It becomes rather hard to chose between either of the protagonists as both are far from perfect. Zaitev soon comes to enjoy the fame and adoration he receives. His ego grows at the same rate as the kills recorded in his snipers log. 

Thorvald by his own admission is a physical coward who abhors the brutality of the front. For him the mission is to be completed as soon as possible, so he may flee Stalingrad and return to the comforts of Berlin. 

Add to this a cast of excellent supporting characters. The political commissar Danilov who both records and exploits the Hare‘s natural talent. Tania the Russian American sniper, student and later lover of Zaitev‘s. 

Finally there is Nikki, the surprisingly sympathetic German infantry Corporal. Nikki only wishes to survive the horrors of the Rattenkreig, at any price. 

The second thing I enjoyed is the attention to details. The book is realistic, both in its descriptions of the intense street fighting and in the tactics used by the rival snipers. Realistic and detailed, but not overly so. 

I‘ve read a couple of other sniper books and the author(s), perhaps to cover up his lack of literary skill, provide way too much technical information. I like realism but I‘ve read novels that at times start to read like FBI ballistic reports. This is not the case here. 

As I said its a good read, try it.


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## 3rd Herd (7 Jan 2006)

Latest David L Robbins
The Last Citadel
Book Review

For those who cannot bothered to struggle through the myriad collection of factual descriptions of the battle of Kursk David L Robbins has released his fictional account. Again as with the War of the Rats a factual event is examined in fiction. As with his earlier work the story of the battle is covered from both the Soviet and German perspective. 

On the Soviet side we have the ideal of a total war. The main characters compose of a cossack family; the father Dimitri a tank driver and cossack hetman, his son Valentin a T 34 commander and his daughter Katya a night witch flying the PO 2. Interestingly both father and son are in the same tank. 

From the German side the characters are a young Spanish officer Luis Vega fighting for the German war effort. Vega continually struggling with the effects of previous combat wounds and the desire to return to combat. Additionally, we have SS Colonel Abram Breit a former art historian. It is in Breit, Robbins attempts to solve one of the most perplexing mysteries of the Second World War: just who was the Lucy spy in the German OKW.

As with his earlier book Robbins has complied a masterful effort of weaving fact and fiction. Accurate descriptions of events, equipment and tactics provide the vehicle for an enjoyable read. Enough fact is blended with fiction to give the layman an understanding of one of the more important battles of the war. Some would argue the turning point for the German defeat in the East The efforts of the Soviet partisan warfare and the cruel life faced by those involved is also encapsulated.

A good comeback for Robbins's literary skills as I was not impressed with his previous work The End of the War. Having read just about everything available in the genre of the Eastern Front I heartily recommend this book to all interested readers. I pre ordered my copy as it is not destined to be on book store shelves for awhile yet but the wait was worth it.


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