Operation Zitadelle — the attempt to eliminate the Kursk salient — was the last German offensive on the Eastern Front and the greatest tank battle in history. If you truly want to understand what happened and why — read Battle Story. Detailed profiles of the leaders, tactics and equipment Rare photographs place you in the centre of the unfolding action Diary extracts and quotes give you a soldier's eye-view of the battle Orders of battle show the composition of the opposing armies Packed with fact boxes, this short introduction is the perfect way to explore this important battle MARK HEALY is the author of several books including Midway 1942, The Tiger Tank Story and The Ancient Assyrians, and produced the best-selling video series Die Deutschen Panzer. He wrote the best-selling Zitadelle: The German Offensive against the Kursk Salient 14-17 July 1943. He lives in Dorset.

Osprey's examination of the Kursk campaign of World War II (1939-1945). In the summer of 1943 the German army stood poised for a major offensive. The attack was aimed at the Kursk salient, which the Germans intended to isolate, trapping large numbers of Russian troops and paving the way for the decisive campaign to knock the Soviet Union out of the war. By the time of the attack, the Russians had turned the salient into a mass of defensive positions. In the following decisive clash, the Soviets bled Germany's vital Panzer forces white and finally took the initiative. The counter-offensive which followed began an advance that would end in the ruins of Berlin.