At Leningrad's Gates

The Combat Memoirs of a Soldier with Army Group North

By: William Lubbeck

Narrated by: Jonathan Cowley

Length: 8 hrs and 47 mins

Publisher's summary

This is the remarkable story of a German soldier who fought throughout World War II, rising from conscript private to captain of a heavy weapons company on the Eastern Front.

William Lubbeck, age 19, was drafted into the Wehrmacht in August 1939. As a member of the 58th Infantry Division, he received his baptism of fire during the 1940 invasion of France. The following spring his division served on the left flank of Army Group North in Operation Barbarossa. After grueling marches amidst countless Russian bodies, burnt-out vehicles, and a great number of cheering Baltic civilians, Lubbeck's unit entered the outskirts of Leningrad, making the deepest penetration of any German formation.

The Germans suffered brutal hardships the following winter as they fought both Russian counterattacks and the brutal cold. The 58th Division was thrown back and forth across the front of Army Group North, from Novgorod to Demyansk, at one point fighting back Russian attacks on the ice of Lake Ilmen. Returning to the outskirts of Leningrad, the 58th was placed in support of the Spanish "Blue" Division. Relations between the allied formations soured at one point when the Spaniards used a Russian bath house for target practice, not realizing that Germans were relaxing inside.

A soldier who preferred to be close to the action, Lubbeck served as forward observer for his company, dueling with Russian snipers, partisans and full-scale assaults alike. His worries were not confined to his own safety; however, as news arrived of disasters in Germany, including the destruction of Hamburg where his girlfriend served as an Army nurse.

In September 1943, Lubbeck earned the Iron Cross First Class and was assigned to officers' training school in Dresden. By the time he returned to Russia, Army Group North was in full-scale retreat. Now commanding his former heavy weapons company, Lubbeck alternated sharp counterattacks with inexorable withdrawal, from Riga to Memel on the Baltic. In April 1945 Lubbeck's company became stalled in a traffic jam and was nearly obliterated by a Russian barrage followed by air attacks.

In the last chaotic scramble from East Prussia, Lubbeck was able to evacuate on a newly minted German destroyer. He recounts how the ship arrived in the British zone off Denmark with all guns blazing against pursuing Russians. The following morning, May 8, 1945, he learned that the war was over.

After his release from British captivity, Lubbeck married his sweetheart, Anneliese, and in 1949 immigrated to the United States where he raised a successful family. With the assistance of David B. Hurt, he has drawn on his wartime notes and letters, Soldatbuch, regimental history and personal memories to recount his four years of frontline experience. Containing rare firsthand accounts of both triumph and disaster, At Leningrad's Gates provides a fascinating glimpse into the reality of combat on the Eastern Front.

©2006 William Lubbeck and David Hurt (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

Very good book

i very much enjoyed the perspective of a German citizen and looking at the factors surrounding Hitler coming to power. i especially like how he differentiates a German soldier fighting to preserve their country that had been divided by the Versailles Treaty, and then brown shirts completely in love with Hitler's ideology. I feel like we may generalize all German military being something synonymous with supporting Hitler, when any soldier is to do one's duty despite who may be in charge as leader. i appreciate the nuance and seeing how German citizens despised Hitler's propaganda as well as Communism. This account helps you to see a 360* perspective. It is also great if you enjoy soldier based stories

Ww2german soldiers ww2 memoir.

Narration: clear pronunciation, slightly slower pace than optimal, sing song rhythm is annoying.

Content: interesting perspectives on antecedents of ww2. Interesting descriptions of weapons and tactics.

Author frankly states Germany justified in usurping Czech lands, coercing Austria into melding with Germany, hitler justified in attacking Poland.

Important listen for ww2 buffs.

A unique WW2 german memoir

The story of a german soldier on the eastern front with emphasis on life off of the front. The focus of this book seems to be more of the motivators of a regular german soldier as well as telling what life is like back on the home front during the war. The second part of the book tells the interesting post war story including immigration and building a new life. These aspects made this a unique memoir as other similar stories focused more heavily on battle.

If your looking for a gritty detailed battle story this is not it. if you are trying to understand the mindset of an average german soldier you will find it here.

Excellent life story from Easter Front of WW2

A really good listen. Anyone who wants to learn about the eastern front and life in Germany during the war would enjoy this book

Amazing

Wonderful book. Makes me feel like I personally know Mr. Lubbeck and feel the pain, sorrow and gratitude that his life has given him.

Excellent book!

I love how the author goes into detail about his experiences both with the war and in peace times. At times it was a bit difficult to follow because he did skip around a couple times, but other than that it was great! The narrator was great but he did pronounce a few German terms incorrectly though, not a real big issue though.

Great book

I started out wondering if this book would be good but it was. A great story and a great person that William Lubbuck was.

Illuminating

having mostly read about the allies it is a wonderful way to begin Research to the German side

Excellent Read, it Also Moves Fast

This book takes you from his recruitment through the years after the war in North America. He sites an inspiration from the diary of a Napoleonic foot soldier but Jacob Walter a short book I also recommend on audible. I have read many books on WW II, but this is detailed as it is from his own diary. What I found very compelling was his life after the war in East Germany. How the communists worked and how they persecuted his family, over and over. Lubbecks family were not Nazi's, which caused them problems during the war and they were certainly not communists. To read how families survived through all this Nazi persecution and Communist government theft, and insanity makes one appreciate life in the west today even though it is not perfect. It is a very brisk read, and I had to stop it several times to hear chapters again.

Interesting story

Worth a listen for insights into a regular German soldier in WWII on the Eastern front. Limited in scope so it is not cluttered with too much historical context. The narrator is a bit tiresome. Not every sentence needs to end on a dramatic inflection!

I do recommend this book.