简介：Markingthe70thanniversaryoftheNaziinvasionoftheSovietUnionin1941,historianProfessorDavidReynoldsre-assessesStalin'sroleinthelifeanddeathstrugglebetweenGermanyandRussiainWorldWarTwo,which,heargues,wasultimatelymorecriticalforBritishsurvivalthan'OurFinestHour'intheBattleofBritainitself. ThenameStalinmeans'manofsteel',butReynolds'spenetratingnewaccountrevealshowtherealityofStalin'swarin1941didnotliveuptothatname.TravellingtoRussianbattlefieldlocations,hechartshowRussiawasalmostannihilatedwithinafewmonthsasStalinlurchedfromcrisistocrisis,comingclosetoanervousbreakdown. ReynoldsshowshowStalinlearnttocompromiseinordertowin,listeningtohisgeneralsanddownplayingcommunistideologytoappealinsteadtotheRussianpeople'snationalistfightingspirit.HealsosquaresuptotheterriblemoraldilemmaattheheartofWorldWarTwo.Usingoriginaltelegramsandofficialdocuments,helooksafreshatWinstonChurchill'scontroversialvisittoMoscowin1942andre-examineshowBritainandAmericaweredrawnintoalliancewithStalin,adictatoralmostasmurderousastheNazienemy.…