Although the number of books concerning Operation Citadel are legion, this is the first of two volumes that offer something for everyone, whether a modeller, historical gamer, WW II enthusiast, or serious historian. Jean Restayn has provided the reader with a brief and highly readable overview of the fighting combined with first-person accounts. In addition, the book features 702 photographs (many never seen before, or previously miscaptioned), 48 pages of full-color profiles of German and Russian vehicles, 3 pages of color tactical insignia employed by the Germans on their vehicles, and 4 full-page, color maps outlining the fighting. English text only.

This volume describes the fighting in the southern area of the offensive during the first half of July 1943. It traces the development of the operational concepts that led to the fighting, and the day-by-day accounts of the battles, including extensive coverage of the “mother of all tank battles” at Prokhorowka. The author dispels a number of misconceptions and legends that surround the battle, including irrefutable evidence that German losses were not nearly as high as Soviet sources have long claimed.

The fighting in the south was primarily conducted with armored formations, including some of the most famous ones that Germany had as part of its war machine: Panzer-Grenadier-Division “Grossdeutschland”, SS-Panzer-Grenadier-Division “Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler”, SS-Panzer-Grenadier-Division “Das Reich”, SS-Panzer-Grenadier-Division “Totenkopf”, and schwere Panzer-Abteilung 503.