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— CH. 1 · TANKS AND THE RESIGNATION —

Antony Beevor

~2 min read · Ch. 1 of 6
6 sections

  • Antony James Beevor was born in Kensington, London on the 14th of December 1946. He attended Abberley Hall School and Winchester College before joining the British Army as a cadet at Sandhurst. John Keegan taught him there during his usual cadet activities. On the 28th of July 1967 he received his commission in the 11th Hussars regiment. Beevor served in England and Germany while commanding a troop of tanks. He was promoted to lieutenant on the 28th of January 1969. This military career ended when he resigned his commission on the 5th of August 1970. He chose to leave the army to become a writer instead.

  • Stalingrad arrived in 1998 and Berlin: The Downfall 1945 followed in 2002. These books became best-sellers by focusing on ordinary people caught in war. They used newly disclosed documents from Soviet archives to tell their stories. Critics praised the vivid style and the treatment of combatants and civilians alike. Beevor lectured at military headquarters across Britain, the United States, Europe and Australia. His work revitalized interest in Second World War topics for many readers. The books allowed audiences to reevaluate events like the battles between the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany from new perspectives.

  • Berlin proved hugely controversial in Russia due to information about mass rapes carried out by the Red Army in 1945. Grigory Karasin served as the Russian ambassador at the time and criticized Beevor for lies and slander against the Red Army. Kremlin-supporting media frequently described him as the chief slanderer of the Red Army. In August 2015 the Yekaterinburg region considered banning his books from schools. Officials accused him of promoting false stereotypes introduced by Nazi Germany during the war. He responded by calling the ban a government trying to impose its own version of history.

  • The Spanish Civil War was published in 1982 with an initial structure and content. Beevor later rewrote this work as The Battle for Spain in 2006. This revision kept some narrative elements but added characters and new archival research from German and Russian sources. The updated book used the narrative style found in his Stalingrad book. It also included details about conditions and grief faced by women and civilians. The text covered the war in East Asia which some called masterful.

  • Beevor's works have been translated into thirty-five languages worldwide. More than eight million five hundred thousand copies have sold globally. He has written for major newspapers including The Times, The Telegraph and Guardian. His articles appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post and The Atlantic. International publications like Le Monde and Libération also featured his writing. These translations brought his historical accounts to audiences across many different countries.

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11th Hussars officers1946 births20th-century British Army personnel20th-century English historians20th-century English male writers20th-century English novelists21st-century English historians21st-century English writersAcademics of Birkbeck, University of LondonBritish historians of World War IIEnglish male non-fiction writersEnglish military historiansEnglish military writersFellows of King's College LondonFellows of the Royal Society of LiteratureHistorians of the Spanish Civil WarKnights BachelorMilitary personnel from the Royal Borough of Kensington and ChelseaPeople educated at Winchester CollegePeople from KensingtonRecipients of the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana, 3rd ClassRunciman Award winnersWolfson History Prize winners

Common questions

When and where was Antony James Beevor born?

Antony James Beevor was born in Kensington, London on the 14th of December 1946. He attended Abberley Hall School and Winchester College before joining the British Army as a cadet at Sandhurst.

What military units did Antony James Beevor serve in during his career?

Antony James Beevor received his commission in the 11th Hussars regiment on the 28th of July 1967. He served in England and Germany while commanding a troop of tanks until he resigned his commission on the 5th of August 1970.

Which books by Antony James Beevor became best-sellers using Soviet archives?

Stalingrad arrived in 1998 and Berlin: The Downfall 1945 followed in 2002. These books became best-sellers by focusing on ordinary people caught in war and used newly disclosed documents from Soviet archives to tell their stories.

Why was Antony James Beevor's book Berlin controversial in Russia?

Berlin proved hugely controversial in Russia due to information about mass rapes carried out by the Red Army in 1945. Grigory Karasin served as the Russian ambassador at the time and criticized Beevor for lies and slander against the Red Army.

How many copies of Antony James Beevor books have sold globally?

More than eight million five hundred thousand copies have sold globally. His works have been translated into thirty-five languages worldwide and appeared in major newspapers including The Times, The Telegraph and Guardian.

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