The Battle of Stalingrad in 1942/43 was one of the largest and most decisive battles of World War II. Stalin was determined to prevent the German advance into the Caucasus region by any means necessary and to avoid any further territorial losses. The longer the battle lasted, the more it became a matter of prestige for both Hitler and Stalin. It cost approximately 60,000 soldiers their lives on the German side alone. Viktor Nekrassow fought as an officer on the Soviet side and describes the Battle of Stalingrad from the perspective of someone directly involved. His novel, which he began writing in the hospital and was published in 1946, is still considered one of the most authentic works on this subject, even sixty years later.