Stone contributes a contradiction to the previously generally accepted view of the Soviet army during WWII. The rather skewed view of the Germans reporting on Russian tactics and tendencies were reexamined after the opening of the Russian archives, shedding new light on the Stalingrad experience from the Soviet point of view. This evidence shows that, contrary to Western beliefs, the Soviet army was indeed capable of adaptation and ingenuity in their tactics. They were also able to operate with initiative as individual troops in a street fighting situation should the need arise. The Stalingrad experience demonstrates the high levels of resiliency and creativity possible from an army previously entirely unfamiliar with urban
