The Great Patriotic War began very tragically for our country. On June 22, 1941, the troops of Nazi Germany and its allies simultaneously dealt a terrible blow to the Soviet armed forces and their bases, as well as to transport hubs, cities and other populated areas of our country. The Red Army suffered huge losses, exceeding the losses of the occupiers. The enemy occupied, destroyed or destroyed a significant part of the economic potential of the USSR, and captured hundreds of thousands of soldiers. However, despite all this, the USSR, fighting almost alone and receiving relatively little economic assistance from its allies, was able to turn the tide of the war and win a complete victory over Germany and its allies. The book by historian A. tells about the reasons for the terrible failures and brilliant victories of the Great Patriotic War. P. Rusakova.