A 2016 YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults Finalist. In September 1941, Adolf Hitler’s Wehrmacht surrounded Leningrad in what was to become one of the longest and most destructive sieges in Western history—almost three years of bombardment and starvation that culminated in the harsh winter of 1943–1944. More than a million citizens perished. Survivors recall corpses littering the frozen streets, their relatives having neither the means nor the strength to bury them. Residents burned books, furniture, and floorboards to keep warm; they ate family pets and—eventually—one another to stay alive. Trapped between the Nazi invading force and the Soviet government itself was composer Dmitri Shostakovich, who would write a symphony that roused, rallied, eulogized, and commemorated his fellow citizens—the Leningrad Symphony, which came to occupy a surprising place of prominence in the eventual Allied victory. This is the true story of a city under siege: the triumph of bravery and defiance in the face of terrifying odds. It is also a look at the power—and layered meaning—of music in beleaguered lives. Symphony for the City of the Dead is a masterwork thrillingly told and impeccably researched by National Book Award–winning author M. T. Anderson.
- Spring Into a New Series
- Digging in the Dirt: Gardening Books
- Amazon Best eBooks of 2017
- Available now eBooks
- New eBook additions
- New kids additions
- New teen additions
- Best of Mystery & Thrillers
- Most popular
- Try something different
- With Thanks to Our Generous Patrons
- See all
- Best Audiobooks Under 3 Hours
- Audiobooks for your Commute
- Amazon Best eAudioBooks of 2017
- Best of Mystery & Thrillers
- Available now Audios
- Newly Added eAudios
- New audiobook additions
- New kids additions
- New teen additions
- Most popular
- Try something different
- See all
