I haven't read Zeihan. > Artistic license, and so forth I know, but because this is a history book (even if it's more "pop" history) the shape of the authoria

I haven't read Zeihan. > Artistic license, and so forth I know, but because this is a history book (even if it's more "pop" history) the shape of the authorial voice matters more than in a fictional novel. Beevor's voice is often misleadingly disguised as impartial information, enough that I'm sure lots of his readers actually think everything he describes happened exactly like he said, inner thoughts included. Now, if "Stalingrad" was a historical novel like "I, Claudius", where you understand the author is making many things up for the sake of entertainment, that'd be fine -- but I don't think that's what Beevor intends.