While some of Boroda's poking was tongue in cheek, it's interesting to see many of the myths and legends found in his books are countered by myths and legends in others' books.
Myths and legends. No nation is going to publish history books for the young that say their lineage is full of cowardly, dumb, wrong-headed moves. Every nation is full of goodness and morality - and doing their good deeds with God on their side.
History books are great for propping up things and collective egos. Reading the unvarnished words of the people who made history is more informative, though.
There is an old Stalin quote about the war that says Britain provided the time, America provided the money and Russia provided the blood. Boroda, politicians or history books aside, 80 Soviet soldiers died for every American soldier in the fight against Germany. That fact should not go unsaid or unnoticed. Only on the eastern front did Einsatzgruppen forces follow combat troops to kill civilians.
The ground war didn't go well for the Allies until 1943. In every fight where German and Allied forces were closely matched, Germany prevailed. The US waited years to amass an overpowering force after the hard lessons of those early fights. The Soviets didn't have the same luxuries of time and geography. They were being slaughtered in a brutal frontal attack.
That may explain why a Russian may bristle when reading others write that "they" won the war in Europe.
