John Erickson | |
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Born | 17 April 1929 |
Died | 10 February 2002 (aged 72) |
Residence | United Kingdom |
Academic work | |
Main interests | military historian (History of warfare, World War II, Soviet Union in World War II |
Notable works | The Road to Stalingrad and The Road to Berlin |
John Erickson FRSE FBA FRSA (17 April 1929 in South Shields – 10 February 2002 in Edinburgh) was a British historian and defence expert who wrote extensively on the Second World War. His two best-known books – The Road to Stalingrad and The Road to Berlin – dealt with the Soviet response to the German invasion of the Soviet Union, covering the period from 1941 to 1945. His Russian language skills and knowledge gained him respect.
He began lecturing in History at St Andrews University in 1958. In 1962 he moved to Manchester University as a Senior Lecturer. In 1967 he moved to Edinburgh University as a Reader in Higher Defence Studies, becoming a Professor in 1969. From 1988 to 1996 he was Director of the Centre for Defence Studies in Edinburgh.