chaos Posted October 6, 1999 Share Posted October 6, 1999 I'm an avid reader, as I can tell many of you are. From time to time, I see references to various books on this board, covering a wide variety of war related topics. I was wondering what everyone's favorite WWII book is(be it fiction, non fiction, etc.) (My apologies if this topic has been broached before. I did a search, and didn't get a clean hit) chaos Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bryan Corkill Posted October 6, 1999 Share Posted October 6, 1999 I will not say it is the best book of it's type, but I can not recomend Company Commander by Charles B McDonald enough. It was the first book by a vetran I had read from the American side. I found his thoughts on war crimes both chilling and reasonable. [This message has been edited by Bryan Corkill (edited 10-06-99).] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wesy Posted October 6, 1999 Share Posted October 6, 1999 One of my favorites is "A Glorious Way to Die - the Kamikaze Mission of the Battleship Yamato 1945" It's a great book to read. A tragic end to to so many lives. It really does provide a view from the other side. Interestingly enough, there were a couple of Japanese American serving as crew members (they were stuck in Japan as the war began), they were ostracized by their own crew members, knowing that the country of their birth was killing them...). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DightB Posted October 6, 1999 Share Posted October 6, 1999 My favourite WWII book would probably be "The Forgotten Soldier" by Guy Sajer. Excellent account of a young man's experiences campaigning on the Eastern Front with the "GrossDeutchland" division between Autumn 42 and Spring 45. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MOS was 71331 Posted October 7, 1999 Share Posted October 7, 1999 "The Caine Mutiny" is a great book and a great movie. The movie cast is dying off. Humphrey Bogart (Queeg) was the first to go, only a couple of years after the movie came out. (Interestingly he was the only one who actually had served on a destroyer, but in WWI rather than WWII.) Then the guy who played Ens Kieth and died very young. Fred McMurray (Lt Keefer) died a few years ago, as did Lee Marvin (Meatball?). I think Van Johnson who played Lt Maryk, the Caine XO, and Jose Ferrer who played the defense counsel at the trial may be the last major actors in the movie who are still alive. Anyway read the book and rent the vidoetape, they're both great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingtiger Posted October 7, 1999 Share Posted October 7, 1999 1) Panzer Commander 2) The Forgotten Soldier 3) Frontsoldaten 4) Soldat Richard Kalajian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delaware Dave Posted October 7, 1999 Share Posted October 7, 1999 1)A Time For Trumpets - an excellant account of the battle of the bulge. 2)Saving the Breakout - the 30th division at Mortain 3)Tenozan (sp?) for those of you interested in the war against Japan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Smith Posted October 7, 1999 Share Posted October 7, 1999 Anything by Carlos D'este (sp?). He has written Decision in Normandy A book about Anzio A book about Sicily A Genius For War (bio of Patton) His books are excellent because they really approach WWII from the commander/officer perspective. You finish one of his books understanding the decisions that were made, why they were made, and what could have been done differently. I used to read war story type books (like The Forgotten Soldier), but lost interest in that type of story- the command decision perspective is much more interesting to me lately. Another good series of books is a series on the Korean War by Roy Appleman. They are a bit dry, and sometimes not brilliantly written, but they are a good record of battlefield events and command decisions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buddy Posted October 7, 1999 Share Posted October 7, 1999 Citizen Soldier by Stephen E Ambrose is a pretty good read - he has a few others out there as well: Comrades and The Victors. Lots of first-hand accounts by both axis and allied. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Los Posted October 7, 1999 Share Posted October 7, 1999 I would like to say all the previous recommendations in the thread I heartily agree with. I'll just add a few more. "On the Front Lines" by John Ellis (The older version of this book was called "The Sharp end".) Covers all the details of combat experiences from infantry, armor, artillery, casualties, discipline and morale, rear areas etc etc. VERY highly recommended. he does the same thing for WW1 wih "Eye Deep in Hell". William Manchester: "Goodbye darkness" Marine Combat vet goes back to the Pac thrity years later and tours all his old haunts excellent read.) EB Sledge: "WIth the Old Breed" (more Marines in the PAC) James Jones: "The Thin Red Line" Guadalcacnal by an ex-grunt who wa sthere. Arguably my favorite war book ever written (has nothing to do with the Travesty that was recently released by Terrence Mallick of the same name.) James Murphy: "No Better Place to Die." Covers the actions at La Fiere on D-day by 1/505th PIR (82d) A small book, ultra detailed, excellent. I have a soft spot for it becasue Murphy was in my old company. (A-1/505th before I went to the scouts) Also I was there in June and walked all over that battlefield. Stephen Ambrose: "Band of Brothers" 101st rifle company. IMO the best thing he did. There's a couple a great Brit books that I read but I can't remember their names right now (was years ago) I'll check my booshelf when I get home. I could go on but I won't.... Los Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Preacher Posted October 7, 1999 Share Posted October 7, 1999 In the fiction realm, War Of The Rats by David Robbins is very good. I generally only go for the non-fiction stuff, but this one was well worth it. He does a great job of pulling you into the famous sniper duel between Vasily Zaitsev and SS Major Heinz Thorvald. Good mix of history and embellishment. (sounds like our public schools...) As for the "real" stuff: 1. Rommel Papers (if you're a N. Afr nut) - Unusually good read for memoirs. 2. A Bridge Too Far - of course. Ryan is great, IMHO. 3. Achtung! Panzer - Guderian's work on armor. Neat stuff. My 2 cents. Preacher Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fionn Posted October 7, 1999 Share Posted October 7, 1999 1. Hitler's FuhrerDirektiven... Excellent and true transcripts of the Fuhrerdirektiven which dispell some myths. 2. A bridge too far is very good. 3. Hasting's Overlord (the book about D-day up to Falaise... I hope I've got the name right) is EXCELLENT. 4. Anything by Middlebrook is well worth reading. 5. For anyone into the Atlantic War I'd say Clay Blair's 1939-1942, The Hunters and his 1942-1945, the Hunted are absolutely necessary. 6. Technical books on the German Navy would have to be Groener's two-volume set "German Warships 1815-1945".. I have them and used them extensively for Fighting Steel earlier this year.. There's no such thing as one best book but there are stand-out books in the various specific fields.. I like Hastin's Overlord because it has so many first-hand accounts scattered throughout it and so well supported by other writing and think it may just be my favourite. ------------------ ___________ Fionn Kelly Manager of Historical Research, The Gamers Net - Gaming for Gamers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SimonFox Posted October 8, 1999 Share Posted October 8, 1999 I agree with Fionn that Max Hastings is an excellent author. His Korean War book is also very good. Anything by D'Este is very good and balanced too especially the rationale and sequence of events which lead to decisions. If you ever get into an argument with someone with a simplistic view of a poor decision then if D'Este has a book on it that is all the ammo you need. It really gets on my goat when someone thinks they can adequately address a contentious issue of history in one glib little post when various historians have written hundreds of well researched pages about it and still not agreed! On a lighter note my favourites would have to be WWII: Catch-22 Heller WWI: The Good Soldier Svek by Jaroslav Hasek makes you wonder how the A-H empire ever managed to get into WW1 More seriously The Peloponnesian War Thucydides (not enough superlatives exist for that one) Anabasis Xenophon Anything by John Keegan is good though I find some factual errors in his straight histories but his studies of the nature of war and men's reactions to combat are great. WWII:a statistical survey John Ellis Crisis of Command, David Horner Which could also be subtitled: who the hell put that swine (MacArthur) in charge. Ten days to destiny: the battle for Crete, 1941. Kiriakopoulos Personal accounts: 18 Platoon Sydney Jary Tank Ken Tout Flamethrower Andrew Wilson- excellent on tactical employment of flamethrower tanks- extensively quoted by Max Hasting's Overlord Heaven and hell Martin Poppel Sajer's book is a good read but some people question its authenticity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Los Posted October 8, 1999 Share Posted October 8, 1999 I've been trying like crazy to get Heavena nd Hell by matin Poppel. It's a fallschirmjaeger's account and a good one. Los Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PanzerLeader Posted October 8, 1999 Share Posted October 8, 1999 1.) "Panzer Commander", von Luck. 2.) "Lost Victories", von Manstein. 3.) "Panzer Leader", Guderian(hence my nickname:) They are all excellent accounts of WW2 from the other side of the hill, with tremendous insight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Peltz Posted October 9, 1999 Share Posted October 9, 1999 "Decision in the Ukraine-Summer, 1943-II SS and III Panzerkorps" by George Nipe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moon Posted October 9, 1999 Share Posted October 9, 1999 I've been reading a lot of books about the ETO recently (with an eye out for good engagements of the right scale to be made into CM scenarios and campaigns), and so far among the best of them are (in no particular order): - "Beyond the Beachhead" by Balkoski - "Six Armies in Normandy" by Keegan - "Rhineland. The Battle to End the War" by Whitaker (especially good for Canadian action) - "Battle of Mortain" by Featherston (which has been published a number of times before under different titles) - "Steel Inferno" by Reynolds - "A View from the Turret" by Folkestad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pixman Posted October 10, 1999 Share Posted October 10, 1999 1. A Bridge Too Far (Ryan) 2. The Rommel Papers (Rommel) 3. Six Armies in Normandy (Keegan) 4. Miracle at Midway (Prang) 5. Vietnam (Karnow) 6. The Guns of August (Tuchman) 7. The Great War (Falls) 8. A Stillness at Appomattox (Catton) 9. The Winter Soldiers (Ketchum) 10. The Battle for North America (Parkman) 11. The Killer Angels (escapes me right now) 12. Son of the Morning Star (Connell) 13. Lee and Grant (Smith) 14. The Gallic Wars (Caesar) 15. Sherman: Fighting Prophet (Lewis) 16. Paul Revere's Ride (Fischer) 17. On War (von Clausewitz) 18. The Face of Battle (Keegan) 19. Reflections on the Civil War (Catton) 20. Flying Forts (do not remember) These are all excellent and must reads for any military historian. If I could only have 5 of them, I would take the Ryan, Parkman, Tuchman, Caesar and Catton (Appomattox) books. Pixman ------------------ Fact is the enemy of truth. - Don Quixote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeO Posted October 10, 1999 Share Posted October 10, 1999 Agree with many of the choices mentioned but my vote goes to 'Caen:Anvil of Victory' by Alexander McKee. One of those books that dropped the sterile overview approach to concentrate on gripping eye-witness accounts from 'both sides of the hill'. I think it was one of the first books to admit that BOTH sides frequently shot prisoners in NW Europe. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest kip anderson Posted October 10, 1999 Share Posted October 10, 1999 Hi, Closing with the Enemy,how GIs fought the war in Europe,1944-1945. Michael D Doubler. Tank! Ken Tout. After reading the above books you will have an unequalled understanding of the tactics and feel of battle in north west Europe in WW2. all the best Kip. ------------------ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest scarr Posted October 11, 1999 Share Posted October 11, 1999 Just to chime in, I want to second someone else's put on "Death Traps", which adds tremendous perspective to the allied/axis armor quality debate, and adds emphasis to the power of a good logistics system. Also, Stephen Ambrose's "Pegasus Bridge" and "A Company of Brothers (E-Company of the 506th PIR of the 101st)" are great reads. A great photo history of a wehrmacht division is "God, Honor, Fatherland" edited by McGuirl and Spezzano. It covers the formation and fighting of the "Grossdeutchland" division through late '44. Craig's "Enemy at the Gates" is a great Stalingrad read. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DesertFox Posted October 11, 1999 Share Posted October 11, 1999 To read first hand accounts from the regimental/bataillon level these 2 autobiographic works make excellent reading: 1.) Hans von Luck "Panzer Commander" 21st Panzerdivision 2.) Helmut Ritgen "Westfront 1944" PanzerLehr Division To get a more complete view about a certain theather I really like: 3.) Michael Reynolds "Steel Inferno" 1st SS PanzerKorps in Normandy 4.) Michael Reynolds "Devils Adjudant" KG Peiper as the Spearhead of 1st SS Panzerkorps during the Battle of the Bulge and to read a very good researched book about a well known person and the unit he belonged to, I´d like to recommend 5.) Patrick Agte "Michael Wittmann and the Tigers of schwere Panzerabteilung 101" DesertFox Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scoop88 Posted October 11, 1999 Share Posted October 11, 1999 Some great books have already been mentioned. A couple others: Panzer Battles by Von Mellenthin Cross of Iron (East Front novel) by Willi Heinrich Any of the books by Paul Carrell (Foxes of the Desert, D-Day, and his two-volume work on the East Front ... all are good from the everyday German soldier's standpoint. The portions about high-level command decisions are not as good.) Battle: The Story of the Bulge, and The Last 100 Days, both by John Toland The First and the Last, by Adolf Galland Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrapGame Posted October 11, 1999 Share Posted October 11, 1999 Damn you readers to hell. Amazon.com and Visa thank you both very much. On the other hand, my wife would like to open a really large can of whoop-ass on many posters to this thread. My delivery of nine different books was a direct result of lurking in this forum and writing down many of the suggested tomes. Unfortunately for me, I had them sent to my house instead of work, and she got the delivery.... Ughhh... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
risc Posted October 11, 1999 Share Posted October 11, 1999 Alright, here is a list of WW2 books that I like very much: JG 26 Top Guns of the Luftwaffe (Donald L. Caldwell) Messerschmitt F, G & K series (Jochen Prien/Peter Rodeike) Panzer Truppen I (Tomas Jents) Panzer Truppen II (Tomas Jents) The Rommel Papers (Liddell-Hart) Life of Field Marschal Erwin Rommel (David Fraser) Rommel's Greatest Victory (S.W.Mitcham) Panzer Commander (H. von Luck) The Forgotten Soldier (Guy Sajer) Panzer Battles (F.W. von Mellenthin) Lost Victories (E. von Manstein) Panzer Leader (H. Guderian) Panzer General (K. Macksey) The Art of War (Sun Tzu) War Diary of F. von Bock (Bonus/Memorablia) Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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