ibucephalus Posted October 13, 2000 Share Posted October 13, 2000 The best war movie thread seems pretty well covered. What about books? I think one of my favourite books dealing with war is "The Wars" by Timothy Findley(Canadian). Takes place during the 1st WW and is extremly macabre. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JigVictor07 Posted October 13, 2000 Share Posted October 13, 2000 A rumor of war by Philip Caputo is the 2nd best Vietnam War book I've read. The best one has just short stories, like only one page long but I just can't remember the name of that book. This same book maybe the best of all war books I've read. About WW2, everything that Sven Hassel has written is high on my list. Although it is fictional, Hassel really can create a good athmosphere in his books. JV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stefan Fredriksson Posted October 13, 2000 Share Posted October 13, 2000 Re: Hassel Even though his books are hideously inaccurate on many accounts, they sure are an entertaining read. He very long held to that he actually had experienced it all, but in later years he admitted that most of it was stories he had heard from others. (from what I remember from an article a couple of years back). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stefan Fredriksson Posted October 13, 2000 Share Posted October 13, 2000 My suggestions: "A bridge too far" by Cornelius Ryan. After seeing the film you easily get the impression that most of the fighting was in Arnhem proper. Read the book and get the full story on operation Market-Garden. Very intense. "Stalingrad" by Anthony Beevor. Easy-read, comprehensible book covering the German attack on Russia in general, and the fighting in and around Stalingrad in particular. Beevor has taken many accounts from actual letters, and archives previously closed (iirc). So you really get down "in the dirt", while he still explains the strategic events in a understandable way. I whole-heartedly recommend this book for anyone with the even remotest interest in WW2. [This message has been edited by Stefan Fredriksson (edited 10-13-2000).] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herr Oberst Posted October 13, 2000 Share Posted October 13, 2000 The 900 Days : The Siege of Leningrad. Excellent read, incredible, tragic story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest wwb_99 Posted October 13, 2000 Share Posted October 13, 2000 Having just finished my degree (in essentially military history) I have to add: John Keegan: Pretty much anything he wrote for its pure literary quality but especially "In the Face of Battle." He nearly brought tears to my eyes. Especially appliciable for CM is his "Six Armies in Normandy." Not quite as powerful, but definitely inspirational. Van Creveld: His command studies are a must, and "Supplying War" is a must for any student of logistics. Richard Overy: "Why the Allies Won" is a classic. Read it, learn it, love it. Sir Charles Oman: If anyone wants a good basic understanding of warfare from the fall of the Roman Empire in the west until the rise of Louis XIV, start with "The Art of War in the Middle Ages" Vol I and continue through to "The Art of War in the Sixteenth Century." Just one general comment: Is it just me or do old British guys write better than anyone else? WWB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maxx Posted October 13, 2000 Share Posted October 13, 2000 John Keegan's A History of Warfare Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingcursor Posted October 13, 2000 Share Posted October 13, 2000 "The Wars" was good. "Why the Allies Won." was pretty good. "Rumors of War" was one of the earliest books I read about Vietnam. I agree that Keegan's "Face of Battle" is a classic. Especially his Agincourt description. For the medieval times I thought "A Distant Mirror" by Tuchman was outstanding. For other era's I liked all of Shelby Foote for the American Civil War. "Too Far From God" is a good account of the US/Mexican war of 1846. There is also a great book called "The Boer War" (can't recall author) which I have read twice. Oh, and one of the best books ever about the Zulu war of 1876 is "The Washing of the Spears." "Napolean's Marshalls" would have been good but I never finished it since it was lost in a fire. Hopefully my wife will honor my xmas wish and get "The Campaigns of Napolean" for me. I like Michael Doubler's "Closing With the Enemy." Also on my list are: "Steel Inferno" about the 2nd Pz div in Normandy. Lots of scenario material. "Defeat Into Victory" Bill Slim. Good look at British ops in Burma. "Overlord" by Max Hastings. "Cross of Iron", "The Thin Red Line" and "The Naked and the Dead" are three of my favorite novels of WWII. My very favorite novel of WWII is "Sharks and Little Fish." I don't recall who wrote it and I don't have it any more. It is a tremendous tale of a German sailor on a minesweeper and later a U-boat. There's also "The Killer Angels" by Shaara and the one by his son which covers the final days of the American Civil war. I'd like to know if anyone has heard of a book I read some time ago. It was about the British retreat down the Malay penninsula. It was a novel and very excellent. Any ideas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingcursor Posted October 13, 2000 Share Posted October 13, 2000 I almost forgot 4 of the best; John Toland's "No Man's Land" about 1918, Tuchman "The Guns Of August", Toland "The Rising Sun" and Alexander Werth "Russia at War" And Donald Knox excellent 2 volumn oral history of the Korean war. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingcursor Posted October 13, 2000 Share Posted October 13, 2000 Thought of some others. "In War's Dark Shadows". About pre-wwI Russia with a great description of the Sino-Soviet war of 1905. "War in the Shadows". A two volumn set on the history of guerrila and fifth-column warfare. That too was lost in the fire. "Men In Arms" An interesting look at the history of warfare from the viewpoint of how society effected the conduct of war vs the more traditional view of how war effected society. anything by Liddel Hart of course. Giap's book is of course essential to any understanding of Vietnam as well as other small conflicts. Keegan's History of war I agree. A very interesting viewpoint. Quentin Reynolds "They Fought for the Skys" More novels "The Blue Max" "The Goshawk Squadron." For the Trash heap: "The Canvas Falcons" too many inaccuracies. "Richtofen and Brown" Thumbs down. Some book I got at a garage sale "With Patton's Third Army" or something. Written by one of his higher officers. Way too much pontificating about how Patton could have won the war single handed and nobody else could do anything yeah yeah. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Reece Posted October 13, 2000 Share Posted October 13, 2000 My vote so far would be for the book "Gotterdammerung", but I forget the authors name.Anthony Beever's book "Stalingrad" was really good as well. Dick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest wwb_99 Posted October 13, 2000 Share Posted October 13, 2000 I just bough Keegan's "History of Warfare" yesterday, but I needed to get off the Keegan kick so I started C.V. Wedgewood's The Thirty Years War instead. It is very good so far (30 pages in). There was one other book I forgot to mention: Steven Runciman's "The Fall of Constantinople." A brilliant work which reads like a novel. Also note that Cornelius Ryan did write several books besides "A Bridge Too Far." Both "The Longest Day" (about the Battle of Britain) and "The Last Battle" are excellent. WWB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Clark Posted October 13, 2000 Share Posted October 13, 2000 I've not read many so far... But, "A Blood-Dimmed Tide" was very good. Right now I'm finding "Currahee!" to be very very good. Has anyone read "Company Commander"? How is it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Reece Posted October 13, 2000 Share Posted October 13, 2000 <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR> Has anyone read "Company Commander"? How is it?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Exceptionally good, as is "A Time For Trumpets" Dick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmf3 Posted October 13, 2000 Share Posted October 13, 2000 Enemy At The Gates; the Battle for Stalingrad by William Craig. It's been OOP for some years, but try to find a copy. I've read it 20 + times in as many years. Company Commander by Charles Macdonald is very good. Also Stuka Pilot by Hans Rudel; Panzer Commander by Hans Von Luck; and finally Devil's Guard by Gerorge R. Elford covering the French Foriegn Legion in Indochina (SS in FFL service) Bob ------------------ illegitimi non carborundum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
groundpounder Posted October 13, 2000 Share Posted October 13, 2000 I't is not very exciting reading, but don't forget one of the first books on War... "The Art of War" by Sun Tzu http://www.kimsoft.com/polwar.htm GP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Mauldin Posted October 13, 2000 Share Posted October 13, 2000 I liked Stephen Ambrose's "Citizen Soldiers" which is right down CMs alley. Cornelius Ryans, "A Bridge Too Far", "The Longest Day", and "The Last Battle" are all good too. BTW wwb_99, "The Longest Day" is about D-Day not the Battle of Britain. ------------------ It wasn't MY company..It was the Armys' or so they told me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingcursor Posted October 13, 2000 Share Posted October 13, 2000 Yes Company Commander is pretty good. I'm trying to find MacDonald's book on the Huertgen forest. Actually any book on that battle would be nice. Time for Trumpets was also good. I just picked up a paperback copy of Enemy at the Gates last Saturday from a local used bookstore. I too have been looking for that for a long time. I read it many moons ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Reece Posted October 13, 2000 Share Posted October 13, 2000 <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>I'm trying to find MacDonald's book on the Huertgen forest. Actually any book on that battle would be nice.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Try doing a search for "A Dark and Bloody Ground" I forget the author's name,but I ordered it from a local bookstore.It is an excellently detailed book on the fighting in the Huertgen forest. Dick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hans Posted October 13, 2000 Share Posted October 13, 2000 Company commander is good but I would also recommend the following Ernest Jurgers, "Storm of Steel" (Author forgotten) "Japanese Destroyer Captain" Anything by SLA Marshall Charles Oman's Peninsula wars Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest wwb_99 Posted October 13, 2000 Share Posted October 13, 2000 BTW wwb_99, "The Longest Day" is about D-Day not the Battle of Britain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingcursor Posted October 13, 2000 Share Posted October 13, 2000 Thanks Dick, I'll look it up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buckshyesh Posted October 13, 2000 Share Posted October 13, 2000 Teddy Roosevelt's "Naval War of 1812" was a very interesting read. If was full of details re. tactics and the experiences of men on those ships. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dfgardner Posted October 13, 2000 Share Posted October 13, 2000 Try Wings of Morning: The Story of the Last 8th Air Force crew shot down over Germany in WWII. Very moving. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reno Posted October 13, 2000 Share Posted October 13, 2000 <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by ibucephalus: The best war movie thread seems pretty well covered. What about books? <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> There's so many great books about war out there that it'd be impossible in my opinion to label any one of them as the best. Even the bad ones have something to offer. Some recent non-fiction that I've read and enjoyed.. The Deadly Brotherhood - The American Combat Soldier in World War II by John McManus. Why The Allies Won by Richard Overy The Winter War by Eloise Engle and Paananen Sempi Fi, Mac by Henry Berry Battling The Elements - Weather and Terrain In the Conduct Of War by Harold Winters The Fall Of Eben Emael by James Mrazek Closing With The Enemy by Micheal Doubler The Forgotten Soldier by Guy Sajer The Long Road Of War by James Johston Utmost Savagery - The Three Days of Tarawa by Col. Joseph Alexander The Second World War by John Keegan. Scorched Earth by Paul Carell The Wars Of America by Robert Leckie When The Odds Were Even by Keith Bonn Atlas Of The Second World War edited by John Keegan How They Won The War In The Pacific by Edwin Hoyt. Battle Of Wits - The Complete Story of Codebreaking in World War II by Stephan Budiansky. ( I just picked this one up today but the reviews are good. ) Guadalcanal by Richard Frank Breakout and The Last Parallel, both by Martin Russ This Kind Of War by T.R. Fehrenbach The Guns Of Normandy by George Blackburn I haven't read too much fiction lately but a few that I recall that were good.. Battle Cry by Leon Uris. (In my opinion the most memorable first line in any book.."They call me Mac.") Any of the submarine books by Harry Homewood. Final Harbor and O God of Battles come to mind. Mister Roberts by Thomas Heggen Once an Eagle by Anton Myrer Run Silent, Run Deep by Edward Beach Any of the Sharpe books by Bernard Cornwell. (Good escape reading-not sure how accurate they are) Any of the Bolitho books by Alexander Kent. This is really Douglas Reeman. He wrote a a lot of WW II naval fiction too that I heard is good but never read. (Again, good adventurous escape reading) I just picked up two WWII fictional books by David Robbins. The War of the Rats and The End of War. Can't really comment on them as of yet but Rats seemed to have good reviews. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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