coralsaw Posted October 13, 2000 Share Posted October 13, 2000 Can you lot recommend a book on the WWII history. I am interested in political and military events, and would appreciate a lot of military detail. I would also prefer a true historical perspective, rather than a "biased" (no offense) autobiographic description of one of the war victors. I have read Martin Gilbert's WWII book, and it is good, but can be tiring at times, as, with all due respect, it refers too much on Nazi atrocities on an individual basis and makes it difficult to appreciate the flow of events. Help is appreciated. ------------------ My squads are regular, must be the fibre in the musli... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest wwb_99 Posted October 13, 2000 Share Posted October 13, 2000 John Keegans "The Second World War" (or something like that) is excellent. WWB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingcursor Posted October 13, 2000 Share Posted October 13, 2000 Most books have a slant of some type. No matter how objective the author, the sum of their own experience and culture will always filter into the writing in some way. However, "Rise and Fall of the Third Reich" is chock full of political intrigue. B.H. Liddle Hart's "History of WWII" covers the whole war. It's a bit dry but very informative. I haven't read Keegan's book but he is usually a very good writer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frenchy Posted October 13, 2000 Share Posted October 13, 2000 Sir Basil Liddell Hart's "History of the Second World War" is a very good book. ------------------ Webmaster http://www.trailblazersww2.org http://www.vmfa251.org Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest kking199 Posted October 13, 2000 Share Posted October 13, 2000 Delivered from Evil : The Saga of World War II by Robert Leckie I went to Amazon to verify name and author. Every review 4 or 5 stars. Check out the reviews there. I would highly recommend it, well written and paced. It has been 4 years since I read it but I remember it being a fast read despite it's length. This book is an excellent choice if you are new to WWII and want to get a handle on the big picture, while still learning about the critical details. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reno Posted October 14, 2000 Share Posted October 14, 2000 <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by coralsaw: Can you lot recommend a book on the WWII history. I am interested in political and military events, and would appreciate a lot of military detail. I would also prefer a true historical perspective, rather than a "biased" (no offense) autobiographic description of one of the war victors. I have read Martin Gilbert's WWII book, and it is good, but can be tiring at times, as, with all due respect, it refers too much on Nazi atrocities on an individual basis and makes it difficult to appreciate the flow of events. Help is appreciated. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> On the surface this may seem like a strange recommendation but if you're looking for a good source that chronicles the "flow of events" in a very visual way try "The Atlas of the Second World War" edited by John Keegan. Great maps and concise writing give you a good feel for the economic, political, and strategic flow of World War II better than any single source I know. Try it, you'll like it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chupacabra Posted October 14, 2000 Share Posted October 14, 2000 Keegan's book is excellent. Very thorough, and devotes a considerable amount of time to campaigns which generally get ignored by historians (Crete, Greece, the Balkans in particular). I'm also partial to Winston Churchill's 6-volume history of the war. The history is called The Second World War. He (naturally) deals more with the top-down history than with the guys in the trenches, so if you want blazing guns and daring assault, look somewhere else. I find the insight into the leaders and diplomats of the war fascinating, however. It's one serious flaw is that it was written before Ultra was declassified, which is a major omission. It's excellent otherwise, though. ------------------ Soy super bien, soy super super bien, soy bien bien super bien bien bien super super. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coralsaw Posted October 15, 2000 Author Share Posted October 15, 2000 Thanks lads. Going straight to Amazon. Regards ------------------ My squads are regular, must be the fibre in the musli... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hundminen Posted October 15, 2000 Share Posted October 15, 2000 I agree the Times Atlas of WWII is definitely worth picking up if you can find it. Probably the most interesting and readable book on the big picture I have read (and I have read quite a few including Keegan's), was Richard Overy's "How the Allies Won". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest barrold713 Posted October 15, 2000 Share Posted October 15, 2000 For anyone looking forward to CM2, I can heartily recommend "The Russo-German War 1941-1945" by Albert Seaton. I've read it twice, but I am due for a third review. It has a great deal of information on the big picture that was the Eastern Front. BTW Chup, although we have had some political disagreements, I am betting we would get along famously over a pint or two. Just a hunch. If you ever make it over to Grand Rapids, MI I am sure it would be fun to shoot the sh*t over a good meal and some beers. My wife might be bored but my cooking generally makes up for such things. BDH ------------------ "Democracy is two wolves and a lamb discussing what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote" - Ben Franklin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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