(o/t)WW2 Book people,I have some questions....

[Guest Tom punkrawk]

I just finished reading The Thin Red Line, and was wondering if any of you knew of a book like that but of the European Theatre?Any airborne stuff.Battle of the bulge or d-day.

Thanks.

oh and if any of you can recommend a good book like that on the British Airborne, that would be great.Thanks again.

[jpmcrowley]

The Thin Red Line is, I think, a fictional account of an actual battle in the Pacific War.

I don’t know of any fiction covering the British Airborne but you might like to try “Arnhem 1944 the airborne battle” by Martin Middlebrook (published by Viking and also Penguin books). This is a factual account of the 1st British airborne Division’s involvement at Arnhem and Oosterbeek. It is extremely detailed and draws on the personal accounts of over 300 hundred actual participants. Extremely well written and very exciting. Highly recommended.

Jim

[Guest coolguy101]

Seven roads to hell is a good book. It is about the 101 in bastonge. The guy thats was there wrote the book. It's a pretty good book or at least I enjoyed reading it.

coolguy101

[This message has been edited by coolguy101 (edited 01-12-2000).]

[Guest phoenix]

I am just finishing up the Seven Roads to hell book myself. It's very powerful, first person account kind of thing. A good read I think.

[dalem]

the Cornelius Ryan books are a must, in my opinion. A Bridge Too Far, The Longest Day, and The Last Battle.

there are many, many other ones, far too many to list. I suggest hitting your local library.

-dale

[This message has been edited by dalem (edited 01-12-2000).]

[Guest Tom punkrawk]

Yeah, The Thin Red Line is fictional but it's like third person,so you get more of a feeling then like uhh, most others.

I saw If You Survive today at a bookstore,someone said it was a good one, i might get it.Today I started Beyond The Beachhead.

Thanks for the suggestions.

[Hundminen]

For a good third person account of tactical ops in ETO, from mainly American perspective, you might try CITIZEN SOLDIER (by Stephen Ambrose), which covers tactical accounts of the average and not-so-average army and airborne GI from D-day plus one to fall of Berlin. Some very interesting reading indeed.

Hundminen

[Guest Tom punkrawk]

I glanced at that today(Citizen Soldier),seemed like it was another one that just told you the tactics and the facts.

I like the story kind.I get bored just w/ the facts,that's why I could never finish The Gothic Line.oh Well, thanks again.

[Berlichtingen]

Tom punkrawk,

If you're looking for fiction, then I recommend "Cross of Iron." I loved the movie, but the book was much, much better.

[guachi]

I second Dale's recommendation of Ryan's books.

I got The Longest Day for my step-father for Christmas. He stayed up well into the night to finish it. Coincidentally, I received another Ryan book, A Bridge Too Far, from my father.

I know why my step-father was engrossed in his Ryan book; Ryan is a great writer. A Bridge Too Far is filled with hundreds of first hand accounts and really brings the battle to life.

When you are leading Frost's men at the north end of the Arnhem Bridge, you will appreciate the heroism and sacrifice that those Red Devils of the 1st Airborne Division made.

A must read considering we will likely be getting a plethora of Market-Garden scenarios/operations included with the game and as user-created ones later.

Jason

[Ted]

By S.L.A Marshall. Marshall was an official historian for the Army and "collected information on this book by direct interviews with the men in the field within days after the action took place June 1944." Marshall was an official historian for the Army in WWII, Korea and Vietnam. Although his books aren't easy to find, I would highly recommend any of his books to get feel for the real face of battle.

[Ted]

Sorry that last post was a cut and paste error. What it should have said was:

One of the best Airborne books I've read is "Night Drop, The American Airborne Invasion Of Normandy"

By S.L.A Marshall. Marshall was an official historian for the Army and "collected information on this book by direct interviews with the men in the field within days after the action took place June 1944." Marshall was an official historian for the Army in WWII, Korea and Vietnam. Although his books aren't easy to find, I would highly recommend any of his books to get feel for the real face of battle.

[civdiv]

If you want third person WWII fiction, definately read Marshall. Now before the objections get too loud, Marshalls works have been pretty much de-bunked. He made up most of what he wrote (ref: Hackworth's 'About Face'). They are intertaining and based on fact. My favorite nitty-gritty WWII ETO book is Macdonald's 'Company Commander'. Toland's books are also good, very much like Ryan's, though more detailed in terms of the actual campaign. Also, 'Forgotten Soldier', I can't remember the author. I think it's a historical novel written by a soldat who served on the Eastern Front. It's amazing the conditions that German soldats had to put up with. I also recommend Paul Carell's books, very much like Ryan and Toland, though from the German, Eastern Front perspective.

[FlakBait]

I have a few book info requests:

Does anyone remember a book called, i think, "Honey" (or something like that)? A 1st hand account of a British stuart tank commander fighting the Africa Corps. I read it some 15 years + ago and can't seem to find any trace of it. I remember it being a great read (with lots of those great little black and white illustrations), but then I was pretty young then, thinking german tanks looked like M47's.

Then the 2nd book i've been trying to find is "Stuka Pilot" about Hans-Ulrich Rudel. I'm pretty sure it is out of print, but maybe there is someplace it can be found... And if anyone has read it, how is it?

[FlakBait]

Guess that was a tripple post... damn back button...

[This message has been edited by FlakBait (edited 01-14-2000).]

[FlakBait]

Doh! - Double post - sorry!

[This message has been edited by FlakBait (edited 01-14-2000).]

[Carentan]

I can't say enough great things about Cornelius Ryan's books. All are riveting, and I think he did good homwork.

My favorite ETO tactical story is actually an Ambrose book, Pegasus Bridge. I recommend Ambrose more for his flair than his accuracy, but that can be good for a before-bed read, imo.

[civdiv]

I remember the 'Honey' book, but wasn't it called 'Blazen Chariots'?. It was in the same 'Bantam War Book' series that 'Company Commander' was in. Yeah, I remember that great line of books. As a matter of fact, of have one of the series here in front of me, 'War As I Knew It', by Patton.

[civdiv]

Tom punkrawk, I forgot to read your post carefully. For British Airborne action, try 'Pegasus Bridge', Ambrose, I think.

[Guest Tom punkrawk]

Thanks again everyone

[jackhammer]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by FlakBait:

I have a few book info requests:

Does anyone remember a book called, i think, "Honey" (or something like that)? A 1st hand account of a British stuart tank commander fighting the Africa Corps. I read it some 15 years + ago and can't seem to find any trace of it. I remember it being a great read (with lots of those great little black and white illustrations), but then I was pretty young then, thinking german tanks looked like M47's.

Then the 2nd book i've been trying to find is "Stuka Pilot" about Hans-Ulrich Rudel. I'm pretty sure it is out of print, but maybe there is someplace it can be found... And if anyone has read it, how is it?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>hey flakbait go to abebooks.com and type in stuka pilot on their search page. they currently have 17 used copies for sale.

[FlakBait]

Thanks Civdiv, that's the title - Blazen Chariots. It was one of the best 1st person tanker books i can remeber - even though it was about stuarts for the most part.

... and thanks too Jackhammer. I'll check out that site. Has anyone read that book - Stuka Pilot? Is it more autobiographical or 1st personish?

[This message has been edited by FlakBait (edited 01-15-2000).]

[Guest Zigster]

I guess this would be a good place to ask this:

Can anyone remember the author (and correct titles) of the Gunner Ash books? They were two satirical anti-war books published in Germany in the 60s/70s about, of course, Gunner Ash of the Wehrmacht. Excellent black humour in the vein of MASH and Catch 22. I think one of them was called "Gunner Ash goes to war."

Any help is appreciated. Thanks. I love you guys (sniff)

((((((((big sloppy hugz))))))

[jackhammer]

hans helmut kirst wrote the gunner asch books. the titles are "what became of gunner asch", " the return of gunner asch", "forward gunner asch" and " the revolt of gunner asch" go to abebooks.com i'm sure they offer those books for sale

[Guest Zigster]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by jackhammer:

hans helmut kirst wrote the gunner asch books. the titles are "what became of gunner asch", " the return of gunner asch", "forward gunner asch" and " the revolt of gunner asch" go to abebooks.com i'm sure they offer those books for sale<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Bless you, my son.