Any book recommendations?

[The Gnome]

Hi, I love WWII era history and have read quite a bit but in no way do I approach the knowledge level of a lot of the folks on this site. WiTP garauntees that I'll likely come across a plethora of weapons platforms -especially from the non-major powers- that I'm completely unfamiliar with. What I'd like to do before release is get a good encyclopedia that I can use for referrence while playing the game; something concise but not too light.

Any ideas before I head out to Borders and make some big mistakes?

[Tenzan]

Victory at Sea
by James Dunnigan...A sort of Gazetter of the PAC theater, all major weapon systems listed and commented on, plus chronologies and campaign summaries. A good almanac of the pacific war-a good 'one stop' refrence book.

plus...it's really easy to find!

[witpwife]

I work in a Library ('though not a librarian), and I would suggest, for the ultimate source, Jane's Fighting Ships of WW II and the plethora of other Jane's titles (Fighting Aircraft of WWII, etc.) They are not inexpensive, but borrowing materials from the Library is one way to go. Also, librarians in the history section of your main library would be a really good source of information, for both purchasing and borrowing. My history buff husband has found a lot of information there (including the 3 books he borrowed in the last week to get ready for WITP). [:)]

[ZOOMIE1980]

Do kids today even know what a library is? When's the last time you ever saw a college student doing their research via a libary reference stack vs Google searches????

[Iron Duke]

Hi,

Good reference - 'The Pacific War Encycopedia' by JamesDunnigan and Albert Nofi
ISBN 0-8160-4393-0

[Spooky]

Maybe you could take a look at the book section of the UV & WITP fansite ...

ORIGINAL: The Gnome

Hi, I love WWII era history and have read quite a bit but in no way do I approach the knowledge level of a lot of the folks on this site. WiTP garauntees that I'll likely come across a plethora of weapons platforms -especially from the non-major powers- that I'm completely unfamiliar with. What I'd like to do before release is get a good encyclopedia that I can use for referrence while playing the game; something concise but not too light.

Any ideas before I head out to Borders and make some big mistakes?

[ZOOMIE1980]

Speaking of reference, about three years ago a friend of mine showed me a book he got his dad. It was book of quite large dimensions that contained nothing but copies of newspaper clippings from the late 1930's through early 1946. Most fascinating thing I've ever read. It was really something to get the accounts of how the war was viewed from all the various sources at the time. They were all English language but came from publications all over the world. Simply an amazing collection. We both have long since forgotten the title and I have searched for something like it at all the on-line bookstores to no avail. Anyone else remember something like that???

[The Gnome]

Speaking of reference, about three years ago a friend of mine showed me a book he got his dad. It was book of quite large dimensions that contained nothing but copies of newspaper clippings from the late 1930's through early 1946. Most fascinating thing I've ever read. It was really something to get the accounts of how the war was viewed from all the various sources at the time. They were all English language but came from publications all over the world. Simply an amazing collection. We both have long since forgotten the title and I have searched for something like it at all the on-line bookstores to no avail. Anyone else remember something like that???

I have a series of books (roughly 10 in all) that contain the complete reprints of a war magazine from London. It covers roughly the same time frame but is not quite the same. It's really fascinating to read contemporary news/opinion pieces.

[kaleun]

My uncle has a copy of a mag that was a collection of "Signals", a German "news" magazine during the war. Mostly propaganda, but interesting none the less.

[The Gnome]

Lots of good advice here, thanks all! I didn't think of using the library even though I live only a few blocks from the Philadelphia Free Library. I'm in there often but for some reason didn't put 2+2 together for some reason.

[IanLister]

Just at the moment, anything not to do with war in the Pacific...take your mind off the waiting!!!

[ZOOMIE1980]

ORIGINAL: The Gnome

Speaking of reference, about three years ago a friend of mine showed me a book he got his dad. It was book of quite large dimensions that contained nothing but copies of newspaper clippings from the late 1930's through early 1946. Most fascinating thing I've ever read. It was really something to get the accounts of how the war was viewed from all the various sources at the time. They were all English language but came from publications all over the world. Simply an amazing collection. We both have long since forgotten the title and I have searched for something like it at all the on-line bookstores to no avail. Anyone else remember something like that???

I have a series of books (roughly 10 in all) that contain the complete reprints of a war magazine from London. It covers roughly the same time frame but is not quite the same. It's really fascinating to read contemporary news/opinion pieces.

One of the most interesting articles was from an English Language French newspaper in Paris that was printed about a week after the Germans started their invasion of France and Low Countries. Kept claiming that French forces had pushed the Germans 10 to 15 miles BACK into Germany and were winning on all fronts! Even went so far as to list several villages inside Germany that French forces had occupied.....Fascinating stuff....

[Pianoman]

If you have time to read a 1000 pages and want to know every little detail on the war I found A World at Arms by Gerhard Weinberg excellent.

[kaleun]

You can probably finish it while we wait for THE EVENT