Page 3 of 5
RE: 10 Must Have Books on WW2
Posted: Mon Jan 22, 2007 2:31 pm
by Apollo11
Hi all,
ORIGINAL: Nikademus
really depends on your interest.....so i guess i'd place some recommendations for Pacific:
1. Bloody Shambes [series]
2. Lundstrom: First Team [series]
3. Samauri [good to get a different viewpoint]
4. Zero! (thought provoking,)
5. Guadalcanal
6. Battle History of the IJN
7. Kaigun
8. Sunburst
9. Shattered Sword
10. The Pacific War (Costello - great pre-history analysis on both antagonists...)
(if your budget can stand it)
11. Burma, the longest war
12. Forgotton Armies (Fall of British empire in Asia)
13. Silent Victory (US sub campaign)
14. The Japanese submarine force in WWII
15. The Sino-Japanese War (1937-45)
16. The Rape of Nanking
17. A Glorious Way to Die
18. The battle of Leyte Gulf (Cutler)
19. Fire in the Sky
20. Touched with Fire
oh hell.....10 books is a short list for WWII even if just limiting to the Pacific [:D]
Nice!
Also two more very worthwile books: [:)]
#1
"The Rising Sun: The Decline and Fall of the Japanese Empire, 1936-1945" by
John Toland
This book shows war from Japanese standpoint (plus very good explanation of pre-war political situation and "games" within the Japanese governament which ulitmatively lead the Japan towards war with USA)!
#2
"Blood, Tears, and Folly: An Objective Look at World War ll" by
Len Deighton
This book is fantastic viewpoint on WWII from (mostly) British side in Both Europe and Pacific (though it covers 1939-1942 - I still hope he will write the sequel that would deal with the rest of WWII)!
Leo "Apollo11"
RE: 10 Must Have Books on WW2
Posted: Mon Jan 22, 2007 4:17 pm
by Andy_PZ
My fave books are The Memoirs of Fieldmarshal Montgomery, Crusade in Europe by Eisenhower, Zhukov at the Oder, The Second World War by Churchill and any Max Hastings books!
I do prefer books written by the people involved however!
RE: 10 Must Have Books on WW2
Posted: Tue Jan 23, 2007 8:10 pm
by LargeSlowTarget
- Morison -History of US Naval Operations in WWII[/align]- Prange: Dec. 7 1941, At Dawn we slept, Pearl Harbor: Verdict of History, Miracle at Midway[/align]- Frank: Guadalcanal[/align]- Bergerud: Fire in the Sky, Touched with Fire[/align]- Hammel: Guadalcanal trilogy[/align]- Spector:E agle against the sun[/align]- Tregaskis: Guadalcanal Diary[/align]- Alexander: Utmost Savagery[/align]- Agawa: The reluctant Admiral[/align]- Blackburn: The Jolly Rogers[/align]
RE: 10 Must Have Books on WW2
Posted: Tue Jan 23, 2007 8:16 pm
by Mike Solli
ORIGINAL: JJB647
ORIGINAL: TOMLABEL
Lets not forget THE BIG E - The Story of the USS Enterprise by Edward P. Stafford.
Also,
A TIME FOR TRUMPETS & COMPANY COMMANDER by Charles MacDonald
TIGERS IN THE MUD by Otto Carius
KNIGHT'S CROSS- A Life Of Field Marshall Rommel by David Fraser
That is all.
TOMLABEL
The Big E.
That book got me started on the Pacific War. Great book.
I believe that's the book that got me started too. Wonderful.
RE: 10 Must Have Books on WW2
Posted: Tue Jan 23, 2007 8:17 pm
by Mike Solli
ORIGINAL: von Beanie
Carlson's Raid: the daring marine assault on Makin by George Smith;
I met a survivor of that unit. He was a Japanese translator. The stories were amazing. [X(]
RE: 10 Must Have Books on WW2
Posted: Tue Jan 23, 2007 8:20 pm
by Mike Solli
History of United States Naval Operations in World War II by Samuel Eliot Morison - a 15 volume history. It has some errors but it's great if you can afford it.
Does this count as one or 15 books? [:D]
RE: 10 Must Have Books on WW2
Posted: Tue Jan 23, 2007 8:52 pm
by timtom
ORIGINAL: pauk
as long as this book is not in Danish (is it a language??? luk liget), i think i can handle it[:'(]...
Did anyone die? Whatever you guys are doing, it sound pretty macabre.
John Ellis: The Sharp End. An excellent social history account of WWII infantry combat.
RE: 10 Must Have Books on WW2
Posted: Tue Jan 23, 2007 9:01 pm
by Terminus
Husk, at hans inferiøre tastatur ikke har noget "å"...[:D]
RE: 10 Must Have Books on WW2
Posted: Tue Jan 23, 2007 9:49 pm
by timtom
ORIGINAL: Terminus
Husk, at hans inferiøre tastatur ikke har noget "å"...[:D]
So you mean to say Pauk's challenged in the keyboard department? Poor thing...maybe we should start a charitable collection.
RE: 10 Must Have Books on WW2
Posted: Tue Jan 23, 2007 9:51 pm
by Terminus
ORIGINAL: timtom
ORIGINAL: Terminus
Husk, at hans inferiøre tastatur ikke har noget "å"...[:D]
So you mean to say Pauk's challenged in the keyboard department?
Among many other departments, yes...[:D]
RE: 10 Must Have Books on WW2
Posted: Tue Jan 23, 2007 11:12 pm
by Wargamer39
1. A Bridge Too Far - Cornelius Ryan (my favourite by far)
2. Enemy at the Gates (no, it is not like the crappy movie of the same name)
3. Panzer Leader - Guderian
4. All Quiet on the Western Front
5. Stalingrad - Beevor
6. Cross of Iron
7. The Longest Day - Ryan
8. Barbarossa
I reserve 9+10 for two books I have on my shelf but am looking forward to reading when I have time, Road to Stalingrad and Road to Berlin
RE: 10 Must Have Books on WW2
Posted: Tue Jan 23, 2007 11:26 pm
by Mynok
I liked Enemy at the Gates as well, along with Walter Lord's Incredible Victory. A bit dated now from a historian's perspective, but great reading nonetheless.
RE: 10 Must Have Books on WW2
Posted: Tue Jan 23, 2007 11:32 pm
by wild_Willie2
Actually I have a copy of "mein kampf" at home. it's EXTREMEEM badly written BTW.....
RE: 10 Must Have Books on WW2
Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2007 10:10 am
by Terminus
Strictly speaking nothing to do with WW2, but yes, it's awful, even without considering its subject matter...
RE: 10 Must Have Books on WW2
Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2007 11:45 am
by MarcA
I am probably going to get flamed 10 was to Sunday for this but I thought Stephen Ambrose's D-Day was an excellent book and it would be near the top of my list, probably just behind Beevor's Stalingrad.
He does, understandably, fixate on Omaha and Utah only touching on the other landings. Could anyone recommend a similar book which covers the landings at Sword, Gold and Juno in detail
RE: 10 Must Have Books on WW2
Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2007 12:17 pm
by Terminus
The Ambrose book was moderately okay, if rather one-sided. Max Hastings' book on Normandy is better...
RE: 10 Must Have Books on WW2
Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2007 12:57 pm
by Speedysteve
I do find Ambroses book readable but I do wonder if they if they are rather one sided.
RE: 10 Must Have Books on WW2
Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2007 1:44 pm
by BeastieDog
I would add Max Hasting's "Overlord" and "Armagedon" to any list.
RE: 10 Must Have Books on WW2
Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2007 2:00 pm
by MarcA
ORIGINAL: Terminus
The Ambrose book was moderately okay, if rather one-sided. Max Hastings' book on Normandy is better...
Does Mr Hastings' book deal with the British and Canadian landings thoroughly?
RE: 10 Must Have Books on WW2
Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2007 2:03 pm
by Terminus
It deals with all of them, but since it covers the entire Normandy campaign, up to and including the Falaise battle, it could perhaps be more thorough about the landings themselves.