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I received a gift certificate from work and need some book recommendations. I have almost finished my set that I bought last Christmas and since I cannot change my wish list on Amazon until after Christmas (in case someone already purchased the stuff) I need some selections from you guys.

Lay it on me...even the expensive ones. Those are the ones I am more likely to buy myself. What do you consider essential on your WW2 bookcase?

Thanks,

The best one I have bought in the past few years is "...And I was There.", Rear Admiral Edwin T. Layton.

He was Nimitz's intelligence guy. A fascinating, and infuriating read.

Jim Dunnigan has a top 50 book library text out.

The WW2 Bookshelf

FLEETS OF WORLD WAR II by me! Woohoo! Yeah, baby!
[Accepts medication from friendly nurse. "Thank you, sweetheart."]
All right. My area of focus is on naval ships. So...
Japanese Cruisers of the Pacific War by Lacroix and Wells
The Japanese Submarine Force and World War II by Boyd and Yoshida
Battleships by Garzke and Dulin (3 volumes)
any of MJ Whitley's books (his German books are top-notch, and his international encyclopedias are quite handy)
any of Friedman's US design histories (he also has a new book due out soon, a fire-control bible; and while on the subject, Friedman's British Carrier Aviation)
British Battleships of World War Two by Raven and Roberts
British Cruisers of World War Two by Raven and Roberts
A Radar History of World War II by Brown
On the subject of naval policy:
Reevaluating Major Naval Combatants of World War II by Sadkovich
Kaigun by Evans and Peattie
Sunburst by Peattie
Fading Victory by Ugaki
War Plan Orange by Miller
Destined for Glory by Wildenberg
American & British Aircraft Carrier Development by Hone et al
Better stop there. As for battle histories, I'll mention only Shattered Sword by Tully and Parshall, which I'm reading now.

Shattered Sword!

I am also a big fan of the Guadalcanal history written by Richard Frank.

My only recommendation is DON'T ORDER YOUR WW2 BOOKS FROM AMAZON!!!

i placed an order in late June - delivery in now scheduled for April 2007... [:@] [X(] [8|]

This does NOT apply to the used books (Amazon Marketplace) - i got all those pretty quickly.

Jane's Fighting Ships of WW2 - (picked mine up for $10 from a local flea market)- fantastic resource for WITP
 
Fron the Don to the Dnepr - Soviet Offensive Operations from Dec 42 - August 43  - fantastic book detailing huge, little known battles on the Russian Front.
 
The Battery Commander, His Batman, and a Cook - Thomas Reiter - hundreds of personal accounts of small unit actions from Egypt to the Alps, WW2
 

ORIGINAL: rtrapasso

My only recommendation is DON'T ORDER YOUR WW2 BOOKS FROM AMAZON!!!

Amen to that brother. My Frank's Guadalcanal took 4 months to arrive and only materialised after I badgered them peristently and then threatened to cancel the order. My experience, order the book from Amazon and if delivery isn't immediate consider cancelling and trying another vendor

ORIGINAL: AU Tiger

The best one I have bought in the past few years is "...And I was There.", Rear Admiral Edwin T. Layton.

He was Nimitz's intelligence guy. A fascinating, and infuriating read.

I JUST finished reading this one. A little heavy on describing the infighting between Washington (Negat) and Hawaii (Hypo), but if fills in a LOT of the blanks around the Pearl Harbor attack, operations afterward and up through the first year.

ORIGINAL: jwxspoon
Fron the Don to the Dnepr - Soviet Offensive Operations from Dec 42 - August 43  - fantastic book detailing huge, little known battles on the Russian Front.

Sounds interesting. Thanks[:)]

I own a book sent to me from Wild Bill in 1996 which is about General Patton, it is something about his memories in WWII. Very nice to read and intresting about some things. its the american army at war series.

Samuel E Morison is OK too

The Pacific War...John Costello
Almost anything by Stephen Ambrose
A Time for Trumpets...Charles B McDonald
Storm Landings...Joseph Alexander(History of the development of Pacific amphib ops in WW2)
Touched With Fire.....Eric Bergerud

I expect you've read some of these already, but here are my current favorites:

The Second World War - Winston S. Churchill - Dry at times, and it omits some data that's now non-confidential (e.g. Ultra) but it's a fascinating insight into the decision making process that guided the war. I'd recommend all 6 unabridged volumes as opposed to the 1 volume abridged version which is available.

The Rising Sun... - John Toland - An overview of the whole Pacific war largely from the Japanese point of view. It provides very interesting data on how Japan got involved with the war in China & then the Great Pacific War.

Shattered Sword - Jonathan Parshall - Challenges some of the myths of the Battle of Midway & provides a chilling account of how-it-was for the sailors of KB.

Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors - James Hornfischer - I only recently picked this up, but it's by far the best account of the battle off Samar that I've read.

Stalingrad - Antony Beevor - I've read a lot about that battle as it somehow fascinates me more than any other, and Antony Beevor's account is by far the most complete & intimate that I've personally come across.

Gudalcanal - Richard B. Frank - Great detail on both the land & sea battles around that island.

Fire in the Sky - Eric Bergerud - This probably should be higher in my list. It provides great understanding on the air war in the Solomons & New Guinea. And how/why the allies eventually got the upper hand. Very good book, IMO.

I recently picked up a copy of "Marine Tank Battles in the Pacific" by Oscar E. Gimbert. It is an excellent book and contains excerpts from interviews of many marine tankers. As the title suggests, the book focuses on the armor units of the USMC, so you have to be generally familiar with the battles to truly appreciate this book.

ORIGINAL: ctangus



The Second World War - Winston S. Churchill - Dry at times, and it omits some data that's now non-confidential (e.g. Ultra) but it's a fascinating insight into the decision making process that guided the war. I'd recommend all 6 unabridged volumes as opposed to the 1 volume abridged version which is available.

Too bad my gift certificate is not for this much!

Link to an autographed copy of the book you mentioned.

I'll narrow my recommendation to focus on the ending of the war against Japan. There are quite a few books around, but thease two are facinating:
 
Downfall by Richard B. Frank
Racing the Enemy by Tsuyoshi Hasegawa
 
They concentrate on the strategic and diplomatic part of the war and especially on the rationale and decisions behind the atomic bomb and the eventual surrender of Japan.
 
 
 

The March of Folly by Barbara Tuchman.

" Barbara Tuchman defines folly as "Pursuit of Policy Contrary to Self-Interest." In THE MARCH OF FOLLY, Tuchman examines 4 conflicts: The Trojan Horse, The Protestant Secession, The American Revolution, and The American War in Vietnam. In each example an alternative course of action was available, the actions were endorsed by a group, not just an individual leader, and the actions were perceived as counter productive in their own time. Many individuals are guilty of folly (Tuchman also calls this woodenheadedness), but when governments persist in folly, their actions can adversely affect thousands, even millions of lives. Folly is a child of power. "The power to command frequently causes failure to think."(p.32)."

Brilliant writer and historian. Fascinating read.

ORIGINAL: Bait Boy

I recently picked up a copy of "Marine Tank Battles in the Pacific" by Oscar E. Gimbert. It is an excellent book and contains excerpts from interviews of many marine tankers. As the title suggests, the book focuses on the armor units of the USMC, so you have to be generally familiar with the battles to truly appreciate this book.

I would recommend Marines Under Armor by Kenneth W. Estes to accompany this book. Details formation and organization of Marine Tank Units from before World War II until the end of the 20th Century. Data on equipment, organization, and usage outside of combat. ISBN 1-55750-237-4

xxx

My suggestion: use one as a doorstop. You need a doorstop in every room, by the way. Ten bucks per doorstop--such a bargain!