Favorite war novels

Richter · Post by **Richter** » Fri Oct 27, 2000 2:08 am

Well I'm posting this because I like to read military novels but do not know many of the best books to buy and read. Any help from you guys would be appreciated!

My favorites are anything by Clancy and one I am reading now by Robbins called "War of the Rats". Its about the sniper duel in Stalingrad during WWII. So far it is great.

Pack Rat · Post by **Pack Rat** » Fri Oct 27, 2000 4:09 am

Probably not what you had in mind but I read "Catch-22" at Fort Hood in 71, a good read anyway.

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Good hunting,
Pack Rat

JWW · Post by **JWW** » Fri Oct 27, 2000 4:43 am

My favorite are the Patrick O'Brian series of historical naval novels set during the Napoleonic Wars, featuring the Aubrey and Maturin characters. They are similar to the Hornblower novels. Some say better. I read the first one and am now on the 13th and still going strong.

Butr when I want something to read while traveling, etc., I always pick up something by Clancy, one of the Op-Center novels, etc.

I also enjoyed Hannibal and Scipio Africanus by Ross Leckie.

But I actually prefer reading history to fiction.

BryanMelvin · Post by **BryanMelvin** » Fri Oct 27, 2000 5:07 am

Don't forget the Book: Cross of Iron ! Much better than the movie!

Also: Killer Angels..

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MarauderMel

Don · Post by **Don** » Fri Oct 27, 2000 5:23 am

My favorite two are "Das Boot" and "Killer Angels". You might also try "Marine Corps Sniper", the story of Carlos Hathcock.

Don

Lars Remmen · Post by **Lars Remmen** » Fri Oct 27, 2000 6:32 am

Die Brücke (The Bridge) by Manfred Gregor is my all-time favorite. However, I think it may be very hard to find.

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Lars
Nec Timide - Nec Temere

Supervisor · Post by **Supervisor** » Fri Oct 27, 2000 7:11 am

The Cross of Iron
The Crack of Doom-both by Willi Heinrich. The 2nd one is more chilling than the first one and more depressing

The Night of the Generals-the movie was as good. The book was more into the thoughts of Col Grau and used a reporters POV

The Blue Max-the book has the Stachel-Heinemann relationship completely different from the film

Once an Eagle-very similar to the film

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Grenadier
Matrix Games Technical Writer

JNL · Post by **JNL** » Fri Oct 27, 2000 8:02 am

As far as novels go:
The Richard Sharpe series by Bernard Cornwell are very good. Covers the English wars in India and Wellington's campaign in Spain up through Waterloo. Clancy's novels have always been a good read - "Without Remorse" was probably my favorite - Followed closely by "Clear and Present Danger" (movie really sucked though) and Rainbow 6. I've always liked his character John Clark - have also enjoyed reading about Ding Chavez as well ("Ninjas own the Night").
Not a novel - but the book "And No Birds Sang" by Farley Mowat. His experiences through the campaign in Italy was an excellent book. He was/is a Canadian Naturist and is better known for his book "Never Cry Wolf".

garry · Post by **garry** » Fri Oct 27, 2000 8:45 am

'The Forgotten Soldier' by Guy Sajer would have to be the best I have read.

Fredde · Post by **Fredde** » Fri Oct 27, 2000 9:37 am

With the risk of repeating myself, Tuntematon Sotilas (The unknown soldier) by the Finnish author Väinö Linna, very best war novel i ever read. 'Thin red line', much better as a book! 'The naked and the dead'.. masterpiece by Norman Mailer, 'For whome the bells toll' (sp?) by Hemingway.

von Curow · Post by **von Curow** » Fri Oct 27, 2000 1:18 pm

A while back (2 months?) there was a long thread on this subject. Maybe do a search for that, because I think it must have listed about 50 or more books by the end...

Fabs · Post by **Fabs** » Fri Oct 27, 2000 1:49 pm

Richter said:

"one I am reading now by Robbins called "War of the Rats". Its about the sniper duel in Stalingrad during WWII. So far it is great."

I have read that novel (based on a true story) too. It's excellent, definitely one of the best I've read after "The forgotten soldier".

Jukka Sorsa · Post by **Jukka Sorsa** » Fri Oct 27, 2000 2:24 pm

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With the risk of repeating myself, Tuntematon Sotilas (The unknown soldier) by the Finnish author Väinö Linna, very best war novel i ever read.
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I wholeheartedly agree. It's the best war story ever.

However, if anyone ever happens to come by the English translation, the 'Unknown Soldier', I suggest you to obtain the copy at any price and - destroy it, preferably by burning.

The translation was so bad the translator wanted to remain anonymous. There are paragraphs missing and new ones added. Or, so I've heard. Fortunately the English edition is told to be quite rare.

However, 'Tuntematon sotilas' in its original language is a perfectly good excuse for anyone to start studying Finnish.

[This message has been edited by Jukka Sorsa (edited October 27, 2000).]

hmusto · Post by **hmusto** » Fri Oct 27, 2000 2:34 pm

The book I enjoyed was "Kubans Bridgehead" (which is probably its english name, I read it in my native finnish), by Willi Heinrich.

SAMWolf · Post by **SAMWolf** » Fri Oct 27, 2000 3:40 pm

HELL HAS NO HEROES, by Wayne Robinson
Hard to find. Excellent novel that follows a DD Sherman and it's crew from Omaha to the end of he war. Good stuff on what it was like to be in Shermans.

Originally posted by Richter:
Well I'm posting this because I like to read military novels but do not know many of the best books to buy and read. Any help from you guys would be appreciated!

My favorites are anything by Clancy and one I am reading now by Robbins called "War of the Rats". Its about the sniper duel in Stalingrad during WWII. So far it is great.

Billy Yank · Post by **Billy Yank** » Wed Nov 01, 2000 8:23 pm

For modern war, you can't beat Harold Coyle. His books are similar to the ground war scenes in Tom Clancy's Red Storm Rising, but Coyle is meaner. He's not afraid to let the US lose or to kill off a major character he's been building up over the last few books. He also has a few books about American Civil War and the French and Indian War.

If you're looking for something a little stranger, Harry Turtledove has some alternative history and fantasy books that rely heavily on battle scenes. The Worldwar series has aliens with 1990's technology landing during WWII. The Great War details WWI in a world where the South won the ACW (the USA allies with Germany and the CSA allies with France and England). Into the Darkness is the first book in a series about WWII in a world were "scientific magic" takes the place of technology.

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Billy Yank
I don't define "my own" the way you want me to.

Colonel Klink · Post by **Colonel Klink** » Wed Nov 01, 2000 8:33 pm

some books i've read are the trail of the fox by david irving, a bridge too far and the last battle by cornelius ryan

Kluckenbill · Post by **Kluckenbill** » Wed Nov 01, 2000 9:16 pm

Billy Yank wrote:

For modern war, you can't beat Harold Coyle.

I agree, his first book, Team Yankee is a classic and the others are good too. He has the advantage of being a fellow VMI graduate. He was class of '74, I was '76, can't say that I remember him though.

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Target, Cease Fire !