Any good WWII books?

[model299]

I second "Shattered Sword." Very good book.

Also if you're into navel action:

The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors by James D. Hornfischer
I could not put it down until I was finished.

 

[Amsel]

The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors is a great book.

 

[pbfoot]

For a fiction book I don't think many surpass the Cruel Sea for you not familiar with it its about the RN war in the North Atlantic in corvettes

 

[Vassili Zaitzev]

Here's another one:

Miracle at Midway- Gordon Prange

 

[Ferdinand Foch]

"The Last Battle" by Cornelius Ryan, about the Battle of Berlin.
The Rommel Papers-editied by Liddell Hart.
The Patton Papers-edited by Mark Blemenson(this might be spelled wrong).
Is Paris Burning?- Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre.
Enemy at the Gates-William Craig.
Pegasus Bridge-Stephen Ambrose
An Army at Dawn-Rick Atkinson.

 

[ppopsie]

Other books from my bookshelf; of these The Shepherd by F. Forsyth on top left is a very old printing of late 70s but it was one of bestselling books. Admiral Ugaki's War Diary is long and a bit tedious.

Kon-nichi-no-Wadai on the top middle is one of early postwar documentary series magazine of very low price. I bought it in early 70's.

Note; none of these are useful for modeling.

 

[starling]

i was ikes driver-kay summersby.a ripping yarn,cheers.

 

[syscom3]

For a fiction book I don't think many surpass the Cruel Sea for you not familiar with it its about the RN war in the North Atlantic in corvettes

That was movie too!!!!!!

 

[syscom3]

This outfit has published two fantastic books. Many people call them the best unit histories ever published. I have both of the published ones, about the 345th BG and the 22nd BG.

The 312th BG book will be released next week! I have mine ordered!

World War II Air Wars - International Historical Research Associates

World War II - Air Wars Catalog

 

[Njaco]

Thanks for the list, ppoopsie!

Note; none of these are useful for modeling.

I think you will find that most here read books first and modelling is what comes from it - not the other way around!

 

[imalko]

My personal favorites always have been "The Last Battle" and "The Bridge Too Far" by Cornelius Ryan.

Other titles I also like are "Rommel's Afrika Corps" by Kenneth Macksey and "Fighter - The True Story Of Battle Of Britain" by Len Deighton.

 

[Bernhart]

some really good Canadian stuff out there too. mark Zuehke writes allot of WW 2 stuff, theres George Blackburns series on artillery his first hand accounts as a artillery officer and FOO (forward operating observer)

WW1 stuff by Tim Cook i hear is excellenct stuff...

 

[TenGunTerror]

Sorry that this book is not about aircraft, but a great book would be Hell on Wheels about the 3d armor division
Edit: Death Traps is a great book about the inferiority of the Sherman after Normandy-very good

 

[sabrina]

Some of the best WWII-era aviation books that I have reviewed for the magazine I work for would be the following:

The Man Who Flew the Memphis Belle by Col. Robert Morgan
Eddie Rickenbacker: American Hero by W. David Lewis (covers his role in WWI and WWII)
Jimmy Stewart: Bomber Pilot by Starr Smith (wonderful - well written and not focused on the actor side of the man, but the pilot and soldier side)

Go to Atlantic Flyer - Voice of the General Aviation Community for some good articles, WWII and not.

 

[GrauGeist]

Currently reading "Five Miles High Forty Below" by Bill Williams.

It's a great memoir about his 50 missions aboard a B-17 from June through August 1944 while assigned to the 773rd Sq., 463rd BG, 15th AF out of Foggia, Italy (Celone Airbase).

 

[Butters]

A lot of good books already mentioned. Here's a few more:

Battleship Bismarck: A survivor's story - Mullenheim-Rechburg
Hitler's U-Boat War - Blair
The Two Ocean War - SE Morrison
U-Boat Commander - Prien
I-Boat Captain - Z Orita, IJN/JD Harrington
Japanese Destroyer Captain - Hara IJN
Take Her Deep! - IJ Galantin
The Other Side of the Hill- BH Liddell Hart
The Memoirs of Field Marshal Kesselring
Panzer Battles -FW Mellenthin
Tigers in the Mud -Otto Carius
Brazen Chariots -R Crisp
Flame Thrower - A Wilson
Soldat -F Knapp
Rocket Pilot - Mano Ziegler
Stuka Pilot - Rudel
The Blond Knight of Germany - Tolliver
Luftwaffe War Diaries - Cajus Bekker
Samurai! - Sakai/Caiden/Saito
To War in a Stringbag - C Lamb
The Other Battle - Hinchcliffe (Nightfighters vs Bomber Command)
Overlord - Hughes (Misleading Title. Concerns Pete Quesada and the 9th AF)

That's enough for a little while

JL

 

[Amsel]

Just read- Tail End Charlies By John Nichol and Tony Rennell

It is one of the best books I have ever read about the massive bombing campaign against Germany. It covers many things in depth that are hard to find in one book.

 

[Marshall_Stack]

I will add...

"Death Traps" - about American tanks
"Fire in the Sky" - analysis of South Pacific air battles
"Fortress Malta" - about Malta early in the war
"The Airmen and the Headhunters" - survival of a shot down B-24 crew over Borneo
"Doomed at the Start" - the USAAF in the Philippines at the start of the war
"God is my Co-Pilot" - Flying Tiger Pilot's story
"Flying Tigers" - by Daniel Ford

 

[Ferdinand Foch]

The Victors- Stephen Ambrose.
The Day of Battle- Rick Atkinson.
The Fall of Japan- William Craig.
The Fall of France- Julian Jackson.
Naval Battles of the Twentieth Century- Richard Hough.
To Lose a Battle-Alistair Horne.
The Bitter Woods- John D. Eisenhower.

 

[Waynos]

Currently reading 'Churchill's Wizards' the British art of deception 1914-45.

Only two chapters in but a cracking good read so far.