Favourite WW2 books

Does it have to be WWll?
I really enjoyed Chickenhawk and Dispatches (both about the experiences of servicemen and women during the Vietnam War).
After reading Chickenhawk I actually felt I could fly a Huey - the descriptions of control inputs required to fly were so clear and concise.
Dispatches was a little scary - about a hospital nurse (may God bless them) and the horrors she witnessed as a part of everyday life.
Both were moving - read them both.

For WWll, Len Deighton's "Goodbye Mickey Mouse" and "Winter" were both very interesting - but were in the fiction genre.
Cheers,
LeeTree

Two of my favorite WW2 books are "On to Berlin," about an officer from the 82 Airborne from Sicily to Berlin, and "Beyond the Rhine," about the 101st Airborne, and what happened after the Battle of the Buldge.

I'm reading a book about WW1 called "A storm in Flanders". It's very good and I highly recommend this book. I also enjoyed reading "Operation Drumbeat" and two good modern fiction books are "Red Army" and "The war that never was".

LOL any of the Time Life Series. Yah, there not the most detailed, but they're easy to comprehend and a I've learned much that I didn't know from them. Also, "Blood on the Sea", by Robert Sinclair Parkin, deals with all the US destroyers lost in the war. "Stalingrad to Berlin" is a comprehensive book that deals alot with 1943-45 on the Eastern Front, by Earl Ziemke.

"It is well that war is so terrible, lest we grow too fond of it."-R.E.Lee

QUOTE: Originally posted by Springy67 Following on from the earlier thread about Favourite WW2 movies. I have just started reading "The Forgotten Soldier" (again!). What are your favourites?

I have this book and have read it a couple of times. It's a truly excellent memoir, his description of the winters in Russia is truly moving. One of the worst things in the book to me was where his unit (Gros Deutchland) had laid mines to stop a Soviet armor attack. After repelling the tanks twice, the Russians send their infantry through the minefield to clear it by stepping on the mines. The armor followed through the newly cleared minefield.

Band of Brothers is an excellent book, as is Wild Blue Yonder. War of the Rats is good as well, though partly fictionalized. I recently finished Guadalcanal Diary, and it's quite good, an interesting perspective on that fight. My only complaint about Guadalcanal Diary is that Tregaskis left before the big big fight at the perimiter of Henderson, There was plenty of action though, he spent lots of time with Red Mike Edson. Flags of our Fathers is remarkable.

I love Robert Johnson's autobiography, and also Saboro Sakai's as well. I read a book on the fight for Pelilieu that was amazing, it gave me a knot in my stomach reading about that fighting. All Quiet on the Western Front is excellent as well, as mentioned earlier. Both the books about Carlos Hathcock are magnificent, as is one called Pathfinder, about a pathfinder with 101st during Viet Nam.

I just finished a book about the revolutionary war called In Their Own Words, it's accounts of important events and battles of that war, taken from letters and journal entries of the people involved. It has personal correspondance and after action reports from Paul Revere, George Washington and a while host of other famous and important people.

As for ficiton, The Red Badge of Courage stands out, and does The Thin Red Line (way better than the movie). Catch 22 is one the the all time best. Johnny Tremain also is good. Cryptonimicon is one of the best books I've ever read. Since I'm on fiction right here, I do have to put in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, they are a fantastic set of books about a huge war.

My all time favorites though, are Marine! about the life of Chesty Puller, my all time hero, and About Face, and autobiography by David Hackworth, a close second to chesty. Forgotten Soldier is right up there with the top bunch though. I love to read, and I love history. Great stuff, thanks for this topic.

madda

"Those Who Fall" by John Muirhead was one of the best books about US bomber crews in WWII I have ever read.

I also like "To Fly and Fight" by Clarence "Bud" Anderson...

In fiction, I like Leon Uris, "Battle Cry" and "Mila 18". "A Bridge Too Far" is very good non-fiction.

War and Remembrance by Wouk is also a great book, though partially fictionalized, and a long read. If you get the opportunity, pick it up. The movies are quite good, too.

demono69

I need to flag this thread, I haven't read some of these books. I've never broken into those tomes Demon, but always wanted to.

madda

My favorites are:
Citizen Soldier
To Hell and Back
Charlie Mike - I think that's the name of it (the wife lent it out and I never got it back)
Huey
Wolf and the Buffalo

For some really interesting reading, try any of Donald Burgett's 4 volumes about his service as a paratrooper in the ETO, beginning with his recollections about D-Day, "Currahee"; "The Lucky Bastard Club" about B-17 crews in Europe; The Cactus Air Force - about the planes flying out of Henderson Field on Guadalcanal; Charles McDonald's "Company Commander"-a classic. Don't forget Adolph Galland's "The First and The Last", The Spearheaders-about Darby's Rangers; Commando Extraordinary-About Otto Skorzeny
Lots of good stuff out there, old and new

PS-hot tip! Brand new book called "The Flyboys" - about the unfortunate US pilots shot down and captured over a little island called Chichi Jima- 8 out of 9 were captured. The 9th pilot is a bit of a surprise for the uninformed-he got away and led an intersting life. The mystery of the 8 others makes up the crux of the book. Great read.

The best WW2 book I have read is Lucky Lady ( might be the title been a few years) about the Yorktown and the men who served on her. Got at the Yorktown when we spent the weekend on her in the boy scouts. I really enjoy any book about any war all the way back to the Revolutionary war. Just really love history and stories of what people have done for what they believe in.