WW2 novels Options

[Shifty]

A little topic to share your favourite WW2 authors.

I've recently started reading David L Robbins novels and am really enjoying them.

War of the Rats was the book that Enemy at the Gates was based on - very good read.
Just started Last Citadel which is about the battle of Kursk.

Highly recommend checking his books out.

Stephen Ambrose's Band of Brothers is another must-read too. Got the DVD set of the TV series and loved it but the book is 10x better. Non-fiction but it's written so well it almost reads like fiction.

Feel free to share your faves - I'm always on the lookout for a good WW2 read

[landser]

Shfty have you ever checked out any books by Anthony Beevor.He wrote Starlingrad 1942 an Fall of Berlin 1945.I read alot of ww2 books an I think this guys books are the best.But you got to read starlingrad first than fall of berlin.I must have gone through each book 5 or 6 times.

[landser]

Shifty have you ever checked out anything by Athony Beevor he wrote Starlingrad 1942 and Fall of Berlin 1945.Both books are awesome best books I have I must have read each one 5 or 6 times.But you got to read Starlingrad then Berllin.I also tell everyone to check out Down Fall its a german made movie about the last days in Hitlers bunker won all kinds of awards.I dont think its better than Band of Brothers but I do think its alot better then pvt ryan.Should tell you that down fall is in german with english subs wich keeps it real no crapping english voice overs.

[|$aucy|]

I loved Band of Brothers. The mini-series was great too. I've seen Enemy at the Gates and thoroughly enjoyed it. I'll have to check out that book.

[suda]

Ya i read BOB last a couple summers ago, such a killer novel. loved it.

[Cpt. Snot Rocket]

War of the Rats was an awesome read. I put it into my top 10 WWII books.
I recently read Amboses' - Citezen Soldier. I thought it was a better read than Flags of Our Fathers.

A few month ago I read "The End of the Imperial Japanese Navy" by Masanori Ito. He was high ranking officer in the Jap Navy. He originally wrote it in 1952 and it was translated and printed in 1965. It allows you to see the complete thinking, methodology, social classes and detailed size and power of their Navy. An incredibly good book with a great story telling from the build up of war, Pearl Harbor thru to VJ day.
Good luck finding it.

I'll post a few more of my top 10 later.

[Rush]

Here's the ones I've read:

Band of Brothers - Ambrose

D-Day - Ambrose (this one is kind of heavy reading - lots of info; theres a section in this one about the Rangers on D-Day led by James E. Rudder, Texas A&M class of '32 and later President of Texas A&M, which makes me proud!)

Pegasus Bridge - Ambrose (comparable to BoB, but not as good)

The Wild Blue - Ambrose (comparable to BoB, better than Pegasus Bridge; its about the air corps)

To Hell and Back - Audie Murphey

Another River, Another Town - Irwin (this one is about tanks)

Flags of our Fathers - Bradley

Footsoldier - Blunt (one of my favorite memoir)

With the Old Breed - EB Sledge (great memoir on the pacific war, highly recommend)

The Forgotten Soldier - Sajer (classic german war memoir, though its authenticity is debated)

A few other military history books I've enjoyed include:

1776 - David McCullough

Storm of Steel - Ernst Junger (WWI)

All Quiet on the Western Front - Remarque (fiction, but written by a WWI vet; awesome read)

A Rumor of War - Caputo (classic Vietnam book)

Shooter - Caughlin, Kuhlman (Iraq)

Jarhead - Swofford (actually i didn't enjoy this one, but i thought i'd bring it up)

This post has been edited by Rush: 03/12/07 2:31am

[LASE]

If you are a fan of BOB try "Parachute Infantry" by David Kenyon Webster a member of Easy Company who was featued in the series also "The Biggest Brother" written by Richard Winters himself also about easy company.

[Hellfighter]

I...I've seen Enemy at the Gates and thoroughly enjoyed it. I'll have to check out that book.

Only half a dozen pages in the original book relate to what the movie focuses on.

A very good one - probably only can be e-bayed now is 'Hit Hard' - a true account told by a white company commander of one of the companys of the 761st 'Negro' Tank Battalion... from Camp to their roles in the spearheads of Patton's counter attack in the Battle of the Bulge and busting through the Siegfried line.

'The Invisible Soldier' is another absolutely fascinating read - every page has at least one 'OMG' passage.

One of my favourite fictional series is by Sven Hassel, relating to the entertaining crooked exploits of a German Penal squad led by Porta. Included in the squad is a raving commisar-type nazi and an african soldier!

Pegasus Bridge and A Bridge Too Far also are great, as are most books based on the 1942 commando 'Raid on St.Nazaire'.




This post has been edited by Hellfighter: 03/15/07 8:53am