I am an avid reader of ww2 books. I am also wanting to start researching an writing on the subject. What are some topics you would like to read or learn more about. What is something that hasn't been overdone that you would like to read about.
A challenge indeed. What has been overdone in one country can underdone in another. One thing I'm weak on is non-English-speaking countries and their contributions to the war effort.
General Bradley had described Exercise Tiger as "One of the greatest tragedies of the war", yet he himself was not aware to the extent of the losses until four years after the war. Exercise Tiger probably never received the attention from history that it should have, it was lost in the shadow of the D-Day landings it was practicing for. Few books have been written about it and how many documentaries have you seen about it? It definitely has not been over done and would certainly get my vote.
I suppose its the locality thing again....Op Tiger is quite well known of in the UK. The tank on the beach and the surrounding countryside is on most ww2 buffs visit list in the UK. It has been covered on UK tv local and national, war magazines, etc quite a bit. If you are just a summer tourist in the UK doing the beach roads in Deven Dorset and surrounding areas...You cannot but miss blundering into the old Sherman off the beach...Then questions are asked...
I like the subject of the "non-English" speaking countries as I do think their contributions are sometimes forgotten, as they were often very poor during the conflict. I also think our homeland production in factories(often women) and often locally, the re-cycling and conservation of resources or "rationing". To understand this I often point out on a 1945 John Deere, often you can find, felt was used over rubber on seals, leather was used in hydraulics instead of rubber....as conservation of rubber was engineered into the designs for the war effort. The four wheel drive jeep used felt in the front steering oil reservoirs as a seal. The reason this is important is we did win this war by "production and conserved and recycled resources". I guess I have great respect for some of my ancestors who tell stories of going without shoes, and certain articles of clothing, going without sugar, depending on substitutes etc. It never sounded very easy yet they maintained a good morale being able to measure all against what they experienced during the Depression years. This great generation....we often forget was made up of many individuals that also suffered the difficulties and hunger of both the war years and the Great Depression. If you read about our enlisted soldiers, they often were not healthy enough for service as a result of depression food deficiency.....yet they would move to new locations to yet try again to qualify for induction just to serve....I have always marveled at their dedication. If we were to all model after them in how we meet our daily problems.....how much better our countries would be today...as they are becoming forgotten in those special efforts.
I'd been interested in Luxemburg, the NSB in Holland, Memel, the Landdienst, the Sovier Rule in Eastern Poland in 1939-41. Bessarabia in 1940, Süd Tirol and Mussolini, the German civilians in Britain . So much pops up, it's more a lack of tiem than anything else.
Operation Tiger go here : http://www.ww2f.com/wwii-general/31059-slapton-sands.html not sure if my link works still or not but was a great site, I added some Kriegsmarine info's as to whom attacked the US L's.
It does work and those are great pictures. The book "Operation Tiger" explains it all. RIP Roy McKinnon....
Only just got around to reading a bit more deeply about the Battle of France 1940. Have to say, I'm surprised that there aren't that many really good books on the subject. Everyone knows about 'Dunkirk' and the Maginot Line being bypassed, the French-folded-at-the-knees/the British-ran-out-on-the-French ( delete where applicable ). A lot of gaps in my knowledge..............
just my thoughts but what about more in-depth on the Allied convoys to Murmansk and the German defesnive measures to stop them; just picked up R. Woodmans big book but not sure even with all the pages how specific it really is from both sides viewpoints. That arctic continual cold was a terror that no one cared to have .............
urqh the reader of minds ! I had it many years ago - seemed to have lost it - so just bought another copy last week .......
This is a really good topic. I'm not sure enough has been written about it. I'll have to look further into it.
The Battle of The St. Lawrence River. U-Boats worked the gulf and the river from early 1942 until late 1944. 23 ships sunk, 3 damaged and 340 KIA.
Like the Bomber boys in RAF...The govt over here have only in last few months been granted after a very messy and long fight..a campaign medal for The Arctic Murmansk convoys...Unbelievable...You can always spot them at the rememberance day parades...white berets...
I think you'd have to move to the periphery (so to speak) to get into material that hasn't been done to death. Also, I don't think the espionage/foreign affairs aspect has been done completely, especially the "hearts and minds" battle in uncommitted countries that eventually went to one side or the other. A chapter on the entry circumstances for the "other" Allies (or Axis) would be handy to have.