Your favourite WWII book

No I havn't yet, but I did purshase it and have had it sitting in the too be read stack for a few months now.

 

Midway Inquest is not as easy to read as Shattered Sword - Isom is a retired law professor, and the book's style reflects his background, presenting "evidence" to back up his statements much like a trial. But it is compelling reading - you may not agree with his points, but it's hard to refute them in the face of his evidence. I enjoyed it.

 

Thanks fsbof, I actually enjoy the slightly less dramatic books. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy reading stories like Fuchida's fateful five minuets, The plight of the Franklin and such as that, but I want to learn as much as I can about what happened! Sometimes acounts can easily be minipulated without as much direct information. I'll have to find the title but I once started reading a book that claimed Planes from a carrier commisioned in 44(IIRC) had sunk one of the Japanese carriers at Midway. I directly threw the book in the burnable trash.

 

Most I like a novel of the Finnish soldier in WW2 named " Unknown soldier" by Väinö Linna.

The Unknown Soldier (novel - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

I have read it several times and watched the movie at least once a year...

 

I agree with the fact that there's alot of categories, but if it was Europe i'd have to say Citizen Soldiers by Stephen Ambrose

 

"Stalingrad" by Antony Beevor

OR

"Flags of Our Fathers" by James Bradley...that blew my mind.

 

A Bastard Of A Place by Peter Brune
follows the Australian army through Pupua New Gunniea, at kokoda and Port Morseby totally great. But being Australian is propbably why I think that

 

I heard about another Iwo Jima book called "Give me 50 Marines not afraid to die." Anyone heard of it?

 

I have heard of and read the book. It is by Major John Keith Wells. It is a book about his life and his military experience including the time he spent leading the assault on Mt. Suribachi on Iwo Jima. His platoon raised the first flag on the volcano. Major Wells is a remarkable man with a facinating story.

 

Has anyone read 'A full life' (Sir Brian Horrocks) ?

I have not managed to secure a copy yet, and that irks me since he is such a fascinating character.

 

Hello Jaeger

Yes, I have a signed copy of 'A Full Life' in my collection - it's a very nice book to read because the tone is very personal, and unlike many such autobiographies I don't think that it was 'ghost-written' ; it seems to be Horrocks' own words.

It covers Horrocks' military career and includes brief mentions of his pre- and post-war life, but the bulk is devoted to WWII. In its' day, it was a best-seller.

Also worth looking for if the NW Europe campaign is of interest is his later book, 'Corps Commander' ( London 1977). This is much more military history than personal memoir ( he co-wrote it with Belfield and Essame ) and deals in considerable detail with the actions of XXX Corps.

Finally, there was a biography by Philip Warner ( Horrocks, London 1984 ) which is OK, but I wouldn't rate it as a classic bio.....

 

Thank you Martin.

I'll have a go at Amazon to see what I can find.

Sverre 'Jimmy' Bratland is quoted that he was pleased with Edward Fox's portrayal of Jorrocks in 'A Bridge Too Far' since he captured the enthusiastic spirit of him.

 

Yes - many people reckon that Fox's portrayal of Horrocks' style is one of the high points of the movie.

Incidentally, Urquhart ( who was rather 'old school' ) refers to Horrocks 'capacity for dynamic human relations' a little disparagingly in his book 'Arnhem' ; stating that he always 'tended toward the theatrical...it was his habit to work on anyone with his hands, his eyes and his voice....a hypnotic technique'.

Perhaps one needs to keep in mind that Urquhart understandably still felt rather let down by XXX Corps performance, even when he came to write his memoir.....

 

Urquhart seems to be the one that few comment on of the commanders in Market Garden. It's usually Frost and the Polish commander Sosabowski (spelling his name is a nightmare) that stand out from the 1st AB. On Urquhart they usually say that MG was his first Airborne assault, and that he went missing, was out of touch for the operation. A bit sad I think.

 

Jaeger

Have a look on eBay - The UK's Online Marketplace they have several copies of "A full life", thats where I got mine.

Kind regards
cruachan

 

Spike Milligan's "Rommel? Gunner Who?"

 

cruachan

Thank you!!!

 

I just finished Flags of our Fathers it was very good, also check out a series of ww2 books called the world war 2 library.

 

I read both of these aswell they were both good.

 

It is a coin-toss for me between the books of Dennis Whitaker tracing the Canadians (particularly the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry - his unit) path through NW Europe. Or the trilogy by George Blackburn which tells the story of the 4th Field, in particular the Canadian artillery of the 2nd Division though his eyes from the declaration of War until he learns the war is over in Germany.

They are readable personal accounts, but they are backed up by actual interviews and endnotes revealing the multitude of sources used to fill in or corroborate their stories.