Books about the British Army.

Hello, gentlemen!

I would be very glad if you could give me some advices about non-fiction and detailed books to buy about the British Army.

I mainly need books about:

-The campaign of the VIII Army in Sicily
-The campaigns in the Italian mainland since 1943-1945 seen by the British side.
-D-day and the battle for Normandy by the British side.
-All the remaining British campaigns in 1944.
-Arnhem (Martin already suggested a good book, thanks for that!)
-The breakthrough Belgium and Holland and the capture of Germany.

All British related. I have started writing my novel and I now need serious sources and research.

Thanks.

 

Well, here are a few:

Battle for Antwerp, J. L. Moulton
Islands in Danger, Allen and Mary Wood (History of the taking and defense of the Channel Islands)
The 8.15 to War, Peter Roach (A personal account of his experiance in the RAC from North Africa to Holland).
79th Armored Division: Hobo's Funnies, Nigel Duncan
The Churchill, Bryan Perrett
The Valentine in North Africa, Bryan Perrett
Battle of the Reichwald, Peter Elstob
Battle of the Ruhr Pocket, Charles Whiting
Cassino, Dominich Graham
Well, that should give you a start.

 

If you’re looking for British overview as opposed to battle specifics Freddy, try ‘Montgomery in Europe 1943-45’ by Richard Lamb, ISBN 0 907675 04 02.

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An essential read for a good overview is : -

' And We Shall Shock Them : The British Army In The Second World War ' by General Sir David Fraser ( Hodder & Stoughton, London, 1983 ).

 

Freddy:

Here are a few books relating to the british army and especially the normandy campaign.

Brisset J (Translated by Bates T) (1989) The Charge of the Bull: A History of the 11th Armoured Division in Normandy 1944

Close MC Major B (2002) A View from the Turret: A History of the 3rd Royal Tank Regiment in the Second World War

Delaforce P (1996) Marching to the Sound of Gunfire: North West Europe 1944-5

Delaforce P (1993) The Black Bull: From Normandy to the Baltic with the 11th Armoured Division

French D (2000) Raising Churchill?s Army: The British Army and the War against Germany 1919-1945

Harrison Place T (2000) Military Training in the British Army, 1940-1944: From Dunkirk to D-Day

How Major J J (1984) Hill 112: Cornerstone of the Normandy Campaign

How Major J J (1981) Normandy: The British Breakout

 

Mahross has listed some excellent reading there.

Friedrich, if you are going to attempt a novel, there are three books which you must have !!

' So Few Got Through ' The Diary of an Infantry Officer by Martin Lindsay ( Collins, London, 1946 )

' From The City, From The Plough ' a novel by Alexander Baron ( Cape, London, 1948 )

'The Only Way Out' by R. M. Wingfield ( Hutchinson, London, 1955 ).

All three are based on the authors' personal experiences in NW Europe, and all were written while memories were fresh. They are very important for showing how the British Army of 1944 spoke, thought and acted at that time ( not as reflected on 60 years later ).

The last one is particularly good, being written by an 'ordinary soldier'.

They can be hard to find, but have all been reprinted in paperback & Bookfinder should be able to help you.....

 

Thank you very much, Martin, Mahross, T.A. and nine! Your advices were very useful! Thank you all very much!

(Even if I didn't find some of the books in www.amazon.com I will keep trying to find them elsewhere). I just need my credit card back. You know, it was taken away for buying too many books... But I am going to get a new one on monday. I'll buy "Raising Churchill's Army" that day...

 

Freddy, I’m sure you must have these to check as well, but in case any member doesn’t, as well as Amazon investigate:

ABE
Book Finder
Book closeouts - All books 4 less
and perhaps
Alibris

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