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New Release Books on WW2
message 502:
by
Geevee, Assisting Moderator British & Commonwealth Forces
(last edited Jul 23, 2012 11:55AM)
(new)
Just picked up a few second hand items that have really pleased me, not all are strictly Second World War but firmly link to the war itself:Naval Policy Between The Wars by Stephen Wentworth Roskill (Volume II The Period of Reluctant Rearmament 1933-39)
SOE in the Far East by Charles Greig Cruickshank
Warships After Washington: The Development of the Five Major Fleets, 19221930 by John Jordan
by Giles MacDonogh by 
James Lucas
by F.H. Hinsley
Just picked up a few second hand items that have really pleased me, not all are strictly Second World War but firmly link to the war itself:interested in your review of 1938 Hitler's Gamble... if there is some new political side lit in it ...
will be waiting for to hear on that
message 504:
by
Geevee, Assisting Moderator British & Commonwealth Forces
(new)
Happy to Mansoor but my pile of bought books needing to be read grows ever higher :)
Great haul of books by everyone, well done :)
Figured I'd join everyone else with some new books, these arrived today at my Post Office box:
by Henrik O. Lunde
by Mike Green
Steve wrote: "Then you will be happy to know that Volume 3 The Last Lion: Winston Spencer Churchill: Defender of the Realm, 1940-1965 written by Paul Reid based on the the notes of William Manchester is scheduled for release in November and can be pre-ordered now on Amazon. ..."ORDERED!! I was heartbroken when he passed away without finishing the trilogy. Can't wait to tear into this one.
Mike wrote: "Steve wrote: "Then you will be happy to know that Volume 3 The Last Lion: Winston Spencer Churchill: Defender of the Realm, 1940-1965 written by Paul Reid based on the the notes of William Manchest..."Fantastic! ......I read the first volume years ago but never got around to volume 2 then misplaced my copy somewhere. Now that I've replaced it I can hopefully read it before volume 3 comes out.
Here is a book just released this month that may interest other members:
by Artem DrabkinDescription:
22 June 1941 changed the direction of the Second World War. It also changed the direction of human history. Unleashing a massive, three-pronged assault into Soviet territory, the German army unwittingly created its own nemesis, forging the modern Russian state in the process. Thus, for most Russians, 22 June 1941 was a critical point in their nation's history. After the first day of 'Barbarossa' nothing would be the same again - for anyone. Now, for the first time in English, Russians speak of their experiences on that fatal Sunday. Apparently caught off guard by Hitler's initiative, the Soviets struggled to make sense of a disaster that had seemingly struck from nowhere. Here are generals scrambling to mobilize ill-prepared divisions, pilots defying orders not to grapple with the mighty Luftwaffe, bewildered soldiers showing individual acts of blind courage, and civilians dumbstruck by air raid sirens and radio broadcasts telling of German treachery.
This title has just been released in the UK and it sounds like a very interesting account of a little-known British soldier:
by Peter J. ConradiDescription:
Gentle, modest and handsome, a fine poet, proficient in nine languages, eccentric Englishman Frank Thompson made an unlikely soldier. The elder of two sons of a formidable family of writers (his brother would become the radical historian E. P. Thompson), lover of Iris Murdoch, he was an intellectual idealist, a rare combination of brilliant mind and enormous heart. Despite his mother's best efforts, and the Communist Party line (Iris had herself recruited him), in September 1939 Frank enlisted. Serving first with the Royal Artillery, then Phantom, finally moving to SOE to escape the 'long littleness of life', he documented his wartime experiences. He wrote prodigiously, letters, diaries and poetry, the best of which, the much anthologised 'An Epitaph for my Friends' - for many the landmark poem of the Second World War - gives a taste of what English poetry may have lost when in June 1944, aged twenty-three, Frank was captured, tortured and executed in Litakovo, Bulgaria; a sense of his ability to touch the reader, to speak for his generation, to bear witness to their lost youth. A dictionary he was carrying once stopped an enemy bullet and saved his life; a volume of the great Roman poet Catullus was found on him after his death: Frank fought a 'poet's war'. Frank's letters still read fresh and alive today, his journals retain a startling intimacy - and it's from these that Peter J. Conradi brings vividly to life a brilliantly attractive and courageous personality, a soldier-poet or scholar-soldier of principle and integrity: a very English hero from a very different era.
Reviews:
"A very moving account of the all-too-brief life of a warrior-poet." - Antony Beevor
"Moving and gripping, told with great lucidity and sympathy ... a story of heroic times and hopes." - Margaret Drabble
My second hand hardback edition of; Iron Arm: The Mechanization of Mussolini's Army, 1920-1940 arrived today, looks pretty decent.
by John Joseph Timothy SweetDescription:
A detailed study of Italy's long-ignored tank force Explores the intersection of technology, war, and society in Mussolini's Italy Second only to Germany in number of tank divisions, first to create an armored corps.
Though overshadowed by Germany's more famous Afrika Korps, Italian tanks formed a large part of the Axis armored force that the Allies confronted--and ultimately defeated--in North Africa in the early years of World War II. Those tanks were the product of two decades of debate and development as the Italian military struggled to produce a modern, mechanized army in the aftermath of World War I. For a time, Italy stood near the front of the world's tank forces - but once war came, Mussolini's iron arm failed as an effective military force. This is the story of its rise and fall.
For those eagerly awaiting Patrick O'Donnell's new book; Dog Company: The Boys of Pointe du Hoc--the Rangers Who Landed at D-Day and Fought across Europe below are some advance reviews to whet your appetite:
Dog Company: The Boys of Pointe du Hoc--the Rangers Who Landed at D-Day and Fought across Europe by Patrick K. O'DonnellAdvance Reviews:
"An intimate history in the Band of Brothers tradition. Only a gifted combat historian like Patrick O'Donnell could bring Dog Company's story to life with such stunning immediacy and well researched accuracy. Chock full of pulse pounding action and keen insight, this book is a true pager turner. I highly recommend it!" - John C. McManus, author of SEPTEMBER HOPE: THE AMERICAN SIDE OF A BRIDGE TOO FAR, THE AMERICANS AT D-DAY and GRUNTS.
"No World War II historian can tell the story of the U.S. Army Rangers better than Pat O'Donnell, and in his book Dog Company he has managed to relate the remarkable history of a single Ranger company in an informative and entertaining way. It is a great read, and I recommend it highly, both to history buffs and those with only a passing interest in America's past." - Joseph Balkoski, author of Omaha Beach: D-Day, June 6, 1944.
Well, I've been on another buying spree and just picked up the following books
Peter White
Norman Gelb
Michael Carver
Patrick Bishop
John Keegan
Brian A. Reid
David Fraser
George N. CrockerAnd this little gem of a four box set that I got for 35 cents
Some excellent purchases there Steve. I've seen that box set around but I already had the books as individual titles but they are great books, you've got some fun reading ahead of you!
I picked up a nice second hand copy of this Australian title, written by a Sergeant who served in the 2/13th Battalion at Tobruk and Alamein and then later with the 2/3rd Battalion during the Aitape-Wewak campaign. The book is even signed by the author - nice :)
by G. H Fearnside
Good one AR. reminds me a bit of "Albury's Own" about the 2/23rd.bonus points on the autograph.
just captured an inexpensive burst myself at the used
bookstore:
carl wrote: "Good one AR. reminds me a bit of "Albury's Own" about the 2/23rd.bonus points on the autograph.
just captured an inexpensive burst myself at the used
bookstore:
[bookcover:48 Hours to Hammel..."
Carl.... the Patton book is (if you're not already familliar)a very interesting chapter in the NWest Eurpoean Theater....that is a real good purchase..all three are great purchase..i buy almost exclusive at used book stores..i love them
Nice buys Carl, and I totally agree with you Wade about second-hand book shops, I love them as well :)
Nice buy Michael, excellent price too :)
i know just a touch about the Patton raid, about as much as is in the title!, so am looking fwd to getting to these.
..and yes used book stores, a treasure hunt.
Wade wrote: "the Patton book is (if you're not already familliar)a very interesting chapter in the NWest Eurpoean Theater....that is a real good purchase..all three are great purchase..i buy almost exclusive at used book stores..i love them "
message 522:
by
Geevee, Assisting Moderator British & Commonwealth Forces
(last edited Aug 17, 2012 12:48PM)
(new)
Steve wrote: "Well, I've been on another buying spree and just picked up the following books..."Nice haul Steve - I can recommend
by Peter White
Nice pick up Geevee....i enjoy the journal, narative style.....John Keegan eh?....i'm puting this on my list ...thanks for sharring
I've decided while the exchange rate is good to order a copy of this future release (October 2012 - UK) for my library:
by Lev LopukhovskyDescription:
This book describes one of the most terrible tragedies of the Second World War and the events preceding it. The horrible miscalculations made by the Stavka of the Soviet Supreme High Command and the Front commands led in October 1941 to the deaths and imprisonment of hundreds of thousands of their own people. Until recently, the magnitude of the defeats suffered by the Red Army at Viaz'ma and Briansk were simply kept hushed up. For the first time, in this book a full picture of the combat operations that led to this tragedy are laid out in detail, using previously unknown or little-used documents. The author was driven to write this book after his long years of fruitless search to learn what happened to his father Colonel N.I. Lopukhovsky, the commander of the 120th Howitzer Artillery Regiment, who disappeared together with his unit in the maelstrom of Operation Typhoon. He became determined to break the official silence surrounding the military disaster on the approaches to Moscow in the autumn of 1941. In the present edition, the author additionally introduces documents from German military archives, which will doubtlessly interest not only scholars, but also students of the Eastern Front of the Second World War. Lopukhovsky substantiates his position on the matter of the true extent of the losses of the Red Army in men and equipment, which greatly exceeded the official data. In the Epilogue, he briefly discusses the searches he has conducted with the aim of revealing the circumstances surrounding the deaths of Soviet soldiers, who to this point have been listed among the missing-in-action - including his own father. The narrative is enhanced by numerous photographs, colour maps and tables.
Here is a new book by Schiffer that I am sure will interest a few members here in the WW2 Group:
by M. Gil MartínezDescription:
When talking about the Spanish intervention in the Second World War, the first thing that comes to mind is the Blue Division. However, although it is true that this was the main Spanish involvement in the conflict, there are other much less known aspects of their intervention. One of these is the Spanish participation on the German side in the last months of the war which has been surrounded in rumors, myths and legends. After many years of research, this book tells the story of the reality of the struggle of those few Spaniards who refused to abandon their German comrades in their desperate fight to hold Berlin in the last days of the war. The author gives a day-by-day account of the last weeks of the war to defend Berlin, including information about anti-partisan operations of the Spanish in the north of Italy, the combat together with the Walloons of Leon Degrelle, and their participation in operations against the maquis in France while posted to the German secret service.
I just opened a package..."Dogfaces Who Smiled Through Tears" by Homer Ankrum. My wifes grandfather, Charles Sens, who was a member of the 34th Red Bull Infantry Division U.S.with Homer, sent me a copy. They were in north Africa and Italy in WWII. Big book...653pgs and I can't wait to get into it.Thank you so much Charlie!
Sounds like it will be a most interesting book for you Joe, let us know how it goes.
'Aussie Rick' wrote: "Here is a new book by Schiffer that I am sure will interest a few members here in the WW2 Group:[bookcover:The Spanish in the SS and Wehrmacht, 1944-1945: The Ezquerra Unit in the Battle of Berl..."
Oh, goodie. Just what we needed. I guess the fan boy and regalia set will love this. Do we really need another book about a bunch of crazed lunatics?
Hi Nick,I've only ever seen one book available on the Spanish during WW2 in English, that being; Hitler's Spanish Legion: The Blue Division in Russia so another book that can provide some information on their motivation and combat experience can't hurt.
(no cover) Hitler's Spanish Legion: The Blue Division in Russia by Gerald R Kleinfeld
message 530:
by
Geevee, Assisting Moderator British & Commonwealth Forces
(new)
Just arrived/bought from bookshops for me :)
by Geoffrey Roberts
by Robert Lyman
by Antony Beevor
by Janie Hampton Danger Uxb: The Heroic Story Of Wwii Bomb Disposal Teams by James Owen
by Adrian WealeHurricane: Victor of the Battle of Britain by Leo McKinstry
Some excellent books there Geevee!
Back from my Sydney trip and manged to bring these books home with me:
by Timothy M. Gay
by David Stone
by Craig L. Symonds
message 533:
by
Geevee, Assisting Moderator British & Commonwealth Forces
(new)
Good bag Rick, I'll be very interested in your thoughts on Mr Stone's book,
I'll try and get to it as soon as I can, you know the problem, too many books not enough time :)
Here is a book due out in November in the UK that covers a very interesting commander/soldier and may interest some members here:
by Evan McGilvrayDescription:
General Stanislaw Maczek has been overlooked by most military historians in the West. Unlike most Polish commanders he rocked no boats and after his service was complete in 1947 he retreated into relative obscurity. When he died at the age of 102 he had left a single published book of his war memoirs. This book is an attempt to try to put the historical record right, at least in the English language, and place front and centre into the wartime historiography the story of an extraordinary man. Maczek's story is the story of 20th Century Poland and begins naturally enough with his birth in 1892. Born in the Austrian sector, he was conscripted into the Imperial Austrian Army, with which he served with great credit on the Italian Front, high in the Alps. It was this experience which was to serve Maczek well in his future career in the Polish Army after 1918. Maczek should be remembered for his pioneering use of mixed armour and infantry units as well as the early use of commando-style units during the Polish border wars of 1918-1920. However his work was ignored despite its obvious success. He should also be recognised as being the saviour of the Normandy Campaign, which by August 1944 was seriously bogged down. It was feared that the German forces in Normandy might be able to flee over the River Seine and head eastwards towards Germany. A magnificent, stubborn and costly stand by the Polish 1st Armoured Division during August 1944 prevented this happening, and the Normandy Campaign was able to succeed. This is yet to be credited to the Poles in the imagination of the West. After the war, Maczek, now exiled and stateless and with his homeland seized by the Soviet Union, was stripped of his Polish citizenship by the Communists, and was left to bring up his young family on his wages as a barman. This is the story of a man who changed history, fully researched from archival and printed materials, and with a heavy reliance on original Polish language sources.
message 537:
by
Geevee, Assisting Moderator British & Commonwealth Forces
(new)
Thanks Rick - added to my (ever growing) TBR.
Figured you'd might be interested in this book Geevee :)
Nice bunch of books there Dr. Michael :)
These are coming out this month:
by Niklas Zetterling
by Rolf-Dieter Müller
by Robert F. Dorr
(one of our members, I believe)October:
by John Prados
by Randolph BradhamDecember:
by Svetlana Gerasimova
Just received my copy of Mission to Tokyo and it looks quite good.
by Robert F. DorrI have been thinking about ordering a copy of The Drive on Moscow but haven't decided yet.
by Niklas Zetterling & Anders Frankson
OK folks, here is some more and updated information on one of our members latest title; "Dog Company: The Boys of Pointe du Hoc--the Rangers Who Accomplished D-Day's Toughest Mission and Led the Way across Europe" by Patrick K. O'Donnell.
by Patrick K. O'DonnellDescription:
An epic World War II story of valor, sacrifice, and the Rangers who led the way to victory in Europe It is said that the right man in the right place at the right time can make the difference between victory and defeat. This is the dramatic story of sixty-eight soldiers of the U.S. Army’s 2nd Ranger Battalion, D Company — Dog Company — who made that difference, time and again. From D-Day, when German guns atop Pointe du Hoc threatened the Allied landings and the men of Dog Company scaled the ninety-foot cliffs to destroy them; to the thickly forested slopes of Hill 400, in Germany’s Hürtgen Forest, where the Rangers launched a desperate bayonet charge across an open field, captured the crucial hill, and held it against all odds. In each battle, the men of Dog Company made the difference. Dog Company is their unforgettable story — thoroughly researched and vividly told by acclaimed combat historian Patrick K. O’Donnell — a story of extraordinary bravery, courage, and determination. America had many heroes in World War II, but few can say that, but for them, the course of the war may have been very different. The right men, in the right place, at the right time — Dog Company.
Advance Praise for Dog Company:
“Long admired for his powerful combat narratives, with Dog Company O’Donnell has produced his finest book yet. A fascinating tale of extraordinary heroism.” - Alex Kershaw, New York Times best-selling author of The Liberator
“An intimate history in the Band of Brothers tradition. Chock full of pulse pounding action and keen insight, this book is a true page-turner.” - John C. McManus, author of September Hope
“WOW! Another victory for Patrick O’Donnell, who really captures the spirit of this elite group of Rangers. Dog Company is every bit as good as Stephen Ambrose’s Band of Brothers, and likely even better.” - Flint Whitlock, Editor of WWII Quarterly, author of If Chaos Reigns
“No World War II historian can tell the story of the U.S. Army Rangers better than Pat O’Donnell. Informative and entertaining, Dog Company is a great read.” - Joseph Balkoski, author of Omaha Beach: D-Day, June 6, 1944
“Dog Company is a super read. It tells a great story of great soldiers I knew personally and uniquely tells the German perspective. Well researched, it is an amazing story of heroism and ultimate success of the good guys.” - Major General John C. Raaen Jr., U.S. Army (Ret.), author of Intact: First-hand Account of the D-Day Invasion from a Fifth Rangers Company Commander
“No historian tells the stories of America’s elite infantry and special operations troops like Patrick O’Donnell. Expertly researched, he vividly chronicles Dog Company’s odyssey across Europe in riveting prose.” - Major General Jack Singlaub, U.S. Army (Ret.), Commanding Officer MACV-SOG, and author of Hazardous Duty.
“A magnificent story about magnificent men written by a magnificent author — it should be read by all Americans.” - Major General Victor J. Hugo Jr., U.S. Army (Ret.), Landsdale Mission, SOA and SFA
“From the heroic climbing of Ponte du Hoc to an amazing bayonet charge up Hill 400 at Bergstein the Army Rangers of DOG COMPANY led the way. This is an incredible story of courage under fire, leadership at all levels and bravery beyond comprehension. The bravery and leadership of DOG COMPANY lives on in today’s Army Rangers as they take the fight to America’s enemies in the Global War on Terror. This is the story of real American heroes and no one can tell the story better than Patrick K O’Donnell.” - General Doug Brown USA (Ret.) Commander of U.S. Special Operations Command 2003-2007
"Patrick O’Donnell has set the gold standard for war histories rich in color, drama and detail. With Dog Company, he’s hit that high mark once more. Drawing on a trove of government reports plus hundreds of in-depth interviews with the men who fought, O’Donnell takes you from the scaling of Pointe du Hoc’s murderous cliffs on the Normandy coast to the Battle of the Bulge and into the rubble of Germany. World War II comes to life through the eyes of this one company of intrepid U.S. Army Rangers." - Douglas Waller, author of Wild Bill Donovan: The Spymaster Who Created the OSS and Modern American Espionage
Another one of our members has just released this title that is sure to interest readers in the group:
by Alex KershawDescription:
The true story of the bloodiest and most dramatic march to victory of the Second World War: the battlefield odyssey of a maverick U.S. Army officer and his infantry unit as they fought for over five hundred days to liberate Europe - from the invasion of Italy to the gates of Dachau.
From July 10, 1943, the date of the Allied landing in Sicily, to May 8, 1945, when victory in Europe was declared – the entire time it took to liberate Europe – no regiment saw more action, and no single platoon, company, or battalion endured worse, than the ones commanded by Felix Sparks, who had entered the war as a greenhorn second lieutenant of the 157th “Eager for Duty” Infantry Regiment of the 45th “Thunderbird” Division. Sparks and his fellow Thunderbirds fought longest and hardest to defeat Hitler, often against his most fanatical troops, when the odds on the battlefield were even and the fortunes of the Allies hung in the balance – and when the difference between defeat and victory was a matter of character, not tactics or armor.
Drawing on extensive interviews with Sparks and dozens of his men, as well as over five years of research in Europe and in archives across the US, historian Alex Kershaw masterfully recounts one of the most inspiring and heroic journeys in military history. Over the course of four amphibious invasions, Sparks rose from captain to colonel as he battled from the beaches of Sicily through the mountains of Italy and France, ultimately enduring bitter and desperate winter combat against the diehard SS on the Fatherland’s borders. Though he lost all of his company to save the Allied beach-head at Anzio and an entire battalion in the dark forests of the Vosges, Sparks miraculously survived the long bloody march across Europe and was selected to lead a final charge to Bavaria to hunt down Adolf Hitler.
In the dying days of the Third Reich, Sparks and his men crossed the last great barrier in the West, the Rhine, only to experience some of the most intense street fighting and close combat suffered by Americans in WWII. When they finally arrived at the gates of Dachau, Hitler’s first and most notorious concentration camp, the Thunderbirds confronted scenes that robbed the mind of reason. With victory within grasp, Sparks confronted the ultimate test of his humanity: after all he had faced, could he resist the urge to wreak vengeance on the men who had caused untold suffering and misery?
Written with the narrative drive and vivid immediacy of Kershaw’s previous bestselling books about American infantrymen in WWII, The Liberator is a story for the ages, an intensely human and dramatic account of one of history’s greatest warriors and his unheralded role in America’s finest achievement – the defeat of Nazi Germany.
Reviews:
“A searing, brilliantly told story of the heroism and horror of war, Alex Kershaw’s The Liberator is a book that’s impossible to put down. A must read for anyone who loved Band of Brothers.” – Lynne Olson, author of Citizens of London
“Alex Kershaw, long acclaimed for his terse, lightning-fast narratives of true wartime action and heroism, reaches his full maturity with this sweeping saga of a legendary infantry unit and the leader who spurred it to glory.” – Ron Powers, co-author of Flags of Our Fathers
Here is a book due out early 2013 that a few members may want to keep their eyes open for:
by David StahelDescription:
In October 1941 Hitler launched Operation Typhoon the German drive to capture Moscow and knock the Soviet Union out of the war. As the last chance to escape the dire implications of a winter campaign, Hitler directed seventy-five German divisions, almost two million men and three of Germany's four panzer groups into the offensive, resulting in huge victories at Viaz'ma and Briansk – among the biggest battles of the Second World War. David Stahel's groundbreaking new account of Operation Typhoon captures the perspectives of both the German high command and individual soldiers, revealing that despite success on the battlefield the wider German war effort was in far greater trouble than is often acknowledged. Germany's hopes of final victory depended on the success of the October offensive but the autumn conditions and the stubborn resistance of the Red Army ensured that the capture of Moscow was anything but certain.
His previous book was quite a decent account covering the Eastern Front:
by Books LLC
I picked this book from the library:
by
Miklós Nyiszli
I don't think there too much description needed, unfortunately.
I am really curious what this book could add to my knowledge about the Holocaust.
I have read this one recently it is also known as
and it is an excellent read Morgiana.
Michael, I am pretty sure this is an excellend read, but it's content...it tears on my heart.(that's why I hesitate to read this book and I truly don't want to be melodramatic).
Like all these type of books if is a hard read. What this book brings is arare insight to Mengeles. It is all so a book of survival and courage.
I am always interested what has motivated such 'people' as Mengele - I do really doubt if they can be called human - so I'll start to read it on the weekend.
THE WORLD WAR TWO GROUP
Books mentioned in this topic
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Authors mentioned in this topic
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Richard Hargreaves (other topics)
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Andrew Faltum (other topics)
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I'll keep you posted although it might take me a while to read them all -)