Book that started it all......

[happy]

Laurel,

Battle Cry is definately one of my favorite WW II novels and in my top 2 of Leon Uris' work (the other being )

[Dj]

The book that started it all. Hmm, well it would be a book of short stories about WWII I am not even sure of the name of it any longer. I read it in Grade School. So 40 years plus now. What I do remember is the Story of the Huston's last moments trying to make it back to Australia and running into a Japanese landing force. After that I read most anything I could find on the History of the US Navy. Even had a bunch of Models for a time. My favorite was a model of a Fletcher class Destroyer.
Have shifted away from the Pacific and the Navy, but haven't forgotten that story.

[Geevee, Assisting Moderator British & Commonwealth Forces]

Thanks DJ nice post.

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

A nice story of how you got to be interested in WW2, thanks for sharing Dj.

[Justin]

The first war 'books' I read as a kid were the Commando comic series. I collected as many of them as I could with a vengeance! The first true books (more of a series of books) I read was 'Purnells History of the Second World War' that my Father owned, and I loved reading each volume along with the fantastic photos and images. And the rest is history....now I literally have hundreds of books on almost every commander, battle and campaign of WW2 as well as quite a few of WW1.

[Lilo]

If there were any books about WWII in Germany, when I was young, they must have been hidden on the top or low shelves of book stores. The Third Reich was a tabu in Germany and is, to a certain extent, to this day.

[Boudewijn]

For me, it started all with this book:


La Seconde Guerre Mondiale

I've read the Dutch version of course. My father bought this book and I literally read it to pieces. After that, I got interested in more and more books about WWII.

[carl]

Bou, since that was published in '65, and now
with all your other reading on WW2, do you
find it to still be an accurate accounting?

[Boudewijn]

carl wrote: "Bou, since that was published in '65, and now
with all your other reading on WW2, do you
find it to still be an accurate accounting?"

Hi Carl, well that's actually a very good question and I have not yet considered asking this to myself. I must admit that I have read this book a very long time ago (it must have been when Reagan was still a president), and honestly don't know exactly what was the viewpoint of the author in the book.

For me, it was a great introduction towards WWII and it sparked my interest in this topic. I particularly enjoyed the style in which the author wrote, namely very fluent and in general very straight forward.

It was a good starting point to become generally accustomed to the events during WWII. Since then, I've read various books that cover particular aspects in more detail. Some books that I really enjoyed were:


Blitzkrieg: From the Rise of Hitler to the Fall of Dunkirk


The Wages of Destruction


Hitler's Empire: How the Nazis Ruled Europe

So to answer your question, at the time (around 1985 I guess) very accurate, but in hindsight it lacked accuracy compared to the books I've read since then.

[Geevee, Assisting Moderator British & Commonwealth Forces]

Bou I enjoyed Deighton's and have the other two on my TBR (I own Mazower's Hitler's Empire and must buy a copy of Mr Tooze's) but have yet to dig into either.

[Flora]

Ken Folette's The Key to Rebecca. I read it decades ago. It's one of the best books he has written.

[Boudewijn]

Geevee wrote: "Bou I enjoyed Deighton's and have the other two on my TBR (I own Mazower's Hitler's Empire and must buy a copy of Mr Tooze's) but have yet to dig into either."

On a side note and a little bit off topic: I own Mazower's book as well, I bought it during my holiday in South Africa in a little bookstore, attached to a small coffee shop. I was very suprised to see this book in a South African bookstore.

More striking, while buying this book, I was able to hold a conversation in my native language (Dutch) with the bookstore owner, who was speaking Afrikaans, which is mutual intelligible because Afrikaans originates from the Dutch settlers that settles the Kaap in the course of the 16th Century.

I think each book that you own has a little personal story attached, this one is particular dear to me.

[carl]

Bou wrote: "I think each book that you own has a little personal story attached "

How true.

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

A very good observation Bou and so true.

[Geevee, Assisting Moderator British & Commonwealth Forces]

Bou wrote: "Geevee wrote: "Bou I enjoyed Deighton's and have the other two on my TBR (I own Mazower's Hitler's Empire and must buy a copy of Mr Tooze's) but have yet to dig into either."

On a side note and a ..."

I like that story Bou - and likewise it always makes me wonder who left a bookmark, a sprig of heather or a flower say or other items in books when I have bought them second-hand.

[Lee]

My first book was titled "The battle for Iwo Jima", from Landmark Press. I was in first grade (autumn 1974), and when my class was first allowed to browse the school library, I very quickly found the 940.5 shelf, which had rather a lot of books. "Great American fighter pilots of World War II" was another favorite, I think I checked out that whole shelf once a year until I shifted schools.

[Geevee, Assisting Moderator British & Commonwealth Forces]

Nice recollection Lee thanks for sharing.

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

Thanks for posting your story Lee, much appreciated.

[carl]

Funny you mention the dewey decimal number
Lee, that 940 has been stuck in my head a long
time and I always cruise those shelves when
I'm at the library, whether I need a book or not!

[Manray9]

Lee wrote: "My first book was titled "The battle for Iwo Jima", from Landmark Press. I was in first grade (autumn 1974), and when my class was first allowed to browse the school library, I very quickly found t..."

Lee: You sparked my memory too. Way, way, way back in the early Sixties, I found this book in the Anne Arundel County public library in Maryland.

Burma Rifles by Frank Bonham

It's about a young Japanese-American serving with Merrill's Marauders in Burma. If it wasn't my first WW II book, it was among the earliest.

[Boudewijn]

I remember that - when I was about 13 or 14 years old, going to the library every Wednesday afternoon (on this day we were off from school) was the nicest moment of the week.

I spent hours in there. Sitting in a quiet corner, on a chair, with a book I just found and flipping through the pages ... Nice memories.

No friend of mine wanted to go with me, because I could spend ages there. Actually, as a minor, you were only allowed to take 7 books home with you (and no more than 2 comic books). So every time I had to make a though choice, because I could always take more than 7 ofcourse.

In the end I hid the books that I couldn't take home with me, so that I could pick them up the next Wednesday without the fear that somebody else had taken them.

This was were it al started for me I think.

[Geevee, Assisting Moderator British & Commonwealth Forces]

Nice Bou, and it reminds me of me when as a young lad I would spend hours in a small local bookshop. The owners would allow me to spend ages looking at the books and then finally I'd spend my pocket money...they clearly understood the pleasure of browsing and their kindness in allowing me to do so with just a smile as they wandered past me every now and again has given me nice memories like yourself.

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

Two great stories, thanks for sharing Bou & Geevee.

I remember as a kid at school I use to work in a take-away food shop on Friday nights and Saturday mornings and then rushing over to the newsagency when I got my pay to buy the latest War and Commando comics!

[Manray9]

'Aussie Rick' wrote: "Two great stories, thanks for sharing Bou & Geevee.

I remember as a kid at school I use to work in a take-away food shop on Friday nights and Saturday mornings and then rushing over to the newsag..."

My comics were mostly WW I related too. Sergeant Rock and Star-Spangled War Stories from DC Comics.

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

Oh yeah, I remember Sgt Rock :)

[Denise]

Luck and a Lancaster by Harry Yates!

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

That's an excellent book Denise, one of my favourites on RAF Bomber Command.


by Harry Yates

[Denise]

Its also by a 75 Sqn RAF Aircrew member and 75 is my obsession :)
Dee

[Dj]

Way back in Third Grade the Teacher took the class to the Library at the school to show off all the books. Even then I was a tad introverted, so I found a book that looked intresting found a dark corner and started reading. An hour and a half later the teacher came and took me back to class. They had left after fifteen minutes.
It was Greek Myths, which for my lack of ability to pronounce Greek names ended up with people being renamed, so it was Agamemnon, Ajax, Mike and Alex. The last two being Menelaus and Achilles.
Had a deep love for Libraries ever since.

Bou wrote: "I remember that - when I was about 13 or 14 years old, going to the library every Wednesday afternoon (on this day we were off from school) was the nicest moment of the week.

I spent hours in ther..."

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

That's a great story Dj :)

[Manray9]

Dj wrote: "Way back in Third Grade the Teacher took the class to the Library at the school to show off all the books. Even then I was a tad introverted, so I found a book that looked intresting found a dark c..."

That's a great story. It seems many of us have a love of libraries which started at a young age.

[Sumit]

mine was The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany
after finishing it, I knew I have found it... :P

[carl]

Bou wrote: "I remember that - when I was about 13 or 14 years old, going to the library every Wednesday afternoon (on this day we were off from school) was the nicest moment of the week.

I spent hours in ther..."

Your library HAD comic books!?

[carl]

Sumit wrote: "mine was The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany
after finishing it, I knew I have found it... :P"

That's some book to be your first one Sumit. You should get credit just for being able to carry it around!

[happy]

Manray9 wrote: "'Aussie Rick' wrote: "Two great stories, thanks for sharing Bou & Geevee.

I remember as a kid at school I use to work in a take-away food shop on Friday nights and Saturday mornings and then rush..."

In addition to those - I really liked the Haunted Tank series

[Manray9]

happy wrote: "Manray9 wrote: "'Aussie Rick' wrote: "Two great stories, thanks for sharing Bou & Geevee.

I remember as a kid at school I use to work in a take-away food shop on Friday nights and Saturday mornin..."

I loved the Haunted Tank comics with the ghost of Jeb Stuart helping the crew of the Stuart tank.

[Lewis]

carl wrote: "Gee GV i still have a dozen of the Ballantine Illustrated books
on my shelf from my teenage yrs. not that you make me
feel old as your Dad or anything, ahem, hehehe.

I still have more than 50 of the Ballantines volumes and my collection started with Stalingrad and expanded from there

[Lewis]

As it stands I have a lot of books in my library devoted to World war 2. The collection started when I was a boy with the Ballantines series and expanded quickly from there to include the books about battles, campaigns and weapons. Oddly enough I read Winston Churchills 6 volumes, the world at war and several books on World War I while still in grade school in the early 1970's.

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

The Ballantines series seems to have been popular with many members in this group :)

[Geevee, Assisting Moderator British & Commonwealth Forces]

A good achievement to read Churchill's history of the war in school Lewis. Is grade school equivalent to a British comprehensive (ages 11-16/17)?

[Lewis]

Geevee wrote: "A good achievement to read Churchill's history of the war in school Lewis. Is grade school equivalent to a British comprehensive (ages 11-16/17)?"

In my elementary school I read at a grade 7 (13 yr old) level in Grade 2 (8 yrs old). As a result, I devoured every history book on the shelves by the end of grade 5 or 6 (12 yrs old). Having run out of history I read every biography I could get my hands on. I read the Churchill volumes in Grade 6 from our public library

[carl]

i remember at that age looking at the covers of my Dad's Churchill books, does that count?

Ballantine publishers did lead the way back then. Ok
Lewis you have to pick out a favorite. or
are you saying the Churchill series is it?

[Geevee, Assisting Moderator British & Commonwealth Forces]

It does Carl...but leaves you and me in the shade of Lewis, especially I have still to read all 6 of the volumes!

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

Sounds like a very interesting book Sofie, thanks for mentioning it to the group.


by Glenway Wescott

[Geevee, Assisting Moderator British & Commonwealth Forces]

Thanks Sofia I've not seen before and added to my TBR.

[Jill]

Many years ago, my brother had his nose is this huge book and I was curious as to what was keeping him so interested. He told me that if I ever read any history of WWII, I should read this one. I took his advice and his book and have been hooked ever since. And I've read the book twice and still have his original copy.

by William L. Shirer

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

Nice story Jill.

[Dj]

I think it might be time for me to break that out again and reread it. Something that happens every five years or so.


Jill wrote: "Many years ago, my brother had his nose is this huge book and I was curious as to what was keeping him so interested. He told me that if I ever read any history of WWII, I should read this one. I t..."

[happy]

Jill wrote: "Many years ago, my brother had his nose is this huge book and I was curious as to what was keeping him so interested. He told me that if I ever read any history of WWII, I should read this one. I t..."

Great book!

[James]

Very hard to pin point but two close contenders would be 200 Shots and The Crucible of War series