Book that started it all......

[DoctorM]

"The Fleet at Flood Tide" is very, very good.



'Aussie Rick' wrote: "I agree with Marc in regards to Ian Toll, I like to have the completed series before I start (if I can). Here is one more recommendation

by Elie Wiesel. Then I read diaries on the Warsaw G..."

'Aussie Rick' wrote: "I agree with Marc in regards to Ian Toll, I like to have the completed series before I start (if I can). Here is one more recommendation

[bookcover:The Fleet at Flood Tide: America at Total War in..."

[Perato]

I was just finishing my studies in history(MA) but didn't really delve into military history during that apart from few courses. While I was finishing my thesis I noted that I had neglected reading in my past time and picked Beevor's Stalingrad from uni library.

That wasn't really the book that sparked my deeper interest but was the first one I count(never really kept track of the books I had to read during studies). The spark that got me into military history was given by Dan Van Der Vat and his The Pacific Campaign: The U.S.-Japanese Naval War 1941-1945 That got me into the territory that added a lot of information that was totally unknown to me but still stayed really interesting.

[Marc]

Perato wrote: "I was just finishing my studies in history(MA) but didn't really delve into military history during that apart from few courses. While I was finishing my thesis I noted that I had neglected reading..."

I read Van der Vat's book many, many years ago--very good read. He has one on the Atlantic Campaign as well, but I prefer the Pacific one overall.

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

I've read both of his book plus his one on submarine warfare, all good books at the time but probably surpassed by more recent publications on the subjects in question.

[Perato]

'Aussie Rick' wrote: "I've read both of his book plus his one on submarine warfare, all good books at the time but probably surpassed by more recent publications on the subjects in question."
Yeah I agree it's not so strong one after reading a dozen more books, but it has a special place in my shelf just for being the one that sparked the interest. I probably wouldn't recommend it to anyone as a go-to-book but it served it purpose.

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

Yes, they are still good books, I passed my copies onto my younger brother and he appreciated them as well.

[James]

I had to rack my brain a bit to remember what book got me started on my WWII reading. My best guess is that it was CITIZEN SOLDIERS by Stephen Ambrose, which I read in 1996 after I returned from serving overseas in South Korea.

But the book that first got me started reading military history (before Ambrose) was most definitely CRUSADE by Rick Atkinson. One of the first books that covered the first Persian Gulf War (Desert Shield/Desert Storm).

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

Hard to fault any of Rick Atkinson's books so far, I've enjoyed every one that I have read to date.

[John]

Interesting seeing where everyone started. I was a model builder of WW2 ships and planes as a kid ( and war comics ). My interest in planes led me to my first ‘adult book’. Ragged, Rugged Warriors by Martin Caiden. Then on to Samurai, and Japanese Destroyer Captain. The die was cast and off to the races!

[Chris]

For me, it was sparked by Airfix and Terry Deary and his Horrible Historys, such as:



Other early reads were

and

and the rest led on from there!