THE WORLD WAR TWO GROUP discussion
GROUP & BUDDY READS
>
Group and Buddy Reads
message 351:
by
Geevee, Assisting Moderator British & Commonwealth Forces
(new)
Dec 24, 2013 10:24AM

reply
|
flag

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
message 354:
by
Geevee, Assisting Moderator British & Commonwealth Forces
(new)

message 356:
by
Geevee, Assisting Moderator British & Commonwealth Forces
(new)


https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/......"
I look forward to January's theme read. I just received --

so it will be next, then the Med theater.

GeeVee is right, that is a great photo.

https://www.goodreads.com/topic..."
Good book - I think you'll enjoy it

Interestingly enough some of the best ones are on topics that are generally overlooked. Such as the books on the DC3 or the Jeep. Overall as a series they are much better in consistency than many others I have seen. I wouldn't be surprised to find them being republished in bundled formats when the copyrights run out.
Manray9 wrote: "Geevee wrote: "I just added it to my TBR! :)"
I have spent the last two hours entering or updating GR entries for the many issues of Ballantine Books' "Illustrated History of the Violent Century" ..."

Interestingly enough some of the best ones are on topics that are generally overlooked. Such as the ..."
I agree about the overlooked or under-appreciated topics. I bought my copies new in the late-Sixties to mid-Seventies and, as I said, they haven't stood up very well physically. I like especially Ian Hogg's book on WW I artillery, Sibley's book on WW I in East Africa and A.J. Barker's "Rape of Ethiopia."

Not so much that it was better than any of the rest, but due to the fact that it was by far an a way outside the normal scope of the works that made up the series.
The ones I liked the least were the ones by Charles Whitting, but that is because he one of the most biased writers that I can tolerate reading. He always seems to have an ax to grind.
Manray9 wrote: "Dj wrote: "One of the only major accomplishments I have to my credit is that I have the full set of those.
Interestingly enough some of the best ones are on topics that are generally overlooked. S..."

Not so much that it was better than any of the rest, but due to the fact that it was by far an a way outside t..."
I don't have the entire collection and none by Whitting.

I remembered reading the books and getting some of them when they were sold in the grocery store for a dollar. I kept thinking that it would be nice to read the whole set so when eBay was still a large garage sale I gathered them all up. Once I read them all I boxed them up. I have books that cover most everything in them in more depth but still don't want to just unload them.
Manray9 wrote: "Dj wrote: "I think for myself the favorite of the series would be: Freedom for Women. by Tremani.
Not so much that it was better than any of the rest, but due to the fact that it was by far an a wa..."

That's great. I never think of E-Bay as a source for such. All mine have the $1.00 sales price printed on the binding. Can't get much for $1.00 these days.

Manray9 wrote: "Dj wrote: "Whiting wrote the bio's on Patton and Bradley. He is not a fan of Patton and seems to have a thing for Bradley. He also wrote the bio for Skorzeny who he adores. Those were the three boo..."

Not so much that it was better than any of the rest, but due to the fact that it was by far an a way outside t..."
*waves*
Hi,
I've been lurking here for a bit, and this made me smile/want to comment. I think The Fight for Freedom for Women was one of my earliest serious book acquisitions, and a cornerstone of the fledgling feminist shelf I started...back in junior high. Like many of you, apparently I have a problem with the 'de-acquisitioning.'
So I just pulled it out of the basement, and am amazed to see that Rose Tremain is the author (1973), and it's credited as her first book..she's certainly come a long way. The binding's definitely in lousy shape, not sure it would last through another re-read. Thank you for calling up some happy memories, though.
I see John Keegan was a consultant editor (and ve-ry young, at least compared to how I've pictured him), was he generally a part of the series?
(I'll go post an introduction in the appropriate thread.)

Not so much that it was better than any of the rest, but due to the fact that it was by far an a wa..."
Many eminent historians and writers were involved in the Ballantine series. You mentioned Keegan, but also Barrie Pitt, Ian Hogg, Geoffrey Jukes, Charles Messenger, Mike Calvert and others.

http://www.angelfire.com/sk/checklist...
Here is a link for the series. Some of the books listed were never published, but it is a good start.
Miss M wrote: "Dj wrote: "I think for myself the favorite of the series would be: Freedom for Women. by Tremani.
Not so much that it was better than any of the rest, but due to the fact that it was by far an a wa..."

http://www.angelfire.com/sk/checklist...
Here is a link for the series. Some of the books listed were never published, but it is a goo..."
Thanks.

http://www.angelfire.com/sk/checklist...
Here is a link for the series. Some of the books listed were never published, but it is a goo..."
I would like to have Keegan's "Dien Bien Phu," but I see it online for $47.00 -- a little high for a Ballantine.

http://www.angelfire.com/sk/checklist...
Here is a link for the series. Some of the books listed were never published, but it is a goo..."
Thank you for the link.

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

http://www.angelfire.com/sk/checklist...
Here is a link for the series. Some of the books listed were never published, but it is a goo..."
I was with Sir John Keegan at Oxford, great intellect, and I had the benefit of Messenger proof reading my graduate thesis, which became the book Night Fighters many years later. Good historians and great books in my opinion.

For those interested these are the forthcoming theme reads:
March 2014 - Atlantic Ocean Campaign (books covering any aspect of this campaign: air or sea)
May 2014 - African Campaign (books covering any aspect of this campaign: land, air or sea)

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
message 380:
by
Geevee, Assisting Moderator British & Commonwealth Forces
(new)

I was thinking about future theme reads and was wondering about a theme read on each year of the war. Say 1939 and members could read any book that covered that year, be it a battle or campaign, a person, a weapon, anything as long as it occurred in 1939 and then we could continue with a theme read for each year of the war, just an idea ....

I was thinking about future theme reads and was wondering about a theme read on each year of the war. Say 1939 and members could read any book that covered that year, be it a battle or ca..."
Not a bad idea. How about a theme on Sideshows, e.g. Madagascar, Africa, the Aleutians, the Dodecanese? Any thing that wasn't a major campaign.
How about selecting certain countries? A theme read on Finland, India, Norway, Canada, China? Any topic in that country during the war: diplomacy, home front, military campaign, etc?

I was also thinking of a theme read on a WW2 personality, be it a general, a soldier/sailor/airmen, a politician, a civvy, anyone of interest in WW2. Then a theme read on a weapon; be it a plane, a naval vessel, a tank, a infantry weapon, etc.

I was also thinking of a theme read on a WW2 personality, be it a general, a soldier/sailor/airmen, a politician, a civvy, anyone o..."
All good ideas too. I like the idea of a personality, but for a variety and abundance of material it would have to be someone prominent, such as Churchill, Ike, Stalin, Monty, MacArthur, etc.
I wouldn't mind a theme read on battleships.
message 386:
by
Geevee, Assisting Moderator British & Commonwealth Forces
(new)

Fo..."
Re African Campaign: I think this will be the time to read group member Robert Hays's book "Patton's Oracle"

Patton's Oracle: Gen. Oscar Koch, as I Knew Him

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/......"
Does the read include fiction as well??


Picked up Pressfield's book "Killing Rommel" a story on the LRDG, was wondering if it would count, if it does great..

It is heavy on history and light on fiction, a good pick. I really enjoyed



Connell also wrote a bio of Wavell.



Look foward to hearing about your book on "The Auk" Manray9, I rate him highly.


Look foward to hearing about your book on "The Auk" Ma..."
I may put off the Auk until AR does the WW II Personality theme.
Books mentioned in this topic
Eastern Approaches (other topics)At War on the Gothic Line: Fighting in Italy, 1944-45 (other topics)
British Artillery on the Western Front in the First World War: 'The Infantry cannot do with a gun less' (other topics)
Neutron Stars 1: Equation of State and Structure (other topics)
An Introduction to Modern Cosmology (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Christian Jennings (other topics)Jeffrey R. Cox (other topics)
Jeffrey R. Cox (other topics)
Jeffrey R. Cox (other topics)
F. Spencer Chapman (other topics)
More...