I'm Looking for a Book on........ Showing 401-450 of 1,652

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

I had a beautiful M1 Garrand, the metal had all been re-blued and the wood French polished, it was lovely. When we changed our gun laws I had to hand it in for destruction.

[Manray9]

'Aussie Rick' wrote: "I had a beautiful M1 Garrand, the metal had all been re-blued and the wood French polished, it was lovely. When we changed our gun laws I had to hand it in for destruction."

Do you feel oppressed by a tyrannical government? :-)

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

Nah, it was sad at the time but working the road back then I was happy that the chances of me walking into a violent domestic with an idiot holding a gun had been dramatically decreased.

[Manray9]

'Aussie Rick' wrote: "Nah, it was sad at the time but working the road back then I was happy that the chances of me walking into a violent domestic with an idiot holding a gun had been dramatically decreased."

Ahhh...wisdom.

[Mike, Assisting Moderator US Forces]

That M1, along with the Lee-Enfield, did put down a few tyrannical governments in its time. Shame it had to be destroyed.

[Dj]

What? No way, I feel I need to have a discussion with the neighbor about parking in my space. Nothing says don't park here like making a pancake out of their car. I suppose I could just by a Deuce and a Half and do the same thing, but a tank is so much more impressive for the argument that comes afterwards. LOL.

Manray9 wrote: "'Aussie Rick' wrote: "I had a beautiful M1 Garrand, the metal had all been re-blued and the wood French polished, it was lovely. When we changed our gun laws I had to hand it in for destruction."

..."

[Colin]

I wonder what about the criminals who did not hand in their guns? Boy am I glad we have the 2nd Amendment and Stand Your Ground Laws.

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

I won't start a discussion on this issue as I know it can be very divisive and we all have valid opinions, I think we should go back to WW2 and good books :)

[Geevee, Assisting Moderator British & Commonwealth Forces]

Aye seconded.

[Wade]

Lets discuss book please.

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

Books it is Wade :)

[Sumit]

I am looking for a book on how Germany recovered itself after world war two. Means from what I have read about the war and its effects on German population, they must have been in seriously tight situation. How they sorted out this mess and reached today's position.

[Tom]

Here is a general one that covers Europe..

by Tony Judt

I am sure there are some more specific ones out there more focused on Germany.

[Manray9]

Sumit wrote: "I am looking for a book on how Germany recovered itself after world war two. Means from what I have read about the war and its effects on German population, they must have been in seriously tight s..."

This deals in significant detail with post-war East Germany:

Iron Curtain: The Crushing of Eastern Europe, 1945-1956 by Anne Applebaum

[Mike]

I want to read Postwar: A History of Europe Since 1945 myself as Tony Judt is an interesting character (I've just read The Memory Chalet). But following on from Sumit's query, does anyone know of anything good that covers the occupation with regard to the British Zone? I've never seen much.

[Dawn]

Another general one that covers Europe:

Savage Continent: Europe in the Aftermath of World War II

And I'm not sure if this one would work for post war Germany...

Modern Germany: Society, Economy and Politics in the Twentieth Century

[Colin]

There is a book on the Marshall Plan, cannot remember the author. That was the start.

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

Here is one book on the Marshal Plan that has picked up some good reader reviews:


The Most Noble Adventure: The Marshall Plan and How America Helped Rebuild Europe by Greg Behrman

[Colin]

That's it. This was what saved Europe, and started the downfall of the Soviet Union.

[Paul]

I've just picked up this book - The Candy Bombers: The Untold Story of the Berlin Airlift and America's Finest Hour - from the library but haven't begun yet.

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

Sounds like a good book Paul, I hope you enjoy it, keep us all posted.

[Paul]

I was going to begin it yesterday, but it will probably be next week.

[Ethan]

Hi! I'm looking for a good book on Ian Fleming's adventures during WW2. Thanks for your suggestions!

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

Hi Ethan,

You could check this book out, it may cover most of what your looking for:

Ian Fleming's Commandos: The Story of 30 Assault Unit in WWII by Nicholas Rankin
Reviews:
'Fascinating book ... this is myth-shattering stuff: prepare to be shaken and stirred.' - Daily Mail

'Fascinating book.' - Guardian

'It is, first of all, chock-a-block full of wonderful stories and odd characters, and secondly awash in wonderful, arcane knowledge of the seamy and secret side of World War Two...suavely blended, like one of Bond's Martinis.' - Michael Korda, The Daily Beast

'Rankin, in his vivid way, shows that Fleming earned his Navy stripes. With a vast knowledge of covert operations, he produces an entertaining account of this hitherto shadowy unit.' - Sunday Times

'In the real life derring-do of real men comes a tale only marginally less believable than Bond at his most fantastical.' - The Times

'Fleming's war record has been portrayed as patchy ... But Nicholas Rankin, in his vivid, unfussy way, shows that Fleming was a man of steel who earned his Navy stripes ... [He] offers thoughtful analysesof 007 novels such as Moonraker, which he sees as a warning about former Nazi scientists in Britain's weapons programme ... As Churchill's Wizards, his previous book on camouflage and deception, showed, he has a vast knowledge of covert operations, scientific innovation and the history of the second world war, which he combines to produce a convincing and entertaining account of a hitherto shadowy but influential commando unit.' - Andrew Lycett, Sunday Times

'Blessed with an elegant and spare prose style, Rankin excels at putting the intelligence Commando's story into the wider context of the war and in showing how Fleming worked their names and exploits into his Bond adventures.' - Christopher Sylvester, Daily Express

'Nicholas Rankin's fascinating book is an account of the 30AU's progress through the war. From time to time it reads like a Boy's Own story, so flamboyant are the characters and so vivid Rankin's accounts of the deadly scrapes and firefights the commandos found themselves involved in. The research is prodigious and lucid now I finally understand how an Enigma machine works and one gains a real sense of how these maverick units functioned, very much akin to the Long Range Desert Group and the fledgling SAS.' - William Boyd, Guardian

'This book will appeal to those interested in the history of the Second World War as well as to fans of James Bond. For some, the combination of the two will be irresistible. If you thought that James Bond was a creature entirely in Ian Fleming s imagination, Nicholas Rankin shows that the origins of many of his characters and escapades were based on real experiences in Naval Intelligence ... Nicholas Rankin has intertwined very cleverly a new and unvarnished account of the Second World War with the light heartedness of James Bond s style but he never romanticises the war. This is a good read for war buffs and a fascinating background to the Bond stories.' - Douglas Osler, Scotsman

'An excellent book. Not only is [Rankin's] examination of the commandos themselves lucidly detailed, but he finds time to draw clear parallels between Fleming's intelligence work and the intricacies of Bond's immortal character.' - Julian Fleming, Sunday Business Post

[Ethan]

'Aussie Rick' wrote: "Hi Ethan,

You could check this book out, it may cover most of what your looking for:

[book:Ian Fleming's Command..."

That sounds perfect! Thank you so much, Rick!

[Nooilforpacifists]

Paul, I think you'll enjoy "Candy Bombers".

[Mike]

Nooilforpacifists wrote: "Paul, I think you'll enjoy "Candy Bombers"."

I think I might too. This recent BBC radio programme was interesting - participants in the Berlin Airlift get together to remember the Berlin Airlift.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b042cs5t

[Mike]

On the subject of the Berlin Airlift, this arrived yesterday: In Darkest Germany. The publisher Victor Gollancz visited the British Zone in late 1946 and rushed this book out when he returned - apparently highly critical of the way the Germans were being treated.

[Mike]

'Aussie Rick' wrote: ":)

It's now 7.00am and I'm about to leave for my last day at work, by 6.00pm I'll be retired!"

Belated congratulations! Another five years for me - can't wait.

[Nooilforpacifists]

Mike, if interested in immediate post-war Germany, you might want to look at Sollors's "The Temptation of Despair". I recently reviewed it at some length. I believe Sollors mentions the author of the book you cite--he was among the pessimists on the possibility of German survival, treatment by the Allies, and return to sovereignty.

[Nooilforpacifists]

For the September read, I'll try (travel permitting) Ed Offley's "Turning the Tide", about the precise six or so weeks of the Battle of the Atlantic that defeated U-Boat Wolf packs.

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

Nooilforpacifists wrote: "For the September read, I'll try (travel permitting) Ed Offley's "Turning the Tide", about the precise six or so weeks of the Battle of the Atlantic that defeated U-Boat Wolf packs."

A good choice!

[Geevee, Assisting Moderator British & Commonwealth Forces]

Sumit wrote: "I am looking for a book on how Germany recovered itself after world war two. Means from what I have read about the war and its effects on German population, they must have been in seriously tight s..."

Hi Sumit, This one might be of interest too:
by Rebuilding Germany: The Creation of the Social Market Economy, 1945 1957 by James C. Van Hook

There is some small mention too in the autobiography of Sholto Douglas Years of Command He was the second commander of the British Zone of Occupation in Germany taking command in mid-1946 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sholto_D...)

[Sumit]

Thanks a lot for the suggestions guys.. :)

[Mike]

Nooilforpacifists wrote: "Mike, if interested in immediate post-war Germany, you might want to look at Sollors's "The Temptation of Despair". I recently reviewed it at some length. I believe Sollors mentions the author of ..."

Yes, just read your review with interest and it's gone on my Want to Read list. Looks like a most unusual book.

Meanwhile I'll be reading the Gollancz carefully. He published the book only six weeks after he came back and his findings were disputed at the time. It's journalism; but then, that's the first draft of history.

[Ethan]

Hello! Now I'm trying to find a great book on the Battle of Iwo Jima. Does anybody have any suggestions of books on that topic that they think stand out from the rest? I've ordered Flags of Our Fathers from the library and am wondering if that's informative enough on the battle. I saw the movie of the same name recently, so that has sparked my interest in the Iwo Jima campaign. Thanks for the help!

[Geevee, Assisting Moderator British & Commonwealth Forces]

Hi Ethan,
This I read and thought very good:

Iwo Jima: Legacy of Valor by Bill D. Ross

[Ethan]

Geevee wrote: "Hi Ethan,
This I read and thought very good:

Iwo Jima: Legacy of Valor by Bill D. Ross"

An "hour-by-hour" account! That sounds good. I've added it to my to-read list. Thanks Geevee!

[Geevee, Assisting Moderator British & Commonwealth Forces]

I bought and read it after visiting the superb Iwo Jima memorial and Arlington cemetery: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_C...

[Ethan]

Geevee wrote: "I bought and read it after visiting the superb Iwo Jima memorial and Arlington cemetery: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_C..."

That would have been amazing to go there. It's probably one thing to see the cemetery in the movies, and another thing to see it first hand. I'd like to go one day, too.

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

Geevee's recommendation of Iwo Jima: Legacy of Valor by Bill D. Ross is one that I fully support and recommend as well.

[Ethan]

'Aussie Rick' wrote: "Geevee's recommendation of Iwo Jima: Legacy of Valor by Bill D. Ross is one that I fully support and recommend as well."

Awesome! Yes, I'm looking forward to reading it.

[Ethan]

Hi again! I'd also like to find a book about Hitler and/or the S.S. and/or the Third Reich. I know a lot about Hitler's dictatorship over Germany, but I don't really know lots about how he came to rise to power. If anybody has a personal favorite on those subjects that you can recommend, that would be awesome. Thank you!

P.S Just to let you know, I am in NO way a supporter of the Nazis at all, I just like learning about them.

[Gerald]

Ethan wrote: "Hi again! I's also like to find a book about Hitler and/or the S.S. and/or the Third Reich. I know a lot about Hitler's dictatorship over Germany, but I don't really know lots about how he came to ..."

Richard Evans's "The Coming of the Third Reich" is an excellent book on Germany from 1918 to 1933. As for the SS, two excellent books come to mind: Heinz Hohne's "The Order of the Death's Head" and Adrian Weale's "Army of Evil: A History of the SS."

[Gerald]

Gerald wrote: "Ethan wrote: "Hi again! I's also like to find a book about Hitler and/or the S.S. and/or the Third Reich. I know a lot about Hitler's dictatorship over Germany, but I don't really know lots about h..."

Another book that comes to mind is Gerald Reitlinger's "The SS: Alibi of a Nation, 1922-1945."

[Geevee, Assisting Moderator British & Commonwealth Forces]

Ethan,
Gerald recommends three excellent titles. Two more from me:

Hitler's Thirty Days To Power: Jan-33 by Henry Ashby Turner

Hitler, Vol 1: 1889-1936 Hubris by Ian Kershaw

BTW no need to add a disclaimer in this group as we're all here to learn and to do that you need to read the books about the bad guys too and no one is going to think otherwise of you :)

[Ethan]

Gerald wrote: "Ethan wrote: "Hi again! I's also like to find a book about Hitler and/or the S.S. and/or the Third Reich. I know a lot about Hitler's dictatorship over Germany, but I don't really know lots about h..."

Thank you Gerald! Those look like some good books....

Geevee wrote: "Ethan,
Gerald recommends three excellent titles. Two more from me:

Hitler's Thirty Days To Power: Jan-33 by [author:Henry ..."

Thanks again Geevee. Nice suggestions. I'll keep an eye out for those books. RE the disclaimer: Thanks, yes, I like reading about the Germans but I think I read something on this forum somewhere not to support the Nazis or you'd be banned, so I just wanted to be on the safe side. ;)

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

Hi Ethan,

I think there have been a great bunch of recommendations there from some of the group members, thanks everyone.

If you follow up on Geevee's recommendation on Ian Kershaw he has a second volume to follow on till the end of the war that may interest you as well:

Hitler, Vol 2: 1936-1945 Nemesis by Ian Kershaw

[Ethan]

'Aussie Rick' wrote: "Hi Ethan,

I think there have been a great bunch of recommendations there from some of the group members, thanks everyone.

If you follow up on Geevee's recommendation on Ian Kershaw he has a seco..."

Oh cool! That would be a great, and I'm sure, a very thorough read. Thanks Rick!

[Heinz]

Ethan wrote: "Hi again! I'd also like to find a book about Hitler and/or the S.S. and/or the Third Reich. I know a lot about Hitler's dictatorship over Germany, but I don't really know lots about how he came to ..."
I see that others have already supplied you with excellent suggestions about great books. I have another one, which should in no way detract from the above. Nor is it meant to be self-serving. It is simply true that none of the books mentioned so far provides a view of the Third Reich from the inside, as I do in my own memoir, My Name Was Five. And such a view supplements in important ways the view from the outside and the post-war scholarship that the others provide.

My Name Was Five: A Novel of the Second World War

Heinz Kohler