THE WORLD WAR TWO GROUP discussion

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BOOK DISCUSSIONS > I'm Looking for a Book on........

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message 551: by Manray9 (new)

Manray9 | 4785 comments Jerome wrote: "Would any know of any books on the Soviet invasion of Manchuria in 1945, or on Soviet policy toward Japan during the war in general?"

Jerome wrote: "Would any know of any books on the Soviet invasion of Manchuria in 1945, or on Soviet policy toward Japan during the war in general?"

Can't help with '45, but this is well thought of:

Nomonhan Japan Against Russia, 1939 by Alvin D. Coox Nomonhan: Japan Against Russia, 1939 by Alvin Coox.


message 552: by Jerome (new)

Jerome Otte | 808 comments Nice, these look rather good (Halsam's book looks pricey for 208 pages, geez).

Another request: would anyone know of any good books on either the dambuster raids or the air raids on the V-2 site at Peenemünde?


message 553: by Geevee, Assisting Moderator British & Commonwealth Forces (new)

Geevee | 3811 comments I thought you'd say that on Haslam!! On Peenemunde I'd recommend one of my favourite military authors:

The Peenemunde Raid The Night of 17-18 August 1943 by Martin Middlebrook The Peenemunde Raid: The Night of 17-18 August 1943 by Martin Middlebrook


message 554: by Jerome (new)

Jerome Otte | 808 comments Nice, thanks.


message 555: by 'Aussie Rick', Moderator (last edited Apr 14, 2015 01:48PM) (new)

'Aussie Rick' (aussierick) | 19986 comments 100% with Geevee, hard to be Martin Middlebrook!


message 556: by Dj (new)

Dj | 2295 comments I just picked up:
The Wages of Destruction The Making and Breaking of the Nazi Economy by Adam Tooze
For the tidy net sum of 0.00 by trading in some books at Bob's Books at the Beach.

Also got
A Cook's Tour of Iowa by Susan Puckett
for ten bucks, since it made me feel nostalgic, but I will take the book over going back for a visit.


message 557: by Dimitri (new)

Dimitri | 1413 comments Dj wrote: "I just picked up:
The Wages of Destruction The Making and Breaking of the Nazi Economy by Adam Tooze
For the tidy net sum of 0.00 by trading in some books at Bob's Books at the Beach.

Also..."


A free copy of the wages of destruction, lucky you :)


message 558: by Geevee, Assisting Moderator British & Commonwealth Forces (new)

Geevee | 3811 comments Dj wrote: "I just picked up:
The Wages of Destruction The Making and Breaking of the Nazi Economy by Adam Tooze
For the tidy net sum of 0.00 by trading in some books at Bob's Books at the Beach.

Also..."


Dj that has to be steal of the month for such a well regarded book!


message 559: by Feliks (last edited May 10, 2015 10:19PM) (new)

Feliks (dzerzhinsky) Following Aussie Rick's instructions!

'I'm looking for a book' ...I read once, it was the biography of John Dortch Lewis, The 'Cooler King' which Steve McQueen's character was based from (in that you know...that film they made..cant recall the name.. :P)

Just want to make sure I have it listed correctly in my shelves. Google and Wikipedia are both too bland/unhelpful in this case, they give me news articles from The UK Guardian about Lewis' death from pancreatic cancer.

Halp!


message 560: by 'Aussie Rick', Moderator (new)

'Aussie Rick' (aussierick) | 19986 comments Not a book I know but hopefully someone in the group will be able to help you Feliks.


message 562: by Feliks (last edited May 11, 2015 08:05AM) (new)

Feliks (dzerzhinsky) 'Aussie Rick' wrote: "Not a book I know but hopefully someone in the group will be able to help you Feliks."

If there's anyone on earth who can generate the answer to this question, they will surely be in this group. This is the place to be for WWII factoids. Never seen the beat of it. There's plenty of WWII websites but not live, responsive, people-- as found here..

p.s. thank you DJ for those links..will follow when have a moment


message 563: by Feliks (new)

Feliks (dzerzhinsky) I have another for y' all

I was once reading one of the early novels of W.E.B. Griffin and it was set in Korea, or perhaps Vietnam.

In one chapter, the scene is an army base during a lull in the campaign. Soldiers and officers are fighting boredom, lounging around with not much to do.

One particular officer is re-reading his favorite manual of military tactics for the 3rd or 4th time. It is heavily annotated and underlined.

One day a fellow officer strikes up a friendship with him and, finding that each other are both avid readers and that both in possession of a couple of titles, eagerly bring them to borrow from each other.

Except, when they each produce their paperbacks, they discover that they favor the exact same titles. They laugh and realize that at least now they have someone to discuss their two-favorite-books-of-all-time with, which is better than getting a new paperback to flip through.

My question is: what were these two technical manuals which impressed these fictional characters so much?

I hope I haven't asked this before, around here..


message 564: by 'Aussie Rick', Moderator (last edited May 12, 2015 01:34PM) (new)

'Aussie Rick' (aussierick) | 19986 comments That's a good one Feliks, if I still had my W.E.B. Griffin novels I'd go check them out to see if I could find the answer but alas they all went in the last book cull :(


message 565: by Gerald (last edited May 19, 2015 02:07PM) (new)

Gerald Churchill | 435 comments I am looking for a book on resident aliens in other countries or naturalized citizens of other countries (for example, a naturalized American from Italy or an Italian resident alien in the United States) who found themselves in their countries of origin when those countries entered World War II and who were drafted into those countries' armed forces. Any ideas?


message 566: by 'Aussie Rick', Moderator (new)

'Aussie Rick' (aussierick) | 19986 comments Interesting subject matter Gerald, I hope you find some books of interest on the subject and a few recommendations from some of the group members.


message 567: by Jerome (new)

Jerome Otte | 808 comments Here's some:

Just Americans How Japanese Americans Won a War at Home and Abroad by Robert Asahina
Rising Sons The Japanese American GIs Who Fought for the United States in World War II by Bill Yenne
Going for Broke Japanese American Soldiers in the War against Nazi Germany by James M. McCaffrey
Go for Broke The Nisei Warriors of World War II Who Conquered Germany, Japan, and American Bigotry by C. Douglas Sterner
UnCivil Liberties Italian Americans Under Siege during World War II by Stephen Fox


message 568: by Gerald (new)

Gerald Churchill | 435 comments Jerome wrote: "Here's some:

Just Americans How Japanese Americans Won a War at Home and Abroad by Robert Asahina
[bookcover:Rising Sons: The Japanese American GIs Who Fought for the United States in World War ..."


Thanks, Jerome.


message 569: by Gerald (new)

Gerald Churchill | 435 comments 'Aussie Rick' wrote: "Interesting subject matter Gerald, I hope you find some books of interest on the subject and a few recommendations from some of the group members."

Thanks, Rick. The subject came to mind because I am reading a book on the Battle of Camp Matapan in 1941. When sailors from the British destroyer Jervis rescued an Italian sailor, the latter bellowed in an unmistakably American accent, "I'm f------ fed up with this war!" He was a resident alien in the United States who happened to be visiting his family when Italy declared war on Great Britain in June 1940. Of course, he received an invitation to join Il Duce's armed forces.


message 570: by 'Aussie Rick', Moderator (new)

'Aussie Rick' (aussierick) | 19986 comments That's a great story Gerald. I read something similar in a book recently covering the war in the desert when some Australians captured a number of Italian soldiers and one of the prisoners yelled out to one of the diggers by name. The Italian use to live and work in the same small town in Victoria and use to cut his hair.


message 571: by Gerald (new)

Gerald Churchill | 435 comments I cannot get the story told in Antony Beevor's "The Second World War" out of my head. A Korean was drafted by the Imperial Japanese Army, captured by the Soviets during the Manchurian border fighting in 1938, and thrown into the Gulag. The Soviets press ganged him into the Red Army, and he was captured at Kharkov in 1943. The Wehrmacht then press ganged him and sent him to Normandy, where he was captured. He was imprisoned in camps in Great Britain and the United States and was allowed to stay in the U.S. when he was freed in 1947. He married and fathered three daughters who did not know of his adventures when he died in 1993. They found out only when a journalist at work on a story contacted them and gave them more information then he or she got from them.

And to think that all that the poor b------ probably ever wanted was to be left alone.


message 572: by 'Aussie Rick', Moderator (new)

'Aussie Rick' (aussierick) | 19986 comments Another great story Gerald! That's the one WW2 book of Beevor's I haven't read yet. I better try and make some room for it soon by the sounds of it!


message 573: by Gerald (new)

Gerald Churchill | 435 comments 'Aussie Rick' wrote: "Another great story Gerald! That's the one WW2 book of Beevor's I haven't read yet. I better try and make some room for it soon by the sounds of it!"

The book is a good one, and I recommend it. In the 1930s and 40s, the United States had many more "off the boat" Germans, Italians, and Japanese than it has now, and I suspect that a number of them found themselves in the same situation that our sailor friend did. When you look at immigration and travel worldwide, you can see how a lot of people who had made their lives in other countries and just happened to be visiting their countries of origin when the latter became engulfed in the war got more than they expected from a trip home.


message 574: by Dimitri (new)

Dimitri | 1413 comments Gerald wrote: "I cannot get the story told in Antony Beevor's "The Second World War" out of my head. A Korean was drafted by the Imperial Japanese Army, captured by the Soviets during the Manchurian border fighti..."

There's a good movie about this :

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1606384/


message 575: by Dimitri (new)

Dimitri | 1413 comments Gerald wrote: "I am looking for a book on resident aliens in other countries or naturalized citizens of other countries (for example, a naturalized American from Italy or an Italian resident alien in the United S..."

are you also interested in the internment of the nisei ?


message 576: by Colin (last edited May 20, 2015 07:15AM) (new)

Colin Heaton (colin1962) | 2011 comments My friend Harald Bauer was born in NY to an American mother, German diplomatic father. When the family returned to Germany before reassignment, the war started. Harald was a 15 year old flak gunner, who then became a 16 year old He-162 Volksjaeger jet pilot, ferrying planes to JG-1 under another old friend, Col. Herbert Ihlefeld. He was shot down by a Mustang, wounded, captured, placed in a US field hospital, and then reunited with his parents, and came back to America. He is still alive living in California.


message 577: by Gerald (new)

Gerald Churchill | 435 comments Dimitri wrote: "Gerald wrote: "I am looking for a book on resident aliens in other countries or naturalized citizens of other countries (for example, a naturalized American from Italy or an Italian resident alien ..."

Yes, but not in this instance. The Nisei were American citizens. Colin's example is in my ballpark.


message 578: by carl (new)

carl  theaker | 1560 comments Gerald wrote: " And to think that all that the poor b------ probably ever wanted was to be left alone. "

no kidding! talk about the full tour !


message 580: by Gerald (new)

Gerald Churchill | 435 comments 'Aussie Rick' wrote: "This book may interest you Gerald:


Panzer Gunner From My Native Canada to the German Osfront and Back In Action with 25th Panzer Regiment, 7th Panzer Division 1944-45 by Bruno Friesen[book:P..."


It looks interesting, Rick. I will give it a read.


message 581: by Robert (new)

Robert Walker | 52 comments Gerald wrote: "I cannot get the story told in Antony Beevor's "The Second World War" out of my head. A Korean was drafted by the Imperial Japanese Army, captured by the Soviets during the Manchurian border fighti..."

A very lucky man.


message 582: by Colin (new)

Colin Heaton (colin1962) | 2011 comments See the film Europa! Europa!


message 583: by Gerald (new)

Gerald Churchill | 435 comments Colin wrote: "See the film Europa! Europa!"

Colin, I saw that film and loved it. It is marvelous.

In the mid 1990s, I attended graduate school at the University of Maryland College Park. A speakers' bureau on campus had engaged Solomon Perel, who wrote the memoir that the film is based on. I could not wait to attend until I realized that I had class the night of Perel's talk. An ongoing disappointment!


message 584: by Jerome (new)

Jerome Otte | 808 comments Would anyone know of a general history of the Balkan theater, or any of the relevant campaigns there (particularly Greece)?


message 585: by 'Aussie Rick', Moderator (new)

'Aussie Rick' (aussierick) | 19986 comments This one off the top of my head Jerome but its from an Australian perspective:


Forgotten Anzacs The Campaign in Greece, 1941 by Peter Ewer Forgotten Anzacs: The Campaign in Greece, 1941 by Peter Ewer


message 586: by Jerome (new)

Jerome Otte | 808 comments That looks quite good anyway, thanks, Rick.


message 587: by 'Aussie Rick', Moderator (new)

'Aussie Rick' (aussierick) | 19986 comments My pleasure :)


message 588: by carl (new)

carl  theaker | 1560 comments Colin wrote: "See the film Europa! Europa!"

oh yeah a good one !


message 589: by Superangela (new)

Superangela | 14 comments Guys I saw a documentary during the weekend on the aftermath of WW2 and how Germans living in Poland and other countries were thrown out and their possessions taken...does anyone know of a book about it? Thank you!


message 590: by Manray9 (last edited May 26, 2015 07:36AM) (new)

Manray9 | 4785 comments Superangela wrote: "Guys I saw a documentary during the weekend on the aftermath of WW2 and how Germans living in Poland and other countries were thrown out and their possessions taken...does anyone know of a book abo..."

Here are three on the subject:

1945 The War That Never Ended by Gregor Dallas 1945: The War That Never Ended by Gregor Dallas

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

Bloodlands Europe Between Hitler and Stalin  by Timothy Snyder Bloodlands: Europe Between Hitler and Stalin by Timothy Snyder


message 591: by Superangela (new)

Superangela | 14 comments Manray9 wrote: "Superangela wrote: "Guys I saw a documentary during the weekend on the aftermath of WW2 and how Germans living in Poland and other countries were thrown out and their possessions taken...does anyon..."

Thanks!!!!


message 592: by Gerald (new)

Gerald Churchill | 435 comments Manray9 wrote: "Superangela wrote: "Guys I saw a documentary during the weekend on the aftermath of WW2 and how Germans living in Poland and other countries were thrown out and their possessions taken...does anyon..."

I have just started Iron Curtain : The Crushing of Eastern Europe, 1945-1956, and I recommend it.


message 593: by Superangela (new)

Superangela | 14 comments Gerald wrote: "Manray9 wrote: "Superangela wrote: "Guys I saw a documentary during the weekend on the aftermath of WW2 and how Germans living in Poland and other countries were thrown out and their possessions ta..."

Thanks, I have just ordered it on my kindle :) That one and the bloodlands (real book)1945 I need to order it from the US :)


message 594: by Colin (new)

Colin Heaton (colin1962) | 2011 comments That happened to many, including my late friend, Luftwaffe ace fighter pilot Walter Krupinski, whose family property was taken by the communists. He managed to go back in 1992, and in his old house his mother's sewing machine was still there being used.


message 595: by Superangela (new)

Superangela | 14 comments Colin wrote: "That happened to many, including my late friend, Luftwaffe ace fighter pilot Walter Krupinski, whose family property was taken by the communists. He managed to go back in 1992, and in his old house..."

O.O wow, what a story


message 596: by 'Aussie Rick', Moderator (new)

'Aussie Rick' (aussierick) | 19986 comments Superangela wrote: "Guys I saw a documentary during the weekend on the aftermath of WW2 and how Germans living in Poland and other countries were thrown out and their possessions taken...does anyone know of a book abo..."

One more book on the subject:

Savage Continent Europe in the Aftermath of World War II by Keith Lowe Savage Continent: Europe in the Aftermath of World War II by Keith Lowe


message 597: by Manray9 (new)

Manray9 | 4785 comments 'Aussie Rick' wrote: "Superangela wrote: "Guys I saw a documentary during the weekend on the aftermath of WW2 and how Germans living in Poland and other countries were thrown out and their possessions taken...does anyon..."

AR: I have a copy too, still unread.


message 598: by 'Aussie Rick', Moderator (new)

'Aussie Rick' (aussierick) | 19986 comments Same here Manray9! :)


message 599: by Superangela (new)

Superangela | 14 comments Great, thanks guys I think I ordered that one too Aussie Rick :)


message 600: by 'Aussie Rick', Moderator (new)

'Aussie Rick' (aussierick) | 19986 comments Well done! :)


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