THE WORLD WAR TWO GROUP discussion
BOOK DISCUSSIONS
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I'm Looking for a Book on........
Oh I could use this topic... I'm wondering if anyone knows any good books on the battle of the bulge?
Quite a number of good books on the subject Ashley, here are just a few suggestions:
by John Willard Toland
by John S.D. Eisenhower
by Charles B. MacDonald
by Danny S. ParkerAviation account:
by Danny ParkerIn depth guide and History:
by Jean-Paul PalludAnd a new book on Malmedy:
by Danny Sherrill Parker
Hello,I had the oppurtunity to witness this event yesterday:
http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/d...
It was very impressive, and I'd like to learn more about it. I located a book on this site by
Glines Carroll V.
titled
The Doolittle Raid
and was wondering if anyone has read it, and if you have additional recommendation on the subject.
Thanks.
message 5:
by
Geevee, Assisting Moderator British & Commonwealth Forces
(last edited Apr 19, 2012 12:18PM)
(new)
Ashley wrote: "Oh I could use this topic... I'm wondering if anyone knows any good books on the battle of the bulge?"Ashley added to Rick's excellent suggestions if you can get hold of these they are good books and great for touring the sites.
and
by Mike Tolhurst
Jerry wrote: "Hello,I had the oppurtunity to witness this event yesterday:
http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/d...
It was very impressi..."
Jerry I've not read it and I wondered about this for you
by James Harold Doolittle
neato, would have loved to have seen that!Jerry wrote: "Hello,
I had the oppurtunity to witness this event yesterday:
http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/d...
It was very impressi..."
I've moved a request from another thread to here on behalf of Wade:"Wow--that Italian campaign was a brutal meat- grinder for the Allies and a brilliant defensive stratagy by FieldMarschall Kesselring& the Wehrmact--eh? What a slug in the mud that turned out to be.That was some tough sledding and it also can be some tough reading also..That Kesselring was a pretty versitile individual..any good recommends. on the FieldMarschal?"
Hi all!I'm looking for a book on...American women in the military in WWII! My friend and I want to know more about the subject and we've got a whole lot of acronyms (WAVES, WASPS, WAC etc) and no idea where to start. Any recommendations for us? We were hoping to hear some stories on women closer to battle, but we're really so new to the topic that we'll take basically anything.
Thank you!
These are two I'd recommend: one about US nurses and the other British.
by Kathi Jackson
by Nicola Tyrer
Hey Camden,I have the following books on my shelf that you might be interested in. Unfortunately I haven't had a chance to read them yet.
On my wishlist I also have these books:
And Red Sky, Black Death: A Soviet Woman Pilot's Memoir of the Eastern Front
camden k. wrote: "These books look so interesting, I can't wait to read them. Thank you all!"Good to hear you found a few interesting titles and thanks to those members who posted details covering the subject :)
Hi,am looking for books about
a, 20 July Plot against Hitler
b, Erwin Rommel
c, tank war in Kursk
Thanks!
Morgiana I've not read this but it has very good reviews:
by Roger MoorhouseThis book about Claus Stauffenberg is on my TBR and has been well received:
by Peter HoffmannHope these help.
Good recommendations Geevee! There is also this one on the plot to kill Hitler:
by
Philipp Freiherr Von Boeselager(I put in the author's photo as it looked pretty cool)
A very good book on Rommel that I would recommend is:
by David FraserA decent general history with lots of first-hand accounts covering Kursk is:
by Lloyd ClarkOr a detailed combat analysis is:
by David M. Glantz
Im looking for books written by merchant seaman who served on the convoys with a particular interest in the Malta convoys. I've already readLife Aboard A Wartime Liberty Ship
and
Convoy: Merchant Sailors At War, 1939 1945
Caroline,Peter C Smith's books are good so I'd recommend:
and HMS Wild Swan: One Destroyer's War 1939-42 This is well regarded Malta Convoys, 1940-1943 by Richard Woodman
as is this Red duster, white ensign: the story of Malta and the Malta convoys by Ian Cameron
I have this too and it is excellent
The Red Duster At War: A History Of The Merchant Navy During The Second World War by J. M Slader
If you want an official view too Stephen Roskill's four volume The War at Sea is excellent. Volume II covers the Malta convoys including Operation Pedestal. They are very readable despite being detailed and as such will not discuss individuals outside commanders in detail.
All four volumes are listed on this page and you can read the first two volumes from here too: http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/UN/UK...
Hope this helps.
I see where Mr. A. Beevor has a new book "The Second World War"...i am familiar as ,are many in our group, with his previous works.. i wonder if anyone has read this....are there any recommend. for one or two volume works covering the entire Second World War? That's a lot of material for one book,, i'm not being critical,just factual....i would like to perhaps try such a book,, thanks group.
Hi Wade, being a fan of Mr Beevor's books I have a copy of this new book on order and I'm looking forward to it. Recently we have seen a number of good author's publishing one volume accounts of WW2:
by Max Hastings(to be read as a group book in July)
by Gordon CorriganSo there are three decent books covering the subject. You could follow the discussion on Max Hastings book next month or even join in the read :)
Wade I would add to the ones mentioned above this excellent volume by a very good author
by Andrew Roberts
Hello everyone, I'm interested in some books regarding the economical background for the Allied and Axis powers during WWII. For example, what and when did the Axis powers lack in resources (metals, minerals, other raw materials) compared to the Allied powers, how did the production figures compare, in quantities and qualitative aspect (total numbers produced, type of models (tanks, aircraft and so on)).Thanks in advance!
Hi Bou, I have not read this book but it comes highly recommended and I think will answer most of your questions:
by Richard OveryDescription:
Richard Overy's bold book begins by throwing out the stock answers to this great question: Germany doomed itself to defeat by fighting a two-front war; the Allies won by "sheer weight of material strength." In fact, by 1942 Germany controlled almost the entire resources of continental Europe and was poised to move into the Middle East. The Soviet Union had lost the heart of its industry, and the United States was not yet armed.
The Allied victory in 1945 was not inevitable. Overy shows us exactly how the Allies regained military superiority and why they were able to do it. He recounts the decisive campaigns: the war at sea, the crucial battles on the eastern front, the air war, and the vast amphibious assault on Europe. He then explores the deeper factors affecting military success and failure: industrial strength, fighting ability, the quality of leadership, and the moral dimensions of the war.
Reviews:
"In The Road to War (1990), Overy plumbed the origins of WWII. Here, he examines the reasons for the war's outcome, challenging two pieces of conventional wisdom: that the Axis overextended itself by taking on the U.S., Britain and the Soviet Union, and that the Allied victory was due to material strength only. Instead, Overy contends that the Allies' triumph depended on the exponential improvement of an initially inferior military capacity, as well as on moral fiber. The Allies, he argues convincingly, turned economic potential into fighting power, exploiting modernity by integrating technology and logistics into a comprehensive war effort that was sustained by moral force. Combining telling detail and wide scope, the author shows that, ultimately, the governments and peoples of the Allied Grand Coalition triumphed because they acted on the understanding that WWII was a life-and-death struggle for fundamental values." - Publishers Weekly
"Having won an unprecedented series of victories and acquired huge new territories in 1942, Germany and Japan seemed poised to dominate most of the world. A year later both empires were reeling back in the face of Allied assaults. The rapid turnaround, King's College history professor Richard Overy writes, came about largely as a result of technological innovation and structural responsiveness. The Allies were able to convert their economies to a war footing with few institutional fetters, while the Axis powers imposed layers of bureaucracy that often competed internally. In fact, Overy writes, at one point during the war, the Luftwaffe had more than 425 different aircraft models in production, the result of different state agencies' and manufacturers' vying to push their models into the order of battle. The defeated Axis powers' conversion to their foes' economic model enabled them, according to Overy, to become technological leaders in the postwar years. His study is full of detail, and it makes for very good reading." - Amazon.com review
message 32:
by
Geevee, Assisting Moderator British & Commonwealth Forces
(last edited Jul 01, 2012 02:02PM)
(new)
Hi Bou,One on my TBR and may offer some insight and I'd suspect a bibliography that could help you:
by Adam ToozeAlso the British official histories are very helpful on figures. Most of the titles are not listed on Goodreads so have added this link where you can see the titles. Two volumes are available to read - British War Economy and British War Production - and should be a help too: http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/UN/UK...
Bou wrote: "Hello everyone, I'm interested in some books regarding the economical background for the Allied and Axis powers during WWII. For example, what and when did the Axis powers lack in resources (metals..."Aussie Rick's suggestion is a good one, Bou. I've read 'Why The Allies Won' and it deals with the economics of the war, amongst other reasons for the Allies victory. Very good book. But if you want really detailed economic data then Geevee's will give them to you, The US Strategic Bombing Survey will provide you with REALLY detailed info - e.g the effects of raids on the BMW works Munich - 77 pages of it. Best of luck!
http://wwiiarchives.net/servlet/docum...
Regards
Geevee wrote: "Hi Bou,One on my TBR and may offer some insight and I'd suspect a bibliography that could help you:
[bookcover:The Wages of Destruction: The Making and Breaking of the Nazi Economy] by Adam Tooze..."
Some great info Geevee and thanks for the link. I've just ordered a copy of
after reading some rave reviews.
Hi Aussie Rick, Geevee and Ian for your reccomendations. The two books are enough to get a more than decent start in this topic, thanks for your advice! Also Geevee and Ian your links to the detailed online information was more than I could have wished for, many thanks! Regards, Bou
Oooh, tough subject. I know of a few books covering aspects of the recapture of the Philippines but not the whole campaign. I have copies of these two books that may interest you (I am yet to read them):
by Richard Connaughton
by B. David Mann
I'm looking for a book about Denmark during WWII(even though they claimed neutrality, they fell to the Germans in 1940...), and a book about Vichy France. These are two topics that have interested me, and I would like to know more.Thank you!
These look promising, Mackenzie.Denmark:
by Ellen Levine
by Michael Burgan
by David LampeVichy France:
by Kenneth N. Waltz
by John Sweets
by Julian Jackson
Morgiana wrote: "Hi,am looking for books about
a, 20 July Plot against Hitler
b, Erwin Rommel
c, tank war in Kursk
Thanks!"
Boeselager's book disappointed me. Personally, I think these books are better sources for Valkyrie:
by Hans Gisevius
by Michael Baigent
by Ian Kershaw
by William L. ShirerThe Nazis by Robert Edwin Herzstein
Jerome wrote: "These look promising, Mackenzie.Denmark:
[bookcover:Darkness Over Denmark: The Danish Resistance and the Rescue of the Jews] by Ellen Levine
[bookcover:Refusing to Crumble: The Danish Resistanc..."
Thank you so much, Jerome! I truly appreciate your help!
Great suggestions Jerome, well done and thanks for helping out MacKenzie & Morgiana. One more book to consider in regards to Vichy France:
by Colin Smith
Mackenzie wrote: "I'm looking for a book about Denmark during WWII(even though they claimed neutrality, they fell to the Germans in 1940...), and a book about Vichy France. These are two topics that have interested ..."Hi Mackenzie not wholly about Vichy but a fine biography of the main protagonist:
by Charles (Lord Williams of Elvel) Williams
Good recommendation Geevee, I have read the same book but different cover, had me a tad confused for a sec!
by Charles Cuthbert Powell Williams
Rick this is the one I read but couldn't see it whilst searching. I'm of to correct my own shelf thanks.
Books mentioned in this topic
Soldier Dead: How We Recover, Identify, Bury, and Honor Our Military Fallen (other topics)War on the Eastern Front: The German Soldier in Russia, 1941–1945 (other topics)
Blood Red Snow: The Memoirs of a German Soldier on the Eastern Front (other topics)
Eastern Front Combat: The German Soldier in Battle from Stalingrad to Berlin (other topics)
The Virtuous Wehrmacht: Crafting the Myth of the German Soldier on the Eastern Front, 1941-1944 (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Mike (Michael) Sledge (other topics)James Sidney Lucas (other topics)
Günter K. Koschorrek (other topics)
Hans Wijers (other topics)
David A. Harrisville (other topics)
More...




Members can request information of any book, subject, battle, commander or weapon that they are looking for information on and hopefully someone can post some details here.