Best WW1 / WW2 books?

.22LRGUY

.22LRGUY

CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Rating - 100%
178   0   1
Location
Ontario
Hey guys~I don't consider myself a "reader", meaning, I find it difficult to stick with books unless they grab me quick. lol I've really enjoyed books about snipers like Carlos Hathcock, I've read American Sniper...Jody Mitic's story (slow read/got through it)...but it's WW1/WW2 stuff I find most intriguing. Among my favorites was "Generals die in bed". Short book, but gritty..and super thought provoking. Anyhow, a few months ago...I had a PM or email exchange with someone who recommended a few books, but for the life of me...I can't find that info. Rather than keep guessing/looking, I'm wondering if any of you would recommend something I should consider? More interested in the personal experience/first hand account than a history book that simply outlines what happened, when/where, etc. I like those too, but in small doses.

Modern military stories are good too, I've read most of Romeo Dallaire's "Shake hands with the devil" (as an example)...but the length, and seriously tragic nature of his story is a little heavy duty. Maybe my preference for WW1/WW2 stories has to do with the passage of time, wars that ended decades after I was born, whatever. Don't take that the wrong way, all war is tragic...but it's the personal experience I'm interested in, and I'm intrigued by that time period.

Anyhow, if you're willing to share...or know a book I should consider~I'd love to hear which ones, and why you think they're a good fit.

thanks for taking a moment to respond,
Rob

As an aside, my great uncle Leo was a MUAG (Mid upper Air gunner) in a Lancaster during WW2, and while I'm not drawn to aviation stuff...I'd sincerely like to read some accounts of what that experience was like. I remember meeting him a number of times, a sweet...quiet, small-statured man. I only learned about his service after he passed. (I was young at the time)
 
You could try Enemy at the Gates by Vassili Zaitsev, or Sniper on the Eastern Front - the Memoirs of Sepp Allerberger, for real-life experiences on the hell that was the Eastern Front in WWII.

I've read both and can say they're both a gripping read.
 
Are you looking for histories or personal accounts? I recently read Somme Mud, the autobiography of an Australian soldier in WWI. Highly recommended if you want to see the war through 1 soldier’s eyes.
 
Panzer Aces and Panzer Aces 2, Battle Stories of German Tank Commanders of WW2

I found the first person combat accounts to be gripping, particularly the ones from the Eastern Front.

I highly recommend the memoirs of General Heinz Guderian, "Panzer Leader". Also the memoirs of Albert Speer. Both very heavy reads but well worth it for the insight of their personal stories. Their interactions with Hitler and their opinions of him are incredible to read, makes history more than just names, dates and dry statistics.

Generals Die In Bed is a must read for any Canadian WW1 history buff.
 
"There's a Devil in the Drum" John Lucy, British Army - Fought from 1914 to 1917
"Poilu " Louis Barthas, French Army for the duration.
"Storm of Steel" Ernst Junger, German Army, 1915-1918.
"In the Trenches" Glenn Iriam, Canadian Army 1914-1918
 
I have about 3,000 books on all things military.
Some of the sniper books are good, I probably have 35 or 40 on the firearms and the men.
I like detailed books on bayonets, small arms, armor and artillery.
Chapters is a great place to get books at a good price, sometimes cheaper than the local second hand book store.
 
shredder said:
You could try Enemy at the Gates by Vassili Zaitsev, or Sniper on the Eastern Front - the Memoirs of Sepp Allerberger, for real-life experiences on the hell that was the Eastern Front in WWII.

I've read both and can say they're both a gripping read.
Click to expand...

Sniper on the Eastern Front is my favorite. You cannot stop from reading this amazing story.
 
Sniper on the Eastern Front and "Enemy at the gates" are fictional stories based on real stories.

Authors talked to real veterans and then reinvented the story to be fast paced and gritty with drama and explosions, just to make money.

"Forgotten Soldier" and "With the old breed" are real memoirs. Although some claim Forgotten Soldier was sensationalized too. A bit.

"A bridge too far" is pretty good too.
 
The Pharmacist of Auschwitz is one I've read recently, I also found Ordinary Men to be utterly fascinating, Left to Die: The Tragedy of the USS Juneau is another one off the top of my head that I've enjoyed. Most of the time I find the soldier stories to read pretty much the same.
 
If you are looking for something with a RCAF WWII slant try to find "A Thousand Shall Fall" by Murray Peden. Read it years ago. Have not forgotten.
Time to read it again.
 
battleship at war the story of the uss washington.great WWII book with life aboard that battleship from people who were on it.
it saw action around guadalcanal(sp?) at ironbottom sound(the slot)
 
Start with the series of books by Mark Zuehlke.

Thoroughly researched an documented. I believe there are ten in the series. I've read half of them. Like being there, with many first hand accounts of the fighting.

There is no scenario you can imagine about the horrors and atrocities of war that hasn't happened or will not happen again. I used to think that some of the stuff in war movies was totally unrealistic and could never happen. Selfless heroism, cowardice under fire, willful cruelty and barbarism, senseless slaughter of good men through incompetence, poor intelligence and even worse leadership from those charged with responsibility for conducting the war.

For example - The Dieppe Raid which should be taught in military academies as a worst possible scenario, doomed to failure from the get go. Montgomery and Mountbatten should have been tried for criminal stupidity resulting in the deaths of many good men.
 
The books that started me include "Forgotten Soldier" by Guy Sajer and the 1970s broadcast of "All Quiet on the Western Front" with John-Boy Walton and Earnest Borgnine.

For what it's worth, find a subject and buy all the titles around it. I have a couple dozen books on Rhodesia. I am forever learning new things.
 
For WWI I recommend a podcast actually: Blueprint for Armageddon by Dan Carlin of Hardcore History fame. It's great not only on its own but Dan did a ton of research and he names his sources during the course of the podcasts (6 episodes with a total running time of maybe 12 hours or so). I started a list a few years ago but I've misplaced it. I know "Storm of Steel" by Ernst Junger (mentioned above by mike rock) was on it for sure and I'm always on the lookout for an old copy of "Now it can be told" by Philip Gibbs. I've read "The First World War" by John Keegan and it's a good general starting point, although my preference is leaning towards books written closer to the events.
 
Last edited:
You said your great uncle flew with Bomber Command during WWII. If you want to read a gripping autobiographical book about Bomber Command, pick up a copy of "A Thousand Shall Fall" by Canadian Murray Peden. I've read it numerous times and still love it.

Another book I've read more than once is "Once An Eagle" by Anton Meyer. It is fictional, but it is so well written you can smell the cordite and the coppery stink of dead men's blood during the battle scenes - Anton Meyer was a US Marine who fought in all the key battles of the Pacific war, so he comes by his narrative honestly. It covers war from the US perspective and spans all conflicts from Pancho Villa to Vietnam. It is a also very good dissertation on the conflict between good and evil, especially with respect command responsibility and the perversion of ambition within the US Army officer corps.

There's two goodies to get you started.

Cheers

Jim
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom