World War II book recommendations

MetalGearAl · 13-10-2010, 13:25

I've read and enjoyed both Band Of Brothers and The Wild Blue by Stephen E Ambrose, but I'd really like to read similar works that focus on British accounts of WW2 - particularly interested in the RAF, but infantry missions would be good too.

I haven't read many war accounts, but I like Ambrose's style of introducing you various members of the teams, before going into very detailed accounts of the missions they took / flew - are there others written in a similar style?

Saw Last Of The Few advertised recently, any good? Though I think that's more compiled interviews, rather than edited into a narrative like Ambrose's work.

rustybin · 13-10-2010, 13:39

This is absolutely brilliant.... Pegasus Bridge

I've got loads more at home....I'll have a look tonight and post the others (if noone has beaten me to it).

Oh, and EVERYTHING by Antony Beevor - the guy is a genius and his books are amazing.

Stalingrad and Berlin are must reads for anyone with an interest in WW2.

MetalGearAl · 13-10-2010, 13:47

Oh excellent, I didn't realise Ambrose wrote a book focusing on some British troops, fantastic. That's a great start, thanks!

rustybin · 13-10-2010, 17:30

First Light is exactly what you're looking for - superb.

Armageddon is also a fantastic read.

Help · 14-10-2010, 19:19

Pegasus Bridge is quality. I didn't enjoy The Wild Blue that much, seems the weaker of the Ambrose ones. D-Day by Ambrose is good.

Stalingrad is excellent. I have Berlin but not read it yet.

Utmost Savagery is also excellent.
More reviews on Amazon.com

I also have With the Old Breed and Helmet for My Pillow, which are both supposed to be very good (I think I read ages ago that may have had some influence on The Pacific).

Currently reading The Forgotten Soldier which is really good so far. From the perspective of a German soldier on the Eastern Front.

Taq · 14-10-2010, 19:23

"With the Old Breed" and "Helmet for my pillow" - personal accounts of the Pacific war which were used in the series of the same name.
If you read only one I'd rate Old Breed higher

Andrew70 · 15-10-2010, 10:35

Arnhem Lift (diary of a Glider Pilot)

"Re-published with seven new chapters that tell the story from both sides, this is an account of airborne action at Arnhem. The airborne troops who landed at Arnhem in September 1944 suffered appalling casualties in the course of the nine-day battle. Of some 10,000 men who went into action, 1400 were killed and more than 6000 - about a third of them wounded - were captured. British accounts have almost invariably praised the Germans' humane treatment of these prisoners, but had the young Sergeant "Lewis Haig" of the elite Glider Pilot Regiment been captured, his fate would have been different, for "Haig" (Louis Hagen) was of Jewish extraction. He was one of the few who got back, and in 1945 he anonymously published his personal account of the battle. It became a bestseller and was translated into six languages. In 1989 Hagen's interest in the battle was rekindled when he met a former German officer who had fought in it. Consequently this new edition of the book includes the German side of the story."

douglasb · 15-10-2010, 10:44

There's some debate over the veracity of 'Forgotten Soldier' with many people of the opinion it's not a true account. no-one has been able to tie up the stories with the service of a real soldier). YOu can google it (and tell me if I'm thinking of the right book!)

Edit:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Forgotten_Soldier

Interesting to note it's being made into a film by Paul Verhoeven

Help · 15-10-2010, 17:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by douglasb

There's some debate over the veracity of 'Forgotten Soldier' with many people of the opinion it's not a true account. no-one has been able to tie up the stories with the service of a real soldier). YOu can google it (and tell me if I'm thinking of the right book!)

Edit:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Forgotten_Soldier

Interesting to note it's being made into a film by Paul Verhoeven

That's interesting about the authenticity, I'll have a read after I finish the book. Have you read it?

Arnhem Lift sounds good.

Taq · 16-10-2010, 19:03

Are there any good accounts of D-Day including both the US and British efforts? All of the ones I've seen for sale seem to be about one or the other (with lots of neg reviews from Amazon from the ones left out)