Author Topic: Who's Your Favorite Military History Author (Read 816 times)

Seeker · « **Reply #15 on:** April 13, 2002, 12:49:45 PM »

Erik Maria Ramarque (SP?)

Wilfred Owens

Siegfried Sasson

T.E. Lawrence

Sven Hassel

Mathman · « **Reply #16 on:** April 15, 2002, 05:10:01 PM »

I like Eric Hammel's accounts of the war in the Pacific.

Aces Against Japan 1 & 2

Carrier Strike

Carrier Battle (not sure if that is the title or not, but it is very similar)

The last two are very readable, informative, and accurate books on the Battle of the Eastern Solomons and the Battle of Santa Cruz. Both are somewhat forgotten CV battles, being overshadowed by the historical Coral Sea Battle, the improbable victory at Midway, and the Marianas Turkey Shoot.

-math

Masherbrum · « **Reply #17 on:** April 18, 2002, 10:21:50 AM »

Keegan and Ambrose are my givens. But I also like B. H. Lidell Hart - a la "Rommel Papers" & The history of the Second World War.

Jay

Kevin14 · « **Reply #18 on:** April 29, 2002, 04:31:25 PM »

I like Ambrose, and for flying books I though Edward H. Simms is very good, you might wanna check out Simms

KG45 · « **Reply #19 on:** May 01, 2002, 03:23:07 PM »

Surprise noone has mentioned Bruce Catton, Civil War historian. No author I ever read so seamlessly explained the ins and out of any war as well as he.

julle · « **Reply #20 on:** May 03, 2002, 05:26:55 AM »

Pierre Clostermann http://user.tninet.se/~ytm843e/closterm.htm

And all FAF/LW pilots biographs...

greentail · « **Reply #21 on:** May 05, 2002, 05:15:59 PM »

Herodotus. Livy's history of the Punic Wars also very good.

Curval · « **Reply #22 on:** May 20, 2002, 11:58:03 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by Seeker

Sven Hassel

lol...hey I read 'em all man.

Porta was my favourite character...

Was Sven Hassel for real though? I have heard that his books were pure fiction, others claim he was a real guy who fought in a penal regiment as wriiten in the books.

Anyone know the facts?

whgates3 · « **Reply #23 on:** May 22, 2002, 02:29:52 PM »

the best history is written by the people who were there - i'll take an autobiography (Clo-Clo's was great) over a historian's book anyday

Sikboy · « **Reply #24 on:** May 22, 2002, 02:37:42 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by whgates3
the best history is written by the people who were there - i'll take an autobiography (Clo-Clo's was great) over a historian's book anyday

I dissagree
Seriously, if you ask me about my time in the Navy, I'll tell you some great stories, but you'll probably want to look at my service record to get the stories right

-Sikboy

whgates3 · « **Reply #25 on:** May 24, 2002, 03:16:58 PM »

Ja, no doubt - read Yeager's autobio just after Bud Anderson's (cebudanderson.com) and noticed some conflicts - i guess i find someone bending the truth due to good `ol fasioned honest egotism easier to stomach rather than someone who wasn't there & has a political axe (hachet, maul, wedge, pulaski...) to grind....although i'd prefer to read the truth, but i'd wager your navy stories are a better read than your service record

funkedup · « **Reply #26 on:** May 29, 2002, 02:17:41 PM »

Keegan
Cornelius Ryan

Guppy35 · « **Reply #27 on:** May 30, 2002, 01:27:18 PM »

Cornelius Ryan was the one who hooked me early on. Longest Day, Last Battle, Bridge Too Far. All must haves. Really humanized things instead of just the facts.

Took a while for Ambrose to grow on me, then he blew it with that sorry effort and the 'borrowing' of text from other authors. Wild Blue was a dud.

Roger Freeman-His 8th AF stuff is tops

Edward Joblonski-Flying Fortress-speaks for itself.

Steve Birdsall-Flying Buccaneers, Log of the Liberators etc. Great stuff.

John Stanaway-Kearby's Thunderbolts, Possum Clover & Hades, Attack & Conquer, etc etc. You want to know 38s in combat, he's the guy.

Alfred Price-Too many to list.

Martin Middlebrook-His book on the Nuremburg Raid is one of the very best.

Bruce Robertson-Kinda forgotten now, but one of the greats. Heinz Narrowa is another in this group.

Jeez the list is long and could be a lot longer

BTW Seeker? You forgot Robert Graves, Issac Rosenberg and Edmund Blunden on your list of WW1 Poets

Dan

funkedup · « **Reply #28 on:** May 30, 2002, 02:10:07 PM »

I forgot to add one of our own: Eric Bergerud.
He is a fine writer and a pretty good AH pilot too.

I don't know if Tony Williams flies here but his book on automatic cannon is superb.

Tabasco · « **Reply #29 on:** June 01, 2002, 12:17:43 PM »

My favorite is Edward Jablonski for his 4-volume "Airwar", a very comprehensive history of airpower in WWII. It contains some riveting accounts of air battles from every theater.

And, as Guppy35 mentioned, "Flying Fortress" was very good as well.