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Author Topic: Whats the best WW2 non-fiction book you've read ??  (Read 1639 times)

Offline Sparks

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Whats the best WW2 non-fiction book you've read ??
« on: September 02, 2002, 04:49:57 PM »
I've just finished "Dead Engine Kids" by John Welch and found that fascinating - a diary mostly of a ball turret gunner in 17's over here in UK with 457th bomb group in late 44.

Just started "Low Attack" - personal accounts of raids carried out by Mossies of 105 and 139 Squadrons during 43 onwards - a good read with some mind blowing photos e.g. a bomb going through the roof of a factory 20ft from a rooftop ack postion.

Got "Typhoon Pilot" and "Diary of a Halifax Bomber" to get through yet.

Wondering what anyone else can recommend.

Sparks
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Offline Curval

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Whats the best WW2 non-fiction book you've read ??
« Reply #1 on: September 02, 2002, 05:25:09 PM »
Stalingrad - Anthony Beevor.
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Offline Aaron

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Whats the best WW2 non-fiction book you've read ??
« Reply #2 on: September 02, 2002, 05:47:42 PM »
Terror in the Starboard Seat by Dave McIntosh

It's about a Mosquito navigator.
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Offline deSelys

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Whats the best WW2 non-fiction book you've read ??
« Reply #3 on: September 02, 2002, 05:51:08 PM »
Without any doubt, 'Enemy Coast Ahead' by Guy Gibson.
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Offline XNachoX

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Whats the best WW2 non-fiction book you've read ??
« Reply #4 on: September 02, 2002, 06:02:25 PM »
Subaro Sakai's biography.
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Offline airspro

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Whats the best WW2 non-fiction book you've read ??
« Reply #5 on: September 02, 2002, 06:12:20 PM »
Tail of a Geanea Pig
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Offline -tronski-

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Whats the best WW2 non-fiction book you've read ??
« Reply #6 on: September 02, 2002, 06:17:16 PM »
Battle of the Atlantic by Andrew Williams

Blood, Tears and Folly by Len Deighton

The Spirit of Kokoda  by Patrick Lindsay

WW1:

Gallipoli by Les Carlyon

Tronsky
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Offline ZOSO

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Whats the best WW2 non-fiction book you've read ??
« Reply #7 on: September 02, 2002, 07:24:22 PM »
Forgotten Soldier -  Guy Sajer
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Offline Swager

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Whats the best WW2 non-fiction book you've read ??
« Reply #8 on: September 02, 2002, 07:25:24 PM »
Chickenhawk

Low Level Hell

A Thousand Shall Fall
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Offline Pongo

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Whats the best WW2 non-fiction book you've read ??
« Reply #9 on: September 02, 2002, 07:36:23 PM »
"Brute Force" John Ellis
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Offline eskimo2

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Whats the best WW2 non-fiction book you've read ??
« Reply #10 on: September 02, 2002, 07:42:25 PM »
Reach for the Sky - Douglas Bader

Fly for Your Life - Robert Tuck

I may have swapped the tittles with the subjects here..?

eskimo
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Offline Sparks

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Whats the best WW2 non-fiction book you've read ??
« Reply #11 on: September 02, 2002, 07:54:34 PM »
Wow - great list to go for

Aaron - I'll definitely look that one out.

DeSelys - just missed a copy of that this weekend - I help out once a month with a rare and secondhand avaition bookstall at an airshow and someone got it before I saw it - pristine first edition too :(

Swager - any authors for those ??

Anyone know the "definitive book on Galland?

Sparks
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Offline eskimo2

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Whats the best WW2 non-fiction book you've read ??
« Reply #12 on: September 02, 2002, 08:35:41 PM »
Quote
Originally posted by Sparks
Wow - great list to go for

Aaron - I'll definitely look that one out.

DeSelys - just missed a copy of that this weekend - I help out once a month with a rare and secondhand avaition bookstall at an airshow and someone got it before I saw it - pristine first edition too :(

Swager - any authors for those ??

Anyone know the "definitive book on Galland?

Sparks


"The First and the Last", I think.

Horridio (sp?) is another great one.

eskimo
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Offline Bonden

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Whats the best WW2 non-fiction book you've read ??
« Reply #13 on: September 02, 2002, 10:07:20 PM »
Try "The Big Show" by Pierre Closterman, if you can find a copy.. Its out of print but still available now and then. Think I got mine from Amazon.com..

Good Luck

Bonden
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Offline GWH

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Whats the best WW2 non-fiction book you've read ??
« Reply #14 on: September 02, 2002, 10:37:27 PM »
Quote
Originally posted by Bonden
Try "The Big Show" by Pierre Closterman, if you can find a copy.. Its out of print but still available now and then. Think I got mine from Amazon.com..

Good Luck

Bonden


I was lucky enough to buy a used 1951 Ballantine reprint of "The Big Show" at an airshow.  It was very interestinging reading from the free French perspective.

"Tempest Pilot" is another good one, IMO.  It's the true story of a Kiwi (the name escapes me now) serving in Europe.  The pilot entered service and rose up to Squadron Leader during the war.  IIRC, he once went pheasant hunting in Germany with Johnnie Johnson in a Storch.  :)

I read "Blond Knight of Germany" but I didn't like it that much.  While I liked reading about Hartmann and the air war over the Eastern Front, some of the people in the bio came off as almost fictional, 2-D characters rather than real human beings.  That, and the slight hints of Cold War propaganda in the book kinda turned me off.

I have been trying to find a good non-fiction book about PBY pilots/squadrons.  I haven't found any yet, but any leads would be appreciated.  :)
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