Author Topic: Whats the best WW2 non-fiction book you've read ?? (Read 1944 times)

Gryffin · « **Reply #15 on:** September 03, 2002, 01:49:15 AM »

I just finished "Black Sheep: The Definitive Account of Marine Fighting Squadron 214 in World War II" by Bruce D. Gamble

The main things in the book that impressed me were:

1. The unbelievably bad living conditions, with insects and malaria and so on.

2. The ad-hoc way that missions were scheduled. A group of pilots would just grab a few planes and fly off to see if they could find something to shoot at. There are even a few cases where a single pilot would grab a plane and go off to strafe whatever he could find.

3. The ridiculous number of planes that were written off in non combat incidents, like mechanical failures (on any given mission up to 1/4 of the planes would never make it to the target because of mechanical problems), landing accidents and so on. Imagine if this was modelled in AH!

It is hard to imagine modern pilots having ony of these experiences in a war today.

fdiron · « **Reply #16 on:** September 03, 2002, 02:13:52 AM »

Warpath across the Pacific.

Hundreds, maybe thousands of first hand accounts from a B25 squadron in the Pacific. It also has the most SPECTACULAR combat photos you will ever see-Photos of b25s dropping bombs on ships at 100 feet, Zekes scrambling from airfields, b25s exploding in midair, B25s strafing Japanese soldiers, all kinds of combat scenes.

I dont know if those other books are able to describe the danger of combat missions like this book. The photos, combined with the first-hand accounts behind them immerse the reader. At the end of the book, there is a section that list how every B25 was lost and whether or not the crew survived.

Aaron · « **Reply #17 on:** September 03, 2002, 06:42:13 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Gryffin
I just finished "Black Sheep: The Definitive Account of Marine Fighting Squadron 214 in World War II" by Bruce D. Gamble

The main things in the book that impressed me were:

1. The unbelievably bad living conditions, with insects and malaria and so on.

2. The ad-hoc way that missions were scheduled. A group of pilots would just grab a few planes and fly off to see if they could find something to shoot at. There are even a few cases where a single pilot would grab a plane and go off to strafe whatever he could find.

3. The ridiculous number of planes that were written off in non combat incidents, like mechanical failures (on any given mission up to 1/4 of the planes would never make it to the target because of mechanical problems), landing accidents and so on. Imagine if this was modelled in AH!

It is hard to imagine modern pilots having ony of these experiences in a war today.

Ah yes, this reminds me of another excellent book:

Hell Island by Dan McCaffery.

Its all about the air war in Malta, a very good read.

Kratzer · « **Reply #18 on:** September 03, 2002, 06:56:18 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Curval
Stalingrad - Anthony Beevor.

Undoubtedly - he's the king.

I'm reading 'The Fall of Berlin 1945' right now - and it also kicks serious ass. The guy can write.

Fyre · « **Reply #19 on:** September 03, 2002, 08:28:39 PM »

The Ragged, Rugged Warriors by Martin Caidin.

Samurai by Saburo Sakai.

A Bridge Too Far Can't remember the author. The book was much better than the movie.

Stalingrad

Regards, Shuckins

Kratzer · « **Reply #20 on:** September 03, 2002, 09:13:39 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Fyre

A Bridge Too Far Can't remember the author. The book was much better than the movie.

Uh, Cornelius Ryan - he wrote the Longest Day as well.

majic · « **Reply #21 on:** September 03, 2002, 09:56:39 PM »

With the Old Breed by E. B. Sledge. It's a first hand account of the marine invasions andd subsequent campaigns at Peleliu and Okinawa. (The author was a mortarman with the 1st Marine Division.)

Leslie · « **Reply #22 on:** September 03, 2002, 10:37:44 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by majic
With the Old Breed by E. B. Sledge. It's a first hand account of the marine invasions andd subsequent campaigns at Peleliu and Okinawa. (The author was a mortarman with the 1st Marine Division.)

I just read that one Majic. Eugene B. Sledge was from my home town of Mobile, Alabama. I have met his son, who is a local historian and book reviewer in the local newspaper.

I liked the part where the Marines were in between campaigns and looking for something to reduce the boredom of waiting, so they bought up all the lighter fluid and used it to light up the thousands of land crabs roaming about...commenting that it reminded them of Jap tanks burning, as the flaming crabs continued scurrying about on fire, until finally stopping in smoldering heaps.

The book is unusual because it is written from a Private's viewpoint. Sledge was there on the front lines, and recorded his memories in the margins of a (contraband) Bible soon after the events of battle took place. It focuses on day to day events rather than overall strategy in the South Pacific campaigns.

This is a very good account of ground war, and an interesting read.

Les

Leslie · « **Reply #23 on:** September 03, 2002, 10:52:36 PM »

Another good one is "Is Paris Burning" by Dominique Lapierre . This is about the liberation of Paris. When it became apparent to Hitler that Paris would be liberated of the Germans, General Von Choltiz was ordered to destroy the historic and cultural centers of the city...thus the question Hitler kept posing to Choltiz, "Is Paris burning?"

Choltiz defied Hitler's orders, while maintaining the ruse of planting explosives throughout Paris, and hoping the Americans would get there before Hitler could figure out what was going on.

Les

gofaster · « **Reply #24 on:** September 04, 2002, 09:47:01 AM »

"Baa Baa Black Sheep" by Maj. Gregory Boyington USMC. His memoirs, including his time in a Japanese POW camp and life after the war. "Show me a hero and I'll show you a bum."

"To Fly and Fight" by Clarence "Bud" Anderson. This guy remembers everything! Covers his boyhood, his missions over Europe in WW2, and his jet time afterwards. Great reading. I got mine from his website and its autographed.

"Samurai!" by Saburo Sakai. A bit dramatic at times, but that may be a result of the translation. He was Japan's highest surviving ace until his death recently.

"I Flew For The Fuhrer" by Heinz Knoche. A war-time diary style of writing that lends tremendous insights into the thinking of the Luftwaffe pilots.

Staga · « **Reply #25 on:** September 04, 2002, 10:29:59 AM »

Samurai from Sakai, First and Last from A.Galland, Stuka pilot from H-U Rudel and Divine Wind from Inoguchi, Nakajima and Pineau.
Oh that Clostermanns book "Big Show" is quite good too thought his other books... well... suck.

Ripsnort · « **Reply #26 on:** September 04, 2002, 10:34:20 AM »

My favorite:

VMF-323 Death Rattlers by William Wolf

whgates3 · « **Reply #27 on:** September 04, 2002, 01:43:28 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by airspro
Tail of a Geanea Pig

that book is a genuine work o' fiction, frequently misplaced in the history section of bookstores. see the 'about the author' section...there are too many great ones to really pick out a best book, and i limit myself exclusively to autobiographies or books written by people who were directly involved...BTW "fly for your life" was not written by Stanford Tuck & "Reach for the Sky" was not written by Bader. Bader did write a great book called "Fight for the Sky" about the early war over western Europe

Masherbrum · « **Reply #28 on:** September 04, 2002, 01:47:55 PM »

Three way tie

Left To Die: The Tragedy of the USS Juneau - Dan Kurzman

Flags of our Fathers - James Bradley Jr. (in constant coorespondance with him)

Ghost Soldiers - Hampton Sides

Karaya2

Hajo · « **Reply #29 on:** September 04, 2002, 06:11:50 PM »

Four books come to mind.

Axis: The Luftwaffe Fighter Force : A. Galland, et al
Gets deeply into the numbers and stats.

The First and the Last: A. Galland
Air War politicaly etc. From his view of course

Allied: Yeager........by Yeager. Goes past WW2 but
is a fine read.

To Fly and Fight: Charles "Bud" Anderson
Simple book, but does a good job of describing
War experiences. Yeagers Wingman by the way.