Good / Great WWII reads

[Quatch$]

So I finished Band of Brothers and am almost done with The Dead and Those About to Die.

Wha are some other good books along these lines of narrative / novel-ish reads on WWII? No real preference on theater or branch of service or type of operations as the entire war fascinates me. TIA.

 

[BigBucnNole]

Antony Beevor books are great.

 

[Astragalus]

Amazon.com : strike and hold

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51ZsARM+UHL._SX331_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg

Incredible memoir by a gentleman from my hometown. It’s said that Robert Redford‘s character in A Bridge Too Far was based on him. What those guys did during Operation Market Garden to rescue British paratroopers caught behind enemy lines was awe inspiring. True heroes.

 

[Viking]

For a different perspective you could try
The Forgotten Soldier by Guy Sajer. A great read about a teenage German soldier in the
Gross Deutschland Division on the eastern front. You won’t put it down.

 

[Nas]

D Day through German Eyes was pretty good.

 

[GarnetPild]

D Day through German Eyes was pretty good.

I always found it hard to imagine being a German soldier in a bunker at Normandy on D-Day. Storming the beach as the allies did would have been a nightmare too, but I just can't imagine sitting there in my little concrete box, looking out at endless waves of men and boats on their way to surely kill me. Must have been terrifying.

 

[Quatch$]

D Day through German Eyes was pretty good.

There are some accounts mixed into The Dead and Those About to Die but an entire book from that side would be interesting

 

[MVTPatriot]

Flyboys

Most of the E Company soldiers penned books. They are all good reads. Winters, Compton, Malarky, Hefron and Guarnuere wrote one together.

 

[scanodd]

 

[Nas]

The Things Our Fathers Saw was a good one. Read a Churchill book about the London Bombings that was pretty good, The Splendid and the Vile.

I recently got into reading about MAC SOG in Vietnam. That is some absolute insane shit.

 

[GarnetPild]

The Things Our Fathers Saw was a good one. Read a Churchill book about the London Bombings that was pretty good, The Splendid and the Vile.

I recently got into reading about MAC SOG in Vietnam. That is some absolute insane shit.

The long ass Vietnam thread was one of my favorites from tMb. Alot of first hand accounts from a few posters. Those guys saw hell over there.

 

[Quatch$]

Thanks guys for the recs. I went with With the Old Breed about Peleliu and Okinawa for the next one and then grabbed a shit ton more so I don’t have to wait when I’m done with one.

• the liberation trilogy
• Spearhead
• The Liberator
• 1,000 Mile War (Japanese invasion of Alaska)
• Parachute Infantry (Webster from E company)
• Strike and Hold
• Soldier,sailor,frogman,spy,airman,gangster, kill or die

should get me through summer. What’s your thoughts on any on my list?

 

[Ddub]

Masters of the Air, about the creation of the Eighth Air Force and its campaign to daylight bomb the Germans. The next WWII miniseries from Hanks/Spielberg is based on this book.

 

[Cowboy1stn10]

Just got done with Race of Aces. It was mostly about P-38 lightning pilots in the Pacific and the contest to get the most kills. A little long but was a good read, and by read I mean listen to the audiobook.

 

[Quatch$]

Masters of the Air, about the creation of the Eighth Air Force and its campaign to daylight bomb the Germans. The next WWII miniseries from Hanks/Spielberg is based on this book.

Is this the B-17s like Memphis Belle?

 

[Ddub]

Is this the B-17s like Memphis Belle?

Yup! But I doubt they give any attention to the Belle other than a passing mention. The Belle was part of the 91st bomb group, whereas the miniseries is supposed to focus on the 'Bloody Hundreth' bomb group (and Rosie Rosenthal, whose exploits are worth a Google).

There should be plenty of shots of B-24 Liberators - and maybe a 'cameo' from Jimmy Stewart, P-47s, P-51s,and maybe P-38s, though the Thunderbolt and Mustang played a larger role in establishing air superiority.

I watched the movie Memphis Belle, which isn't close to historically accurate, and it's where I learned to cuss as a wee lad. It's also a pretty good movie (real planes, no cgi BS)!

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[bigassmoney]

For a different perspective you could try
The Forgotten Soldier by Guy Sajer. A great read about a teenage German soldier in the
Gross Deutschland Division on the eastern front. You won’t put it down.

2nd this. The best WW2 book i have read. Reminder that now all German soldiers were indoctrinated Nazis.

 

[GarnetPild]

Masters of the Air, about the creation of the Eighth Air Force and its campaign to daylight bomb the Germans. The next WWII miniseries from Hanks/Spielberg is based on this book.

Look forward to that.

I haven't seen it, and rarely hear it mentioned, but has anyone seen Greyhound?