Looking for book recommendations-war related

forgop · 03-06-2009, 09:37 PM

I'm looking to spend some nice summer evenings on my patio doing some reading and much less time off of the internet. Some of the topics I'm most interested would be related to the Civil War, WW1, WW2, and Vietnam. Not really looking for a political book, but one that tells a good story. I read All Quiet on the Western Front and The Frontiersmen when I was in high school and will read those once again. Any suggestions???

hotreds · 03-06-2009, 09:50 PM

Fiction or non-fiction? I'm a WWII buff and have close to 500 books on the subject- many dealing with aviation. All are non-fiction, however.

forgop · 03-06-2009, 09:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hotreds

Fiction or non-fiction? I'm a WWII buff and have close to 500 books on the subject- many dealing with aviation. All are non-fiction, however.

Non-fiction is what I'm after...I just picked up The Civil War: A Narrative by Shelby Foote because that seemed pretty highly rated.

I'd rather read an actual book about the sinking of the Titanic than watch the movie.

hotreds · 03-06-2009, 09:57 PM

You, sir, are a man after my own heart! I have so many ideas, I can't think of one! Let me look and I'll list a few for ya!

forgop · 03-06-2009, 10:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hotreds

Youy, sir, are a man after my own heart! I have so many ideas, I can't think of one! Let me look and I'll list a few for ya!

By the way, I'm a Purdue aviation technology grad, so you can say I love airplanes.

Got my private pilot license back in '96, but haven't managed to get up in about 10 years now.

Whee · 03-06-2009, 10:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by forgop

By the way, I'm a Purdue aviation technology grad, so you can say I love airplanes.

Got my private pilot license back in '96, but haven't managed to get up in about 10 years now.

But we still like you...

Just read the IU/PU forums on Indystar.com, they're kinda war-like...

hotreds · 03-06-2009, 10:11 PM

With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa
http://www.amazon.com/Old-Breed-At-P...6398735&sr=8-1

Anything by Donald Burgett
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_b_...x=donald+burge

Flags of Our Fathers
http://www.amazon.com/Flags-Our-Fath...6398863&sr=1-9

Anything by Stephen Ambrose
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_b_...ix=stephen+amb

Any of the War Stories by Ollie North
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_b?...th+war+stories

That should be a start for you. Good luck! Will go upstairs later to take a look at my aviation library....

forgop · 03-06-2009, 10:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hotreds

With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa
http://www.amazon.com/Old-Breed-At-P...6398735&sr=8-1

Anything by Donald Burgett
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_b_...x=donald+burge

Flags of Our Fathers
http://www.amazon.com/Flags-Our-Fath...6398863&sr=1-9

Anything by Stephen Ambrose
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_b_...ix=stephen+amb

Any of the War Stories by Ollie North
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_b?...th+war+stories

That should be a start for you. Good luck! Will go upstairs later to take a look at my aviation library....

You know much about WW1 or Vietnam stuff by chance either? I'm really interested in reading some great story telling of what some of these guys really went through. My wife doesn't really care for COD WAW.

03-07-2009, 10:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hotreds

Anything by Stephen Ambrose
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_b_...ix=stephen+amb

I read Band of Brothers and D-Day last year. Both were amazing. Ambrose is known for letting the soldiers tell the story.

alley00p · 03-06-2009, 09:51 PM

One of my favorites is Mila 18 by Leon Uris. It tells the story of the German occupation of Poland, and Warsaw during WW2. A large part of the story concerns the Jewish uprising and defense of the Warsaw ghetto.

Another favotite is Red Storm Rising by Tom Clancy, which deals with a possible WW3 scenario between NATO and the USSR. It's more modern, going into a lot of detail of battle strategies.

I'm found both of these excellent reads.

Kreth · 03-07-2009, 10:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alley00p

One of my favorites is Mila 18 by Leon Uris. It tells the story of the German occupation of Poland, and Warsaw during WW2. A large part of the story concerns the Jewish uprising and defense of the Warsaw ghetto.

Battle Cry, also by Uris, is a good read. It's partly based on his own experiences with the 6th Marines during WWII.

03-06-2009, 10:15 PM

I really like Knights Cross. It's a book about Field Marshal Erwin Rommel.

forgop · 03-06-2009, 10:18 PM

By the way, a preference would be someone who actually wrote it with first hand experience. To me, there's a lot left out by someone who is writing it without having lived it. Thanks for all the suggestions thus far.

replicant_argent · 03-06-2009, 10:21 PM

Off the top of my head, I wholeheartedly agree with Hugh on "anything by Ambrose."
another good one.
http://www.amazon.com/Naked-Warriors.../dp/0312959850

forgop · 03-06-2009, 10:22 PM

Checked out With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa on Amazon...looks like a great fit for the kind of stuff I'm looking for.

Starscream · 03-06-2009, 10:24 PM

I don't remember the author's name, but I read the novel F.N.G., and I liked it a lot.

motortown · 03-06-2009, 10:46 PM

While it may be going back a bit further than what you (and others) have been discussing, I think that you'd really enjoy "1776" by David McCullough. He's one of my favorite authors, and his books are absolutely fascinating...

http://www.amazon.com/1776-David-McC...6400862&sr=1-1

I hope this helps!

M1903A1 · 03-06-2009, 11:16 PM

If you don't mind doing some searching, I can recommend a few more:

"Make The Kaiser Dance", Henry Barry. Oral histories of World War 1 vets, done in the 1960s.

"The Doughboys", Lawrence Stallings

"Shots Fired In Anger", Lt. Col. John George. A rifleman's saga of service with the 132nd Rgt of the Illinois National Guard, the Americal Division and Merrill's Marauders in the Pacific. His comparative commentaries of US vs. Japanese (equipment, tactics etc.) are very enlightening.

"Death Traps", Belton Cooper. The dark side of service in the armored units of WW2.

"A Rifleman Went To War", H.W. McBride. An American rifleman's service with the Canadian Army in WW1.

"Japan At War: An Oral History", Haruko Taya Cook and Theodore Cook. Lots of great oral history material.

"Soldiers Of The Sun", Marion and Susan Harries. The rise and fall of the Imperial Japanese Army. Pulls no punches and hides no details.

"Bataan: Uncensored", Col. E.B. Miller. Bataan was the only real chance the prewar Regular Army had to show its stuff, and this book by the CO of one of the NG tank units sent over to aid them tells their story.

"They Fought Alone" and "Lieutenant Ramsey's War" (can't find the authors) are about survivors of Bataan who evaded the Japanese and carried on the war as guerillas until MacArthur came back. Both are great reads.

"Japanese Destroyer Captain", Tameichi Hara. The author's story begins with the first forays into China in the 1930s and ends as part of the flotilla escorting superbattleship Yamato to her doom in 1945. As another reviewer said it, "How this guy survived the war is beyond me".

"GI: The American Soldier In World War II", Lee Kennett. Great (and very informative) reading.

Some are in print, some are out of print, but all are great reading.

Cigargal · 03-06-2009, 11:37 PM

Killer Angels by Shaara...great Civil War action.

jcruse64 · 03-07-2009, 12:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by motortown

While it may be going back a bit further than what you (and others) have been discussing, I think that you'd really enjoy "1776" by David McCullough. He's one of my favorite authors, and his books are absolutely fascinating...

http://www.amazon.com/1776-David-McC...6400862&sr=1-1

I hope this helps!

This was a good one, and got me started on a roll reading about the Revolution and the war. His bibliography is a great list of books to read. For the battles of the War of the Revolution, the 2 volume "The War of the Revolution" by Ward is excellent. Also agree on WWII books by Ambrose. A very good book on Japan's background and involvement in WWII is "Japan's War" by Hoyt. Very interesting look at it from that view. I've read some views that Japan was backed into a corner with blockades to force them to war, but this book pretty much shoots that view down.

I've read 2 good WWII books on aviation recently, one on Jimmy Stewart and one on George McGovern. Both were excellent. I always had a lot of respect for Mr. Stewart, but the book made me respect him all the more. I need to find one on Ted Williams.

03-06-2009, 09:37 PM	#1
forgop Not a puffer Join Date: Oct 2008 First Name: Duane Location: Indianapolis, IN Posts: 2,869 Trading: (40)	Looking for book recommendations-war related I'm looking to spend some nice summer evenings on my patio doing some reading and much less time off of the internet. Some of the topics I'm most interested would be related to the Civil War, WW1, WW2, and Vietnam. Not really looking for a political book, but one that tells a good story. I read All Quiet on the Western Front and The Frontiersmen when I was in high school and will read those once again. Any suggestions???

03-06-2009, 09:50 PM	#2
hotreds Ephesians 2:8 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 5 miles past "Resume Speed" Posts: 11,665 Trading: (63)	Re: Looking for book recommendations-war related Fiction or non-fiction? I'm a WWII buff and have close to 500 books on the subject- many dealing with aviation. All are non-fiction, however. __________________ God loves you so much, that he made you read this, just to let you know.

03-06-2009, 09:57 PM	#4
hotreds Ephesians 2:8 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 5 miles past "Resume Speed" Posts: 11,665 Trading: (63)	Re: Looking for book recommendations-war related You, sir, are a man after my own heart! I have so many ideas, I can't think of one! Let me look and I'll list a few for ya! __________________ God loves you so much, that he made you read this, just to let you know. Last edited by hotreds; 03-06-2009 at 10:11 PM.

03-06-2009, 10:11 PM	#7
hotreds Ephesians 2:8 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 5 miles past "Resume Speed" Posts: 11,665 Trading: (63)	Re: Looking for book recommendations-war related With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa http://www.amazon.com/Old-Breed-At-P...6398735&sr=8-1 Anything by Donald Burgett http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_b_...x=donald+burge Flags of Our Fathers http://www.amazon.com/Flags-Our-Fath...6398863&sr=1-9 Anything by Stephen Ambrose http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_b_...ix=stephen+amb Any of the War Stories by Ollie North http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_b?...th+war+stories That should be a start for you. Good luck! Will go upstairs later to take a look at my aviation library.... __________________ God loves you so much, that he made you read this, just to let you know.

03-06-2009, 09:51 PM	#10
alley00p Adopted MassHole Join Date: Oct 2008 First Name: Charlie Location: HOCKEYTOWN! Posts: 1,770 Trading: (41)	Re: Looking for book recommendations-war related One of my favorites is Mila 18 by Leon Uris. It tells the story of the German occupation of Poland, and Warsaw during WW2. A large part of the story concerns the Jewish uprising and defense of the Warsaw ghetto. Another favotite is Red Storm Rising by Tom Clancy, which deals with a possible WW3 scenario between NATO and the USSR. It's more modern, going into a lot of detail of battle strategies. I'm found both of these excellent reads. __________________ Alley00p - I may be a FOG, but I'm still trying to dance!! Just don't trip over my cane!

03-06-2009, 10:15 PM	#12
Darrell Guest Posts: n/a	Re: Looking for book recommendations-war related I really like Knights Cross. It's a book about Field Marshal Erwin Rommel.

03-06-2009, 10:18 PM	#13
forgop Not a puffer Join Date: Oct 2008 First Name: Duane Location: Indianapolis, IN Posts: 2,869 Trading: (40)	Re: Looking for book recommendations-war related By the way, a preference would be someone who actually wrote it with first hand experience. To me, there's a lot left out by someone who is writing it without having lived it. Thanks for all the suggestions thus far.

03-06-2009, 10:21 PM	#14
replicant_argent Gravy Boat Winnah. Join Date: Oct 2008 First Name: Pete Location: my attorney has advised against giving this information to insane people Posts: 5,326 Trading: (22)	Re: Looking for book recommendations-war related Off the top of my head, I wholeheartedly agree with Hugh on "anything by Ambrose." another good one. http://www.amazon.com/Naked-Warriors.../dp/0312959850 __________________ www.stogietorch.com Some days call for a stiff Pomade.

03-06-2009, 10:22 PM	#15
forgop Not a puffer Join Date: Oct 2008 First Name: Duane Location: Indianapolis, IN Posts: 2,869 Trading: (40)	Re: Looking for book recommendations-war related Checked out With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa on Amazon...looks like a great fit for the kind of stuff I'm looking for.

03-06-2009, 10:24 PM	#16
Starscream Knowhutimean, Vern? Join Date: Oct 2008 First Name: Andy Location: In a little town somewhere in the USA Posts: 10,237 Trading: (4)	Re: Looking for book recommendations-war related I don't remember the author's name, but I read the novel F.N.G., and I liked it a lot. __________________ Insert quote here.

03-06-2009, 10:46 PM	#17
motortown Just in from the Storm Join Date: Feb 2009 First Name: John Location: the 'burbs Posts: 38 Trading: (0)	Re: Looking for book recommendations-war related While it may be going back a bit further than what you (and others) have been discussing, I think that you'd really enjoy "1776" by David McCullough. He's one of my favorite authors, and his books are absolutely fascinating... http://www.amazon.com/1776-David-McC...6400862&sr=1-1 I hope this helps!

03-06-2009, 11:16 PM	#18
M1903A1 Have My Own Room Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 1060 W. Addison Posts: 1,573 Trading: (4)	Re: Looking for book recommendations-war related If you don't mind doing some searching, I can recommend a few more: "Make The Kaiser Dance", Henry Barry. Oral histories of World War 1 vets, done in the 1960s. "The Doughboys", Lawrence Stallings "Shots Fired In Anger", Lt. Col. John George. A rifleman's saga of service with the 132nd Rgt of the Illinois National Guard, the Americal Division and Merrill's Marauders in the Pacific. His comparative commentaries of US vs. Japanese (equipment, tactics etc.) are very enlightening. "Death Traps", Belton Cooper. The dark side of service in the armored units of WW2. "A Rifleman Went To War", H.W. McBride. An American rifleman's service with the Canadian Army in WW1. "Japan At War: An Oral History", Haruko Taya Cook and Theodore Cook. Lots of great oral history material. "Soldiers Of The Sun", Marion and Susan Harries. The rise and fall of the Imperial Japanese Army. Pulls no punches and hides no details. "Bataan: Uncensored", Col. E.B. Miller. Bataan was the only real chance the prewar Regular Army had to show its stuff, and this book by the CO of one of the NG tank units sent over to aid them tells their story. "They Fought Alone" and "Lieutenant Ramsey's War" (can't find the authors) are about survivors of Bataan who evaded the Japanese and carried on the war as guerillas until MacArthur came back. Both are great reads. "Japanese Destroyer Captain", Tameichi Hara. The author's story begins with the first forays into China in the 1930s and ends as part of the flotilla escorting superbattleship Yamato to her doom in 1945. As another reviewer said it, "How this guy survived the war is beyond me". "GI: The American Soldier In World War II", Lee Kennett. Great (and very informative) reading. Some are in print, some are out of print, but all are great reading. __________________ "It's the cigars that bring us together, but it's the people that cause us to stay."

03-06-2009, 11:37 PM	#19
Cigargal Waiting for SoCal XI Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Northern California Posts: 1,472 Trading: (25)	Re: Looking for book recommendations-war related Killer Angels by Shaara...great Civil War action.