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Posted on 5/17/11 at 2:13 pm to Methuselah
quote:
If you decide to read a book or books about The Pacific, I'd go straight to the source books. Like others have said they are Helmet for my Pillow by Leicke and With The Old Breed by Sledge. Both are very good but With The Old Breed was the better of the two.
Totally agree. Leckie is actually a better "writer" - very lyrical. But Sledge just really takes you there and puts the smell of death in your nose. Both are worth the read, though.
quote:
If you want to stay in WWII but something a little different, try a book on the Eastern Front. That is a pivotal part of the war that is often overlooked here in the US. I recently read War of the Rats about the famous sniper duel in Stalingrad. It wasn't a great book but it was a good summer read. For a nonfiction book on the that front there is War Without Garlands
AWESOME. Exactly what I was looking for. You might want to check out these podcasts:
Dan Carlin's Hardcore History - Ghosts of the Ostfront
There's 4 parts, totaling probably 5 hours or so. I now really understand how American history is taught from a very rah rah, American-centric standpoint. There are tons of battles on the Ostfront that make D-Day seem almost comically small and benign.
Posted on 5/17/11 at 2:37 pm to etm512
Big fan of these about Vietnam. For the most part they are highly personal memoirs. I find them the most affecting.
Dispatches - Herr
If I Die in a Combat Zone - O'brien
A Rumor of War - Caputo
In Pharaoh's Army - Wolff
The Things They Carried- This is O'brien again, and it's technically fiction, but it feels very real (he was a vet). This is one of my favorite books.
Dispatches - Herr
If I Die in a Combat Zone - O'brien
A Rumor of War - Caputo
In Pharaoh's Army - Wolff
The Things They Carried- This is O'brien again, and it's technically fiction, but it feels very real (he was a vet). This is one of my favorite books.
Posted on 5/17/11 at 2:38 pm to CTexTiger
quote:
Dispatches - Herr
gaaahh, how do I always forget that one. incredible book.
edit: I didn't forget apparently... I got this thread confused with the other historical non-fiction, so I guess I really meant to reply with a "+1"
This post was edited on 5/17/11 at 2:42 pm
Posted on 5/17/11 at 4:02 pm to etm512
My first war book, read when I was 13 or 14, was 'Nam by Mark Baker, a collection of personal accounts. One of the few books I read twice.
We Were Soldiers by LTG Hal Moore is great. The movie doesn't tell the whole story.
The closest I came to reading a book about the Korean War was About Face by COL David Hackworth.
Citizen Soldiers is a WWII book by Stephen Ambrose which is about the "smaller group of men" and the war fought in Europe from June 7, 1944 to the end.
The only WWI book I've read is All Quiet On the Western Front by Erich Remarque.
I'd suggest the Civil War Triology by Jeff and Michael Shaara even though it's "historical fiction". Actually anything by them has been a great read.
Shelby Foote has a notable Civil War trilogy as well and but is a broad account.
ETA: I agree with this.
Caputo's book was my second Vietnam book I read.
We Were Soldiers by LTG Hal Moore is great. The movie doesn't tell the whole story.
The closest I came to reading a book about the Korean War was About Face by COL David Hackworth.
Citizen Soldiers is a WWII book by Stephen Ambrose which is about the "smaller group of men" and the war fought in Europe from June 7, 1944 to the end.
The only WWI book I've read is All Quiet On the Western Front by Erich Remarque.
I'd suggest the Civil War Triology by Jeff and Michael Shaara even though it's "historical fiction". Actually anything by them has been a great read.
Shelby Foote has a notable Civil War trilogy as well and but is a broad account.
ETA: I agree with this.
quote:
If I Die in a Combat Zone - O'brien
A Rumor of War - Caputo
Caputo's book was my second Vietnam book I read.
This post was edited on 5/17/11 at 4:08 pm
Posted on 5/17/11 at 4:04 pm to Sal Minella
quote:
I'd suggest the Civil War Triology by Jeff and Michael Shaara even though it's "historical fiction". Actually anything by them has been a great read.
agreed. The Killer Angels is a really good book.
Posted on 5/17/11 at 4:10 pm to etm512
I just got Flyboys, but have a few more in line before it.
Posted on 5/17/11 at 7:33 pm to etm512
Other than WW2?
There a ton of combat narratives about Vietnam and the most recent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Vietnam-Steel My Soldiers Hearts, A Rumor of War, Baptism, Gone Native, any of the books about the LRP/LRRP/Ranger companies in Vietnam(Phantom Warriors, Six Silent Men)
A-stan-Jawbreaker, First In, Roberts Ridge, Horse Soldiers, The Only Thing Worth dying For, Lone Survivor, War, Not A Good Day To Die
Iraq-We Were One, Generation Kill, The Good Soldiers, No True Glory, House to House
There a ton of combat narratives about Vietnam and the most recent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Vietnam-Steel My Soldiers Hearts, A Rumor of War, Baptism, Gone Native, any of the books about the LRP/LRRP/Ranger companies in Vietnam(Phantom Warriors, Six Silent Men)
A-stan-Jawbreaker, First In, Roberts Ridge, Horse Soldiers, The Only Thing Worth dying For, Lone Survivor, War, Not A Good Day To Die
Iraq-We Were One, Generation Kill, The Good Soldiers, No True Glory, House to House
Posted on 5/17/11 at 7:55 pm to etm512
All quiet on the western front is pretty good. (WWI) It may be a tiny bit harder to identify with the characters than a modern book, but it shows you the extreme stresses and eventually just becoming numb to everything
ETA: One Bullet Away by Lt. Fick (Generation Kill is from the journalists point of view, OBA is from the platoon LT)
Co. Aytch (Civil War)
Anything by Stephen Ambrose
The Forgotten 500 (WW2)
None Braver (About Airforce PJ's)
A Bridge Too Far
Killer Angels
Lee's Tigers (Civil War and LSU Related)
Mosby's Rangers (Civil War and one of the more interesting and little known stories I've read)
A Scythe Of Fire (Civil War)
God's and Generals
We Were Soldiers Once, and Young
Black Hawk Down
I am getting ready to read Lone Survivor after I finish the Game of Thrones Series
ETA: One Bullet Away by Lt. Fick (Generation Kill is from the journalists point of view, OBA is from the platoon LT)
Co. Aytch (Civil War)
Anything by Stephen Ambrose
The Forgotten 500 (WW2)
None Braver (About Airforce PJ's)
A Bridge Too Far
Killer Angels
Lee's Tigers (Civil War and LSU Related)
Mosby's Rangers (Civil War and one of the more interesting and little known stories I've read)
A Scythe Of Fire (Civil War)
God's and Generals
We Were Soldiers Once, and Young
Black Hawk Down
I am getting ready to read Lone Survivor after I finish the Game of Thrones Series
This post was edited on 5/17/11 at 8:04 pm
Posted on 5/17/11 at 10:58 pm to etm512
Forgot to list on my earlier post:
Iraq - Generation Kill by Evan Wright (the HBO miniseries was great)
In the Company of Soldiers by Rick Atkinson
Afghanistan - Not A Good Day to Die by Sean Naylor
War by Sebastian Junger (still reading this one but a great read that focuses on a platoon sized element of the 173rd Airborne Division and basis of the documentary "Restrepo" which I also recommend).
Any Steven Pressfield is good reading too.
Iraq - Generation Kill by Evan Wright (the HBO miniseries was great)
In the Company of Soldiers by Rick Atkinson
Afghanistan - Not A Good Day to Die by Sean Naylor
War by Sebastian Junger (still reading this one but a great read that focuses on a platoon sized element of the 173rd Airborne Division and basis of the documentary "Restrepo" which I also recommend).
Any Steven Pressfield is good reading too.
Posted on 5/17/11 at 11:00 pm to etm512
World war Z
Posted on 5/22/17 at 2:39 pm to Sal Minella
quote:Very true.
I'd suggest the Civil War Triology by Jeff and Michael Shaara even though it's "historical fiction". Actually anything by them has been a great read.
Jeff has really hit his stride with these books. The Gods & Generals/Killer Angels/Last Full Measure trilogy covered the Civil War in the east.
Jeff has covered:
The American Revolution (2 books)
Mexican War (one book)
Civil War in the western theater (4 books)
WW1 (1 book)
WW2 in Europe (3 books)
WW2 in the Pacific (1 book)
Korea (release date is tomorrow)
I also really liked Scythe of Fire (8th Georgia in the Civil War). Civil War regimental histories I would also suggest I Will Give Them One More Shot (1st Georgia Infantry), Joe Brown's Army (1st and 2nd Georgia State Line Infantry) and Cobb's Legion Cavalry (part of Jeb Stuart's command). Company Aytch was a good read, but was a bit harder to follow because of the language.
Also check out A Terrible Glory and Killing Crazy Horse which tell the story of the Indian Wars from both sides.
Posted on 5/22/17 at 4:19 pm to etm512
Some good ones mentioned, I'll add:
The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors and Neptune's Inferno - WWII navy books
Fields of Fire - Vietnam fiction, but James Webb was heavily decorated for combat in Vietnam and has lived an interesting life
The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors and Neptune's Inferno - WWII navy books
Fields of Fire - Vietnam fiction, but James Webb was heavily decorated for combat in Vietnam and has lived an interesting life
Posted on 5/22/17 at 8:14 pm to etm512
Off the beaten path: if you have any interest in the German Resistance the book "Bonhoeffer" by Eric Metaxas is amazing. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, an orthodox Christian, founded a seminary in hiding in Germany when the Church went apostate and was integral on the assassination plot against Hitler. Story is amazing.
Posted on 5/22/17 at 8:16 pm to LordoftheManor
Somebody mentioned it, but I recommend Citizen Soldiers as well.
Posted on 5/22/17 at 8:33 pm to Loubacca
quote:
The Forgotten Soldier
I can't second this recommendation enough. An incredible book about the war from a rarely-heard point of view.
Posted on 5/22/17 at 10:34 pm to etm512
Read The Liberator.
Very band of brothers like. Tells the story of a very Winters-like Felix Sparks and his journey during the invasion of Italy.
Incredible book
Very band of brothers like. Tells the story of a very Winters-like Felix Sparks and his journey during the invasion of Italy.
Incredible book
Posted on 5/22/17 at 10:35 pm to MintBerry Crunch
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