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I wish I was into military history novels but I'm not. I'm more into books that focus on the technical and tactical details discussing the following topics:

 

1. Planes of the Luftwaffe and Luftwaffe aces

2. Wehrmacht's military strategies in the Eastern Front (Stalingrad, Kurst, German Retreat, Leningrad, etc.)

3. Development of the German Army from 1933-1945

4. Blitzkrieg tactics

5. Biographies of German military heroes (Erwin Rommel, Heinz Guderian, etc.)

6. U-boat Campaigns (1939-1945)

 

Though I do not agree with Germany's anti-Semitic politics during the period, I am amazed at the advances they made in the field of battlefield strategy, and the development of the first jet fighter (Me-262) and the first modern submarine (Type XXIII).

 

It took the full might of the US, British, and Russian forces to destroy this military machine.

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I like his books, too.

 

Also, I collected (and still do) Tom Clancy's non-fiction titles and Jane's.

 

So do I. Budget constraints force me to buy the tradebook format of Tom Clancy's Non fiction. I have several books on aircraft, tanks and other vehicles. I also collect biographies such as Burkes "Chesty Puller", Fargo's "Patton" and "American Ceasar" by William Manchester.

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My favorite all-time military author is Cornelius Ryan for his books "The Longest Day" and "A Bridge Too Far". What books/authors are your favorites?

 

-both excellent, but i think "the last battle" was his best one. "tlb" was ryan's second book ("tld" was first, and "abtf" was third) and it details the final days of the battle of berlin.

 

some others i recommend:

 

-antony beevor: "stalingrad"

"berlin-the downfall 1945"

-william manchester: "american caesar" (about gen. douglas macarthur)

-sven hassel, controversial danish author who claims to have served in the german army during ww2. regardless of controversy his books are bloody brilliant. "legion of the damned" and "wheels of terror" are highly recommended.

-ladislas farago: "patton: ordeal and triumph" probably the best book about the greatest american field commander in europe, if not in ww2.

-leon uris: "battle cry" marines in ww2

-stephen e ambrose: "band of brothers" (everyone knows this)

-bernard fall: "hell in a very small place" (fall of bien phu)

-gen harold moore: "we were soldiers once...and young" (forget the movie, read this)

-mark bowden: "black hawk down"

 

 

there's a shitload more, but i can't be arsed listing them all down.

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I wish I was into military history novels but I'm not.  I'm more into books that focus on the technical and tactical details discussing the following topics:

 

1.  Planes of the Luftwaffe and Luftwaffe aces

2.  Wehrmacht's military strategies in the Eastern Front (Stalingrad, Kurst, German Retreat, Leningrad, etc.)

3.  Development of the German Army from 1933-1945

4.  Blitzkrieg tactics

5.  Biographies of German military heroes (Erwin Rommel, Heinz Guderian, etc.)

6.  U-boat Campaigns (1939-1945)

 

Though I do not agree with Germany's anti-Semitic politics during the period, I am amazed at the advances they made in the field of battlefield strategy, and the development of the first jet fighter (Me-262) and the first modern submarine (Type XXIII).

 

It took the full might of the US, British, and Russian forces to destroy this military machine.

 

Not all of Hitler's generals were Nazis. I think that certain of the Waffen SS divisions were one of the most courageous soldiers, and the Wehrmacht's NCOs were unquestionably the best.

 

As to technology, I still think they wasted too much energy on wild development projects such as the E-100 and the use of the Me 262 as a bomber.

 

So I also collect books on the panzers and luftwaffe, no denying the technoligical advantage of the Germans there.

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-both excellent, but i think "the last battle" was his best one. "tlb" was ryan's second book ("tld" was first, and "abtf" was third) and it details the final days of the battle of berlin.

 

some others i recommend:

 

-antony beevor: "stalingrad"

                      "berlin-the downfall 1945"

-william manchester: "american caesar" (about gen. douglas macarthur)

-sven hassel, controversial danish author who claims to have served in the german army during ww2. regardless of controversy his books are bloody brilliant. "legion of the damned" and "wheels of terror" are highly recommended.

-ladislas farago:  "patton: ordeal and triumph" probably the best book about the greatest american field commander in europe, if not in ww2.

-leon uris: "battle cry" marines in ww2

-stephen e ambrose: "band of brothers" (everyone knows this)

-bernard fall: "hell in a very small place" (fall of bien phu)

-gen harold moore: "we were soldiers once...and young"  (forget the movie, read this)

-mark bowden: "black hawk down"

there's a shitload more, but i can't be arsed listing them all down.

 

Yes, I forgot about "The Last Battle", thanks for making me look for it in my collection.

 

William Manchester's "Goodbye Darkness" is also an interesting read. He talks about his USMC experience. I am also collecting literature on the USMC. Krulak's "First to Fight" discusses the fight of the USMC in Congress to remain in existence as a separate arm of the US Armed Forces. I have some books on the Pacific campaign like Guadalcanal, Okinawa, Iwo Jima, Tarawa, Peleliu but I still want more. In the Korean War, I am also compiling literature on the Chosin Reservoir campaign.

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I remember I also liked: "There's A War To Be Won". I lost my copy. That was a good read. I used to recreate palettes and custom maps on an old RTS game and would fight battles and see if, depending on which side I chose to play, I could alter the historical outcome.

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-both excellent, but i think "the last battle" was his best one. "tlb" was ryan's second book ("tld" was first, and "abtf" was third) and it details the final days of the battle of berlin.

 

some others i recommend:

 

-antony beevor: "stalingrad"

                      "berlin-the downfall 1945"

-william manchester: "american caesar" (about gen. douglas macarthur)

-sven hassel, controversial danish author who claims to have served in the german army during ww2. regardless of controversy his books are bloody brilliant. "legion of the damned" and "wheels of terror" are highly recommended.

-ladislas farago:  "patton: ordeal and triumph" probably the best book about the greatest american field commander in europe, if not in ww2.

-leon uris: "battle cry" marines in ww2

-stephen e ambrose: "band of brothers" (everyone knows this)

-bernard fall: "hell in a very small place" (fall of bien phu)

-gen harold moore: "we were soldiers once...and young"  (forget the movie, read this)

-mark bowden: "black hawk down"

there's a shitload more, but i can't be arsed listing them all down.

 

I didn't like Uris' "Battle Cry". Among his books, I was impressed by that least. I enjoyed his "Armageddon".

 

Has anyone read "Third World War: August 1985" by General Sir John Hackett? That was scary.

 

You guys interested in the IDF, too?

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check out "secret soldier" by col. muki betser. it details the creation of sayeret matkal, the idf's elite unit. betser was also instrumental in the planning and execution of the entebbe raid.

 

viktor suvorov -"the liberators"

"aquarium"

"spetsnaz:the inside story of the soviet union's special forces"

 

jeremy hands and robert mcgowan - "don't cry for me sergeant major" the falklands

 

pepper,

check this out http://www.geocities.com/peftok/ i'm sure you'll find it worth the visit, especially the section on the battle of yultong

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check out "secret soldier" by col. muki betser. it details the creation of sayeret matkal, the idf's elite unit. betser was also instrumental in the planning and execution of the entebbe raid.

 

One of many.

 

Entebbe, I think, is one reason why B. Netanyahu won't make peace with the Arabs. His older brother was commander of that raid. Sadly, he also was its only casualty (if memory serves).

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check out "secret soldier" by col. muki betser. it details the creation of sayeret matkal, the idf's elite unit. betser was also instrumental in the planning and execution of the entebbe raid.

 

viktor suvorov -"the liberators"

                      "aquarium"

                      "spetsnaz:the inside story of the soviet union's special forces" 

 

jeremy hands and robert mcgowan - "don't cry for me sergeant major" the falklands

 

pepper,

check this out http://www.geocities.com/peftok/  i'm sure you'll find it worth the visit, especially the section on the battle of yultong

 

Thanks for the link hellspawn. I've read some books that mention the PEFTOK, mostly by Americans, and they are not entirely flattering to Filipinos. They simply didn't realize that our soldiers are not trained for cold weather warfare.

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Thanks for the link hellspawn. I've read some books that mention the PEFTOK, mostly by Americans, and they are not entirely flattering to Filipinos. They simply didn't realize that our soldiers are not trained for cold weather warfare.

 

My grandfather fought in Korea with one of our Battalion Combat Teams. He also authored, "Guerilla Warfare on Panay Island in the Philippines".

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My grandfather fought in Korea with one of our Battalion Combat Teams. He also authored, "Guerilla Warfare on Panay Island in the Philippines".

 

Really? A lot of good things were said about the PEFTOK contingent. At that time, they were one of the battle tested units of the allies, having just come from the Hukbalahap campaign. They were especially appreciated by the South Koreans for their aggressive role in hunting down the North Koreans. I have a friend from the US who is compiling material for the Korean War. I gave him FVR's email but the former President is either too busy or does not want to be bothered. Can I give your grandfather's name to my friend so they can exchange some correspondence?

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I have several books on the Vietnam War (VW) -- Navy Seals, LRRPs, VW Battles. Does anybody have the original "The First Casualty" by Phillip Knightley? -- a book about war correspondents.

 

So do I, aside from the usual pocketbooks on SEALS, LRRP, Force Recon, I also have books on the helicopter pilots and on the USMC (by Charles Henderson).

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I prefer the strategy aspect of Military Literature. Some personal favorites include:

 

"Art of War", by Sun Tzu

"Book of the Five Rings", by Shinmen Musashi

"Hagakure" (Hidden Behid the Leaves), by Yamomoto Tsunetomo

"Book of the 36 Strategems" (ancient Chinese treatise)

"Thick Face, Black Heart" (ancient Chinese treatise)

 

"48 Laws of Power", by Ed Greene

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Really? A lot of good things were said about the PEFTOK contingent. At that time, they were one of the battle tested units of the allies, having just come from the Hukbalahap campaign. They were especially appreciated by the South Koreans for their aggressive role in hunting down the North Koreans. I have a friend from the US who is compiling material for the Korean War. I gave him FVR's email but the former President is either too busy or does not want to be bothered. Can I give your grandfather's name to my friend so they can exchange some correspondence?

 

Sure, but it'll be difficult to get in touch with him as he's been dead since '93.

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podweed wrote:

 

"Entebbe, I think, is one reason why B. Netanyahu won't make peace with the Arabs. His older brother was commander of that raid. Sadly, he also was its only casualty (if memory serves)."

 

-yup. noni netanyahu was the only israeli military casualty at entebbe. sadly, he was also the last addition to the entebbe team, joining just before the raid. muki betser was the israeli military attache to uganda, just prior to idi amin (who was originally a big israeli fan, and trained by the israelis as a paratrooper) losing what little of his mind he had left, the full story is given "secret soldier".

 

 

corkscrew wrote:

 

"Thick Face, Black Heart" (ancient Chinese treatise)

 

i don't think this falls under ancient chinese treatise as it was written by chin-ning chu in 1992. the ideas were based on a book by lee zhong wu called "thick black theory" first published in 1911, again not particularly ancient. having read this numerous times i wouldn't even label it as military.

 

"Hagakure" (Hidden Behi(n)d the Leaves), by Yamomoto Tsunetomo

 

a good read, but not really what i would call a military strategy book, more a "how to live like a samurai should" book. pretty much ignored in japan, it has a bad reputation there, but really popular among western samurai groupies and wannabes. interestingly, no record could be found of tsunetomo actually participating in a duel or in any battle. also, hagakure asserts that bushido is really the "way of dying", and that a samurai must be willing to die at any moment in order to be true to his lord. so, despite the ban on seppuku by the tokugawa shogunate, why didn't he follow his master to death if he was such an ideal samurai? not a high endorsement for somebody who wrote "the way of the warrior is death".

 

more on vietnam:

 

dispatches- michael herr

the short timers - gustav hasford

grey ghosts - deborah challinor (new zealand soldiers, the north vietnamese called them "grey ghosts")

the battle of long tan - rex mcaulay (australians in one of the most famous battles in vietnam)

 

others i enjoy reading about:

 

the french foreign legion

the gurkhas (i've worked with them before, and i'll say it again without reservation: they are the best soldiers in the f.u.c.k.i.n.g. universe)

spetsnaz (voiska spetsialnoye naznachenia, russian special forces)

 

any more come to mind i'll be back.

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podweed wrote:

 

"Entebbe, I think, is one reason why B. Netanyahu won't make peace with the Arabs. His older brother was commander of that raid. Sadly, he also was its only casualty (if memory serves)."

 

-yup. noni netanyahu was the only israeli military casualty at entebbe. sadly, he was also the last addition to the entebbe team, joining just before the raid.  muki betser was the israeli military attache to uganda, just prior to idi amin (who was originally a big israeli fan, and trained by the israelis as a paratrooper) losing what little of his mind he had left, the full story is given "secret soldier".

corkscrew wrote:

 

"Thick Face, Black Heart" (ancient Chinese treatise)

 

i don't think this falls under ancient chinese treatise as it was written by chin-ning chu in 1992. the ideas were based on a book by lee zhong wu called "thick black theory" first published in 1911, again not particularly ancient. having read this numerous times i wouldn't even label it as military.

 

"Hagakure" (Hidden Behi(n)d the Leaves), by Yamomoto Tsunetomo

 

a good read, but not really what i would call a military strategy book, more a "how to live like a samurai should" book. pretty much ignored in japan, it has a bad reputation there, but really popular among western samurai groupies and wannabes. interestingly, no record could be found of tsunetomo actually participating in a duel or in any battle. also, hagakure asserts that bushido is really the "way of dying", and that a samurai must be willing to die at any moment in order to be true to his lord. so, despite the ban on seppuku by the tokugawa shogunate, why didn't he follow his master to death if he was such an ideal samurai? not a high endorsement for somebody who wrote "the way of the warrior is death".

 

more on vietnam:

 

dispatches- michael herr

the short timers - gustav hasford

grey ghosts - deborah challinor (new zealand soldiers, the north vietnamese called them "grey ghosts")

the battle of long tan - rex mcaulay (australians in one of the most famous battles in vietnam)

 

others i enjoy reading about:

 

the french foreign legion

the gurkhas (i've worked with them before, and i'll say it again without reservation: they are the best soldiers in the f.u.c.k.i.n.g. universe)

spetsnaz (voiska spetsialnoye naznachenia, russian special forces)

 

any more come to mind i'll be back.

 

These remind me that:

 

I would like very much to see "March or Die" again. You know, my younger brother once seriously entertained the thought of joining the French Foreign Legion. Jeez. I watched a feature about it not too long ago. They had a Mongolian legionnaire!! Very strange. He just showed up at the camp gate is what an officer said. A first in its history.

 

And what's that Van Damme film again?

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