Military Literature

[Dr_PepPeR]

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?

[willow_boy]

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.

[Podweed]

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?

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I like his books, too.

 

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

Edited May 1, 2006 by Podweed

[Dr_PepPeR]

I like his books, too.

 

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

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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.

[hellspawn]

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?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

-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.

[Dr_PepPeR]

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.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

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.

[Dr_PepPeR]

-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.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

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.

[BlackWizard]

Battle of Midway...

[Podweed]

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.

[Podweed]

-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.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

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?

[yobag]

nabasa ko rin yung battle of midway by thaddeus v. tulleja

[Dr_PepPeR]

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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Yes re: the IDF. Currently reading a book on The Six Day War.

[hellspawn]

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

[ulykdat?]

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.

[Podweed]

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.

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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).