|
 Suggested
Books
For sale in association
with amazon.com
I own all of these books, and I can honestly recommend
them as very worthwhile investments. The books are listed in alphabetical
order by author's name, not in any sort of rank. Even if you don't
buy these, check them out from the library, all of them are excellent!
I have many other books that I can recommend, so if you have a specific
area of interest, e-mail me and I will do my best to point you towards
what I feel are your best options. |
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Utmost
Savagery: The Three Days of Tarawa
Col. Joseph H. Alexander, USMC (Ret.)
An excellent account of the Battle of Tarawa, the first test of
America's amphibious assult doctrine in the Pacific.
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D-Day,
June 6, 1944: The Climactic Battle of World War II
Stephen E. Ambrose
Without question the best account of the Normandy Invasion. Covers
every aspect of the invasion in detail, with the emphasis placed
on the enlisted men and non coms who did the fighting.
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Citizen
Soldiers: The U.S. Army From the Normandy Beaches to the Bulge to
the Surrender of Germany
Stephen E. Ambrose
Picks up where D-Day left off. Once again, excellent. Great
on the Battle of Normandy, the Rhine, etc., with superb insight
to the American fighting man.
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 Band
of Brothers: E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne From Normandy
to Hitler's Eagle's Nest
Stephen E. Ambrose
Compelling story of the 506th from inception to war's end. Made
me decide to do my senior thesis on airborne infantry in ETO. Excellent.
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 Pegasus
Bridge: June 6, 1944
Stephen E. Ambrose
Recounting of British paratroopers seizing and holding an inland
bridge vital to the success of Overlord. As with all of Ambrose's
works, very compelling and informative.
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 American
Heritage New History of World War II
Stephen E. Ambrose, ed.
Solid general history loaded with excellent photographs and information.
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 A
Blood-Dimmed Tide: The Battle of the Bulge by the Men Who Fought
It
Gerald Astor
Great account of the Bulge, from the big picture to individuals.
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 Six
Armies in Normandy: From D-Day to the Liberation of Paris
John Keegan
The definitive account of the Battle of Normandy.
Side Note: Finally an author who gives Polish forces credit where
it is due!
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 A
Time For Trumpets: The Untold Story of the Battle of the Bulge
Charles B. MacDonald
Exhaustively researched coverage of the entire Battle of the Bulge.
Very detailed to the point that it can become hard to follow. Read
it twice, or take notes along the way, and this is one of, if not
the best Bulge book around.
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 The
Two-Ocean War: A Short History of the United States Navy in the
Second World War
Samuel Eliot Morison
By the author of the amazing 12 volume history of the U.S. Navy
in WW II, this book brings his expertise and insight to a more affordable
and manageable setting.
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 At
Dawn We Slept: The Untold Story of Pearl Harbor
Gordon W. Prange, et. al.
The definitive account of the events leading up to the attack on
Pearl Harbor, the attack itself, its aftermath, and the effects
it had on the Pacific War.
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 Miracle
at Midway
Gordon W. Prange, et. al.
Sequel to At Dawn We Slept, a great two-sided account of
the turning point in the war in the Pacific.
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 The
SS: Alibi of a Nation
Gerald Reitlinger
For some reason, it is hard to find good books devoted solely to
the history and operations of the SS. If you're searching for one,
here it is.
|
 A
Bridge Too Far
Cornelius Ryan
The best book I have ever read. Intensely moving, mind-boggling,
and incredibly informative. If you are at all interested in WW II,
you need to read this book.
"I know of no other work in the literature of World War II
as moving, as awesome, and as accurate in its portrayal of human
courage." --General James M. Gavin
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 The
Last Battle
Cornelius Ryan
A great account of the final battle in the European Theater of
WW II, delving beyond the military issues of the Battle of Berlin
to the hardships the German people faced and overcame.
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 The
Longest Day
Conelius Ryan
While not as good as Ambrose's D-Day account, it is an excellent
supplement to it. Ambrose and Ryan together provide an excelent
picture of D-Day from the grunts to the generals.
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 The
Rise and Fall of the Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany
William L. Shirer
The best, most in-depth account of the origins of Hitler, National
Socialism, and their eventual destruction at the hands of the Allies.
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 Skorzeny's
Special Missions: The Memoirs of 'The Most Dangerous Man in Europe'
Otto Skorzeny
Autobiography of the man who started out as an engineer and became
Hitler's commando ace. Great source for info on his rescue of Mussolini
and his famous "Skorzeny Brigade" during the Bulge.
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 Maus
I & II
Art Spiegelman
Graphic novel provides insight and information on the Holocaust,
what it was like to be in the camps, and the long-term effects on
the survivors.
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 Inside
the Third Reich: Memoirs by Albert Speer
Albert Speer
Candid memoirs written by Speer while serving his 20-year sentence
for war crimes. Provides a view of the operations of the Reich,
its leaders, and how the horrors of WW II were allowed to happen.
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 The
Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II
Chris Bishop, ed.
With the exception of two oversights (the omission of the Bf 109
and the Ju 52), an excellent source for information on over 1,500
weapons systems including tanks, small arms, warplanes, artillery,
ships, and submarines. Very inexpensive for what it provides. (note:
this title is located at barnesandnoble.com)
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