Military History
Discussion
I've dipped into and nearly finished two WWII one vol. histories.
All Hell Let Loose by max hastings - told from the perspective of those involved, civilians, troops, medics etc very very good and;
The Storm of War, by Andrew Roberts also an excellent read although one or two critics have questioned his conclusions about the reasons why Germany lost the land war in europe and his at times, gushing accounts of german military brilliance compared to allied incompetence etc.
I really have enjoyed both immensely though and will finish them in due course.
All Hell Let Loose by max hastings - told from the perspective of those involved, civilians, troops, medics etc very very good and;
The Storm of War, by Andrew Roberts also an excellent read although one or two critics have questioned his conclusions about the reasons why Germany lost the land war in europe and his at times, gushing accounts of german military brilliance compared to allied incompetence etc.
I really have enjoyed both immensely though and will finish them in due course.
Ayahuasca said:
Agincourt by Juliet Barker
Or, Azincourt by Bernard Cornwell.
One is a non fiction history of the battle, the other is a novel based on the battle.
Great for longbows, bodkin arrowheads, lusty English archers and skewered Frenchies.
Azincourt is a good read despite all the voice of saints crap! Very tempted by the Juliet Barker one. Or, Azincourt by Bernard Cornwell.
One is a non fiction history of the battle, the other is a novel based on the battle.
Great for longbows, bodkin arrowheads, lusty English archers and skewered Frenchies.
+1 for First Light too, iirc it was one of the first of its kind in terms of a written first person account of thier experiences that gained critical acclaim.
its a very human personal account and all the better for it. I was dissapointed with the TV adaptation as it didn't seem to me to put much of that humanity over...
could just be me, but the book is wonderful
its a very human personal account and all the better for it. I was dissapointed with the TV adaptation as it didn't seem to me to put much of that humanity over...
could just be me, but the book is wonderful
Most of the good one's I've read have already been mentioned I think, but a couple more to add:
Tail End Charlies by John Nicholl and someone else - the story of bomber command towards the back end of the war, I found it a particularly good read as my grandfather was a tail gunner on Lancasters
Tim Collins biography, a pretty good read on Gulf war 2
While not a war history, Ben Rich's Skunk Works has some pretty interesting stuff on the cold war as it follows the development of the U2, SR71, F117 and Stealth ship.
Tail End Charlies by John Nicholl and someone else - the story of bomber command towards the back end of the war, I found it a particularly good read as my grandfather was a tail gunner on Lancasters
Tim Collins biography, a pretty good read on Gulf war 2
While not a war history, Ben Rich's Skunk Works has some pretty interesting stuff on the cold war as it follows the development of the U2, SR71, F117 and Stealth ship.
Edited by RizzoTheRat on Tuesday 17th September 16:36
SBQuattro said:
Vocal Minority said:
First Light is a Battle of Britain diary, and very good.
^^^^This^^^^This is a very good book, have read it two or three times over the last 5 years or so.
The authors name is Geoffrey Wellum.
julianm said:
Six Armies In Normandy: From D-Day to the Liberation of Paris
Eagle against the Sun: The American War with Japan
Were both prtty riveting for me - Keegan (Six armies) has an excellent style - informative, authoritative but not dry. Spector`s US / Japanese epic is pretty chilling.
I've just ordered Eagle against the Sun (and Hasting's Nemises). Never heard of that one beforeEagle against the Sun: The American War with Japan
Were both prtty riveting for me - Keegan (Six armies) has an excellent style - informative, authoritative but not dry. Spector`s US / Japanese epic is pretty chilling.
Panzer Battles 1939 - 1945 A Study of the Employment of Armour in the Second World War by Major General F.W. von Mellenthin. A very good account from the German perspective of some of the major tank battles in WWII by a man who took part in them.
Hell in the Heavens by F M Foster; A first person account of the WWII aerial battle in the pacific.
Edward III and the Triumph of England: The Battle of Crécy and the Company of the Garter; Just finished this and gives quite a different perspective on the battle than I have read before.
Hell in the Heavens by F M Foster; A first person account of the WWII aerial battle in the pacific.
Edward III and the Triumph of England: The Battle of Crécy and the Company of the Garter; Just finished this and gives quite a different perspective on the battle than I have read before.
Alex Kershaw has written several well researched accounts of WWII from survivors' stories.
The Bedford Boys
The Longest Winter
The Few
Escape from the Deep
The Envoy
The Liberator
He's an old school chum of mine so maybe I'm biased but he combines history and gripping action to great effect.
The Bedford Boys
The Longest Winter
The Few
Escape from the Deep
The Envoy
The Liberator
He's an old school chum of mine so maybe I'm biased but he combines history and gripping action to great effect.
Ayahuasca said:
'Redcoat' by Richard Holmes - real life 'Sharpe' stuff.
Any of Richard Holmes' books; I've yet to read a duffer.'One of our submarines' by Edward Young; as the title suggests he was a WW2 bubblehead and saw action in the North Sea, the Med and the far east.
Edited by hidetheelephants on Sunday 10th November 19:22
Gassing Station | Books and Literature | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff