Suggestions for war biography books?

[un1corn]

You know, a story detailing one persons experiences in the war. Ideally ww2, but i've read some decent modern stuff too.

I'm currently reading Iron Coffins - Herbert Werner, (WW2 U-Boat captain.)

I've read:

Band of brothers
Marine Sniper - Carlos Hathcock (Vietnam)
Sniper on the eastern front - Sepp Allerberger
Making a killing - James Ashcroft (PMC's in Iraq after the war)
Eight lives down - Chris Hunter (IED tech in iraq/afghan)
No escape zone - Nick Richardson (Harrier pilot shot down behind enemy lines in Bosnia)
Sniper One - Dan Mills (UK Army Sniper in Iraq)
The last true story i'll ever tell - John Crawford (US Army, Gulf war)
Generation kill - Evan Wright (Reporter following a recon company, 2nd gulf war).
Fight for the sky - Douglas Bader
Vipers in the storm - Keith Rosenkraz (F16 pilot, first gulf war)

All pretty good books. I know of Zaitsev's biography which I need to read (I've read war of the rats, which i found to be very good). Anyone else got any recommendations?

Edited by un1corn on Sunday 2nd August 19:21

[Cpt Stirling]

Based on your list, I think you would enjoy First Light by Geoffrey Wellum.

[Cpt Stirling]

Based on your list, I think you would enjoy First Light by Geoffrey Wellum.

[BryanC]

Mentioned on here before :

Chickenhawk by Robert Mason.
A Huey pilot starting with his training stateside and then shipped to 'Nam.

My current read is worth mentioning :

The Human Game by Simon Read.
The true story of British bobby Frank McKenna sent to post war Germany to locate and bring to trial the Gestapo murderers who killed the 76 from the Great Escape.

[NordicCrankShaft]

Somme Mud.

It's a young Australian troopers account of his journey into WW1. An absolutely fantastic book with excellent and sad details.

[egomeister]

Agent Zigzag is a good read.

[acd80]

The Forgotten Soldier by Guy Sager. It's a cracking read.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Forgotten-Soldier-Russ...

[Cpt Stirling]

Some good ones there. Also on the Vietnam theme; Low Level Hell (again helicopter based). The Forgotten Highlander. Lion Rampant. Pegasus Bridge.

[oddball1973]

Quartered Safe Out Here by George MacDonald Fraser. A Soldiers personnel experience in Burma fighting with his platoon of Cumbrian Borderers against the collapsing Japanese army. Frankly put this brilliant book should be compulsory taught in schools.

[oddball1973]

Quartered Safe Out Here by George MacDonald Fraser. A Soldiers personnel experience in Burma fighting with his platoon of Cumbrian Borderers against the collapsing Japanese army. Frankly put this brilliant book should be compulsory taught in schools.

[ExV8]

Leon Degrell - The Eastern Front. A Belgium fighting for the Germans against communism. I found it a good read from a different perspective.

[Joey Ramone]

'By Tank into Normandy' by Stuart Hills. He was a 20 yr old tank commander who landed on D-Day with the Sherwood Rangers and fought through to the end of the war in what eventually turned out to be British 2nd Army's most heavily engaged armoured regiment. Probably the most realistic and (albeit sobering) accounts of armoured warfare you'll ever read.

[Joey Ramone]

And anything by Sven Hassel of course...

[Alapeno]

egomeister said:

Agent Zigzag is a good read.

will add to this - Also enjoyed Operation Mincemeat by same author.

[StuntmanMike]

Joey Ramone said:

And anything by Sven Hassel of course...

Read all those in my teen years, Winter, Russian front, total lunacy and I loved them, total rubbish but enjoyable rubbish.

I would add, 100 days by Sandy Woodward, I thought it was very good and four weeks in may by David Hart Dyke.

[matt12023]

'Through Hell for Hitler: A Dramatic First-hand Account of Fighting on the Eastern Front with the Wehrmacht'

By Henry Metelmann

An interesting read, I first gave it a go because they invited the author to our college to give a talk. It was fascinating, I remember I skived double physics to hear his talk for a second time

[Issi]

WorAl should write a book on his grandfathers stories about WWII.

[Tango13]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Never-Anger-Anthony-Bugs-B...

As the title suggests, the author never fired any weapons in combat but it's a very good and in parts very funny book.

[Yertis]

"Carrier Pilot" by Norman Hanson - a little known but by turns horrific and hilarious account of flying Corsairs for the Roysl Navy against the Japanese.

[kentlad]

A bit of a different suggestion but give Under the Wire a crack. It's the story of Marie Colvin and Paul Conry Reporting from Syria in 2012. It's a bit different due to the fact it's from a Journo's (photographers) point of view. But well worth a read IMO. A very harrowing story & one I've enjoyed reading.