War Diaries 1939-1945: Field Marshal Lord Alanbrooke
Amazon.co.uk: War Diaries 1939-1945: Field Marshal Lord Alanbrooke: Amazon.co.uk:: Alan Brooke Viscount Alanbrooke
Without a doubt the single most influential book on my interest in the war. Finally gave me an appreciation of the sheer scale and complexity of
every aspect of the conflict, and how seemingly insignificant factors can have enormous effect on apparently unrelated strategic issues. How individuals like Alanbrooke were able to grasp these subjects has never ceased to stagger me since reading it.
All this from a rather unassuming man, certainly not self serving as are so many other personal accounts from the higher echelons (Monty & Von Manstein's books spring immediately to mind as poor comparitors).
A man who could shout back at Churchill, finesse the will of the mighty USA to his own point of view, and hold his Vodka when drinking with Stalin. He did his duty, was treated fairly shabbily postwar (in our English way), never complained or sought the limelight, & thankfully kept a detailed and pretty honest diary through all of it.
Oh yes, and 'The great Tank Scandal/Universal tank by Fletcher, Anything by Bart Vanderveen, Ruckmarsch, most of ATB & schiffer's output etc. etc. etc.
Cheers,
Adam.