What Are You Reading?

The Enigma of General Blaskowitz

By Richard Giziowski

 

Finished Escape from the Deep by Alex Kershaw last night. Tonight I start Carrier Strike: The Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands by Eric Hammel

 

Starting "Checkertails" by Ernest R. McDowell

"Confounding the Reich" by Martin W Bowman and Tom Cushing

 

FYI - I just downloaded (FREE) a new book about WWII and the hurtgen forest titled: Chuck's Story. I am a WWII buff and think I have read most everything out there, but this story was quite unique and interesting and it took me only about an hour to read. I think the personal accounts of WWII soldiers seem to take on a different perspective. Anyway, I enjoyed the book and suggest it to anyone of similar interests. It was recommended to me by someone who knows the subject of the book. To find it you have to go to a website called Lulu.com and type in the title.

 

I am about half way through General Ike, which chronicles Ike's life during the War through the eyes, recollections and research of his son (the younger General Eisenhower). It is a good balance of history and family memories.

 

I have just started reading "Rommel's Last Battle" from the SS Wotan series by Leo Kessler. They are fiction but Kessler has also incorporated real life people and events to make a thrilling novel that you just can't put down. I suggest reading this series.

 

Ordered the following:

Bergström: Bagration to Berlin

Luftwaffe Fighters over the Far North by Brekken

Hans-Joachim Marseille by Tate ( Schiffer )

Hitler´s Secret Commandos Ops of the K-Verband by Blocksdorf

 

Oh my,

visited a book store and naturally bought a book....

"Master bombers" by Sean Feast. Looks good with lots of personal info from the missions.

 

I'm still reading Tigers in the Mud. Great book.

 

The Biggest Brother. The story of Maj. Dick Winters, pretty interesting so far!

 

Tu by Patricia Grace!
It's about three brothers in the 28th Maori Battalion and their way through the war, pretty good so far.

 

Ah but Kai, the question is how long did you spend in the bookshop
and how much would you like to have spent

 

Hey Big fun i have this sat in my bookcase waiting to be read will be intrested in your review when you have finished.

 

more aerial-combat reports from the 352nd and 359th fg via Maxwel AFB NHRA, quite interesting reading these official docs

 

Just finished The Last Train From Berlin - Howard K. Smith from 1942. Very interesting view of 1930s-late 1941 Germany from the perspective of an American reporter who was there. His descriptions of the train conditions for Jews is almost shocking as the reader knows how much worse it actually became.

Currently reading An Army At Dawn - Rick Atkinson. I'm enjoying the writing style very much.

 

I missed Bud Anderson's (a triple ace) talk in DC this month, but bought his book, "To Fly and Fight". Highly recommended!




His Web Site is http://www.cebudanderson.com/

 

..but not enough of the book devoted to flying P-51s...

spotted Richard Hargreaves' latest opus on my local library shelf - 'Blitzkrieg Unleashed' - a heavily researched & well written account of the Polish campaign. Could have done with a list of 'dramatis personae' at the start of the book as I'm having a job following all the characters involved...

 

I just more or less finished General Ike: A Personal Reminiscence by John S.D. Eisenhower (his son and also a general in his own right).

The book retells John Eisenhower's memories of his father's relationships with the various characters of WWII. I enjoyed the book but it did occasionally get bogged down a bit. Also, it made me really dislike Monty so now I need to read up on Monty to find out whether I am adopting a bias that is legitimate.

 

I'm starting The Day of Battle. Pretty interesting so far, Atkinson has a captivating style.

 

If I may suggest two great books to come out of World War II: "Le Soldat Oublie", by Guy Sajer, and "Quand j'etais Rochambelle", by Suzanne Massu. Neither book has been out of print since they came out forty years ago, although only Sajer's book has been translated into English ("The Forgotten Soldier"). Suzanne Massu's book is so quintessentially french that it is untranslateable.
Guy Sajer was an Alsatian who joined the German army at the age of 17 and survived four years on the Russian front. His description of what it was really like makes this book a classic, in my opinion.
Suzanne Massu served as what we would call a corpsman (or medic) with the free french; that is, someone who delivers first aid to the wounded under fire. The Rochambelles was a volunteer outfit which more or less forced itself on the free french second armored division, but they were glad to have them before it was all over. Her wit, courage under fire, unfailing good cheer and patriotism make this book a great read.