If you can pick one and only one favourite WWII book of all time which would it be and why?

Mine would be Tanks of WWII by Chris Ellis: it is not a classic tome; it isn't accurate either and it contains low print quality illustrations only but I used it to scratch build models as a kid (like a JS2 from a plastic JS3 using a lot of milliput!) and as my camoflage template too and it expanded my interests to consider all the Nations involved rather than the narrow Normandy 44 perspective I grew up with.

Odd choice and definately based on nostalgia rather than an objective view of its merits but there we are

that may all depend whether your studies are on specific weapons or theaters of operations or personalities or ........... too many to choose from

Im with Erich, there are so many.

Perhaps if we narrow it down?

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The war against Russia will be such that it cannot be conducted in a knightly fashion. This struggle is one of ideologies and racial differences and will have to be conducted with unprecedented, unmerciful and unrelenting harshness. -Adolf Hitler

True enough but one I keep going back to is von Mellenthin's "Panzer Battles".

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American by birth, TEXAN by the grace of GOD!

Fatherland by Robert Harris.
Fatherland (novel - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

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.

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"Wars cannot be fought with dream stuff" - Sir Percy Hobart.

Under the Red Sea Sun by Captain Edward Ellsberg. I enjoyed this book about his salvage efforts of the port of Masawa in Ertria Ethopia immensely. It is not only an emminently enjoyable read it is also one of those stories of how one person can make chicken soup from chicken s$%t.
Here is the story of a retired master naval salvage man (one of the best in the world) brought back into service for WW 2, sent with just 6 men and no equipment to a true hellhole on the Horn of Africa he proceeds to rebuild an entire port and naval shipyard from the ruins left by the Italians. His creativitiy and drive are one of those true American ingenuity stories.
Note, this guy also invented the underwater cutting torch prior to WW 2.
Captain Ellsberg was also responsible for later salvaging many of the ports in North Africa and a major player in the success of the Mulberries at Normandy. The later was in another book he wrote called The Far Shore.

Edward Ellsberg - official web site

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Truth is stranger than bullshit!

The Men of Company K, An Autobiography of a Rifle Company, by Leinbaugh and Campbell.

Written by members of K Company, 333rd Infantry Regiment, 84th Infantry Division. Very well written, easily read book about the an "average" rifle company from formation to going home and combat in between, mostly on the north shoulder of the Bulge.

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Best Regards,
JW

Too tricky, but what the heck, here's one.

I believe this book is now out of print but you can pick up second hand ones.

The Last Year of the Luftwaffe
May 1944 to May 1945

By Alfred Price


This one in my view is the best of the last year books, second place goes to V. E. Tarrant for his one on the Kriegsmarine. I found the one on the Army a let down.

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Regards, Richard

There back this Xmas 2008

soo many indeed, but if i have to choose, it would be Anthony Beevor's 'Stalingrad'. My dad was reading it when i was in my teens and i picked it up one day cuz i was bored...WW2 hasn't let me go ever since

thx pops!

This is one of my favs and only read it for the first time about 3 yrs ago.

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American by birth, TEXAN by the grace of GOD!

Maybe something by Paul Carell for me...


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Third Reich & WWII in the News - Medals, Battles & Aftermath

Paul Carell for me too - I started reading Hitler Moves East in high school during the 60s. At that time, I was amazed to find a book about the Eastern Front from the German perspective, and it hooked me. Over the years, I looked far and wide for an affordable hard-back copy. In the meantime, I bought Der Russlandkrieg, Scorched Earth, and The Foxes of the Desert (and even got Schiffer's translated edition of Der Russlandkrieg just so I could find out what it said !). Finally I found HME about 20 years ago for $10. It's not the most accurate account as military history but it's a good read, and holds a lot of sentimental value for me.

Well, the most recent one I read, that I really liked, is "The Hunger Winter".

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Members of the Dutch Resistance with 101st AB, Eindhoven. Operation Market Garden.

Scott

One of my early faves that I've gone back and re-read numerous times....



'Bodyguard of Lies' by Anthony Cave Brown

It's dated, and a lot of the information contained has since either been refuted or challenged due to the subsequent release of additional papers....



..... but still .... I just like the subject matter and continue to marvel at the extent of the British intelligence/deception/doublecross efforts throughout the war....


.... interesting stuff.

-whatever

-Lou

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5 out of 4 people have difficulty with fractions.

From a purely sentimental POV, for me it's Roger A Freeman's 'Airfields Of The Eighth -Then & Now'

I bought it just after I passed my driving test and spent many happy weekends - and hundreds of miles - exploring the old airfields, poring over Ordnance maps and the aerial photos in the book. Those were the days when petrol was 30p per gallon, the roads were uncrowded and you could walk the full length of some of those enormous, long-abandoned runways.

All those things are now just a memory, but I wouldn't swap my battered copy of 'Airfields' for anything......

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"Stand by to pull me out of the seat if I get hit" - Guy Gibson

Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors by James D Hornfischer
others include any book related to Samar and Shattered Sword by Tony Tully and John Parshall

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Anyone who clings to the historically untrue--and thoroughly immoral--doctrine that 'violence never solves anything'... Violence, naked force, has settled more disputes in history than has any other factor, and the contrary opinion is wishful thinking at its worst. Breeds that forget this basic truth have always paid for it with their lives and freedoms." Robert Heinlein

I know now that there are a lot of factual errors in it (especially the alleged Sniper duel), but "Enemy at the Gates" by William Craig (1973) was the book that got me interested in WWII and it has always been one of my favorites.

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It is sometimes harder to fight my superiors than the French.
-Heinz Guderian

Those are BOTH real good books!

-whatever

-Lou

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5 out of 4 people have difficulty with fractions.

mikebatzel - have you read Midway Inquest by Dallas Woodbury Isom ? He disagrees with some of the findings in Shattered Sword, and presents his viewpoint in this very detailed and analytical study of why the IJN lost the Battle of Midway.

No I havn't yet, but I did purshase it and have had it sitting in the too be read stack for a few months now.

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Anyone who clings to the historically untrue--and thoroughly immoral--doctrine that 'violence never solves anything'... Violence, naked force, has settled more disputes in history than has any other factor, and the contrary opinion is wishful thinking at its worst. Breeds that forget this basic truth have always paid for it with their lives and freedoms." Robert Heinlein

Midway Inquest is not as easy to read as Shattered Sword - Isom is a retired law professor, and the book's style reflects his background, presenting "evidence" to back up his statements much like a trial. But it is compelling reading - you may not agree with his points, but it's hard to refute them in the face of his evidence. I enjoyed it.