WW2 Fiction Novels

Hey guys, about to go on a long vacation and needed some help with some book advice.

I am an avid reader of WW2, but mainly Non-Fiction. I want to read some good WW2 Fiction Novels..

Now I have already read authors like David L. Robbins (End of War, War of the Rats, The Last Citadel, Red Ball Express) plus a bunch of WW2-Era spy/mystery thrillers but I really want some pure Military WW2 Novels,

Also, I would really like them set in the Eastern Front or The Pacific Theater if possible, but that is not a requirement. Please send me your "Top 10" list!!

Thanks for the help.

 

W.E.B. Griffith's "The Corps" series is great. He gets so many details right. It's not purely war, lots of women, booze and politics, but great books.

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_2_9?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=the+corps+series&sprefix=the+corps%2Caps%2C199

If you're looking for straight up combat action this series isn't for you. If you like the historical background, politics, how the services evolved, a glimpse of what it was like to serve during the era, and a look at many real personalities through the eyes of the fictional characters, it can't be beat. My father a former enlisted Marine Lt.Col. (retired) really liked the books and sent me one when I was in. I liked them, bought and read the entire series and sent one to Iraq with my son. He loved it and passed it around to his fellow Marines that also loved them. I sent additional books in the series in car packages and next to dip, cigarettes, and energy shots, they were one of the most popular items in the package. Same-same with the younger son, when we took him to the Nashville airport from his pre-deployment leave to fly back to California and then to Afghanistan, we stopped and I got him the first two books and put them in his sea bag. They came back dog-eared and well read, and he'd acquired the rest of the set. We went out to California to visit him and while drinking some beers with him and some of his cohorts from the deployment the books came up and we talked about the story, most had read them, even the ones that didn't enjoy reading.

 

Appreciate all the suggestions!! Keep em' coming!!

 

Battle Cry by Leon Uris

 

I wasn't thinking naval, Slip's right, "The Caine Mutiny" is excellent. I read Griffin's "Brotherhood of War" as well and liked it. I didn't mention it because IIRC it isn't Pacific related. I also read his "Honor Bound" series about the OSS in South America in WWII.
I got off my Griffin kick when I was going to Jump School. The school commander, Lt. Col. Leonard B. Scott, was a god-like officer, he looked the part, he acted the part, he lived the part. He was very motivational. Ran PT with us every morning. The second week we were there, we heard he'd written a novel about Vietnam. We went to the PX Friday afternoon after we secured and bought copies of "Charlie Mike". Ran into the Colonel and he graciously signed them for us and talked with us for a while. I bought his others, "The Hill", "The Expendables" and "The Last Run". Great reads, and highly recommended if you want a good Vietnam book.

A Col. Scott story; When we were sent over to travel to pick up our plane tickets, travel vouchers,etc. after graduation, the civil servant in charge decided it was time for him and his people to go to lunch (about an hour early). You could tell the other civilians were uncomfortable with the decision, and when a Lt. tried to reason with him, telling him he was going to make a lot of troops miss their flights, he replied; "I don't care, you have no authority over me and it's virtually impossible to get a civil servant fired". A cadre Sgt. had gone to get Colonel Scott. He came storming in like a hurricane, demanding to know what the problem was. The civil servant looked bored, said they were going to lunch and he didn't take orders from the Colonel. Colonel Scott leaped up on the counter and growled that if the wormy little, piece of worthless humanity didn't start out processing his soldiers, he would jump down on his side of the counter and the guy would be leaving in an ambulance. They started immediately and rapidly out processing us. Col.Scott climbed down, watched for a little while, and when satisfied with the progress told the guy. "Good, I'm going back to my office. If I find out you leave before every last one of my people are done, I don't give a good gawd damn if it's midnight. I'll be back to finish this."

 

Excellent, thanks Guys.

Just a FYI, Not a W.E.B. Griffin Fan... .I tried getting into him while in service, but just could not get into his writing style. I am a writer myself, so I am kind of critical in that area...it is the same for Alan Furst as well, which is a real bummer because the guy writes about a period and a subject that I absolutely love! WW2 era intelligence/espionage.

Also, wanted to mention a book that is not WW2 era, but more Cold War era.....Killing Che by Chuck Pfarrer is excellent. The author's latest book, Phillip Nolan: The Man Without a Country is also worth picking up. If you know your history, you will DIG this book!

 

'Warriors for the Working Day' by Peter Elstob. Long time out of print but lots come up cheap on eBay. Excellent novel for its time and an easy read.

It's all about the 'adventures' of a British Tank crew from Normandy onwards including the Battle of the Bulge and a face off with a Tiger tank.

Peter Elstob was a Tank Commander in the 3rd Royal Tank Regiment and the novel is loosely based on his own experiences and those of his crew so it's actually semi-autobiographical which makes it all the more interesting.......my father was also one of his crew, but that's another story.

 

Sounds interesting. I also have started book collecting on the side and I have a couple of good contacts that can find me hard to find books, will definitely look into finding this one!

Thanks!

 

It's a thoroughly good read in that very "British schoolboy derring do, 1960s comic" sort of style. It's also apparently widely read even nowadays by Officers/tankies in training because it very nicely describes the close camerarderie experienced by tank crews.

 

Seconded.

Always enjoyed Douglas Reeman too

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_Reeman#World_War_II_novels

 

Avoid the later ones written by his son. They stink.

 

Excellent...thanks Guys..it appears I now have 2 WW2 Naval Authors to look into.

Reeman is really a prolific writer, maybe I will get into him like I did Patrick O' Bryan when I was in Service!

FYI, while browsing around my movies last night, I discovered one of my favorite WW2 Sub movies...Das Boot..really surprised I have not read the book yet!! Ordering it today.

 

I forgot about the fabulous Ken Follett, maybe the best of the best.

https://www.amazon.com/Ken-Follett-WORLD-THRILLER-COLLECTION-ebook/dp/B005CD2RMY

The early stuff by Jack Higgins was great too. Eagle has Landed, To Catch a King, Storm Warning etc

 

I have read almost all of Follett and Higgins stuff...I still like Higgins style.

I can still remember watching The Eagle has Landed with my late Grandfather who was with the 82nd on D-Day...that one and Kelly's Heroes always sticks in my mind.

 

Jeff Shaara has a WW2 trilogy. He writes about a lot of military settings - American Revolution, American Civil War, etc.

Here's a link: http://www.amazon.com/Jeff-Shaara/e/B000APZFAA/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1465930886&sr=1-2-ent

 

I had the same problem with Alan Furst! And like you, it really bummed me out because I love WW2 intelligence/espionage novels most of all.