All of Cornelius Ryan's books are excellent, as is Ambrose's BAND OF BROTHERS. (I haven't read CITIZEN SOlDIERS, but I'd have to expect it's pretty good, too.) The best overview of the war I've ever read, bar none, is Max Hastings' INFERNO. Wonderful and heartbreaking book, written in an understated way that makes the suffering more real than trying to milk emotion from people.
Among nonfiction books, I have read the first two volumes of Rick Atkinson's Liberation Trilogy, An Army At Dawn and The Day of Battle, and they are outstanding.
The most recent fiction I've probably read have been James R. Benn's BILLY BOYLE series. Benn will pick lesser known events and stick Boyle in the center of them.
Max Hastings' books are excellent. I listened to the one covering the Pacific campaign. I've read plenty before about the island fighting but Hastings pointed out how the submarine campaign was vital in isolating the Japanese islands.
My favorite is CATCH-22, but I also like SLAUGHTERHOUSE FIVE.
ReplyDeleteThe Tin Drum, Guns of Navarone, The Moon Is Down
ReplyDeleteThe Cruel Sea, Away All Boats, The Barren Beaches of Hell, HMS Ulysses
ReplyDeleteLots of new titles to me on here.
ReplyDeleteThere are a bunch.
ReplyDeleteTears in the Darkness: The Story of the Bataan Death March and Its Aftermath
ReplyDeleteby Michael Norman and Elizabeth M. Norman
All of Cornelius Ryan's books are excellent, as is Ambrose's BAND OF BROTHERS. (I haven't read CITIZEN SOlDIERS, but I'd have to expect it's pretty good, too.) The best overview of the war I've ever read, bar none, is Max Hastings' INFERNO. Wonderful and heartbreaking book, written in an understated way that makes the suffering more real than trying to milk emotion from people.
ReplyDeleteMy family had a two-book set called The Illustrated History of World War II that I perused all the time when I was a kid. It's gone now.
ReplyDeleteLately I've been reading about the US Navy in the South Pacific. The books are good, but nothing I'd rate a favorite.
Among nonfiction books, I have read the first two volumes of Rick Atkinson's Liberation Trilogy, An Army At Dawn and The Day of Battle, and they are outstanding.
ReplyDeleteRick Atkinson's Liberation Trilogy is excellent, but I was thinking of fiction.
ReplyDeleteThe Winds of War and War and Remembrance are classics!
ReplyDeleteThe most recent fiction I've probably read have been James R. Benn's BILLY BOYLE series. Benn will pick lesser known events and stick Boyle in the center of them.
ReplyDeleteMax Hastings' books are excellent. I listened to the one covering the Pacific campaign. I've read plenty before about the island fighting but Hastings pointed out how the submarine campaign was vital in isolating the Japanese islands.
I think it qualifies as WWII novel -- The Caine Mutiny (Note: the novel is even better than the movie).
ReplyDeleteAnd I agree with Margot. The Wouk novels are great entertainments.
However, I confess that I have not read either Mailer's or Jones's highly regarded WWII masterpieces. I need to get started!