# Best World War II Novels? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 7, 2011, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-world-war-ii-novels/581075 "2011-05-07T16:44:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![jinty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/dbc845/32.png) [@jinty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jinty)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2011, 9:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-world-war-ii-novels/581075/61 "2011-05-13T09:02:28Z")
> [@Estilicon](#): > > This could be a highjack but does anybody know a good novel about the battle of jutland? Unfortunately not. Closest I can recommend is Alexander Fullerton’s book “The Blooding of the Guns” - it’s _definitely_ about Jutland, but Fullerton’s not that great a writer, unfortunately. Worth a go? If you’re really keen to read a Jutland novel, I suppose - it’s not great but not terrible either. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2011, 9:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-world-war-ii-novels/581075/62 "2011-05-13T09:17:44Z")
Steel Castles for the naval history of WWI. Not a novel, but a cracking good read. ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_s\_Son](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19adc/32.png) [@Jim\_s\_Son](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_s_Son)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2011, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-world-war-ii-novels/581075/63 "2011-05-13T13:35:44Z")
I’ve never read much World War II fiction but will second the Herman Wouk “Winds of War” and “War and Remembrance” books. I particularly enjoyed the history of the war from the losing side excepts supposedly done by the fictional German General Armin von Roon. Probably on pre war US army life there is “From Here to Eternity” ---
**Author:** ![lisiate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f05b48/32.png) [@lisiate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisiate)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2011, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-world-war-ii-novels/581075/64 "2011-05-13T20:42:34Z")
> [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](#): > > Steel Castles for the naval history of WWI. Not a novel, but a cracking good read. I’m just coming up to the Jutland chapters of Robert Massie’s _Castles of Steel_ now and I second this nomination - non-fiction but awesome. I was a bit disappointed by _Dreadnought_ though - it’s more about the personalities than the ships. I’m not really that interested in how Victoria got on with her various prime ministers, tell me about the ship development! ---
**Author:** ![Damfino](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Damfino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damfino)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2011, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-world-war-ii-novels/581075/65 "2011-05-13T20:47:25Z")
> [@jinty](#): > > PoC is the only time I’ve ever got to the end of a book and gone right back to the start to re-read. Loved it. Loved everything by Robinson I’ve ever read; he writes such good prose. One of my favourite lines from PoC is when one of the pilots shoots down a German bomber: “The parachutes opened like clever conjuring tricks.” > > Damfino - have you read Damned Good Show? It’s the third of Robinson’s WW2 novels, it’s about an RAF bomber squadron. > > . Surprisingly haven’t heard of it or noted it in the list his books on the inside page. Will search for it now! ---
**Author:** ![Wakinyan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wakinyan/32/352_2.png) [@Wakinyan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wakinyan)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2011, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-world-war-ii-novels/581075/66 "2011-05-13T20:54:46Z")
[The Unknown Soldier](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Unknown_Soldier_%28novel%29) by [Väinö Linna](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V%C3%A4in%C3%B6_Linna) is the best WWII novel I read. Edit: I just read the wiki article on the novel I linked to, and apparently the English translation is not very good. Too bad. (I read it in Swedish.) ---
**Author:** ![NiceGuyJack](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/niceguyjack/32/3069_2.png) [@NiceGuyJack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NiceGuyJack)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2011, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-world-war-ii-novels/581075/67 "2011-05-14T01:12:09Z")
> [@lisiate](#): > > I’m guessing it’s **Hans Helmut Kirst** you’re trying to remember. Aside from the Gunner Asch series he also wrote _Night of the Generals_, _Officer Factory_ and my personal favourite _The Fox of Maulen_ (also known as _The Wolves_. > > Kist writes more about how people react to the amoral Nazi state than war novels as such but there’s plenty of action going on. > > Oh and the movie adaptation of _Night of the Generals_ is worth having a look for - Omar Sharif and Peter O’Toole together in a very different movie from _Lawrence of Arabia_. Yes, I believe that was him. I read his books years ago. I was still in my teens. I think it’s time to read them again. Thanks for jogging my memory. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-world-war-ii-novels/581075.md?page=3)