# Essential World War II books **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 17, 2016, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-world-war-ii-books/755045 "2016-05-17T23:21:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2016, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-world-war-ii-books/755045/21 "2016-05-18T14:15:38Z")
I’ll add another which some may find surprising because of its author. _Hitler’s War_ by David Irving Yes, I know he’s totally beyond the pale but some of his books were incredibly well-researched and this one is pretty non-controversial. ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2016, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-world-war-ii-books/755045/22 "2016-05-18T14:17:56Z")
Clay Blair’s book (“Silent Victory: The US Submarine War against Japan”). Audey Murphie’s “To hell and back”, Leckie’s “Helmet for my pillow”, Sledge’s “With the old breed” present a grim picture of the war from a US infantryman’s perspective. Lundstrum’s “The First Team: Pacific Naval Air Combat from PH to Midway” ---
**Author:** ![Algernon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a183cd/32.png) [@Algernon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algernon)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2016, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-world-war-ii-books/755045/23 "2016-05-18T14:20:54Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > You definitely want to read Rick Atkinson’s Liberation Trilogy: > _An Army at Dawn: The War in North Africa, 1942-1943 > The Day of Battle: The War in Sicily and Italy, 1943-1944 > The Guns at Last Light: The War in Western Europe, 1944-1945_ I concur with the recommendation regarding Rick Atkinson’s trilogy. It is wonderful. The best first person account of battle I have ever read is Eugene Sledge’s _With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa_. It is gripping. I would also recommend Rawicz’s _The Long Walk: The True Story of a Trek to Freedom_. Though the veracity of the memoir has been discredited, it is still a good read. Max Hastings’ _Inferno: The World at War, 1939-1945_ (also mentioned by **Little Nemo** is a good single volume history. What I liked most about this is that much of the focus was on the front-line soldier and sailor, and also on the impact of the conflict on the civilian population. The strategic movement of forces on land, sea and air, and the resultant battles were of course covered in the narrative, but served mostly to provide a context for the suffering that occurred by individuals and populations. I also found it interesting that the book covered some battlefronts like Burma and Hungary that rarely get mentioned in a book like this that attempts to document the entire war. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2016, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-world-war-ii-books/755045/24 "2016-05-18T14:41:24Z")
> [@China\_Guy](#): > > I would throw in Audie Murphy’s To Hell and Back I was going to say this. I watched the movie several times before I read the book. The book has a much darker and grittier tone than the movie. For I different perspective I would recommend Soldat, Reflections of a German Soldier, 1936-1949. The author was just the right age to join the Wehrmacht as the war started. He fought on all fronts and was in the bunker near the end. He also spent several years in the Soviet Union as a prisoner after the war. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2016, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-world-war-ii-books/755045/25 "2016-05-18T14:52:04Z")
I just finished “Masters of the Air” by Donald Miller. Great book about the US strategic bombing campaign. It covers the perspective of the aircrews, the target planners, and the strategists, as well as where theory and reality collided in the air over Germany. I’ll second the recommendations for: Pacific: “Helmet for my Pillow”, “With the Old Breed”, “Goodbye Darkness” Europe: “Forgotten Soldier”, “Band of Brothers”, “Enemy at the Gates”, “The Willing Flesh”/“Cross of Iron”, “The Longest Day”. ---
**Author:** ![zimaane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a3d4f5/32.png) [@zimaane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zimaane)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2016, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-world-war-ii-books/755045/26 "2016-05-18T15:11:43Z")
Berlin at War, Roger Moorhouse. A detailed and fascinating look at life in the German capital during the war. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2016, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-world-war-ii-books/755045/27 "2016-05-18T15:14:08Z")
Rather than seconding many of the excellent suggestions, I’ll recommend **A Time For Trumpets: The Untold Story of the Battle of The Bulge** , by Charles MacDonald (who was also commanded a rifle company in the battle). It’s a very detailed account from the German side, including detailed accounts of troop movements and the planning involved. **The Forgotten Few** , by Adam Zamoyski, about the Polish Air Force **Flags of Our Fathers** , James Bradley Okay, I must also recommend the Atkinson trilogy, which is a great read. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2016, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-world-war-ii-books/755045/28 "2016-05-18T19:19:06Z")
John Keegan’s _The Second World War_ is an excellent general overview that also touches on specific themes (e.g., logistics). ---
**Author:** ![HubZilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ccd318/32.png) [@HubZilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HubZilla)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2016, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-world-war-ii-books/755045/29 "2016-05-18T20:54:21Z")
More from a “civilians had it rough” point of view **Bloodlands: Europe Between Hitler and Stalin** by Timothy Snyder: You begin to wonder if they’ll run out of Poles and Russians to kill. **Rape of Nanking** by Iris Chang. Same thing, only with the Chinese. Her analysis chapters at the end garnered some controversy. **The Battle for Manila** by Richard Connaughton. Same thing, with the Filipinos. A little-known battle stuck between Iwo Jima and Okinawa, but with more deaths than Hiroshima or Nagasaki. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2016, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-world-war-ii-books/755045/30 "2016-05-18T21:12:03Z")
Ian Kershaw’s biography of Adolf Hitler. Edward Jablonski’s _ **Flying Fortress** _. James McGovern’s _ **Crossbow and Overcast** _, about the Allied campaign against Germany’s V-weapons. I have lots of other books packed away that I’ll be able to get to next week. ---
**Author:** ![Deeg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/deeg/32/2955_2.png) [@Deeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deeg)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2016, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-world-war-ii-books/755045/31 "2016-05-18T21:15:47Z")
I’m going to down-vote the Churchill book if you’re looking for a relatively unbiased history of the war. I love Churchill but most of his writing is heavily self-serving. One book I haven’t seen mentioned is [The Making of the Atomic Bomb](http://www.amazon.com/Making-Atomic-Bomb-Richard-Rhodes/dp/1471111237?ie=UTF8&*Version*=1&*entries*=0) by Richard Rhodes. Brilliant. ---
**Author:** ![Ignatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/3be4f8/32.png) [@Ignatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignatz)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2016, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-world-war-ii-books/755045/32 "2016-05-18T23:43:23Z")
Dunnigan, James F. The World War II Bookshelf-50 Must-Read Books Gaskin, Margaret Blitz-The Story of December 29, 1940 Gilbert, Martin Auschwitz and the Allies-A Devastating Account of How the Allies Responded to the News of Hitler’s Mass Murder Greene, Joshua M. Justice at Dachau-The Trials of an American Prosecutor Hirsh, Michael The Liberators-America’s Witnesses to the Holocaust Kershaw, Ian To Hell and Back-Europe-1914-1949 Kershaw, Alex The Liberator-One World War II Soldier’s 500-Day Odyssey From the Beaches of Sicily to the Gates of Dachau Millett, Allen R., Dr. WWII In 100 Objects-The Story of the World’s Greatest Conflict Told Through the Objects That Shaped It Rooney, Andrew A. Fortunes of War-Four Great Battles of World War II-Tarawa, Stalingrad, D-Day, The Bulge Sacco, Jack Where the Birds Never Sing-The True Story of the 92nd Signal Battalion and the Liberation of Dachau Terkel, Studs The Good War-An Oral History of World War II ---
**Author:** ![Commodore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@Commodore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Commodore)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2016, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-world-war-ii-books/755045/33 "2016-05-19T03:24:28Z")
I would of liked to read what R Hess position was on it all, it comes across as moronic that he could not put his opinions across after all them years in jail. I have never come across a book on WW2 that I thought was worth jack as to the lead up to the start and reason of that all, that’s detailed day by day like account leading up to it and then the start, they liked to runaway in fear on all the Polish question going into all the depth on this subject and then one can start on about the real WW2 war. I find them all pathetic and all over the place, for someone who was not born in them days, not to mention German words for things that how the hell does the reader know what it means if you don’t know German. Thing is that gets me is that one does not truly get educated on the subject that matters most. The lead up and the start is the most important the rest is just detail of no real interest written by some twit that loves war it’s self and I can’t stand that crap unless it’s a point to do with something to do with the bigger picture. When I was at school I was like I don’t care about the position of what you are talking about much because it’s just shallow rubbish mainly not to mention worthless information on the whole to me, as names dates places is not the point I want to truly know as they are only of lesser importance not the most important that they tried to make out.:rolleyes: Point’s like why did they not do this or that and why did they do this or that is what interest me as this keeps the subject alive for me, not boring crap that makes you go to sleep or sick. ---
**Author:** ![movingfinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@movingfinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/movingfinger)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2016, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-world-war-ii-books/755045/34 "2016-05-19T05:19:15Z")
[quote=“Deeg, post:31, topic:755045”] I’m going to down-vote the Churchill book if you’re looking for a relatively unbiased history of the war. I love Churchill but most of his writing is heavily self-serving. Churchill said, “History will be kind to me, as I intend to write it.” ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2016, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-world-war-ii-books/755045/35 "2016-05-19T07:21:26Z")
Albert Speer’s _ **Inside the Third Reich** _. ---
**Author:** ![KCB615](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ea666f/32.png) [@KCB615](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KCB615)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2016, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-world-war-ii-books/755045/36 "2016-05-19T11:42:07Z")
It’s not “a” book, but a 15-book set. \*\*History of United States Naval Operations in World War II \*\*by Samuel Eliot Morrison. Everything you could ever want to know about the US Navy from 1940-1946 or so. My set was passed down from my grandfather, who indicated in the margins all of the incidents he was involved with (destroyers and cruisers for his whole 25-year career). A bit of extra sentimental value, but still a darn good book set. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2016, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-world-war-ii-books/755045/37 "2016-05-19T12:55:24Z")
The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors: The Extraordinary World War II Story of the U.S. Navy’s Finest Hour Neptune’s Inferno: The U.S. Navy at Guadalcanal The Fleet at Flood Tide: America at Total War in the Pacific, 1944-1945 all by James D. Hornfischer Tin Can covers the Navy destroyers role in the Battle of Leyte Gulf. I really like Hornfischer’s approach to researching and writing about these events. ---
**Author:** ![Sauron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@Sauron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sauron)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2016, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-world-war-ii-books/755045/38 "2016-05-19T14:16:12Z")
**Flags of our Fathers** (Bradley) has already been mentioned. **Flyboys** is good too – while it deals primarily with the ordeal faced by pilots who were shot down over Chichi Jima (and the effects on their families), it also gives good background on the leadup to WWII from a Japanese and American perspective, and provides information on the firebombing campaign against Japan. Robert Leckie wrote several excellent books about the Pacific campaign. I just finished **Strong Men Armed** (an overview of the island battles in the Pacific) and recently read **Challenge for the Pacific** (about the battle for Guadalcanal). Both are worth reading. A slightly different look at one of the biggest turning points in the Pacific in WWII is offered by Mitsuo Fuchida and Masatake Okumiya, who co-wrote **Midway, The Battle that Doomed Japan: The Japanese Navy’s Story**. As the title indicates, this book looks at Midway from a Japanese perspective, and is meticulously researched. Very interesting (to me, anyway). ---
**Author:** ![Chihuahua](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dec6dc/32.png) [@Chihuahua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chihuahua)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2016, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-world-war-ii-books/755045/39 "2016-05-19T14:22:09Z")
Another vote for Gerhard Weinberg’s **A World at Arms**. It is lengthy, insightful, and exhaustive. It is my go-to book for any reference question. I have never read it cover-to-cover, but I use it more like an encyclopedia. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2016, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-world-war-ii-books/755045/40 "2016-05-19T14:42:22Z")
Let me second **The Good War** by Studs Terkel. A remarkable riveting book that covers the home front more than any others I’ve read. A pair of excellent books from Japanese participants: **Samurai!** by Saburo Sakai, a memoir about the Japanese air war **Japanese Destroyer Captain** by Tameichi Hara, a memoir \*\*The First and the Last \*\*by General Adolf Galland, about the German fighter plane forces. **The Ragged, Rugged Warriors** by Martin Caidin, about the first six moths of the Pacific War in the air and the Army Air Forces. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-world-war-ii-books/755045.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-world-war-ii-books/755045.md?page=3)