Best Books - Non-fiction military (war story) - Freeper opinions wanted!

[PatrickHenry]

Killer Angels, by Michael Shaara. About the Battle of Gettysburg. I think the movie, Gettysburg, was based on it. But the book is better by far.

[DCBryan1]

Must reads:

Gates of Fire, Stephen Pressfield

Stalingrad by Beevers,

WInter War by Foss

Lost Battalion

Infantry Tactics by Erwin Rommel

Last Man in Rome (political mostly, some military)

Flags of our fathers

Utmost Savagery

With the Old Breed at Okinawa and Pelilu

Hope these Help...its about 2 mos worth of reading.

[South Dakota]

A must read. A Bridge too Far

[DCBryan1]

hmmm forgot:

Rape of Nanking

and how about "Unintended Consequenses by John Ross (if you want a domestic war, and your blood boiling)

Lewis and Clark is a good one

Guadalcanal Diaries,

Stillwell Road

Rebels and Redcoats (not Redcoats and Rebels).

[Enlightiator]

Can any of you help with my request for best of the best military books? Thanks!

[RANGERAIRBORNE]

Try "WARTIME" by Paul Fussell

[Larry Lucido]

I'm listening to "A History of WWII" by Martin Gilbert on unabridged audiocassette during my one-hour daily commute. I'm almost done, and it's quite compelling.

I just got an MP3 player for my daily runs, and downloaded "American Caesar: Douglas McArthur" by William Manchester as my first audiobook. I'm about 2 hours into it so far.

As you can see, I listen to a lot more books than I read. I'll bookmark this thread for more ideas later on.

[kaylar]

Sea of Glory, by Father Francis Thornton. (Fictionalized under the same title by Ken Wales). About the sinking of a US troop carrier in 1943. The four chaplains (Catholic, protestant, and Jewish) chose to stay on board the sinking vessel, relinquishing their life preservers and chances at a spot on the lifeboats in favor of other men.

Unlikely Liberators by Masayo Umezawa Duus. About the Japanese-American troops in WW II, who fought to free Occupied Europe.

When the Guns Roared by Philip Van Doren Stern. Has to be read to be (dis)believed. Very entertaining as a result. Highly biased, to put it mildly. I don't believe this book has ever been reprinted once, and this country has an unquenchable appetite for civil war books.

[DCBryan1]

A must read. A Bridge too Far.

I both agree and disagree. Cornielous is a notorious exaggerator. He is discredited by historians and veterans alike in his version of events. Although it is an entertaining and tells the basic tale, your advanced WW2 authors will be Ambrose, John Keegan, and Raminov (for those of you who read Russian).

[SamAdams76]

There is a huge 3-volume narrative on the Civil War by Shelby Foote that is the definitive account of the Civil War. I purchased this set in April and it is very worthy.

[clintonh8r]

"Goodbye, Darkness" by William Manchester. About his experince as a Marine in the Pacific campaign.

[freedomson]

Yeah, really, 'A Bridge Too Far' should be on everyone's top ten list of military non-fiction.

[Enlightiator]

Thanks for the replies!

And hey DCBryan1, thats quite a list, can you narrow the top three for me? :) In your second post, you give "Lewis and Clark", is that the "Lewis & Clark - The Journey of the Crops of Discovery", by Dayton Duncan and Ken Burns (was a PBS special as well), if so, I have it and enjoy it, especially the actual diary entries. As a teenager, I read a huge volume of the diaries ("Unabridged Diaries of the Lewis and Clark Expedition" or SOMETHING like that, was a long time ago), and that was even better.

[johnboy]

the guns of august.

goodbye darkness.

[pa_dweller]

A Rifleman Went to War by H.W. McBride, Lancer Militaria, 1987 - WWI

They Fought Alone, Maurice buckmaster Publisher: tells the real life story of Wendell Fertig, an American soldier who fought in the Philippines during World War II and became a hero. (They Fought Alone is released on DVD or VHS. They Fought Alone In Theaters: Estimated for November 2003. Starring: Brad Pitt

[DCBryan1]

And hey DCBryan1, thats quite a list, can you narrow the top three for me?

No. I cannot narrow the most destructive century in mankind (the 20th century with 500 million dead in war), and definately will not narrow the biggest EVENT in the history of mankind, World War II, down to two or three books.

The person that would want 3 books for WW2 should have received that education in High School, or college level courses in contemporary European (or military history) history.

The reason I say this is WW2 was HUGE...and on purpose, I studied Russian so I could read Russian version of events on the East Front.

Did you know that seventy percent (70%!!!!) of all combat casualties from were on the EASTERN FRONT? Thats all the way from 1933 (when China went into Manchuria) to VJ day in 1945, the Russians bore the true hell of WW2.

I suggest the book "The Second World War" by John Keegan, for basic understanding of WW2. He writes from an ENGLISH perspective, not American. For an American perspective, contact Ambrose, or Theodore Wilson at University of Kansas.

Keegan also is an author on WW1.

Glad I could be of help.

[Ancient_Pistoll]

Company Aytch by Sam Watkins and Marine Sniper: 93 Confirmed kills by Charles Henderson.

[balrog666]

A bump for later perusal.

I add "Death of a Navy" but I read it 35-40 years ago and don't have a copy for a quick review.

Final note: I find Keegan to be a boring writer. The facts are there but his style is just too dry.

[Enlightiator]

No. I cannot narrow the most destructive century in mankind (the 20th century with 500 million dead in war), and definately will not narrow the biggest EVENT in the history of mankind, World War II, down to two or three books. Fair enough I guess, but what I was asking for is the first three books you would recommend starting with, given that one has to start somewhere :) Your comments concerning the magnitude of 20th century war and especially Russia's losses in WWII are well made! My interest is primarily in the real world experiences of war, specifically as to why things seem to "go wrong" so often in the fog of battle. I haven't put a lot of military books behind me yet, however I see a pattern of many lives lost unecessarily due to poor leadership and battle tactics driven down from the top. Mirrors the corporate world and government in general it appears...