Movie/Book Recommendations

PatG · #1 May 25th, 2007, 11:26 AM

I received a Chapters gift certificate for my birthday and I'm wanting to spend it on something interesting/useful.

My criteria are:
Not out of print
Broad WWII - 20's/30s colonial wars to Korea
Ground forces preferred but really good air or naval acceptable too.
Japan a big plus
Armoured trains A very big double plus

What movies/books would you recommend?

wulfir · #2 May 25th, 2007, 05:54 PM

Burma: The Longest War
Very good account of the fighting in Burma by a British Japanese-speaker who was there as an intellegience officer.

Soldiers of the Sun: The Rise and Fall of the Japanese Imperial Army
Lots of pages but because the book spans quite a long period the WW2 part is not all that detailed. All in all, not that bad.

The Battle for Okinawa
Japanese account of the defence of Okinawa by an officer of the 32nd Army. Only just begun this book, but it looks promising.

blitzkreig · #3 May 27th, 2007, 03:45 PM

A bit German centric I'm afraid but here goes:

Fiction: Cross of Iron by Willi Heinrich. a book about landsers on the Eastern front. Very good reading highligting the pointlessness of war for those who have to do the fighting. A film was made in the 70's I think by the same director as the "wild Bunch". nowehere as good as the book though.

Other:

Panzer Aces and Panzer Aces 2 by Franz Kurowski (Stackpole military history series).

Very good accounts of the combat carrers of the leading German Tank aces seen from the turret of a Pz. Several of the scenarios in the game sight these as refernaces for some scenarios set on the eastern front.

I'd be interested to hear about other peoples best reads or infomation books.

desh44 · #4 May 28th, 2007, 07:20 PM

Try the Books by Paul Carell
Hitler Moves East
Scorched Earth
Invasion They're Coming
Foxes of the Desert

They give a perspective of the war from the German side and include both the overall picture with the Human interest side

Tom

chuckfourth · #5 May 29th, 2007, 12:19 AM

Hi Pat
There is one book that I think is a very excellent read, the title is "First Blood" by David Morrell its the book that Sylvester Stalones Rambo films are based on but dont let that put you off the book is a real corker.
Best Regards Chuck.

dlazov · #6 May 29th, 2007, 07:54 AM

Broad WW2 (meaning strategic?)

Hitlers War - David Irving

Panzer Battles - Mellenthin

Lost Victories - Manstein

War as I Knew it - Patton

World War II Day by Day

The Second World War: Europe and the Mediterranean (The West Point Military History Series)

A War to be Won: Fighting the Second World War

Battles Lost and Won

Stalingrad to Berlin - Erickson

Moscow to Stalingrad - Erickson

War of Extermination: The German Military in World War II

These are just a few examples of whats out there.

I personally have over 150 tomes (perhaps more) just on military history, not to mention all my war gaming stuff (paper maps and card board counters, etc).

PatG · #7 May 29th, 2007, 11:51 AM

Thanks every one - lots to consider.

Don: More broad as in 1930's to just before Korea.

Sadly much of my collection of books and games fell to spousal pressures and a (then) small apartment. There is nothing worse than looking for a reference you know is there and finding the book is long gone.

PanzerBob · #8 May 29th, 2007, 02:44 PM

If you're looking for interesting bit of fiction try,

Fox on the Front , and, Fox on the Rhine : By Douglas Niles and Michael Dobson, Front is the continuation of Rhine.

WWII Alternate History, but a riveting good read as well

Rhine Review

Front Cover etc

Good luck making your mind up, with all the great choices you've had recommended.

Eternal War(gaming) PanzerBob

Steve_Wilcox · #9 June 4th, 2007, 04:16 PM

For books involving the war against Japan, I would highly recommend Quartered Safe Out Here: A Recollection of the War in Burma by George MacDonald Fraser:
http://www.amazon.com/Quartered-Safe...0984051&sr=1-1

And:
Tennozan: The Battle of Okinawa and the Atomic Bomb by George Feifer:
http://www.amazon.com/Tennozan-Battl...0983983&sr=1-1

Edit PS: A link for a website's armoured train bibliography which may prove useful if you were unaware of it previously:
http://www.aopt91.dsl.pipex.com/rail...redTrains.html
Some of the Schiffer books mentioned on it are available at Amazon.com, but I don't know if you'll have much luck at Chapters.

DRG · #10 June 5th, 2007, 10:05 AM

If you want "Canadian Content" Pat try anything by Mark Zuehlke

Holding Juno: Canada's Heroic Defence of the D-Day Beaches, June 7-12 1944. Douglas & McIntyre, 2005.

Juno Beach: Canada's D-Day Victory: June 6 1944. Douglas & McIntyre, 2004.

The Gothic Line: Canada's Month of Hell in World War II Italy. Douglas & McIntyre, 2003.

Ortona: Canada's Epic World War II Battle. reprint. Douglas & McIntyre, 2002.

The Liri Valley: Canada�s World War II Breakthrough to Rome. reprint. Douglas & McIntyre, 2002.

.....and if artillery interests you there may still find the three book series George G. Blackburn wrote

Guns of Normandy: A Soldier's Eye View, France 1944 (1997, ISBN 0-7710-1503-8)

The Guns of Victory: A Soldier's Eye View, Belgium, Holland, and Germany, 1944-45 (1997, ISBN 0-7710-1505-4

Where the Hell Are the Guns?: A Soldier's View of the Anxious Years, 1939-44 (1999, ISBN 0-7710-1506-2).

Don