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Inside the Vicious Heart: Americans and the Liberation of Nazi Concentration Camps Am about halfway through this and along with McManus's Hell Before Their Very Eyes: American Soldiers Liberate Concentration Camps in Germany, April 1945 it makes for some very grim reading.

More good books being mentioned in this thread.

Eastern Inferno: The Journals of a German Panzerjager on the Eastern Front, 1941-43

Anybody read this book?

Conner wrote: "Eastern Inferno: The Journals of a German Panzerjager on the Eastern Front, 1941-43

Anybody read this book?"

Yes, it was a 4 Star read for me. His accounts of the front rang true. He was not a sympathetic character but seemed honest.

Mike wrote: "Conner wrote: "Eastern Inferno: The Journals of a German Panzerjager on the Eastern Front, 1941-43

Anybody read this book?"

Yes, it was a 4 Star read for me. His accounts of the f..."

Thats the vibe im getting so far as well.

I have just finished A quiet womans war, about Elsie Bell, a woman from Great Yarmouth who married a Belgian soldier during WW1 & who then, together with the rest of her family, became a Belgian resistance member during WW2. When arrested, she & her daughter ultimately ended up in Ravensbruck.

My next book will be Father Dolly, the Guardsman Monk, who saw action in both World Wars.

Currently enjoying Crush The Iron Crosses : The Explosive True Story Of The Stalingrad Tank Raid

Awesome book, am really getting into the memoirs of soldiers right now.

Conner wrote: "Currently enjoying Crush The Iron Crosses : The Explosive True Story Of The Stalingrad Tank Raid

Awesome book, am really getting into the memoirs of soldiers right now."

That's one book I've not heard about. Glad to hear you are enjoying the book!

Conner wrote: "Currently enjoying Crush The Iron Crosses : The Explosive True Story Of The Stalingrad Tank Raid

Awesome book, am really getting into the memoirs of soldiers right now."

By the way, have you read Hans Rudel's book; "Stuka Pilot"?

Stuka Pilot by Hans-Ulrich Rudel

I have not but I need to! I know a little bit about Rudel from some of the german fighter ace books I have read.

its a pretty good book, I don't think you'll be disappointed!

'Aussie Rick' wrote: "Conner wrote: "Currently enjoying Crush The Iron Crosses : The Explosive True Story Of The Stalingrad Tank Raid

Awesome book, am really getting into the memoirs of soldiers right n..."

Rudel might have been a diehard Nazi, but no one can question his bravery and skill as a pilot.

There's a very good pictorial book about his wartime and postwar life:

Stuka Pilot Hans-Ulrich Rudel

I have just, minutes ago, finished reading the book Father dolly, the Guardsman Monk. Father Dolly was Captain, The Right Reverend Dom Rudesind Brookes OBE, MC, TD, OSB. He served with the Irish Guards as an officer in WW1 & as a chaplain during WW2, including at Anzio. The books is a fascinating read & was narrated to Anthony Wheatley, son of Dennis Wheatley.

Alan wrote: "I have just, minutes ago, finished reading the book Father dolly, the Guardsman Monk. Father Dolly was Captain, The Right Reverend Dom Rudesind Brookes OBE, MC, TD, OSB. He served with the Irish Gu..."

Sounds like a pretty interesting book Alan!

Just started Beware Raiders!: German Surface Raiders in the Second World War

Solid Book so far about the German Commerce Raider Penguin and the Admiral Hipper Cruiser.

Conner wrote: "Just started Beware Raiders!: German Surface Raiders in the Second World War

Solid Book so far about the German Commerce Raider Penguin and the Admiral Hipper Cruiser."

I hope you enjoy the book Conner!

The Tattooist of Auschwitz.

I've just finished The Mountains Sing by Vietnamese author Nguyen Phan Que Mai. Its a multigenerational fictional account of a Vietnamese family's lives through the French and Japanese occupations and the Vietnam War. It's a fascinating and sobering read from a North Vietnamese perspective of their country's painful history in the 20th century. I highly recommend this book.

Now starting THE WINTER FORTRESS: The Epic Mission to Sabotage Hitler's Atomic Bomb by Neal Bascomb.

I had read one of Bascomb's earlier non-fiction works (not WWII related) several years ago and greatly enjoyed it. So when I saw his name on this book in the WWII section of one of my favorite used bookstores, I grabbed it up.

I read THE BASTARD BRIGADE by Sam Kean about two years ago and thought it was a good read. But Bascomb is diving much, much deeper into Norway's role in training and deploying its commando units for their attack on the heavy water plant in Vemork. Great stuff so far.

At the library yesterday, I wrestled with my conscience. "I have enough to read right now, and a busy season before me, with reduced time to read."
" But James Holland's 'Savage Storm' is right there on the shelf, and thanks to listening to his podcast, I've been looking forward to it for months..."


I'm three chapters in, it's like his other books I've liked....

Lee wrote: "At the library yesterday, I wrestled with my conscience. "I have enough to read right now, and a busy season before me, with reduced time to read."
" But James Holland's 'Savage Storm' is right the..."

Glad to hear you are enjoying the book, Lee. I found it another one of his excellent accounts.

The Cloudbuster Nine: The Untold Story of Ted Williams and the Baseball Team That Helped Win World War IIJust started reading.

Just started reading this book. Any fans of baseball in here will find it interesting I think!

Conner wrote: "The Cloudbuster Nine: The Untold Story of Ted Williams and the Baseball Team That Helped Win World War IIJust started reading.

Just started reading this book. Any fans of baseball ..."


If you are seeking unlikely ties between Baseball and WWII
The Catcher Was a Spy: The Mysterious Life of Moe Berg also a 2018 movie

Been intimidating me from my shelf for a while now, I have finally opened the covers to The Second World War

Phrodrick wrote: "Been intimidating me from my shelf for a while now, I have finally opened the covers to The Second World War"

One of his books that I am yet to read. I hope you enjoy it Phrodrick - keep us all posted!

Just started "The Big Show" by Pierre Closterman.

This afternoon I've started --

The First Victory: The Second World War and the East Africa Campaign by Andrew Stewart.

Manray9 wrote: "This afternoon I've started --

[book:The First Victory: The Second World War and the East Africa Campaign|..."

That's a very interesting campaign to read about. I hope its a good account MR9!

I'm reading Закат Кёнигсберга by Михаэль Вик. The book is known in English as A Childhood under Hitler and Stalin: Memoirs of a "Certified Jew" by Michael Wieck. A memoir of a boy/teenager who, because of his mixed blood (his mother was Jewish, his father was 'Aryan'), survived the oppression, WW2 and then Russian captivity.

Needed a big book to get me through my long airplane ride on Wednesday, so I started this one last night:

Cassino: The Hollow Victory: The Battle for Rome January-June 1944

Marc wrote: "Needed a big book to get me through my long airplane ride on Wednesday, so I started this one last night:

[boo..."

A classic account, one of the first books that I read on the battle. I hope you enjoy it and the flight goes smoothly!

waaaay back in the 60s, farther back than I like to think, Ballantine books was a primary source for WW2 history, especially for German side of things, Guderian, Baumbach, Galland etc. we'd pour over the list of paperbacks in the back of a book ...50 cents ! and ponder which to get next, if only we could afford it ! Stuka Pilot was always on the list, but never got it but that cover is still in my brain. mmmm, I think I can afford it now.

carl wrote: "waaaay back in the 60s, farther back than I like to think, Ballantine books was a primary source for WW2 history, especially for German side of things, Guderian, Baumbach, Galland etc. we'd pour ov..."

I still have 18 of those old Ballantines.

From Andrew Stewart's The First Victory: The Second World War and the East Africa Campaign.

The British and Commonwealth victories over Italy in East Africa did not receive much acclaim -- even in a Great Britain hungry for good news. When the Italians surrendered Gondar on 27 November 1941, their last remaining stronghold in East Africa, the news made page four of The Times and small columns on the back pages of Daily Express and Daily Mirror. In fact the victories engineered by Sir Archibald Wavell were significant. Upon taking command in June 1939, Wavell's forces included: 10,000 men in Egypt, 10,000 in Palestine, 8,500 in Sudan, 8,500 in Kenya, and 1,500 in British Somaliland. Most of the 85,000 men employed in the campaign were raised and trained after his assumption of command. The Italian commander, the Duke of Aosta, had 300,000 men (Italians and Africans) throughout the Italian empire of East Africa. When Gondar fell, that force was completely eliminated. Over 50,000 Italians were taken as POWs and 360,000 square miles of territory captured. British and Commonwealth forces suffered only 150 KIA and 350 WIA.

I recall reading this book about Italian cavalry officer during the fighting in Abyssinia, Eritrea and the Yemen during WW2. I quite enjoyed it, something a bit different.

Amedeo: The True Story of an Italian’s War in Abyssinia by Sebastian O'Kelly

Recently started reading "The Big Show" by Pierre Clostermann.

An excellent inventory MR9. I've got about a dozen and a dozen of those Ballantine Illustrated histories. Good stuff !


Manray9 wrote: "I still have 18 of those old Ballantines"

carl wrote: "An excellent inventory MR9. I've got about a dozen and a dozen of those Ballantine Illustrated histories. Good stuff !


Manray9 wrote: "I still have 18 of those old Ballantines""

I bought them new back in the sixties. I admit many haven't aged well. They were inexpensive to buy at the time and cheaply made.

Manray9 wrote: "carl wrote: "An excellent inventory MR9. I've got about a dozen and a dozen of those Ballantine Illustrated histories. Good stuff !


Manray9 wrote: "I still have 18 of those old Ballantines""

I ..."

The Ballantines were a bit before my time, although I've grabbed a few here and there. But in the late 70's, Bantam had the Bantam War Book series and I fell in love with that. Accumulated over 100 titles over the years, many of which were also published by Ballantine years earlier. Having very little money as a youth, paperbacks were the way to go.

The Ballantines series was a great way to build up a military library as a kid. I used my pocket money on buying an edition whenever I could.

Marc wrote: "Manray9 wrote: "carl wrote: "An excellent inventory MR9. I've got about a dozen and a dozen of those Ballantine Illustrated histories. Good stuff !


Manray9 wrote: "I still have 18 of those old B..."

I have a few of the Bantams too.

I have recently finished Eastern front 1914-1917 by Norman Stone. Now I have begun to read ..

Dipanjan wrote: "I have recently finished Eastern front 1914-1917 by Norman Stone. Now I have begun to read ..

"

I have a copy too, Dipanjan. Unread.

The mention of BB reminded me of a collection here. Just counted 38 in a box, probably several more in the house. Time to stop counting and start reading!

Silvana wrote: "The Rick Atkinson's trilogy can't be found in the bookstores here in my country. Amazon's just not my thing. Darn it.

Anyway, I've just finished Citizen Soldiers, my third fix of Stephen E. Ambros..."
Nice selection. I did a very brief stint with Prof Ambrose, and can still recommend him (grin).
The trilogy is well worth the time, if and when.

Silvana wrote: "Thanx for the suggestions! I dont use amazon or ebay since i dont have any credit card. I usually search rare/expensive books in bookmooch because it only involves postage fee. Now I shall take a l..."

Having pretty much sold my soul to the smiling A, I still check Thriftbooks, and on occasion, Abebooks, esp for the more unusual titles.

Phrodrick wrote: "Silvana wrote: "Thanx for the suggestions! I dont use amazon or ebay since i dont have any credit card. I usually search rare/expensive books in bookmooch because it only involves postage fee. Now ..."

Bookfinder.com is helpful.

From Andrew Stewart's The First Victory: The Second World War and the East Africa Campaign.

British military ops in East Africa were hampered by a scarcity of troops, a lack of vehicles and aircraft, and a general paucity of resources. The availability of fuel was seen as a potential problem even before the war. The British established a depot of one million gallons of petrol at Mombasa. Little consideration was given to the local climate and the effect it would have on the petrol stores. In a pre-war study, an assessment was conducted on the amount of sheet metal required to build sturdy reusable cans. Later the War Office thought this expenditure excessive and chose a flimsy four-gallon can design. These cans could not cope with the extreme heat of the African days followed by the cool of the nights. The troops discovered that often three-quarters of the petrol in each can had evaporated in storage and transport. Fuel dumps could be smelled from a mile away. Thousands of gallons of petrol disappeared into the air before a drop left Mombasa.

Sometimes it's the little things.

Currently reading Legion Condor 1936��39: The Luftwaffe develops Blitzkrieg in the Spanish Civil War

Anybody in here read anything good about the major powers of world war 2 participating in the Spanish Civil War? I had read about some of the German Aces fighting in Spain like Molders and Oesau so that's what peaked my interest in it. Did not realize the Soviets and Italians also got involved.

One book that I really enjoyed on that subject was; "The International Brigades" by Giles Tremlett.

The International Brigades: Fascism, Freedom and the Spanish Civil War by Giles Tremlett