Looking for book recommendations-war related

[forgop]

Checked out With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa on Amazon...looks like a great fit for the kind of stuff I'm looking for.

[Starscream]

I don't remember the author's name, but I read the novel F.N.G., and I liked it a lot.

[motortown]

While it may be going back a bit further than what you (and others) have been discussing, I think that you'd really enjoy "1776" by David McCullough. He's one of my favorite authors, and his books are absolutely fascinating...

http://www.amazon.com/1776-David-McC...6400862&sr=1-1

I hope this helps!

[M1903A1]

If you don't mind doing some searching, I can recommend a few more:

"Make The Kaiser Dance", Henry Barry. Oral histories of World War 1 vets, done in the 1960s.

"The Doughboys", Lawrence Stallings

"Shots Fired In Anger", Lt. Col. John George. A rifleman's saga of service with the 132nd Rgt of the Illinois National Guard, the Americal Division and Merrill's Marauders in the Pacific. His comparative commentaries of US vs. Japanese (equipment, tactics etc.) are very enlightening.

"Death Traps", Belton Cooper. The dark side of service in the armored units of WW2.

"A Rifleman Went To War", H.W. McBride. An American rifleman's service with the Canadian Army in WW1.

"Japan At War: An Oral History", Haruko Taya Cook and Theodore Cook. Lots of great oral history material.

"Soldiers Of The Sun", Marion and Susan Harries. The rise and fall of the Imperial Japanese Army. Pulls no punches and hides no details.

"Bataan: Uncensored", Col. E.B. Miller. Bataan was the only real chance the prewar Regular Army had to show its stuff, and this book by the CO of one of the NG tank units sent over to aid them tells their story.

"They Fought Alone" and "Lieutenant Ramsey's War" (can't find the authors) are about survivors of Bataan who evaded the Japanese and carried on the war as guerillas until MacArthur came back. Both are great reads.

"Japanese Destroyer Captain", Tameichi Hara. The author's story begins with the first forays into China in the 1930s and ends as part of the flotilla escorting superbattleship Yamato to her doom in 1945. As another reviewer said it, "How this guy survived the war is beyond me".

"GI: The American Soldier In World War II", Lee Kennett. Great (and very informative) reading.

Some are in print, some are out of print, but all are great reading.

[Cigargal]

Killer Angels by Shaara...great Civil War action.

[jcruse64]

Originally Posted by motortown

While it may be going back a bit further than what you (and others) have been discussing, I think that you'd really enjoy "1776" by David McCullough. He's one of my favorite authors, and his books are absolutely fascinating...

http://www.amazon.com/1776-David-McC...6400862&sr=1-1

I hope this helps!

This was a good one, and got me started on a roll reading about the Revolution and the war. His bibliography is a great list of books to read. For the battles of the War of the Revolution, the 2 volume "The War of the Revolution" by Ward is excellent. Also agree on WWII books by Ambrose. A very good book on Japan's background and involvement in WWII is "Japan's War" by Hoyt. Very interesting look at it from that view. I've read some views that Japan was backed into a corner with blockades to force them to war, but this book pretty much shoots that view down.

I've read 2 good WWII books on aviation recently, one on Jimmy Stewart and one on George McGovern. Both were excellent. I always had a lot of respect for Mr. Stewart, but the book made me respect him all the more. I need to find one on Ted Williams.

[hotreds]

The one on McGovern was Ambrose's last. Also sad that there were allegations of plagiarism concerning it.

[M1903A1]

Originally Posted by jcruse64

A very good book on Japan's background and involvement in WWII is "Japan's War" by Hoyt. Very interesting look at it from that view. I've read some views that Japan was backed into a corner with blockades to force them to war, but this book pretty much shoots that view down.

Somehow I wasn't quite pleased with Hoyt's "Japan's War", though I don't remember why. Perhaps I need to give it another look. Hoyt's book on the European theater, "The GI's War", is so good I would actually recommend it before Ambrose's works (in a "read this first" sense).

One that I have "mixed positive" feelings about is a two volume book called "Japan's Imperial Conspiracy". I am a doubter about the conspiracy aspects of the book, but as I recall the level of detail and interconnection the author went into is incredible.

And on the Pacific War, two other books (still in print) I would wholeheartedly recommend: "The Rising Sun" by John Toland (an absolute must-have) and "Eagle Against The Sun" by Ronald Spector.

[macpappy]

After reading "Band of Brothers" by Ambrose, read "The Biggest Brother: The True Story of Dick Winters" as a follow-up.

Also, after you finish reading the non-fiction hook yourself up with a couple of series written by W.E.B. Griffin - and I suggest reading them in order. "The Corps" follows a group of Marines from Pre-WWII China though the middle of the Korean War. Very entertaining series about old MARINES. The second series is "The Brotherhood of War" and it follows some Army types from WWII through the late-70s Viet Nam.

Griffin served in Korea and writes entertaining historical FICTION. Don't mistake it for anything but that even if you do swear that you know some of the characters in his books. (He's really good at describing the a$$es all of us military types have come across.)

[jcruse64]

Originally Posted by M1903A1

Somehow I wasn't quite pleased with Hoyt's "Japan's War", though I don't remember why. Perhaps I need to give it another look. Hoyt's book on the European theater, "The GI's War", is so good I would actually recommend it before Ambrose's works (in a "read this first" sense).

One that I have "mixed positive" feelings about is a two volume book called "Japan's Imperial Conspiracy". I am a doubter about the conspiracy aspects of the book, but as I recall the level of detail and interconnection the author went into is incredible.

And on the Pacific War, two other books (still in print) I would wholeheartedly recommend: "The Rising Sun" by John Toland (an absolute must-have) and "Eagle Against The Sun" by Ronald Spector.

Thanks for the feedback. This book was the first one I've read for this perspective on the war, so I would take my view on it as such. But it was given to me by a fellow lifter and BOTL, who is an avid history buff and a Marine. His dad was a WWII bomber guy also. He told me it was one of the better books on Japan's perspective/history of their involvement. One thing I did note; it did seem to try to make the emperor seem more of a dupe of the Army and Navy in the whole thing, and I don't know enough to judge that view.

Also, thanks for the other Hoyt recommendation; I will give that a read. I really have been bitten by the bug on WWII and Revolution history. I'm lucky to have a 94 year old neighbor who fought in Europe and survived, who wants to tell me his stories. Unbelievable what they had to do. From what I've read, the Pacific campaign was even worse.

Joe

[gettysburgfreak]

once I get my book published you can add that to your civil war reading list

[hotreds]

Bury Us Upside Down: The Misty Pilots and the Secret Battle for the Ho Chi Minh Trail
http://www.amazon.com/Bury-Us-Upside...6399729&sr=1-1

His Time in Hell: A Texas Marine in France
http://www.amazon.com/His-Time-Hell-...6399814&sr=1-1

The Mammoth Book of War Diaries and Letters: A collection of Letter and Diaries from the Battlefield
http://www.amazon.com/Mammoth-Book-W...6399876&sr=1-1

[hotreds]

Originally Posted by forgop

Checked out With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa on Amazon...looks like a great fit for the kind of stuff I'm looking for.

Outstanding!
I heard him interviewed- the "classic" Southern Gentleman!