John toland books

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trespasser07
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John toland books

#1

Post by trespasser07 » 19 Jul 2014, 01:03

Hi

Can anyone recommend the books by John Toland? I have heard that "Rising Sun" and "The Last 100 Days" are good to start with.

Has anyone read these and if so give an opinion.

Thanks.
"We believe in what we do!" - written in Friedrich Rainer's Guestbook by Odilo Globocnik in April 1943.

OpanaPointer
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Re: John toland books

#2

Post by OpanaPointer » 19 Jul 2014, 03:42

He's much better at Europe than the Pacific.
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J. Duncan
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Re: John toland books

#3

Post by J. Duncan » 19 Jul 2014, 09:57

I personally like John Toland as a writer but like any author he's had some flops (such as his novels - he admitted they were terrible). I think his "Adolf Hitler" (2 volumes - not the abridgement pb edition) is one of the best written accounts of Hitler's life although John Lukacs attacked it in his book "The Hitler of History". Toland writes well and I think he shows a Hitler in all of his many facets from charming boss and dog lover to raging warlord and genocidal mass murderer. Toland interviewed many of Hitler's associates and the tapes of these conversations now reside in the Library of Congress. A good companion to this biography is his photo book "Adolf Hitler: The Pictorial Documentary of His life".
"Last 100 Days" is also very good. He paints portraits of people from the common soldier to the statesmen at the conference table, allowing these people a talking voice as if they were standing alive in front of you. His writing does that. It makes you feel as if you were there. It was the first book of his I read and I remember it was hard to put down. AH was the same way. I would start with "Last 100 Days" and then read the Hitler biography.
His autobiography ( "Captured by History") is fascinating.

trespasser07
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Re: John toland books

#4

Post by trespasser07 » 24 Jul 2014, 18:47

Thanks JD! I will look at "the last 100 days" first as i am more familiar with the Europe theatre, but then "Rising Sun" for the full history of battle in the Pacific.

Thanks again :D
"We believe in what we do!" - written in Friedrich Rainer's Guestbook by Odilo Globocnik in April 1943.

OpanaPointer
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Re: John toland books

#5

Post by OpanaPointer » 24 Jul 2014, 18:53

trespasser07 wrote:Thanks JD! I will look at "the last 100 days" first as i am more familiar with the Europe theatre, but then "Rising Sun" for the full history of battle in the Pacific.

Thanks again :D
You'd do better with War Without Mercy, I think.
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seaburn
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Re: John toland books

#6

Post by seaburn » 24 Jul 2014, 19:01

J. Duncan wrote: Toland interviewed many of Hitler's associates and the tapes of these conversations now reside in the Library of Congress.
Do you know if these tapes are accessible to the public to order ?

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