What is everyone reading on WW2?

[new jersey devil]

i'm re reading THE GERMANS IN NORMANDY by Richard Hargreaves. this is the best account of the fighting in normandy seen from the german prospective. and its all at the common soldiers level.
very highly recommended.

[Dan W.]

The Liberator - Alex Kershaw

This book focuses primarily on Felix Sparks, a Captain in the 45th 'Thunderbird' Division, a Division that is often remembered for two things: It's unit crest was originally a Swastika (reflecting on its Native American roots as a National Guard unit from the Southwest) before it changed that to the 'Thunderbird' (also a Native American symbol) and their liberation of Dachau, where some soldiers cracked after over 500 days of battle and shot SS guards.

Kershaw is a great writer, his eye for detail and ability to weave the personal side of the story into the larger picture of an entire Army's advance (5th Army) gives you both an up close and personal view to compliment the much larger, operational view of the advance towards Germany. I've just started reading, and the 45th has recently landed in Sicily (July '43) as it battles Kesselring's well disciplined troops who, even without Italian support, are more than capable defenders. And yes, the book even has maps.

The 45th was originally christened into battle in North Africa against Erwin Rommel's troops, and that is where the book mainly starts, with a preceding chapter devoted to Sparks training.

[Dutto1]

Just finished this book-By Stephan Lebert -

My Father's Keeper: The Children of Nazi Leaders - An Intimate History of Damage and Denial.

The book is based on a manuscript of some articles published by his father Norbert Lebert in 1959. Stephan Lebert then follwed up the interviews in the late 90's early 2000's to see how the subjects had got on in life. Those featured are Wolf Rudiger Hess, Edda Goring, Niklas Frank,Martin Bormann Jnr and Gudrun Burwitz.

It's a good book that delves into how the fathers of the subjects shaped their children's lives in one way or another.

[pintere]

A biography of Walther Model by Steven Newton. So far so good, I'm looking forward to his input on the battles around Orel in '43.

[BenjaminJ]

Treblinka Survivor: The life and death of Hearshl Szperling.

[JeroenPollentier]

Keith Lowe: Savage Continent. Europe in the [immediate] aftermath of World War 2

[Attrition]

All aftermaths are immediate. ;O)

[Wally]

September Hope by John C. McManus.

[Panzer Vorwarts]

Just finished Target Tokyo by James Scott. Highly recommend this book. It tells the story of the pilots and crew on the Doolittle raid in April of 1942.

[redzvezda]

I have a question,

has anyone got the Book Armageddon the battle for Germany 1944 / 1945 by Max Hastings?
I ve read favourable reviews on the internet but would like an unbiased opinion by a member if possible.

Cheers

Edit: 4/5

I apologize for my previous post, it was incorrect, I was referring to his latest work: Inferno - The World At War - 1939-1945

Amazon

Armageddon the battle for Germany 1944 / 1945 by Max Hastings is a very interesting read because it puts new light on a period 100 times described under the same perspective, that is almost exclusively the Western Front. If Inferno is the same quality then it's definitely worth it

[JeroenPollentier]

Has anyone already read Ian Kershaw's new book 'To hell and back'? I want to buy it in German, but I can't find it on ebay.de, I think it hasn't been translated into German yet. The Dutch version is already available, though.

[harmel]

I am reading the the excellent book KL( A history of the Nazi Concentration Camps) this is
a mammoth book written by Nikolaus Wachsmann.
I am only a third of the way into it yet ,but I would recommend it to anyone interested in this subject.
Harmel

[Bobbysmith]

I really do recommend 'The War in the West' by James Holland - a very consistent writer. I have thousands of WW2 books but still found new facts in this book.

[Attrition]

Karslake, B. 1940 The Last Act: The Story of the British Forces in France after Dunkirk (1979)

Quite a good debunking of the Official History, particularly in the sleight of hand of counting in supplies not unloaded from ships, with those stores loaded from France during Operation Ariel. Admittedly his dad was the lines-of-communication commander south of the Somme and his speculations of which might have been are somewhat fanciful but the limitations of the OH volume are made manifest. (I found that Ellis used annoying literary devices such as foreshadowing and didn't structure his narrative well so time and place are poorly juxtaposed in places.) Brooke comes in for censure too which makes a refreshing change.

[sarahgoodson]

I'm currently reading Ostkrieg: Hitler's War of Extermination in the East by Stephen Fritz.

The next book I'm going to read is The Bombing War: Europe 1939-1945 by Richard Overy.