Recommended reading on the USA 1919-1945

[OpanaPointer]

I served aboard USS Reeves '81-'83.

Sir - was this in the beginning / middle / or end of your career?

USS ALASKA

I retired in '89. ("Chief", not "sir".) I was coming off 44 months detached duty and wanted a change of scenery so Japan sounded good to me.

[USS ALASKA]

Ah - '81 was the beginning of my DoD career.

USS ALASKA

[Delwin]

What you can recommend on Ardennes battle? I have already reviewed "Time for Trumpets", Cole classics and now I am reviewing book by Dupuy plus few books in Polish (great analysis by F. Skibinski: chief of staff of Polish 1st Armoured). In each case I miss view from the German side (both details of fighting units and their strength to put the fights in context) as well as decision making/time tables etc. Where shall I go next? Bergstrom, Caddick?

[Richard Anderson]

What you can recommend on Ardennes battle? I have already reviewed "Time for Trumpets", Cole classics and now I am reviewing book by Dupuy plus few books in Polish (great analysis by F. Skibinski: chief of staff of Polish 1st Armoured). In each case I miss view from the German side (both details of fighting units and their strength to put the fights in context) as well as decision making/time tables etc. Where shall I go next? Bergstrom, Caddick?

Danny Parker's old title on the Ardennes was pretty good...he mined about all of the original German records that are available. We did too in HGL, but we didn't include much detail on the German decision making beyond the initial planning. It wasn't on Trevor's radar and Harper-Collins was more occupied with getting additional "human interest" inserted (which is why the index is screwed up, but that is a different story), so we basically never got around to it beyond the shuffling about of XXXIX Pz.-Korps in the end stage.

I haven't read Caddick-Adams, but hear it is pretty good...Beevor's book is pretty horrid - big surprise - I wasn't able to get past the first few chapters. Christer's book is a bit bewildering to me. His Germaan material is excellent, he did a good job mining the available sources, but much of what he writes about the U.S. Army is...odd I suppose is the nice way to put it. I supplied him with much of the American data, especially on tank and AFV losses, and he somehow used it to infer there was a conspiracy among the American leadership to conceal losses. It is truly bizarre, since he never came back to me to ask questions about things he was unsure of. Instead, he simply let his imagination take over and spun fantasies. It is one of the many reasons why I no longer freely share my data compilations, too many people have seriously deranged ideas about what they can tell them.

[OpanaPointer]

Eisenhower's Bitter Wood was worth a read.

The Army Green Books on any topic.

[Delwin]

What you can recommend on Ardennes battle? I have already reviewed "Time for Trumpets", Cole classics and now I am reviewing book by Dupuy plus few books in Polish (great analysis by F. Skibinski: chief of staff of Polish 1st Armoured). In each case I miss view from the German side (both details of fighting units and their strength to put the fights in context) as well as decision making/time tables etc. Where shall I go next? Bergstrom, Caddick?

Danny Parker's old title on the Ardennes was pretty good...he mined about all of the original German records that are available. We did too in HGL, but we didn't include much detail on the German decision making beyond the initial planning. It wasn't on Trevor's radar and Harper-Collins was more occupied with getting additional "human interest" inserted (which is why the index is screwed up, but that is a different story), so we basically never got around to it beyond the shuffling about of XXXIX Pz.-Korps in the end stage.

I haven't read Caddick-Adams, but hear it is pretty good...Beevor's book is pretty horrid - big surprise - I wasn't able to get past the first few chapters. Christer's book is a bit bewildering to me. His Germaan material is excellent, he did a good job mining the available sources, but much of what he writes about the U.S. Army is...odd I suppose is the nice way to put it. I supplied him with much of the American data, especially on tank and AFV losses, and he somehow used it to infer there was a conspiracy among the American leadership to conceal losses. It is truly bizarre, since he never came back to me to ask questions about things he was unsure of. Instead, he simply let his imagination take over and spun fantasies. It is one of the many reasons why I no longer freely share my data compilations, too many people have seriously deranged ideas about what they can tell them.

Apologies- I forgot (Kindle version be damned) that you are co-author of the book with T. Dupuy. So far I found your book best when it comes to tactical aspects of the battle however I have found difficult to follow "big" picture" without comments on the operational aspects of each day as well as German decision-making during the battle. While the first I can cure relatively easily the second is pretty difficult.

I did not even considered Beevor - he writes about everything which gives you hint. I have reviewed Christer's sample in Kindle and I found it a bit odd to say the least: I full understand various sentiments but his narrative did not suit me. No sure I want to pay for that. I believe will go for Caddick-Adams first. Thanks!

[daveshoup2MD]

Eisenhower's Bitter Wood was worth a read.

The Army Green Books on any topic.

Concur.

[OpanaPointer]

I served aboard USS Reeves '81-'83.

Sir - was this in the beginning / middle / or end of your career?

USS ALASKA

I was active '69 to '89. Worked for the Navy as a "Dollar a Year Man" from '89 to '09.

Back on topic. Maury Klein's "A Call To Arms" covers the rearmament/military buildup in concise detail.

[Delta Tank]

What you can recommend on Ardennes battle? I have already reviewed "Time for Trumpets", Cole classics and now I am reviewing book by Dupuy plus few books in Polish (great analysis by F. Skibinski: chief of staff of Polish 1st Armoured). In each case I miss view from the German side (both details of fighting units and their strength to put the fights in context) as well as decision making/time tables etc. Where shall I go next? Bergstrom, Caddick?

Danny Parker's old title on the Ardennes was pretty good...he mined about all of the original German records that are available. We did too in HGL, but we didn't include much detail on the German decision making beyond the initial planning. It wasn't on Trevor's radar and Harper-Collins was more occupied with getting additional "human interest" inserted (which is why the index is screwed up, but that is a different story), so we basically never got around to it beyond the shuffling about of XXXIX Pz.-Korps in the end stage.

I haven't read Caddick-Adams, but hear it is pretty good...Beevor's book is pretty horrid - big surprise - I wasn't able to get past the first few chapters. Christer's book is a bit bewildering to me. His Germaan material is excellent, he did a good job mining the available sources, but much of what he writes about the U.S. Army is...odd I suppose is the nice way to put it. I supplied him with much of the American data, especially on tank and AFV losses, and he somehow used it to infer there was a conspiracy among the American leadership to conceal losses. It is truly bizarre, since he never came back to me to ask questions about things he was unsure of. Instead, he simply let his imagination take over and spun fantasies. It is one of the many reasons why I no longer freely share my data compilations, too many people have seriously deranged ideas about what they can tell them.

Rich,

What does “HGL” mean??

Thanks in advance

Mike

[Richard Anderson]

What does “HGL” mean??

It means I'm dyslexic.

That should be "HLG" = Hitler's Last Gamble.

[Delta Tank]

Rich,

You’re killing me!! I will not type all the possibilities I came up with trying to figure out what HGL meant. I own and have read “Hitler’s Last Gamble”. I may stop buying new books and just read the ones I read 10, 20, or 30 years ago, HLG being one of them!

Mike

[jbroshot]

military

the united states army in world war II (the 'green books')

there are a dozen sub series with 50 - 55 books in total i believe.
one can spend half of a long lifetime doing them all in some order or pick and choose campaign books as a mood strikes.
published by the office of the chief of military history department of the army from shortly after the war till late 70's. outstanding work by outstanding authors for the most part.

a fault is a lack of critical analysis of command actions/inactions e.g., how does one apportion blame/credit among eisenhower, bradley, montgomery et. al. as the falaise gap failed to close promptly; or among alexander, montgomery, patton et. al. when the germans were pushed from sicily into italy to fight again instead of rounded up and captured near messina.

naval

history of united states naval operations in world war II


15 volumes
samuel eliot morison
little, brown and company 1947 - 1960

like the green books, one can read them in the authors volume order of pick and choose topics, since each volume is for the most part topic(s) specific.

morison was 'embedded' in the navy by way of fdr's influence (by way of morison's lobbying) to capture and finally to write the naval operational history while the corpse was still warm, so to speak, without too much regard for future interpretation of the 'overall'. he entered as captain and retired as rear admiral and was afloat for some combat encounters.

the 'embedding' had the unfortunate result in a few instances of twisting historical objectivity - a reader may be shocked by a few references to 'the japs . . .' and by 1 or 2 'we/they . . .' statements. but otherwise he is very readable and quite accurate. and he does not shy from pretty right on criticism, e.g., halsey at leyte or spruance at the philippine sea.

Belatedly

History of U. S. Marine Corps Operations in World War II

Volume I: Pearl Harbor to Guadalcanal

Volume II: Isolation of Rabaul

Volume III: Central Pacific Drive

Volume IV: Western Pacific Operations

Volume V: Victory and Occupation


All which you can download from this site, along with other Marine Corps History Division publications

https://www.usmcu.edu/Outreach/Publishi ... opic/WWII/

[LineDoggie]

the 'embedding' had the unfortunate result in a few instances of twisting historical objectivity - a reader may be shocked by a few references to 'the japs . . .' and by 1 or 2 'we/they . . .' statements.

Why would someone be shocked that books written during ongoing combat operations would say ''Japs''? it was a common term at that time for our enemy. Most of western society called them that during the war.

To me the shocking thing was calling American Nisei/Issei ''Japs"


Shockingly fighting men use terms that are derogatory towards their enemies during wartime.


what we consider slurs today were used against Germans, Italians, as well..

[jbroshot]

That was "john becktel's" statement, not mine. I inadvertently included it in my quote of his posting

[OpanaPointer]

Yep, Marshall used the term, as did members of FDR's cabinet. It was just the way people talked. "Quailoh" (Chinese for anyone not from the Middle Kingdom (i.e. lower forms of life) and "Gaijin" (ugly foreigner) was the Japanese version.