Your favorite WWII history topics?

[SeattleUte]

I once knew a guy who shared my passion for WWII history, particularly the European theater, but once he confessed to me that his interest waned considerably after Stalingrad and El Alamein when everything sarted to go to hell for the Germans (my friend's name was Wagner). I'm the opposite. I love the conquest of Germany. True tales of armageddon are facinating to me. I've also always really loved Stalingrad; what a story. Of course the Normandy invasion is awesome.

[Requiem]

Originally Posted by SeattleUte

I once knew a guy who shared my passion for WWII history, particularly the European theater, but once he confessed to me that his interest waned considerably after Stalingrad and El Alamein when everything sarted to go to hell for the Germans (my friend's name was Wagner). I'm the opposite. I love the conquest of Germany. True tales of armageddon are facinating to me. I've also always really loved Stalingrad; what a story. Of course the Normandy invasion is awesome.

I share your passion, albeit I admit to being a relative newcomer to the topic. Watching the Ken Burns treatment, I was struck by the complacency of the allied leadership after Normandy and the liberation of Paris. It appeared the generals (Eisenhower included) assumed Germany would be conquered before Christmas 1944. I had no idea about the number of casualties suffered in the Hurtgen forest or the strategic blunder of Market Garden. The loss of life after Normandy was staggering. Easy for me to have an opinion in hindsight, but it appears much of the suffering encountered between Oct. 1944 and April 1945 could have been avoided.

[Jeff Lebowski]

I love it all. So hard to choose.

If you enjoy the "conquest of Germany" angle, I recommend you check out the following two books:

Iron Coffins:

http://www.amazon.com/Iron-Coffins-C...1881366&sr=8-1

Panzer Commander:

http://www.amazon.com/Panzer-Command...1881433&sr=1-1

Iron Coffins is outstanding. One of my favorite WWII books. Werner is one of a tiny handful of U-boat commanders to survive the war. He also happens to be an excellent writer. His accounts of the early days of the war where they could do no wrong, contrasted with the annihilation at the end are striking and mesmerizing.

Panzer Commander is not quite as much of a page-turner, but fascinating as well. He gives quite a bit of detail about the upper level discussions and strategy towards the end of the war. Also gives an interesting account of his time in a Russian prison camp after the war and what it was like to eventually return to Germany.

[SeattleUte]

Originally Posted by Requiem

I share your passion, albeit I admit to being a relative newcomer to the topic. Watching the Ken Burns treatment, I was struck by the complacency of the allied leadership after Normandy and the liberation of Paris. It appeared the generals (Eisenhower included) assumed Germany would be conquered before Christmas 1944. I had no idea about the number of casualties suffered in the Hurtgen forest or the strategic blunder of Market Garden. The loss of life after Normandy was staggering. Easy for me to have an opinion in hindsight, but it appears much of the suffering encountered between Oct. 1944 and April 1945 could have been avoided.

Yes, the fighting was brutal and pitiless and desperate on both the Eastern and Western fronts. The Battle of the Bulge was the climax in the West. Perhaps it was poetic justice that the Soviets made it to Berlin first, given that the Germans invaded Russia and 19 million people died there.

[SeattleUte]

Originally Posted by Jeff Lebowski

I love it all. So hard to choose.

If you enjoy the "conquest of Germany" angle, I recommend you check out the following two books:

Iron Coffins:

http://www.amazon.com/Iron-Coffins-C...1881366&sr=8-1

Panzer Commander:

http://www.amazon.com/Panzer-Command...1881433&sr=1-1

Iron Coffins is outstanding. One of my favorite WWII books. Werner is one of a tiny handful of U-boat commanders to survive the war. He also happens to be an excellent writer. His accounts of the early days of the war where they could do no wrong, contrasted with the annihilation at the end are striking and mesmerizing.

Panzer Commander is not quite as much of a page-turner, but fascinating as well. He gives quite a bit of detail about the upper level discussions and strategy towards the end of the war. Also gives an interesting account of his time in a Russian prison camp after the war and what it was like to eventually return to Germany.

Thanks. I'll check them out. Here's a good one too.

http://www.amazon.com/Armageddon-Ger...1882271&sr=1-2

I love the whole thing too. The German conquest of France, the routing of the maginot line, and Hitler personally attending the blowing up of that monument to WW I's fallen allies at Versailles is so horrifyingly spellbinding.

[RockyBalboa]

Originally Posted by Jeff Lebowski

I love it all. So hard to choose.

If you enjoy the "conquest of Germany" angle, I recommend you check out the following two books:

Iron Coffins:

http://www.amazon.com/Iron-Coffins-C...1881366&sr=8-1

Panzer Commander:

http://www.amazon.com/Panzer-Command...1881433&sr=1-1

Iron Coffins is outstanding. One of my favorite WWII books. Werner is one of a tiny handful of U-boat commanders to survive the war. He also happens to be an excellent writer. His accounts of the early days of the war where they could do no wrong, contrasted with the annihilation at the end are striking and mesmerizing.

Panzer Commander is not quite as much of a page-turner, but fascinating as well. He gives quite a bit of detail about the upper level discussions and strategy towards the end of the war. Also gives an interesting account of his time in a Russian prison camp after the war and what it was like to eventually return to Germany.

I'm the same. Just about every facet of WW II fascinates me.

One I read a lot about that was so tragic and yet awe inspiring was the Bataan Death March and the survivors of it.

The images I have in my mind from reading those vivid accounts is seared into me.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Originally Posted by RockyBalboa

One I read a lot about that was so tragic and yet awe inspiring was the Bataan Death March and the survivors of it.

Ghost Soldiers?

[hyrum]

Originally Posted by SeattleUte

I once knew a guy who shared my passion for WWII history, particularly the European theater, but once he confessed to me that his interest waned considerably after Stalingrad and El Alamein when everything sarted to go to hell for the Germans (my friend's name was Wagner). I'm the opposite. I love the conquest of Germany. True tales of armageddon are facinating to me. I've also always really loved Stalingrad; what a story. Of course the Normandy invasion is awesome.

I found "War of the Rats" an excellent read. A novel, but supposedly true to history of the battle of Stalingrad. End of War is also good, a sort of sequel by the same author.

[SeattleUte]

Originally Posted by hyrum

I found "War of the Rats" an excellent read. A novel, but supposedly true to history of the battle of Stalingrad. End of War is also good, a sort of sequel by the same author.

I heard about those books. Maybe I'll check them out.

[Clark Addison]

Originally Posted by SeattleUte

I once knew a guy who shared my passion for WWII history, particularly the European theater, but once he confessed to me that his interest waned considerably after Stalingrad and El Alamein when everything sarted to go to hell for the Germans (my friend's name was Wagner).

I have no sympathy for the Germans, but I can relate to your friend. I have read The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich several times, and the story of the rise of Naziism from a ragtag bunch of losers to the lords of Europe is fascinating. Despite your hatred for what the Nazis do and stand for, when Stalingrad comes along there is a little bit of sense of let down. All of the accomplishments are thrown away by bad decisions. My rational brain says "thank goodness", but there is a small piece that says "such a shame, it was all for naught". One of the reasons for this is that the book (obviously) focuses on the Germans, so you know them all very well by the time of Stalingrad. Also, there are many elements of a real underdog story. Pity the underdogs were such a bunch of psychopaths. (Now, of course, I will never be called as a General Authority or elected President, since this post will be pulled out as evidence of my obvious pro-Nazi sympathies )

I would imagine that most WWII buffs will have read this book, but for others, it's a fascinating and very detailed account (approx. 1,000 pages), but not difficult to get through at all. Shirer doesn't get into deep analysis for the most part, but as a report of what happened, by whom, and where, it is excellent.