Comments on: The Best of the Best in World War 2 Books http://www.blog4history.com/2009/06/good-world-war-2-books/ Tue, 27 Dec 2011 05:26:38 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.1 By: james smith http://www.blog4history.com/2009/06/good-world-war-2-books/comment-page-1/#comment-12680 james smith Thu, 17 Sep 2009 09:03:50 +0000 http://www.blog4history.com/?p=607#comment-12680 Nagorski's book about the massive Moscow Battle is long overdue. I too have been to Russia and met veterans who believed firmly that they had done ' the business' with Hitler. Looking thru the book critically I thought two things; 1/ Generaloberst Hoth is not mentioned and yet, the Vyazma Battle (which was enormous) was largely set up by his north/center Panzergruppe. By relying on Guderian all the time, the commentary is not as balanced as Stolfi...Guderian was south of Moscow and that makes one heck of a difference in the world's biggest country! 2/ As I read it, immediately after Pearl Harbor, Roosevelt called in his advisors and one of them (Commander King) was very prophetic about the events in Moscow. As I heard it, King said that Japan was the USA's problem and (amazingly) 'The Russians will do nine-tenths of the job with Hitler' ....looks to me as if he got it right; but why no mention in the book? Nagorski’s book about the massive Moscow Battle is long overdue. I too have been to Russia and met veterans who believed firmly that they had done ‘ the business’ with Hitler. Looking thru the book critically I thought two things;
1/ Generaloberst Hoth is not mentioned and yet, the Vyazma Battle (which was enormous) was largely set up by his north/center Panzergruppe. By relying on Guderian all the time, the commentary is not as balanced as Stolfi…Guderian was south of Moscow and that makes one heck of a difference in the world’s biggest country!
2/ As I read it, immediately after Pearl Harbor, Roosevelt called in his advisors and one of them (Commander King) was very prophetic about the events in Moscow. As I heard it, King said that Japan was the USA’s problem and (amazingly) ‘The Russians will do nine-tenths of the job with Hitler’ ….looks to me as if he got it right; but why no mention in the book?

]]> By: Nate Levin http://www.blog4history.com/2009/06/good-world-war-2-books/comment-page-1/#comment-10283 Nate Levin Tue, 09 Jun 2009 18:35:18 +0000 http://www.blog4history.com/?p=607#comment-10283 Thanks for the post, and for noting that the scope of fighting on the eastern front was significantly greater than in western Europe. As far as I know the best books on the eastern front war are by Prof. Erickson: The Road to Stalingrad and The Road to Berlin. Erickson had extensive access to Soviet records and generals. Thanks for the post, and for noting that the scope of fighting on the eastern front was significantly greater than in western Europe.

As far as I know the best books on the eastern front war are by Prof. Erickson: The Road to Stalingrad and The Road to Berlin. Erickson had extensive access to Soviet records and generals.

]]> By: Chris http://www.blog4history.com/2009/06/good-world-war-2-books/comment-page-1/#comment-10280 Chris Tue, 09 Jun 2009 16:15:03 +0000 http://www.blog4history.com/?p=607#comment-10280 Joel thanks for posting. I have "Armegeddon" as well and it is very good. Chris Joel thanks for posting. I have “Armegeddon” as well and it is very good.

Chris

]]> By: Joel http://www.blog4history.com/2009/06/good-world-war-2-books/comment-page-1/#comment-10279 Joel Tue, 09 Jun 2009 16:05:00 +0000 http://www.blog4history.com/?p=607#comment-10279 Excellent choices! I just finished reading volume 1 of Atkinson's trilogy (I read vol. 2 a couple years ago) and he's an excellent writer. Max Hastings is another great one. You promoted "Retribution" a while back, which pushed it up my list. You were right...very, very good. I would mention his companion work "Armageddon", covering the War's final year in Europe. Other really good recent reads for me include Sloan's "The Ultimate Battle" and Donavan Webster's "The Burma Road". "Heisenberg's War" by Thomas Powers also deserves a look. Not war-related, I'm currently working through Chernow's biography of Alexander Hamilton. Regards, Joel Excellent choices! I just finished reading volume 1 of Atkinson’s trilogy (I read vol. 2 a couple years ago) and he’s an excellent writer.

Max Hastings is another great one. You promoted “Retribution” a while back, which pushed it up my list. You were right…very, very good. I would mention his companion work “Armageddon”, covering the War’s final year in Europe.

Other really good recent reads for me include Sloan’s “The Ultimate Battle” and Donavan Webster’s “The Burma Road”.

“Heisenberg’s War” by Thomas Powers also deserves a look.

Not war-related, I’m currently working through Chernow’s biography of Alexander Hamilton.

Regards,
Joel

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