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Post by chris on Dec 29, 2011 16:16:10 GMT
Hello All Santa kindly brought me a lovely new copy of the Memoir 44 base game (hurrah!) which I'm enjoying playing. It has however brought home to me how shockingly little I know about ww2 as I chose GCSE Music over History all those years ago! With that in mind can anyone recommend a good overall book or website that would introduce major battles, events, motivations, timelines for ww2 as a whole? Just looking for a good overview I'm really liking the light gameplay of Memoir coupled with the way they introduce the history behind each scenario. I'm ashamed to say that because of my ineptitude, the brits just failed to take Pegasus bridge. Oops! Happy new year all! Chris
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Post by graeme on Dec 29, 2011 17:13:28 GMT
I've very much enjoyed reading Stalingrad, Berlin and D-Day, all by Anthony Beevor. Each focuses on the eponymous events, but also gives a wider perspective.
Dude writes a good book.
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Post by steven on Dec 30, 2011 0:12:25 GMT
Well avery interesting Q! Beevor's books are excellent but each of course focuses on specific campaigns - all very important events but perhaps not general enough for what Chris requires. My library follows this course - specific books about campaigns, battles, units, weapons but none really follows WW2 as a whole.
I would suggest mayby looking at books that were quite popular about 25 years ago. Marks and Sparks /publishing under the name St Michael) and i think it was Macmillan used to produce good coffee table type books that were aimed at the general interest person on WW2. They would have lovelly illustrations and were generally accurate, had good timelines etc. I dont have any anymore BUT Peter - pto, your club treasurer im sure will have something like this in his library.
Max Hastings has just published "All Hell Let Loose : The world at war 1939-45" which has had very good reviews. Its hardback and £15 on Amazon.
Ive read several of Hastings books' and they are always very good Perhaps you could start here.
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Post by graeme on Dec 30, 2011 9:33:17 GMT
Books that were popular with me 25 years ago include such classics as "Tiggy's new babysitter", "Spot's Birthday Party" and anything featuring Thomas the Tank Engine
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Post by sapper on Jan 1, 2012 22:55:09 GMT
For a 'classic' perspective on WW2 Basil Liddell Hart has written a very readable one volume history. John Keegan has also written one volume histories on both world wars which are very good and more insightful that Liddell Hart. The most recent one volume history I have read is 'The Storm of War' by Robert Harris. This is a good introduction and a good read, but he does pedal some old-fashioned views about some aspects of the war where revisionist historians have changed our thinking quite considerably, for example the Battle of Britain which, it seems the Germans were always destined to lose unless the RAF dropped the ball very badly.
I'd support Steven and recommend anything by Max Hastings. BTW, I saw 'All Hell Let Loose' in Tescos last week for £12 !
Martyn
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Post by chris on Jan 2, 2012 15:03:58 GMT
Thanks all! - really appreciate the recommendations - sooo many books out there ;D
I've put in an amazon order for the Max Hastings and will raid the library for some of the rest
Graeme - Spot was fantastic but not as good as the Tiger who came to tea!
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Post by chris on Jan 11, 2012 21:28:07 GMT
Just wanted to say I'm really appreciating the Max Hastings book - really well written and gives me a factual timeline with a whole bunch of interesting, funny, sad and gutting anecdotal stories from ordinary people thrown in.
Hitler has just invaded Norway. I hadn't even realised before that Russia had invaded eastern Poland after Hitler took the west let alone that Stalin then invaded Finland.
Many thanks!
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Post by Legionnaire on Jan 12, 2012 9:23:59 GMT
As far as I'm concerned, Stalin TRIED to invade Finland. Our eastern brothers are a far too hard people to be conquered ;D.
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Post by John on Jan 12, 2012 14:14:34 GMT
I hadn't even realised before that Russia had invaded eastern Poland after Hitler took the west let alone that Stalin then invaded Finland. What happened in Poland during WWII is one of the best examples of how easy it is for the popular recollection of history to be corrupted. The Soviets did some terrible things in Poland at the beginning of the war: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katyn_massacre . Because it didn't suit the Allies to point out what our 'comrades' had done we silenced the story or falsely implicated the Germans.
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Post by steven on Jan 12, 2012 22:41:52 GMT
And of course what is not often realised is that prior to the ending of the German / Soviet pact with the invasion of the Soviet Union, Stalin had been actively supporting Germany with raw material and food exports and assistance to the Kriegsmarine with bases in the Murmanks area.
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eturns
Junior Member
Posts: 67
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Post by eturns on Jan 17, 2012 22:53:45 GMT
Steven, I have a copy of Hastings' armageddon here in Corby which covers the later end of the war. Worth reading?
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Post by steven on Jan 18, 2012 8:37:50 GMT
well i guess it would be - i have read a couple of his books and they are good and well thought of by his peers
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Post by terrywarden on Jan 19, 2012 12:48:09 GMT
I dont think I have read anything by Max Hastings that I didnt enjoy, I frequently go back to his Normandy book. Charles Whitings books are usually very readable as well (his Leo Kessler novels are an entertaining holiday read as well)
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Post by steven on Jan 19, 2012 15:34:15 GMT
i have just taken delivery of "Kursk - The Greatest Battle : Eastern Fron 1943" by Lloyd Clark which has very good reviews - i will see what that is like!
I have also taken delivery of some amusing DVDs - i will be viewing tonight!!!
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