World War 2 Books

World War II Recommended Reading

	The following books are my personal recommendations:

		The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich William L. Shirer This magnificent book follows the life of Hitler from his origins to the final destruction of the Nazi regime. It is not only very comprehensive, but also extremely readable. If you were only to read one book in your life that covered the Second World War, then it should be this one. So what are you waiting for?...go and get a copy and see for yourself. Check it out at Amazon.com - Also recommended: The Nightmare Years - A superb autobiographical account of Shirer's days in Europe during the rise of the Nazi regime.

		Bodyguard of Lies Anthony Cave Brown The title of the book comes from a Churchill quote: "In wartime, the truth is so precious that she should always be attended by a bodyguard of lies". This book details the intelligence war between the Allies and the Axis during the build up to the Allied invasions in Europe. The amazing lengths to which the Allies went to deceive the Axis forces, and the brilliant work of the Bletchley Park code-breakers in keeping Churchill informed of the Germans' every move is extremely well presented. It is a wonderfully intriguing look behind the scenes. Despite the book being one of the best, it may be out of print - check it at Amazon.com

		The Second World War - A Complete History Martin Gilbert Beginning on the day that the Germany Army marched into Poland, this book carries the reader through the war describing events in chronological order. This makes for a flowing and very readable volume. Check it out at Amazon.com
		Also by Martin Gilbert (and both highly recommended): The Holocaust: The Jewish Tragedy The First World War: A Complete History

		Those Were the Days (also goes by the title: The Good Old Days)- The Holocaust as Seen by the Perpetrators and Bystanders Ernst Klee Willi Dressen Volker Riess This is a fascinating yet very disturbing book which presents documents and personal accounts of the Holocaust from the point of view of the perpetrators. It shows that many of the perpetrators were more than willing to carry out the executions of innocent people, those who refused to do so were not punished, and those traumatized after taking part were well looked after. This book may well be difficult to find ( I have never seen it in any bookshop since I bought my copy ). You may be able to order it here

		Colditz - The Colditz Story & the Latter Days at Colditz P. R. Reid, M.B.E., M.C. These two combined volumes relate the story of the most famous prisoner of war camp, Colditz Castle. The bravery, spirit and incredible ingenuity of the prisoners is described in this wonderful account. If this had been a novel, then people would have scoffed at the thought of the prisoners constructing a working glider in the attic of the castle - but it actually happened. Find this book at Amazon.com

		The Railway Man Eric Lomax An autobiographical account of one POW's journey through starvation and torture at the hands of his ruthless Japanese captors, and his subsequent reconciliation with one of the main perpetrators. This book begins quite slowly with Lomax's early life, but becomes compelling and also very moving, with his accounts during his captivity and later when he meets his former captor many years after the war. More Info at Amazon

		Soldat - Reflections of a German Soldier, 1936 - 1949 Siegfried Knappe with Ted Brusaw This is a German soldier's own account of his life in the German Army before, during and after the war. It is very readable and gives an interesting insight behind the lines of a Wehrmacht artillery regiment and as a member of the General Staff. Check it out at Amazon

		Hitler and Stalin - Parallel Lives Alan Bullock This is a fascinating comparison between the two evil dictators Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin. The book is very detailed and can be a bit heavy-going at times but is a superb reference work. Check it out at Amazon

		The Oxford Companion to World War II I.C.B. Dear (Editor) This hefty book must be the definitive encyclopedia of World War 2. It's choc full of facts and substantial articles covering every aspect of the war. An extremely handy reference for the serious WWII enthusiast. Check it out at Amazon

		Stalingrad Antony Beevor This is the story of one of the most crucial battles of WWII, where Hitler's Wehrmacht ground to a halt in the city of Stalingrad and met ferocious resistance from the Red Army. This tremendous book takes you right into the heart of the conflict including personal accounts from the soldiers of both sides. Deservedly a bestseller. Find it at Amazon

		Russia's War Richard Overy It is easy for us in the West - considering the influence of Hollywood - to forget that the brunt of the fighting against the German war machine took place on the Eastern front with the Soviet army taking extremely heavy casualties. Professor Richard Overy tells the story of "The Great Patriotic War", as it was known by the Soviets, from the Nazi-Soviet Pact in 1941 to the fall of Berlin in 1945. The book was produced in conjunction with the TV documentary of the same name and was produced around 1995 with the benefit of Russian Glasnost. Find it at Amazon

		Dirty Little Secrets of World War II James F. Dunnigan and Albert A. Nofi This is a strange little book whose title I think is a bit misleading. It's a collection of unusual and interesting facts about the war as well as lots of figures and statistics. I don't think there's anything in the book that really constitutes a dirty secret, but it's an interesting one none the less. Check it out at Amazon

		The War Journal of Major Damon "Rocky" Gause This book is an interesting account of one US airman's courage and determination to escape Japanese captivity after the fall of the Philippines in 1942. It is taken from Major Gause's own journal as he logged his journey from Bataan to Australia in a tiny, leaky and flimsy boat. Check it out at Amazon

		Flak and Barbed Wire - 'In the wake of Wuppertal' Gordon Stooke This is a first person account of a RAAF Lancaster pilot who's aircraft was shot down over Belgium following a bombing sortie, and his subsequent attempts to reach England and safety. Throughout his journey the downed pilot encounters the resistance, traitors and the Gestapo among others. A great little read of a personal story. The sadly the author recently passed away, but his family in Australia run a web page for his old squadron.