"Awesome Stories from those that Served in World War 2.” ─ Reviewer
How soon we forget. Or perhaps, we were never told.
This book brings you firsthand accounts of combat and brotherhood, of captivity and redemption, and the aftermath of a war that left no community unscathed in the world. The stories have everything from spies and snipers to submarines and air raids. A great book for anyone who wants to learn what it was like during WW2.
If you like gripping, authentic accounts of life and combat during WW2, then you won't want to miss Spies, Snipers and Tales of the World at War.
I write books and narrate audiobooks about WWII Pacific Theater history.
My focus covers three areas: the island-hopping campaigns that defeated Japan, the cultural forces that made Japanese soldiers fight to the death, and the extraordinary stories of Pacific War survivors who defied the odds.
What matters are the real experiences—the Marines on the beaches, the sailors under kamikaze attack, the soldiers who refused to surrender, and the commanders making impossible decisions.
This was a great quick read. It has a select few first-hand stories from WW2. You can know the overarching story, and understand how the war played out, but you might not think about all the individual pieces that made up that story. War is not just countries and armies fighting each other, but individuals. Individuals who all have unique and interesting perspectives to share. And it's a book like this that brings those personal stories to light which gives a fuller picture of the war.
History is written by the winners but most of the first stories come from Germans. The identity of the storytellers is not withheld to protect the innocent. Hollywood had a go at the capture of the Enigma but we get a different spin on the tale here. Enemy at the Gates portrayed the sniper of Stalingrad but here it would seem we hear from the man himself.
The men supposedly narrating these tales all remain anonymous including the chapter that talks of Wallenberg the Swedish Diplomat whose exploits saved hundreds of Jewish lives. Since I’ve followed the facts known of his disappearance in the Soviet Gulag records of his demise either lost or withheld the statements made here are fiction; calling into question the authenticity of entire book. The Swedish Tax System didn’t declare Wallenberg dead in absentia until 2016.
Anyone who has been subjected to reportage knows the dubious accuracy of eye-witness accounts. Since few are actually named here they are spared the indignity of having their names spelled wrong. The book makes fun reading but as a historical record it leaves much in doubt.
Overlooking the need for a thorough edit, I rate this book five stars for magnificent story telling in first-person narrative. Each chapter contains one story through the eyes of that story's hero. Contained within are the stories of events which have inspired several modern Hollywood epics: U-571, Valkyrie, and a personal favorite - Enemy At The Gate come to mind.
A bit of research can prevent errors: the commandos that destroyed the heavy water research in Norway were not British. They were, in fact, Norwegian. *sigh*
An interesting collection of first hand accounts of the war from notables including an officer involved in the German Project Valkyrie and the failed assassination of Hitler, a Hiroshima bomb crewman, a diplomat who saved hundreds of Jews from Nazi concentration camps and many others. Many of these aren't pleasant stories but they do help to give the reader (or listener - I selected an audio version) a more personal feel for what life was like for those who shaped the outcome of the war. Definitely a worthwhile read for anyone with an interest in WWII history.