The Military History Group discussion

Hi all I wanted to make a thread about requesting books on a particular topic and asking others for recommendations.


For example, I enjoy social history of war- so personal accounts and recollections from people on the ground. This helps to enrich a narrative.

Can anyone recommend good social history books for war topics?

What era are you looking for in particular? Are you talking about memoirs by written by soldiers and generals?

With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa by Eugene Sledge is probably one of the best first person grunt level books ever written. Sledge was a Marine mortarman during WW2 and his book played a heavy part in the second half of the HBO miniseries The Pacific. Less talked about but just as good is his follow up China Marine about his post war life.

Apologies if it was not clear Creighton.

Yes memoirs and oral histories. The Pacific sounds good I will take a look at it.

Matt wrote: "Hi all I wanted to make a thread about requesting books on a particular topic and asking others for recommendations.


For example, I enjoy social history of war- so personal accounts and recollect..."
Helmut Altner's memoir of his time as a 17 year old soldier in the last months of Hitler's war is fascinating and moving (it is titled 'German Soldier and goodreads and Amazon erroneously list it as the memoirs of a 12-year old boy) - but you may mean something more substantial.

Anyone have a recommendation on "Grand Strategy" during ww2. For example, decisions on where to invade, which political alliances to make for the leading powers? Specifically, I'd love to find a book that covers the decision and planning of Barbarosa and / or Overlord

You might try Masters and Commanders by Andrew Roberts. It looks at the relationship between Roosevelt and Churchill and General Marshall and Field Marshal Sir Alan Brooke.

Cameron wrote: "Anyone have a recommendation on "Grand Strategy" during ww2. For example, decisions on where to invade, which political alliances to make for the leading powers? Specifically, I'd love to find a bo..."

Two books that may interest you on the planning aspects of Overlord and Barbarossa are these titles:

Neptune: Allied Invasion of Europe and the The D-Day Landings by Craig L. Symonds

Operation Barbarossa and Germany's Defeat in the East by David Stahel
(This author has written some excellent books on the Eastern Front - highly recommended!)

Another good book on Overlord is this book:

Sand & Steel: The D-Day Invasions and the Liberation of France by Peter Caddick-Adams

Thank you Steve and Rick, great suggestions, look forward to diving into them

Matt wrote: "Hi all I wanted to make a thread about requesting books on a particular topic and asking others for recommendations.


For example, I enjoy social history of war- so personal accounts and recollect..."

Second Sledge's memoirs. They're fantastic. The other memoir used for "The Pacific" is Helmet for My Pillow: From Parris Island to the Pacific

If you're interested in the Bataan Death March, try Some Survived: An Eyewitness Account of the Bataan Death March and the Men Who Lived Through It

I've a few from the American Revolution. Here's a couple:
The Narrative of John Blatchford, Detailing his Sufferings in the Revolutionary war, While a Prisone
The Adventures of Ebenezer Fox

'Aussie Rick' wrote: "Cameron wrote: "Anyone have a recommendation on "Grand Strategy" during ww2. For example, decisions on where to invade, which political alliances to make for the leading powers? Specifically, I'd l..."

I agree with you on Stahels book on Barbarossa! Haven't read the others.

Let me offer a recommendation for a book that will hold your attention.

Operation Mincemeat: How a Dead Man and a Bizarre Plan Fooled the Nazis and Assured an Allied Victory by Ben Macintyre

It tells the story of British intelligence plan to mislead the Germans as so where and when the Allies would attack Fortress Europa. It was complicated, slightly insane, and the British weren't sure it would work.............it did! It is a fascinating book.

I have noticed, as many of you has done, I am sure, that what we study as history is, in the best case, a 1/100th of the whole story of humankind. WW1 or WW2, or the Vietnam War - there is always something new to say. I can compare this to the difference between language and speech: people study language as the manifestation of the ever changing speech which is so vast it can't be totally explored. I am sure somebody had thought the same before me. So, maybe you can recommend me anything on the philosophy of history?

Darya Silman wrote: "I have noticed, as many of you has done, I am sure, that what we study as history is, in the best case, a 1/100th of the whole story of humankind. WW1 or WW2, or the Vietnam War - there is always s..."

What Is History?: A series of lectures Carr delivered at Cambridge on various aspects of the philosophy of history. Very interesting read.
In Defense of History: Expands on Carr's work. I haven't read this one yet, but it sounds very promising.

Darya Silman wrote: "I have noticed, as many of you has done, I am sure, that what we study as history is, in the best case, a 1/100th of the whole story of humankind. WW1 or WW2, or the Vietnam War - there is always s..."

I would recommend Margaret MacmIllan's 'The Uses and Abuses of History'

and, although I haven't read it I admire its author, Marc Ferro, very much as a writer on Russia and the Soviet Union, the book is 'The Uses and Abuses of History: Or How the Past is Taught to our Children', It was originally published in 1981, though I believe it may have been updated by Norman Stone after Marc Ferro's death.