THE WORLD WAR TWO GROUP discussion

The December theme read is a member's choice. You can read any book that you choose as long as it covers a WW2 subject.

That’s awesome Rick!!!!

I bet you have a good book ready to go Doreen! :)

OK time to join in. The History and Science of the Manhattan Project. An area I find endlessly fascinating.

Actually I have several. Just trying to decide which one to read. And I’m still dreaming of my bucket list visit to the Normandy beaches to honor all those who gave their lives for us. If anyone can point me in the right direction for that I would eternally grateful. I would be traveling from the US. I would also be honoring my father who served in the US Army in France and Germany. For a period he was on loan to Patton’s Army.

Doreen wrote: "Actually I have several. Just trying to decide which one to read. And I’m still dreaming of my bucket list visit to the Normandy beaches to honor all those who gave their lives for us. If anyone ca..."

I used to subscribe to Band of Brothers Tours. I used to subscribe to their emails as they always had interesting historical information. I just googled them and they seem to still be around and have quite a number of different tour options. I did a trip through a Canadian company and then traced my Dad's steps which meant so much to me.

Thanks Rick. One of the many excellent books about the WWII Arctic Convoys would be my recommendation. The trauma suffered by the men who sailed, both during and after the convoys is fascinating, untold history.

Proud Warriors: African American Combat Units in World War II by Alexander M. Bielakowski



My late father, a U.S. Army combat veteran of World War II (European Theater of Operations) used to tell me that "the true story of what the Negro soldier did in the Second World War will never be told." This used to frustrate me, because what I did learn of my father's service in the UK, Normandy, the Battle of the Bulge, and in Germany with Patton's Third Army, made me want to know more about the experiences of African Americans like him who served in combat units during the War.

This book, I think, goes a long way towards shedding light on an aspect of World War II that has been all too often overlooked.

Easy enough... Didn't Jim Holland release something in September?The Savage Storm: The Heroic True Story of One of the Least told Campaigns of WW2

I'm hoping to go with; "The Hitler Years: Disaster, 1940-1945" by Frank McDonough.

The Hitler Years: Disaster, 1940-1945 by Frank McDonough

Change of plans, my theme book is now going to be James Holland's latest title; "The Savage Storm".

The Savage Storm: The Battle for Italy 1943 by James Holland

I have just finished reading Vietnam - an Australian War by Paul Ham. Had the book for quite a few years and my reading of it was stimulated by my daughter returning from a holiday to Vietnam with questions such as "how could the vietnamese defeat such a big country like the US" etc. Where to start having also read "the best and brightest" "Bright Shining Lie" etc

Obviously the book focusses very much on the Australian experience in Vietnam but with constant references to interactions and joint exercises with the US and the South Vietnamese. The book large in scope and very readable - at over 600 pages I knocked it off in five days. Covers not only the military aspects but societal issues both within vietnam and in australia as opposition grows to the war. Not afraid to cover issues such as high rates of VD amongst troops and the disastorious mine laying exercise (where many mines lifted and reused against Australians)

Covers the many major actions and Ham has gained access to many of the individuals involved in the war and the particular firefights etc.My father served in Vietnam in 1970 in Saigon and of great interest to me was the many names mentioned in the book that were very familiar from my fathers recounting of his experiences. I can remembered being told over fifty years ago the story of Noel Ford who was at Long Tan and disappeared off Bondi Beach


A highly recommended read to gain an Australian perspective of the war and its implications. Paul Ham is one of Australia's best military writers this books stands up with his many other books covering the Australian military experiences

Alex wrote: "I have just finished reading Vietnam - an Australian War by Paul Ham. Had the book for quite a few years and my reading of it was stimulated by my daughter returning from a holiday to Vietnam with ..."

It is indeed an excellent book! I read it over a few days when it was first published.

Vietnam - the Australian War by Paul Ham

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

This is what I'm going with.

That should be a very interesting account, keep us all posted.

Really it is nowadays extremely difficult to choose a ww2 book out of my collection. I do have so many ww2 books and the subject is sooo vast that my mind remains always confused which book i would choose. Recently i have finished the book utmost savagery on the battle of Tarawa. Though it is quite informative but i prefer Wukovitz's book on Tarawa to the book i have just mentioned. I will definitely choose one book and make you known.

Presley wrote: "https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

This is what I'm going with."

Good choice--I really enjoyed it.

Dipanjan wrote: "Really it is nowadays extremely difficult to choose a ww2 book out of my collection. I do have so many ww2 books and the subject is sooo vast that my mind remains always confused which book i would..."

I'm sure you will come up with an interesting theme book :)

I’m going to go with “The Unwomanly Face of War” By Svetlana Alexievich a book I’ve been meaning to read for a while now.



https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...

Tom wrote: "I’m going to go with “The Unwomanly Face of War” By Svetlana Alexievich a book I’ve been meaning to read for a while now.



https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3..."

Sounds like another excellent read!

I would be reading "The Pope at War: The Secret History of Pius XII, Mussolini, and Hitler". I have been reading about Church a bit recently and this is expected to be amazing mix of two interesting topics in themselves.

Hi Sumit, that's a book that I have that I hope to read one day soon. I hope it's a good account, keep us all posted.

Thanks for having member's choice as the topic for December, Aussie Rick!
Like Doreen and Dipanjan, I had a difficult time choosing. I did not want to select a book I had already started, either.

After some deliberation, I've settled on this one:

A Spy at the Heart of the Third Reich: The Extraordinary Story of Fritz Kolbe, America's Most Important Spy in World War II by Lucas Delattre

IF I finish it before the end of December, then this book will be next:

With Rommel in the Desert by Heinz Werner Schmidt

Tom wrote: "I’m going to go with “The Unwomanly Face of War” By Svetlana Alexievich a book I’ve been meaning to read for a while now.

Wow - this looks really interesting. Just added it to my "want to read" list. Thanks!

Two very good books there BA! I quite enjoyed "With Rommel in the Desert" by Heinz Werner Schmidt when I first read it back in the early 1980's.

This month i am planning to read at least two WW2 books. I have already started the first one. Here is it...

I'm finishing off the year with the third volume in Ian Toll's Pacific War Trilogy:

Twilight of the Gods: War in the Western Pacific, 1944-1945

Two very good books Dipanjan and Marc!

Tom wrote: "I’m going to go with “The Unwomanly Face of War” By Svetlana Alexievich a book I’ve been meaning to read for a while now.
Svetlana's book is a brilliant description of how tough it was for medics as women in a patriarchal society. They were valued for very little despite a tough job on the front line throughout the war - no R&R for Soviet combatants. There is also 'Train to Nowhere' by Anita Leslie. She did an identical job to Svetlana but on the Western side and what is striking is how similar their experiences were. It is worth reading them both to get a sense of what they had in common despite the huge differences in the cultures they came from. Both books are remarkable doors into a challenging but little recorded aspect of world war.



https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3..."

'Aussie Rick' wrote: "Dipanjan wrote: "Really it is nowadays extremely difficult to choose a ww2 book out of my collection. I do have so many ww2 books and the subject is sooo vast that my mind remains always confused w..."

This month i am planning to read two more books on WW2. My choice are

Dipanjan wrote: "This month i am planning to read two more books on WW2. My choice are



[bookcover:At the Heart of the Wh..."

They sound like two pretty interesting books Dipanjan, let us all know how you go.

Going with the highly rated 40 Thieves On Saipan by Joseph Tachovsky and Cynthia Kraack

Decided to take a break from the ACW and tackle these two books which I imagine would make for some rather grim reading.
Always had a fascination with the last year of the war in Europe and this is very much part of the story.

Lawrence Myers wrote: "[bookcover:A Train Near Magdeburg―The Holocaust, the survivors, and the Americ..."

Two books that sound like hard reading but well worth the read!

"The Savage Storm: The Battle for Italy 1943" - British forces have just landed on the foot of Italy and the 2nd Inniskillings were told to push inland and climb Monet San Nicolo. Here is a good account from Captain David Cole of what awaited the poor foot-sloggers during the Italian campaign to come:

"With no vehicles available at this stage, they were forced to use their own two feet. It was still a hot day a they trudged their way up the winding track, past vineyards on the lower slopes, then endless cactus bushes, around a plunging gorge and slopes rich with baby oaks and chestnuts. 'Toiling up the mountain under a burning sun,' noted Cole, 'and weighed down by a barrow-load of personal military hardware, I felt less like a mountain goat than a kebab on a grill'."

The Savage Storm: The Battle for Italy 1943 by James Holland

James Holland is an outstanding author. I have read his book on Burma battle.

Thankyou for your replies After finishing the amazing “the unwomanly face of war” which I can’t recommend enough I will now read “Blood Red Snow: The Memoirs of a German Soldier on the Eastern Front”
By Günter K. Koschorrek

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...

The History and Science of the Manhattan Project, Bruce Cameron Reed, published Springer, for December read.



Part of Springer's Undergraduate Lecture Notes in Physics, pp 438

The development of atomic bombs under the auspices of the U. S. Army's Manhattan Project during World War II is considered to be the outstanding news story of the twentieth century. In this book, a physicist and expert on the history of the Project presents a comprehensive overview of this momentous achievement. The first three chapters cover the history of nuclear physics from the discovery of radioactivity to the discovery of fission, and would be ideal for instructors of a sophomore-level "Modern Physics" course. Student-level exercises at the ends of the chapters are accompanied by answers. Chapter 7 covers the physics of first-generation fission weapons at a similar level, again accompanied by exercises and answers. For the interested layman and for non-science students and instructors, the book includes extensive qualitative material on the history, organization, implementation, and results of the Manhattan Project and the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombing missions. The reader also learns about the legacy of the Project as reflected in the current world stockpiles of nuclear weapons.

Finished.
"From a Science Perspective, As Enjoyable & Valuable as Rhodes' Pulitzer classic "Making the Atomic Bomb"

If you want to begin to understand the science and physics behind the development of the first atomic bombs, this is the book!

The very first book I read on the Manhattan Project was, serendipitously, Richard Rhodes' Pulitzer classic "The Making of the Atomic Bomb", probably the best and most comprehensive book on the topic. But it is primarily a history book; it contains enough science to tell the story but not to give a full understanding. It left me salivating, wanting to know more about fission, atoms, energy release, breeding plutonium. So ever since reading it, I have been searching for the "how it all works" book. THIS BOOK IS IT! It takes the reverse perspective of Rhodes; it's a science book that contains enough history to put the science into context. And it does a great job of it.

How much technical background do you need to understand or enjoy this book? I'll answer in several ways: If you are intrigued by the Manhattan Project and are curious to know more about the technology, then regardless of your technical level, you will probably enjoy large parts of it. If, in addition to that, you did well in high school physics, chemistry or math, you will likely comprehend most or all of it. I have a bachelor in engineering from the early 80's, worked a few years in industry but not related to physics, then left technology for 30 years, so I am left with a vague recollection of my intro physics and math classes from back then. With dedication, and by referencing the vast resources of the web, I was able to work thru and understand pretty much everything in the book. I enjoyed everything in the book. The author's deep understanding and love for the subject is woven into it.

Most chapters of the book end with some questions. It's not necessary to do them to enjoy the book, but doing them can add additional understanding. They range from requiring no math, to simple math, to some algebra. There is one problem that involves an integral, the answer to which can be looked up on the web. The book provides answers for all the questions.

After reading Rhodes, my library expanded to some 20 books searching for better understanding of the technology. Hoddeson et al, a wonderful compendium of the details of the history of the technological developments, was not it. Nothing else I read was it. Until this book"
Rhodes' Making of the Atomic Bomb is in 3 parts, first the discoveries in physics, the atom, the neutron, fission, chain reactions. Second the Physicists themselves, personalities etc. Thirdly the Manhattan Project including combat use and the effects of that.
The History and Science is not Maths heavy, but there is a companion volume on my To Read Pile, The Physics of the Manhattan Project, same author.



It gives a clear introduction to fission weapons at the level of an upper-year undergraduate physics student by examining the details of nuclear reactions, their energy release, analytic and numerical models of the fission process, how critical masses can be estimated, how fissile materials are produced, and what factors complicate bomb design. An extensive list of references and a number of exercises for self-study are included.

Revisions to this fourth edition include many upgrades and new sections. Improvements are made to, among other things, the analysis of the physics of the fission barrier, the time-dependent simulation of the explosion of a nuclear weapon, and the discussion of tamped bomb cores. New sections cover, for example, composite bomb cores, approximate methods for various of the calculations presented, and the physics of the polonium-beryllium "neutron initiators" used to trigger the bombs.

And on similar topics I have the Physics of Nuclear Explosives by Barroso.



it is intended for those who wish to know more deeply the theory and physical processes involved in nuclear explosions. The main topics covered are: neutronic and criticality (neutron transport); hydrodynamics and thermodynamics at high temperatures and densities; dense and heavy plasmas; opacity and transport of thermal radiation; hydrodynamic theory of chemical detonations; shock waves, dynamic compression of solids, implosions; statistics of fission chain reactions; and inertial confinement fusion (thermonuclear detonations). Three types of explosives are analyzed: Pure fission explosives, the so-called “boosted bombs” (with the introduction of deuterium-tritium into the fissile mass) and thermonuclear explosives. Results of complex numerical and computational simulations (many of which presumably have never been published in the open scientific literature) are presented and discussed. ““The Physics of Nuclear Explosives” provides a rather comprehensive account of the physical principles involved in nuclear detonations, including both fission and fusion weapons. The author has broken new ground in presenting the results of his numerical simulations of nuclear detonations and characterizations of particular weapons, such as the W-87 warhead,” Steven Aftergood – Federation of American Scientists.

And mining a rich seam I also have A Technical History of America's Nuclear Weapons, Vols 1 & 2.



American nuclear weapons and delivery systems are presented in a rough chronological order with some weapons treated individually and others in functional or family groupings. Like Volume I, Volume II combines development histories with engineering descriptions to illustrate the performance characteristics of each weapon described and the design challenges that faced their developers. Basic data about weapon operation, delivery systems, and deployments are also included. Editing the material that previously comprised the First Edition has allowed room for two additional chapters and an afterword. These chapters focus on the nuclear weapon systems under development that will form the new Nuclear Triad. The weapon systems include the B-21 Raider stealth bomber, the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent ICBM, and the Columbia SSBN. The afterword discusses some dubious aspects of the choices made for the new Triad. Like the First Edition, this Second Edition is lavishly illustrated with hundreds of photographs. Volume II: 1) Uses official Military Characteristic (Parts) Numbers for components where available, a very useful tool for internet searches 2) Discusses second generation multi-megaton hydrogen bombs including the three-stage, 25-megaton MK 41, America’s most powerful weapon 3) Outlines the evolution of jet-powered, medium and heavy, strategic bombers•Discusses the continued development of tactical nuclear bombs and their delivery systems 4) Explains the mechanism of Dial-a-Yield, used in the B61 and B83 bombs 5) Follows the evolution of liquid and solid fuel ICBMs, which now form the core of the nuclear triad – based in silos and on-board Fleet Ballistic Missile Submarines 6) Describes the evolution of Multiple Independently-targetable Reentry Vehicles (MIRVs) that allowed Moscow to be targeted with four hundred thermonuclear warheads 7) Takes up the development of tactical nuclear missiles where Volume I left off 8) Describes the development of Enhanced Radiation or “neutron” weapons to minimize casualties in the European Theater 9) Outlines how tactical nuclear missiles and nuclear artillery were combined to provide “Terrain Fire”, in which thousands of overlapping nuclear bursts to depths of 50 or 100 kilometers along an adversary’s border would annihilate its forward forces leaving millions of dead 10) Follows the development air-to-air and surface-to-air missiles, including the W61 warhead, which used gold to produce extremely high intensity radiation for use in the vacuum of space 10) Discusses the B-21 Raider, GBSD ICBM, and the Columbia Class SSBN that form the new Nuclear Triad 11) Reviews the Russian “doomsday” Poseidon torpedo and other new weapons and their implications for American deterrence 12) Considers the implications of the termination of The New START Treaty.
Volume II now contains a new Chapter about the Ripple Secondary, which was to be upgraded into 35 megaton warheads and 60 megaton bombs. It also contains a new section on the proposed B-52J.


Richard Rhodes' Making of the Atom Bomb discusses how various scientists grew tender consciences. They knew what they were working on. Schemes for International Control were Naive and Fanciful. The Realpolitik of Churchill, FDR and Truman was more to my taste. Allied casualties for the invasion of Mainland Japan were estimated at between 500,000 and 1,000,000. Not using the Bomb when you could save those lives would be the greater immorality in my view. And the swift end to war in the Far East meant my Father did not have to join the Fleet Air Arm in the Far East, he came back to the UK instead.

Tom wrote: "Thankyou for your replies After finishing the amazing “the unwomanly face of war” which I can’t recommend enough I will now read “Blood Red Snow: The Memoirs of a German Soldier on the Eastern Fron..."

Glad to hear you enjoyed the book. I hope you like "Blood Red Snow" just as much.

Blood Red Snow: The Memoirs of a German Soldier on the Eastern Front by Günter K. Koschorrek

Simon wrote: "The History and Science of the Manhattan Project, Bruce Cameron Reed, published Springer, for December read.



Part of Springer..."

Very informative post Simon and one that members with an interest in the subject will really appreciate. Thanks for taking the time to provide those details.

Tom wrote: "Thank you for your replies After finishing the amazing “the unwomanly face of war” which I can’t recommend enough I will now read “Blood Red Snow: The Memoirs of a German Soldier on the Eastern Front..."

Blood Red Snow: The Memoirs of a German Soldier on the Eastern Front

Tom - I can't recommend "Blood Red Snow" enough. Amazing & fascinating memoir! I could not put it down. It read like an excellent novel (meaning the writing doesn't get bogged down in unnecessary detail and side-tracks). This book is very accessible to many types of readers (not just history fans). In fact, "Blood Red Snow" is now a featured book in my bookstore; I've sold quite a few! Wonderful book... I hope you enjoy it as much as I did & I look forward to your thoughts.

I'm going to be away for a few days a day will have limited internet access so I will catch up when I get back home next week.

"The Savage Storm: The Battle for Italy 1943" - The author provided this first-hand account of when Lieutenant Farley Mowat of the Hasty P's was nearly killed by a truck driving over a Teller mine:

" ... 'My goodness gracious, Squib,' said Bird a little later, 'you should have seen yourself! You popped out of that dust cloud as white as a rat in a flour barrel and with the silliest expression on your face - like a girl who's just been kissed for the first time.' Mowat thought that it had very nearly been the kiss of death. The truck had been carrying boxes of mortars, but by incredible good fortune these had not exploded."

The Savage Storm: The Battle for Italy 1943 by James Holland

Call me old fashioned :
To Win The Winter Sky: The Air War Over The Ardennes 1944-45 by Danny S. Parker

Great choice Dimitri. Timely too, as the weather outside will likely match your reading of the same period 79 years ago....

Dimitri wrote: "Call me old fashioned :
To Win The Winter Sky: The Air War Over The Ardennes 1944-45 by [author:Danny S..."

Read this a few years ago--hope you enjoy as much as I did.

Dimitri wrote: "Call me old fashioned :
To Win The Winter Sky: The Air War Over The Ardennes 1944-45 by [author:Danny S..."

One that I am still yet to read. I hope you enjoy the book Dimitri!

Just finished 1914 by Greg Ham which is a look at the factors and events that "caused" the Great War and the fighting g up until the end of 1914. It is the subject of many 100s if not 1000s of books and the causes are still debated. Ham puts the cause very much on Germany for giving Austria-Hungary a blank check in terms of its demands of Serbia following the assassination of Franz Ferdinand (followed by Russia and its mobilisation). I was a bit disappointed with the book as although lengthy I felt it scatted over some of the events and characters in the lead upto the fighting and then the German advance in France. Possibly tried to cover too much and did not have anything new to say.

Much prefer Tuchmann's "August 1914" and Clarks "Sleepwalker" for their exposition of factors causing the war and particularly with Tuchmann making you feel like you were on the march and in the fighting.

As recently revised very much enjoyed Ham's account of the Australian experience in Vietnam and perhaps this book appealed more because the events were closer to the author's background and he was able to access many ex participants.

Now onto the bio of Oppenheimer "America's Prometheus" and what a great book so far

Alex wrote: "Just finished 1914 by Greg Ham which is a look at the factors and events that "caused" the Great War and the fighting g up until the end of 1914. It is the subject of many 100s if not 1000s of book..."

In 1994, the Australian Ambassador to Yugoslavia Malcolm Booker published a brief book called ‘Conflict in the Balkans’ which drew my attention to the importance of the Balkans to the Central Powers, a topic I hadn’t previously considered. The irony of the Balkans is that no one was interested in these poor countries but everybody needed them as pawns in the power game that led up to WW1. For example, Booker writes ‘Britain [in 1914] had no vital interest in the Balkans.’ Nevertheless, at the Congress of Berlin in 1878 ‘the agreements that had been reached between the Russians and the Turks did not…suit Britain and Germany.’ Russia was the friend of the Balkans, but Bosnia and Herzegovina, which had been Turkish and which contained a large Serbian minority, was handed over (largely by Bismark) to Austria Hungary the enemy of Serbia. Austria formally annexed Bosnia in 1907 and we all know what happened next.

Another thing I didn’t realize was that the Germanic powers wanted a naval empire, starting with the Mediterranean, hence the Balkan corridor to the sea. Another book on this theme is ‘First Victory’ by Mike Carlton about German naval ambitions in the Pacific.

"First Victory: 1914: HMAS Sydney's Hunt for the German Raider Emden" by Mike Carlton is a pretty good book.