I’m mostly interested in June 1943 through V-E Day 1945, including the liberation of Dachau from the US troops perspective. I’m looking to strengthen and deepen my understanding of what it was actually like for infantry troops on the ground throughout that time, and build up my technical understanding of various things related to the army such as ranks and functions. Fine details and minutiae is welcome, readability is not absolutely required as long as there’s accuracy. This is part of a research/writing project about the day-to-day life of an officer who was there, and how he was transformed by what he saw and experienced.
Already on the shelf: Rick Atkinson’s Liberation trilogy. Preparing to order: Ernie Pyle’s Ernie Pyle’s War: America’s Eyewitness to World War II and/or Brave Men.
While the perspective is about as far from the troops as you can get, Eisenhower’s Crusade in Europe is worth reading as a comprehensive and insightful account of the allied efforts in Europe. It should definitely aide in your technical understanding and it’s not entirely without insight into the folks fighting on the front line.
A friend recommended the Band of Brothers miniseries as well, and while I think I would do well to steer clear of Spielberg/Hanks cinematic drama I’m thinking it’d serve well for atmosphere and such, but perhaps later on after I’ve created a better foundation.
Not about the infantry experience directly, but The Second World War (by John Keegan) has a good overview of the political climate and motivations that led to the various battles throughout the war.
I just read Alan Moorehead’s Desert War: The North African Campaign 1940-1943
It’s the wrong time period, and mostly Commonwealth. But, it’s more-or-less a correspondant’s diary, so you get a lot of day to day life of an officer/correspondant/man-on-the-ground stuff. Might hit the ‘what life was like in the field’ well for you. I also really liked the writing.
Cornelius Ryan’s The Longest Day (and follow up books) seems like it would fit well. I like the movie as well.
Roll Me Over - a memoir from a very educated American thrown into infantry combat in Europe late in the war. Also has some very good insights into occupation in Germany right after the war ended. Doesn’t pull any punches.
The Forgotten Soldier - a controversial classic (that may or may not be entirely honest) from the POV of someone who fought on the wrong side.
The Band of Brothers book and mini-series are good and pretty accurate, though there are some errors in there.
Steer clear just in the beginning. My statement was poorly phrased. When I research a new subject like this, I like to learn the lay of things before I start to fill in atmosphere and mood. Just how my mind works.
Probably the first full English books I ever read. Back in the 80s I chanced upon a TV program on this book. The author was interviewing the survivors from both sides and I was immediately hooked. I found this book very well written, well researched and the event was extremely interesting.
I have to confess I have only ever read this WW2 book so I cannot make any educated comparison with others recommendations above. However, to this day, I believe this book is one of the best reference materials for the events that led to the sinking of Bismarck. Highly recommended, although not fitting to your requirement.
Based on my post, I’m not sure either, but I bought it for $3.79 incl. shipping on abesbooks. It sounds compelling and gets good reviews. Thanks so much, Algahar!
(Many of these books are available in e-book editions and that’s tempting and convenient because I love my Kindle3, but I’ve learned the hard way that research books are so much easier to deal with in physical form.)
FYI, I believe a long while ago there was a similar discussion here and I added 2 books to my wish list on Amazon as a result. However, my laziness prevented me from buying, let alone reading them. They are:
