Military History
World War 2

War Stories 2 - Oliver North
I am 63 and listened to the end of the War on Grandma's console Short Wave radio. I studied a lot of history in college and read all the WWII narratives in paperback in the 50's. But you know...almost NONE of the younger generations know anything about just how big and tough the War was on the world, and how much sacrifice the Allies went through to win.

When you learn that enslaved prisoners died under Tojo's troops building the Burma railroad .... at one per 12 feet, or that sometimes 42 of 45 men in a company were killed trying to take island atolls the size of a Wal-Mart parking lot, or if you can visualize what it must have been like to watch 5 big naval ships go down in sight of each other, then you grasp just how destructive the war was. This book weaves the big picture of the Pacific theatre strategy with personal experiences of Rangers, Marines and Sailors.

This is easy to read and perfect for folks who don't sit down with heavy books. Print-size worked for my aging eyes.

Just after reading about retaking the Philippines we stopped on the road at Springville, UT for lunch. In comes an old man with his son, and I couldn't help but ask, " Did your Dad serve?"

"Sure, he says, hey, Dad what ship were you on?"

"The Nevada!"

The Battleship Nevada was attacked at Pearl Harbor!

World War 2 - Life Pictures
This oversize album of 665 photographs taken from the archives of Life magazine and other collections begins with the years 1919 to 1939, the two decades leading up to World War II. Editor Stolley then proceeds to chronicle the war, year by year through 1945, and ends with what he calls "the war's aftermath," 1946 to 2001. These photographs document such momentous events as the civil war in Spain; Hitler's rise to power; Germany's conquest of France, Denmark, Greece, Norway, Belgium, Poland, and the Netherlands; the Nazis' bombing of Britain; Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union and the siege of Stalingrad; the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and the war in the Pacific; the war in North Africa; the Holocaust; and the U.S. bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan. For World War II buffs, the book is a natural treasure.

Armageddon
Max Hastings has written a masterpiece on the battle for Germany in 1944-1945. The book is remarkable because Hastings is able to cover many different things simultaneously, while weaving everything together in a narrative that is well-written and engaging. Indeed, topics that are typically researched as independent issues (the Holocaust; the plight of civilians; the quality of the various armies; issues of military command; issues of politics) are all treated together to give, finally, the reader "the big picture". The meaning of all of this is driven home with personal accounts, which makes the book pointed and poignant. Quite simply, this book must rank highly on anyone's list of "best WWII books of 2004."

This coffee table sized book contains some stunning and horrific photographs of World War II. Many of the photographs are in color, and many of the pictures are previously unpublished in other works. Accompanying the photos are text captions explaining the event depicted.
I gave this book four stars instead of five simply because I believe two of the most significant events of the war are barely mentioned: the Holocaust, and the dropping of the Atomic bombs. In a book of this size and scope, I felt that more space should have been given to these seminal events. Regardless, this book is captivating and would make a great gift for any history buff.

 

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