Books on war

[Howard]

I read a book about helium once... Couldn't put it down!
But seriously, Folks...

[Howard]

One of my favorite books is "Voices of War", compiled by Michael Caulfield. (I have read it twice, which is quite remarkable as the only 'read time' I get is also, erm, "Toilet time".... At 500+ pages, that's a lot of... erm... poo.)
vow.jpg
The blurb: "Drawn from engagements ranging from World War I through to operations in East Timor and Iraq, the stories are taken from the Australians at War Film Archive, a collection of the memories of over two thousand Australians who have served, both on the front line and at home.
Some are unbelievably, unbearably tragic, even after sixty or seventy years, others are the golden memories of happy, albeit unusual, times. And, more often than not, they are stories which have never been shared with others, even family members.
There are stories from winners of the Victoria Cross; stories from the POW camps of Asia and Europe; from the patrols of Vietnam, through to those who served as peacekeepers in Rwanda and Somalia. There are stories from nurses, from those who have volunteered to serve with aid agencies and stories of ordinary Australians caught up by circumstances and by duty, in wartime. Here are their words."

[hrpearce]

I was hopeing for serious replies to give me an idea of what was out there that may interest me and also if others had read the books I've read and their opinions on them.
Howard I take it you are only into light reading

[hrpearce]

Thanks Howard I just bought that book should get it by the end of next week.

[cliff]

Convoys Up the Track by Alan Smith is a good read. Alan was an Officer with one of the Transport Companys delivering supplys to Darwin during the early stages of the war when the Japanese were bombing Darwin. He also has another book as well but I don't have it.

[gary_bath_jr]

Bravo 2-Zero is a really good book which was also made into a movie (Sean Bean plays the lead) it is based on real events involving an SAS squad from Austrailia, I thought it was a good read.

[maple_leaf_eh]

Originally Posted by gary_bath_jr

Bravo 2-Zero is a really good book which was also made into a movie (Sean Bean plays the lead) it is based on real events involving an SAS squad from Austrailia, I thought it was a good read.

Umm? Err? 22 SAS is the British Special Air Service http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bravo_Two_Zero. There was a Kiwi and a former Australian Commando in the squad, but it was a British mission. The Australians, New Zealanders, and used to be Rhodesians are brothers-in-arms under the SAS tent, but not the same as Two Two.

Bravo Two Zero has been repudiated by many knowledgible SAS writers. Perhaps the best challenge to its truthfullness is, 'The Real Bravo Two Zero' written by an SAS man who is also an Arabist. Apparently Andy McNab is now persona non grata at SAS functions for stretching the truth at his debrief.

[hrpearce]

I'm a slow reader but I've finally finished "voices of war", for me a bit harder to read in parts than "over the top" and a little more comfronting at times but as Howard said a good book. Now to start "convoys up the track" thanks Cliff.

[Keith Webb]

Good call Cliff

I interviewed Alan at Corowa in 2004 and you can watch it on the Year of the Studebaker DVD. He is quite an interesting gentleman.

Originally Posted by cliff

Convoys Up the Track by Alan Smith is a good read. Alan was an Officer with one of the Transport Companys delivering supplys to Darwin during the early stages of the war when the Japanese were bombing Darwin. He also has another book as well but I don't have it.

[Ganmain Tony]

You are about to enter a world that you may never return from. There are literally millions of books ( no pun intended ).

One I am in the middle of reading is called the Autobiography of the British Soldier by John Lewis-Stempel. Re-telling actual accounts by soldiers who were there from the battle of Agincourt to Basra.

If youre into the History, using fictional characters, but put into real events. Buy everything by Bernard Cornwall. He has written many books, one of his best series are the Sharpe books which follow Sir Arthur Wellesley (The Duke of Wellington) from his Indian Campaign through Spain, Portugal and then finally to Waterloo. You'll feel like you donned the Scarlet Jacket and then the legendary Green Jacket of the 95th Rifles Regiment and walked across two continents. Not mention enduring the hardships & terrifying battles.

The other series of his I liked was the one on the Danish invasion of England during the reign of Alfred the Great.

Another book is "Warlords" concerning Churchill, Roosevelt, Stalin and Hitler its a cracker & will open your eyes as to who orchestrated major events that shaped the next 60 years of how people lived in the world after WW2.

There are just so many - Two Centuries of Warfare is brilliant.

Con Iggulden wrote a great series on Julius Ceaser called 'Emperor'. An Italian Professor by the name of Manfredi wrote some great novels on Alexander the Great. The list goes on............

[cliff]

Ah Tony you have similar reading traits to me as I have read most of the books you mention as well as Alexander Kents books on all the naval battles of the 1700-1800's which are fasinating as well.