Book Suggestions
Posted: Wed Sep 16, 2015 9:19 pm
If you're playing Unity of Command and other wargames, you're probably a history nerd like me.
So, what books would you recommend, particularly about World War 2?
Here are a few of my favorites:
Band of Brothers by Stephen Ambrose - Ambrose has lost a lot of respect over the last decade, because of his plagiarism, but it doesn't change the fact that Band of Brothers is a moving, intimate portrait of what combat is like for infantrymen.
Armored Thunderbolt by Steven Zaloga - Zaloga has some surprising insights and overturns old myths about the Sherman tank. In his assessment, it was a good tank, albeit hobbled by the US Army's reluctance to upgrade or replace it. I'm currently working with Tomislav on a review of this book.
Tank Warfare on the Eastern Front 1941-1942: Schwerpunkt by Robert Forczyk - I'm still reading this one, but it's an exhaustively detailed discussion of German and Soviet doctrine in the first two years of the war. It's really fun to read this book while playing the battles depicted in Unity of Command.
Rising Sun, Falling Skies: The Disastrous Java Sea Campaign of World War II by Jeffrey Cox - A gripping and vivid description of the rise and fall of ABDACOM and the conquest by Japan of the East Indies. I love how it includes a lot of detail about otherwise obscure ships like the USS Langley and gives very good portraits of leaders like Tommy Hart, Conrad Helfrich, and Karel Doorman.
Shattered Sword: The Untold Story of the Battle of Midway by Jonathan Parshal and Anthony Tully - This book is a rare gem - a groundbreaking history (using Japanese sources and using skilled analysis to question old conclusions) that is excellently written and an easy read. The best thing about this book is how it shows the rarely seen Japanese side of the battle and explains Nagumo and Yamamoto's decisions.
So, which book are your favorites? What should I read next Let's help each other out!
So, what books would you recommend, particularly about World War 2?
Here are a few of my favorites:
Band of Brothers by Stephen Ambrose - Ambrose has lost a lot of respect over the last decade, because of his plagiarism, but it doesn't change the fact that Band of Brothers is a moving, intimate portrait of what combat is like for infantrymen.
Armored Thunderbolt by Steven Zaloga - Zaloga has some surprising insights and overturns old myths about the Sherman tank. In his assessment, it was a good tank, albeit hobbled by the US Army's reluctance to upgrade or replace it. I'm currently working with Tomislav on a review of this book.
Tank Warfare on the Eastern Front 1941-1942: Schwerpunkt by Robert Forczyk - I'm still reading this one, but it's an exhaustively detailed discussion of German and Soviet doctrine in the first two years of the war. It's really fun to read this book while playing the battles depicted in Unity of Command.
Rising Sun, Falling Skies: The Disastrous Java Sea Campaign of World War II by Jeffrey Cox - A gripping and vivid description of the rise and fall of ABDACOM and the conquest by Japan of the East Indies. I love how it includes a lot of detail about otherwise obscure ships like the USS Langley and gives very good portraits of leaders like Tommy Hart, Conrad Helfrich, and Karel Doorman.
Shattered Sword: The Untold Story of the Battle of Midway by Jonathan Parshal and Anthony Tully - This book is a rare gem - a groundbreaking history (using Japanese sources and using skilled analysis to question old conclusions) that is excellently written and an easy read. The best thing about this book is how it shows the rarely seen Japanese side of the battle and explains Nagumo and Yamamoto's decisions.
So, which book are your favorites? What should I read next Let's help each other out!