Excellent contribution to the WWII literature
927360
Excellent read. A story well researched and entertaining. Hard to put down
2714606
The events that took place off the coast of North  Carolina were never taught to us in school.  I suppose it didn't suit the writers of United States history to relate to us as children that we spent months getting our asses handed to us by the Germans.

This is a really well crafted book.  Home Hickam has done an excellent job of reporting the typical ego battles of men in command that caused the delay after delay in protecting the shipping lanes of the Atlantic.  He also well stories the bravery of the men who navigated these treacherous waters to keep the war effort going.  I am amazed at the detail that every page of this book offers.

This is one fine read. Hickam is a marvelous writer, easy to understand, and his tale of the perils of this time in WWII is easy to follow.  I highly recommend this book.  You will be mesmerized by the tales of the individuals who both lived through and died in this battle arena.  I could hardly put the book down.
4851137
I recommend this book to everyone who is interested in the history of the last month of WWII. I realized that I did not know anything about WWII after the event of Market Garden other than that the war was over in May 1945. This book gives a surprising and apparently well researched insight in some events of that last month. I enjoyed reading this text and I feel that it made me smarter about the history of WWII and therefore about present day events.
1780966
I'm very impressed with the author, Winston Groom, and as a result of reading this book I have purchased another book written by him, 1942.  While he does not write a detailed biography of these three individuals he does an excellent job of highlighting their careers and lives.  He is also very positive on each of these individuals.  I have read biographies of the Patton, MacArthur, and Marshall and they seem to focus more on their negative traits than positive ones.  What I liked the best is that Groom has supplemented the issues and conflicts of WWI and WWII and the times following each war.  While I thought I had a good knowledge of these periods the author has supplemented it with historical information I did not know.  It's almost like you are reading newspaper articles at the time these individuals were alive!  I highly recommend this book and author.
2344905
Mr. Hynes has written several fine books, of which this is the latest. His experience as a WWII military aviator give him a good perspective on the use of air power during war, and his skill as a writer allows him to tell the story of American aviators engaged in WWI very well. This is not only history, it is also beautifully crafted literature.
477891
I enjoyed "Our Father's War" very much. I read a lot of World War II history and history in general, but I particularly enjoy reading the stories of the regular men and women who fought it. This collection is extremely rare and valuable. First of all, it's from a fighter pilot. I haven't read a lot of their stories. I also don't know if I've ever read a WW-II memoir from a New Zealander. This is a great collection.

Hal Thomas had quite a sense of humor which made this book very readable. I enjoyed getting to know him through his letters. The book is spiced with enough of the war to remind us that it's a deadly serious business Mr. Thomas is in, but the off duty travels and hijinks lent a realism. It's just a great addition to World War II literature.

I realize Julie Thomas put this together for the younger members of her family. It is a treasure for anyone who'd like to see World War II from a different perspective.
2820037
I don't know if I have ever been as heartbroken to finish a book.  Having now read all five volumes of Joe Balkoski's monumental project covering the actions of the 29th Infantry Division during WWII, I am positive this is one of the most valuable examinations of any WWII Division that we have.  For me these books fall just a hair below Rick Atkinson's invaluable WWII trilogy.  Balkoski's writing is right at that Atkinson level and the story of the 29th has been breathtaking from beginning to end.  For anyone thinking that this volume is just a story of a spring 1945 mop up of the remnants of the Third Reich, rest assured that there was still a huge story to tell as the 29th still had some very tough fighting to endure, as well as a immensely important POW haul that the 29ers oversaw.

I'm not sure why the 29th story is so little known.  Maybe bad luck, maybe bad PR work on their behalf, maybe a commanding officer who was anything but politically astute.  But the point is, this story is as compelling as any WWII story you will ever read. For those of us who've waited patiently for each volume to appear, it has been well worth the wait-----but I do envy those of you coming to the story for the first time.  You can go get yourselves a copy of "Beyond The Beachhead" and begin one of the great WWII literary journeys you're likely to ever have!
4763431
This is an excellent book about a period in history before and during WWII.  It captures the nation in a way that makes it come alive for those of us who did not experience it.  This book pays homage to WWII heroines who need to be remembered for their contributions to the war's effort.  Though it is sad at times, it is a very worthwhile and enjoyable book to read.
2186579
I'm thoroughly enjoying this book. The harrowing personal narratives are what makes history so real, bringing home the trials, tortures, miseries and reliefs that others - often members of our own families - long endured for our benefit. I've read much on WWII and this book is still a welcome addition to my library. It reads as easily as a novel. Some chapters are so honestly brutal that one chapter is sometimes all I can stomach. But reading it is the least we can do to understand what some of these people went through. But I'm also limiting my chapter intake because it's so good, and don't want to place myself too soon in that empty book hole afterwards. Thank you, Mr. Stafford. Excellent work.
3869609
I found Mosier's data and perspective fascinating. To often we only hear the British view of the war, or the American view of their importance to the effort. Considering the impact of German tactical improvements on the war made this book an excellent read. I highly recommend this read, even if you disagree with Mosier's conclusions, the book is very entertaining. I could hardly put it down.
613564
This is a very well written and researched collection of World War II stories about downed airmen from the 485th Bomb Group, 15th Air Force, flying out of Italy.  This volume provides a number of features that you won't find in most books from this genre.  First, and most impressively, Whiting has managed "crossed the water" to uncover sources in Europe who could add their perspective to what happened to the downed Americans on the ground.  Second, after each story, Whiting provides an interesting background piece describing his research and interviews on the topic involved.  Third, Whiting often provides interesting stories about those who waited at home for their loved ones to return, an often neglected aspect of World War II histories.  Finally, Whiting is most scrupulous about writing only the facts that he can prove.  There is no invented dialoge to fill in gaps or add dramatic tension.  None is needed, as the stories speak for themselves. My favorite chapter, the longest, is "Down over Auchwitz," the moving story of a crew shot down near the infamous camp. This chapter alone is worth the price of the book.
3269065
Footnotes and references to primary's sources add to both the accuracy and utility of the book. An excellent contribution to D-Day literature.
2157212
I had read this book when it was first published because I had a vested interest in it.  You see, my Dad, Claude E. Harper, is one of the POWs in the book. He recently died on May 20, 2013 at the age of 88, and since I couldn't immediately put my hands of the book I already have, I decided to buy the book once again.  The book definitely had an impact on my life as it made me have a greater appreciation of what my Dad and the other American POWs who were Prisoners of Nazis endured.  Harry Spiller did an excellent job of gathering and printing these first-hand accounts. I think any American would gain an immense amount of knowledge regarding this aspect of World War II.  Thank you to everyone involved in the writing and publishing of this book.
1047607
Wolfgang Samuel provides a first hand, and often overlooked account of the plight of many German civilians as WWII ended.  The narrative is extremely well written, and quite frankly, I had a hard time putting the book down.  It is a compelling story of survival and the sacrifices of a mother to provide food for her children under extremely difficult circumstances.  Anyone who is interested in WWII should include this on their reading list.
41129
The NY Times book review gave a very good rating to a book ("Forgotten Armies:  the Fall of British Asia 1941-1945" by Bayly and Harper) and the reviewer mentioned "Singapore Grip" as one of the few books related to that region and era.  I recently bought both books, and fully agree with the comments accompanying the five star reviews of Farrell's book.  Reading both books - alternating between them a few chapters at a time - has been hugely rewarding.  Farrell's fiction has helped me to translate the minutely detailed historical account of the political, cultural, and economic situation that set the stage for the Japanese invasion.  I also have a better appreciation of what a keen and gifted observer Farrell was:  many of the facts and analyses presented in more scholarly fashion in "Forgotten Armies" are thoroughly reflected in the behavior and activities of the fictional characters. It feels as though you're reading one enormous book.
4363103
Totaling nearly 2,000 pages of small print, Herman Wouk's The Winds of War and War and Remembrance can be compared to War and Peace in its immense scope.  Together they tell the story of American naval officer Pug Henry and his family, religion historian Aaron Jastrow and his niece Natalie, and those they encounter during the period leading up to World War II (The Winds of War) and the War itself (War and Remembrance).  Historical characters mingle with fictional ones in richly drawn settings from pre-war European cafes and embassies to the Oval Office in wartime Washington.  We accompany them on air raids over German and in submarines in the Sea of Japan.  Readers look into the poshest clubs in Singapore and Honolulu and the most depraved setting imaginable - the German death camp of Auschwitz.  Even some of Wouk's numerous minor characters are capable of riveting his readers' imagination.  Under the war's pressure, the leading characters undergo great change, and the reader will be kept in suspense until the very last page to see what becomes of them.

In addition to a taut, thrilling narrative, the books present fascinating examinations of political, military and philosophical history as the characters struggle to make sense of their quickly changing worlds.  As the story progresses, religion plays an increasingly important role.  Wouk is an orthodox Jew, and his Jewish characters in particular wrestle deeply with their identities.  Discussions between characters involve the nature of European history, the Jewish people, how Americans see the world, and how the world sees America.  The historical research that informs these discussions is truly impressive (at the very end Wouk makes clear the degree to which the story is fabricated, and it is surprisingly slight).

Besides relating numerous military (particularly technical ones) aspects of the war, Wouk takes a hard look at many aspects of American and allied policy, raising questions still unresolved regarding many controversial policy choices.  He also strives to explore and explain the German mindset and viewpoint, using devices such as a fictitious German general's war memoirs to great effect.  Wouk uses his characters and dialogue to explore in great detail how something as terrible as the Nazi regime and the Holocaust could have happened - how a supposedly civilized advanced European state could have perpetuated it and how supposedly civilized, advanced nations could have allowed it.  Technology also plays a vital role in these stories - both good (e.g., sonar) and bad (e.g., those involved in the extermination of Europe's Jews) and one of a much more ambivalent nature: atomic power.

There are minor flaws in these works to be sure.  Pug Henry can be a little too omniscient when it comes to military affairs.  This is best understood as necessary to his role as narrator and voice of the author rather than an accurate portrayal of a naval officer.  Digressions and technical discussions become more common and longer in the second volume and the battle analysis in the fictitious German "memoirs" can drag, slowing the riveting narrative.  Of course, what might bore one reader may captivate another.

In sum, there is no more enjoyable and engaging way to explore the events that shook the world from the mid-1930s until the end of World War II than reading these two masterpieces.  While not every book can ever appeal to every reader, these come as close as possible.
3775412
When I opened this military treasure trove, I expected to see what had been described, which is the story of Bastogne during World War II. Two other World War II memoirs had been written by the same author about different sites, but I have not yet read them. The teaser that advertised The Battered Bastards of Bastogne claimed that this recounting was the result of many, many letters, interviews, and other primary documents collected from the participants themselves; it is a researchers dream to run across something like this, and Mr. Koskimaki deserves a great deal of credit for sorting through it all and then piecing it together in a readable, generally interesting narrative. Nearly all of the veterans of World War II are gone now, and not all of the remaining veterans are reliable resources anymore. To be able to come up with the whole story, impeccably documented, is a real achievement.

The writer says that he wrote this third volume, the completion of a trilogy, because other old soldiers urged him to do it, and this is the audience to whom he appears to be speaking much of the time. The informative lists and charts provided at the front of the book, with a glossary, list of maps, key to ranking, and photographs, is useful for those of us who have not served in the military, or perhaps even to those who have, but may have forgotten bits and pieces.

If anything is missing here, it is a more descriptive narrative, admittedly a very tricky business when writing nonfiction. Perhaps to add the feelings and sensations that would make this tale a bestseller would be considered unprofessional or unmilitary to those who are in a position to do so. I can think of just two nonfiction titles in which the narrative is as well done as a good novel,  a compelling read with rising action and a climax: The Guns of August, by Barbara Tuchman, and The Warmth of Other Suns, by Isabel Wilkerson. The Battered Bastards, though colorfully titled, loses its fifth star because the writing is dry in places, transitions sometimes bumpy. Though it becomes more colorful as one reaches further into the text, there are other lengthy sections that feel like quotations that have been hurriedly shoved together.

In addition, assumed knowledge, despite the excellent resources earlier mentioned, left me scratching my head. Why would parachutists consider themselves superior to those who used gliders? A lot is left to the imagination of the general, nonmilitary public.

For World War II veterans, a waning target audience, this might well merit five stars. For the general reading publiceven those who teach or have taught American history, as I haveit is a four star read, important and informative, but dry around the edges.

Nevertheless, it is jammed with useful information. I recommend purchasing it in hard cover if you plan to read it, as the maps become useless when scoped down to e-reader proportions.