WW II

[JJ]

I am looking for books or movies about World War II. Anybody know where I can find some or does anybody know a book or something that might be interesting to read???

[Voltron]

Ask Matt. He's the authority on that matter around here.

If you're looking for a quick fix, the History Channel usually has good programs about WW II. Movies like the Longest Day, Patton, and Bridge Over the River Kwai (along with many others) might shed some light on some of the events of that era.
As for books I imagine you'd never run out of material to read on the subject matter. Adolf Hitler's Mein Kampf, Tom Brokaw's The Greatest Generation are some examples of the myriad of books out there.

But if I wanted to know all I could about WWII, I'd ask Matt. His command of WWII knowledge is more than impressive.

[Anarky]

Oh, yeah. I might add that Mein Kampf is considered the Nazi Bible. I read it, and don't let any of the political nonsense that Hitler writes get to you, or you'll have people like me stomping your ass (and get arrested, over and over again...but that's a different story)

If you want to read an odd book, which is somehow related to WWII, then I suggest reading Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse Five.

But for recommendations. Ask this weird guy here :D (http://thetechnodrome.com/forums/member.php?userid=341)

[damnhooligan]

I'd recommend:
Ghost Soldiers by Hampton Sides
D-Day and Citizen Soldiers by Stephen Ambrose (though I think he's something of an asshat, because of that plagiarism issue in 2002)
The Battle of the Bulge by John Eisenhower. Yup, that's General Ike's kid.
and the collective works of Matthew138.

I grew up with a historian, and was force fed this sort of stuff as a kid. And in my adulthood? I avoid it like the plague. Good for you for actually wanting to learn in your spare time.

[That Matt Guy]

It honestly depends on what exact subject in WWII you are looking in to. Which theater? Specific conflict, individual, country, etc. There aren't too many single good books that contend to the entire war itself without leaving too much out.

A few I'll recommend are Red Shines the Sun by Eric Queen, Himmler's Bosnian Division by George Lepre, and Ghost Soldiers by H. Sides.

But the best books on WWII you can get (in my opinion) are Time Life's entire WWII series and their entire Third Reich series. Both are out of print, but you can get them off ebay. The WWII series is about 40 books and the Third Reich one is about 20 or so. They are very accurate and complete while paying attention to every subject you can think of during those times. Every theater is covered, every battle, every event. You get to view the war from every side both axis and allied, also occupied countries and neutrals. If you can ever get any of these books, it will be worth every penny you spend.

[JJ]

Thanx

Ok. I read the Greatest Generation by Tom Brokaw. I don't really want to read Mein Kampf, because everybody I asked about it said, that it is Not a good thing to read.

All the other books sound like they are good books to read. I'll look for them on ebay and see if they are available.

And I am especially interested in D-Day and how it was possible for Hitler to become the German "Head-of-state". I mean, how dumb can somebody be to not see, that he is dangerous??

[Anarky]

Ah that's an easier question than you think. After WWI there was this period of time called the "Weimarer Republik". It was supposed to be a democracy, but the Kanzler (President) had his own ideas. Well actually he had none, so his form of democracy was that he'd agree with the parties as he pleases. And because democracy is supposed to be equality he picked every party once in a time. Well, time came and people got annoyed, rather pissed to be exact. Then there was this young party full of idealists called the NSDAP. Their ideals were nationalsocialist. Plus, they found somebody to blame for Germany's problems. Right, the Jews. So this short austian guy with a funny moustache, later to be the most famous dictator of the 20th century, Adolf Hitler the longer the more gained power. then on that fateful day, the 30. January 1933, Hitler was elected "emperor" of Germany. All because of he knew what people wanted to hear, and because he "knew" what was wrong with Germany. In addition to that, he was elected in a time where Germany didn't have any clue what it was actually doing. Hitler appealed to the patriotism of people and built up their hatred against the Jews.

You are the guy who lived in Germany for a long time, right? Then you speak German? If you do, and if you want to know it all (mine was just a translation of what had given me an A- on my final exams in history) then see here (http://www.wissen.de/xt/default.do?MENUNAME=Suche&SEARCHTYPE=topic&query=weimarer+republik). the first link prooved to be the best.

[JJ]

@Anarky: Yeah, I am the guy who lived in Germany for a "long" time. My German to ask for directions and reading is really good. Thank you for your nice explanation and the link. It helped me a lot. "Danke"

[Sewer Bull]

I am looking for books or movies about World War II. Anybody know where I can find some or does anybody know a book or something that might be interesting to read???

Well, World War II is such a wide topic - are you interested more in political, military or social aspects of this period (that means concentration camps for instance).

BTW - I wouldn't consider Mein Kampf as a book about WW II.

Best wishes,

Robweiller

[Anarky]

But "Mein Kampf" is an essential book if you want to understand what Hitler was all about .

And a question for Matt: Is it true that married women in Nazi-Germany were not allowed to work? My mother brought this up today, and I honestly didn't know. So I'm asking the expert.

[Sewer Bull]

But "Mein Kampf" is an essential book if you want to understand what Hitler was all about .


Yes, you are right. Reading "Mein Kampf" may be helpful to understand Hitler's view which conducted to WWII. But still, I insist that this book doesn't describe the times of WWII, it just presents his theories.

And Anarky - don't forget that Germany lost much of its territory after WWI because of Versailles Treaty - and Hitler promised its quick revision.

Best wishes,

Robweiller

[IceFlash78]

And Anarky - don't forget that Germany lost much of its territory after WWI because of Versailles Treaty - and Hitler promised its quick revision.

Robweiller

Yeah, and that treaty practically thrust Germany into a depression, which (If I remember correctly from last year's history class, we barely discussed WWII :x ) meant they couldn't pay the other countries making Germany practially bankrupt. The people were depressed, and had no hope... they needed somebody to look up to, SOMEBODY with strong ideas. When Hilter accused the Jews for Germany's problems (apparently, he was injured by gas during WWI, and felt that the Jews were responsible for that somehow) the people listened to him and embraced his ideas.

Basically.. Hilter was in the right place at the right time...

[That Matt Guy]

Hitler's ideas of "The Jewish Conspiracy" were well in place in Europe before he came along. The reason his skewed ideas were so widely accepted was because most Germans at the time feared a communist takeover, and what better scapegoat for the entire defeat of the central powers than to blame it on the "Jewish Bolsheviks" ? Let's not forget that it took Hitler years to get where he was at the start of the war. The country wasn't under his control over night.

[Splinterfan099]

The Time-Life series is definitely a good set of books for general WWII information. I've worn out the set in my local library. ;) A good book about Hitler is by Albert Marin, called simply "Hitler". Very informative and with some interesting facts.