WW2 Fiction

Waylander · 09-03-2015, 10:45 AM

Does anyone have any recommendations for fiction set in WW2? To narrow that down, any fiction about WW2 combat and fighting?

AlbertaCowboy · 09-03-2015, 02:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Waylander

Does anyone have any recommendations for fiction set in WW2? To narrow that down, any fiction about WW2 combat and fighting?

That's a pretty broad theatre of operations. (Yeah pun intended, so shoot me.)
I would suggest starting with Allistair McLeans's "The Guns of Navarone". Probably the first WW2 fiction novel that I ever read, and I still consider it one of the finest.

Apache · 09-03-2015, 02:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlbertaCowboy

That's a pretty broad theatre of operations. (Yeah pun intended, so shoot me.)
I would suggest starting with Allistair McLeans's "The Guns of Navarone". Probably the first WW2 fiction novel that I ever read, and I still consider it one of the finest.

Also Where Eagles Dare - Alistair McLean
Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
Battle Cry - Leon Uris
The Corp Series by WEB Griffin (the first 8) (Last 2 are Korea)
Second World War Series - Jeff Shaara (4 books)
Billy Boyle Series - James R Benn (WWII Mysteries)
Pacific Glory - P. T. Deutermann
Sentinels of Fire - P. T. Deutermann
Ghosts of Bungo Suido - P. T. Deutermann
Destiny in the Pacific - John F. Schork
Apache

AnemicOak · 09-03-2015, 02:36 PM

An old favorite, Twelve O'Clock High! by Beirne Lay Jr. & Sy Bartlett

Not fiction, but two old favorite WWII stories (memoirs)...
Those Devils in Baggy Pants by Ross S. Carter
You're Stepping on My Cloak and Dagger by Roger Hall

Some Goodreads links...
World War II Fiction
Popular World War 2 Fiction Books

MickiTee · 09-03-2015, 04:11 PM

Try Nicholas Monsarrat's The Cruel Sea and Three Corvettes or Dudley Pope's Decoy & Convoy.
Douglas Reeman also wrote a number of novels with a WWII naval setting.

Not forgetting Jack Higgins' The Eagle Has Landed and its sequel The Eagle Has Flown.

Pablo · 09-03-2015, 04:41 PM

+1 for The Cruel Sea and The Guns of Navarone.

drofgnal · 09-04-2015, 05:27 AM

My favorite is actually a post WWII book about the time period of the allied invasion and occupation of Germany, Armagedon by Leon Uris. I also have Mila 18 cued up to read. It's about German occupied Warsaw Poland

cocopuff · 09-05-2015, 11:39 PM

Band of Brothers and D-Day by Ambrose are both good. Band of Brothers reads more like a novel and D-day more like nonfiction, both are excellent though.

Teknikal · 09-09-2015, 05:21 AM

If you don't mind scifi and have a lot of time to read Harry Turtledoves World War series is probably the closest I've read. It basically deals with an alien invasion which occurs during the second world war and I found the whole idea of how countries already at war and historical figures react really quite interesting.

It's a massive read though with tons of characters from different countries almost in a Game of Thrones kind of way, pretty much every chapter switches character.

Probably isn't what your after but I decided to throw it out there.

rkomar · 09-09-2015, 01:43 PM

I read "Execution" by Colin McDougall a few months ago, and found it to be very good. The story is based on the author's experiences in the Canadian army fighting in the Italian campaign. There's plenty of action, but the overall tone is very cynical toward the war (the typical attitude of a veteran infantryman). The book won the Governor General's Award when it was released in 1958, and was reprinted in 2005. I don't see any ebook version of this on Amazon, unfortunately, so it may not be easy to get ones hands on this outside of Canada.

If you're looking for a book where the good guys triumph over the evil enemy, then avoid this one.

Hampshire Nanny · 09-10-2015, 06:16 PM

How about The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows and War on the Margins by Libby Cone? Both are set in the Channel Isles during the time of German occupation.

I also enjoyed A Thread of Grace by Mary Doria Russell, set in Italy toward the end of WWII.

BenG · 09-10-2015, 11:52 PM

Semper Fi by W.E.B. Griffin is pretty good. It's the first of his Corps series.

The main character reminds me of Bobby Shaftoe in the Cryptonomicon.

wayspooled · 09-29-2015, 06:35 AM

Rick Atkinson's "Liberation" trilogy, which began with "An Army At Dawn", winner of the Pulitzer a few years ago. Richard Hooker's "M.A.S.H.", the book they took the tv series from was superior and a hoot.

And yay for Nicholas Monsarrat and Douglas Reeman!

wayspooled · 09-29-2015, 06:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wayspooled

Rick Atkinson's "Liberation" trilogy, which began with "An Army At Dawn", winner of the Pulitzer a few years ago. Richard Hooker's "M.A.S.H.", the book they took the tv series from was superior and a hoot.

And yay for Nicholas Monsarrat and Douglas Reeman!

oops, on further thought, M.A.S.H. was Korean War.

Pulpmeister · 09-29-2015, 07:07 AM

Tales of the South Pacific (Michener)
The Young Lions, Irwin Shaw
The Enemy Within, Michael Gilbert (set in a PoW Camp in Italy; one of the British prisoners is a ring-in.)
Run Silent Run Deep (submarine warfare in the Pacific)

(Just off the top of my head.) I've read them all, some a long time ago. The Gilbert book is rare now, but very good-- it's also a sort of whodunit.

One I remember vividly even now, not having read it for many years, is called Always Tomorrow, by John Leeming. He starts off with an opening para which reads more or less, from memory:

"When my son asks his Daddy what he did in the War, I tell him I threw 5 million pounds in gold into the Mediterranean..."

Not fiction though, but a true story, and quite funny as I remember it. I haven't seen a copy for years, worse luck.

09-03-2015, 10:45 AM	#1
Waylander Fanatic Posts: 594 Karma: 2905052 Join Date: Oct 2013 Device: Kindle Paperwhite 5 SE, Onyx Boox Poke 3	WW2 Fiction Does anyone have any recommendations for fiction set in WW2? To narrow that down, any fiction about WW2 combat and fighting?

09-03-2015, 02:36 PM	#4
AnemicOak Bookaholic Posts: 14,391 Karma: 54969924 Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Minnesota Device: iPad Mini 4, AuraHD, iPhone XR +	An old favorite, Twelve O'Clock High! by Beirne Lay Jr. & Sy Bartlett Not fiction, but two old favorite WWII stories (memoirs)... Those Devils in Baggy Pants by Ross S. Carter You're Stepping on My Cloak and Dagger by Roger Hall Some Goodreads links... World War II Fiction Popular World War 2 Fiction Books Last edited by AnemicOak; 09-03-2015 at 02:42 PM.

09-04-2015, 05:27 AM	#7
drofgnal Wizard Posts: 1,227 Karma: 7838248 Join Date: Dec 2009 Device: Ipad Pro/Kindle Oasis 3/iPhone 13 Pro Max	My favorite is actually a post WWII book about the time period of the allied invasion and occupation of Germany, Armagedon by Leon Uris. I also have Mila 18 cued up to read. It's about German occupied Warsaw Poland Last edited by drofgnal; 09-05-2015 at 05:40 AM.

09-29-2015, 06:35 AM	#13
wayspooled Crab In The Dark Posts: 486 Karma: 2328180 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Virginia Device: Tablet PC until a 10" comes out that I like	Rick Atkinson's "Liberation" trilogy, which began with "An Army At Dawn", winner of the Pulitzer a few years ago. Richard Hooker's "M.A.S.H.", the book they took the tv series from was superior and a hoot. And yay for Nicholas Monsarrat and Douglas Reeman! Last edited by wayspooled; 09-29-2015 at 06:40 AM.

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09-03-2015, 04:11 PM	#5
MickiTee Guru Posts: 838 Karma: 3976266 Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: London, UK Device: Sony PRS-505, Pocketbook TL3, TL4, TL5	Try Nicholas Monsarrat's The Cruel Sea and Three Corvettes or Dudley Pope's Decoy & Convoy. Douglas Reeman also wrote a number of novels with a WWII naval setting. Not forgetting Jack Higgins' The Eagle Has Landed and its sequel The Eagle Has Flown.

09-03-2015, 04:41 PM	#6
Pablo Guru Posts: 970 Karma: 4999999 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Rosario, Argentina Device: SONY PRS-505, PRS-T2	+1 for The Cruel Sea and The Guns of Navarone.

09-05-2015, 11:39 PM	#8
cocopuff Connoisseur Posts: 50 Karma: 366520 Join Date: Aug 2015 Device: Nook Simpletouch Glowlight, Kobo Aura H2O	Band of Brothers and D-Day by Ambrose are both good. Band of Brothers reads more like a novel and D-day more like nonfiction, both are excellent though.

09-09-2015, 05:21 AM	#9
Teknikal Fanatic Posts: 574 Karma: 5264318 Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Belfast Device: Sony T1, Note Pro 12.2, Honor 10	If you don't mind scifi and have a lot of time to read Harry Turtledoves World War series is probably the closest I've read. It basically deals with an alien invasion which occurs during the second world war and I found the whole idea of how countries already at war and historical figures react really quite interesting. It's a massive read though with tons of characters from different countries almost in a Game of Thrones kind of way, pretty much every chapter switches character. Probably isn't what your after but I decided to throw it out there.

09-09-2015, 01:43 PM	#10
rkomar Wizard Posts: 2,986 Karma: 18343081 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Sudbury, ON, Canada Device: PRS-505, PB 902, PRS-T1, PB 623, PB 840, PB 633	I read "Execution" by Colin McDougall a few months ago, and found it to be very good. The story is based on the author's experiences in the Canadian army fighting in the Italian campaign. There's plenty of action, but the overall tone is very cynical toward the war (the typical attitude of a veteran infantryman). The book won the Governor General's Award when it was released in 1958, and was reprinted in 2005. I don't see any ebook version of this on Amazon, unfortunately, so it may not be easy to get ones hands on this outside of Canada. If you're looking for a book where the good guys triumph over the evil enemy, then avoid this one.

09-10-2015, 06:16 PM	#11
Hampshire Nanny Guru Posts: 614 Karma: 8064562 Join Date: Aug 2009 Device: Sony PRS-505, Kindle 3 KB, iPad2	How about *The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society* by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows and *War on the Margins* by Libby Cone? Both are set in the Channel Isles during the time of German occupation. I also enjoyed *A Thread of Grace* by Mary Doria Russell, set in Italy toward the end of WWII.

09-10-2015, 11:52 PM	#12
BenG Home Guard Posts: 4,729 Karma: 86721650 Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Alpha Ralpha Boulevard Device: Kindle Oasis 3G, iPhone 6	Semper Fi by W.E.B. Griffin is pretty good. It's the first of his Corps series. The main character reminds me of Bobby Shaftoe in the Cryptonomicon.

09-29-2015, 07:07 AM	#15
Pulpmeister Wizard Posts: 2,502 Karma: 28893796 Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Perth Western Australia Device: kindle	Tales of the South Pacific (Michener) The Young Lions, Irwin Shaw The Enemy Within, Michael Gilbert (set in a PoW Camp in Italy; one of the British prisoners is a ring-in.) Run Silent Run Deep (submarine warfare in the Pacific) (Just off the top of my head.) I've read them all, some a long time ago. The Gilbert book is rare now, but very good-- it's also a sort of whodunit. One I remember vividly even now, not having read it for many years, is called Always Tomorrow, by John Leeming. He starts off with an opening para which reads more or less, from memory: "When my son asks his Daddy what he did in the War, I tell him I threw 5 million pounds in gold into the Mediterranean..." Not fiction though, but a true story, and quite funny as I remember it. I haven't seen a copy for years, worse luck.

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