WW2 fiction books

[Terrible Tim]

I am currently building a 28mm Soviet force and I am keen to read some WW2 fiction (I have also watched a few old war movies, documentaries etc). When I start a gaming project, I am always keen to absorb as much as I can on the topic.
I haven’t read any WW2 fiction before so I don’t know of any good books. Can anyone recommend a good WW2 author? It does matter what front.

Regards,
Paul.

[Gandalf]

I'm not too sure about fiction but there are some very good (and readable) war memoirs available:

Forgotten Soldier by Guy Sajer: autobiography of a French volunteer fighting for the Germans in Russia

Enemy at the Gates by William Craig: a compilation of personal memoirs  and stories (including unpainted T34s rolling out of the factory and onto the front line) from both sides about the battle for Stalingrad

Quartered Safe Out Here by George McDonald Fraser: an infantryman's experiences fighting in the 14th Army in Burma against the Japanese

With the Old Breed: At Pelilieu and Okinawa by E B Sledge: expereinces of a US marine fighting in the Pacific

In addition to Band of Brothers, Stephen Ambrose has written some excellent books based on personal experiences such as Pegasus Brige, D-Day and Citizen Soldiers.

Armageddon by Max Hastings is a bleak and chilling account of the last year of the war in Europe, again based on transcripts from interviews with people who were there.

[matakishi]

A mixture of fiction and non fiction.

Ice cold in Alex
http://tinyurl.com/6j8flhq

Ill met by Moonlight
http://tinyurl.com/67457or

The Great Escape
http://tinyurl.com/6y5hocf

Colditz story
http://tinyurl.com/6czuh7m

Reach for the Sky
http://tinyurl.com/6yrjc69

[Bugsda]

Sven Hassel

Alan White's "Long" books if you can get them.

There was tons of ww2 fiction published in the 50s and 60s, check out ebay.

[gamer Mac]

I agree with Bugsda - Sven Hassel is a must, any of his books.
I also like Leo kessler
It seems most of my favorites are about the German army
There are loads of other good ones. Usually any big book store has a war/history fiction section. How about a trip to the local library thats where I get a lot of fiction books from. One offs from authors I had never heard of.

[Dr.Falkenhayn]

probaly more related to the Weird WW2,but My Tank is Fight is a very funny Book about experimental Weapons  

http://www.amazon.com/My-Tank-Fight-Zack-Parsons/dp/0806527587/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1296038019&sr=8-1

Product Description Quote:
My Tank is Fight! is a humorous look at more than 20 unusual or insane inventions of the Second World War. Each chapter features a detailed examination of the real history and technology behind each invention. All 19 chapters are linked by a fictional narrative that explores what might have happened had the inventions been put to use during the War. The book is also lavishly illustrated, with 18 full-color illustrations and more than two dozen detailed black and white illustrations. My Tank is Fight! is not a dry analysis of the forgotten weapons of war, it brings those weapons to life.

[Terrible Tim]

Thanks guys. Some good books have been listed and I hope to read some of them. I have ordered Enemy at the Gates by William Craig to start with. I like the sound of true stories from the Eastern Front. My town doesn't have a book shop and the library only has 2 Sven Hassel novels, so my choices here are slim.

Thanks again for your help.
Paul.

p.s. Tonight I found "The Eagle has Landed" (Jack Higgins) and "Deacon's Dagger" (James Albany) novels sitting on my shelf, both of which I have not read. I must have bought them 15 to 20 years ago!   

[carlos marighela]

Anything by David Irving, especially his work on the bombing of Dresden. That's a masterpiece of fiction and one that just got better and better with every re-print.

See also Paul Carell, AKA Obersturmbannführer Paul Schmidt. World War Two with added spin or 'I like to keep abreast of my ever changing audience and their tastes'.

[Gandalf]

Anything by David Irving...

See also Paul Carell...

I think Sven Hassel might be more accurate and unbiased than either of those two jokers.

For those not familiar with their work:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Irving
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Carell

[Helen]

"Cross of Iron " by Willi Heinrich.

"Siege: A Novel of the Eastern Front, 1942" by Russ Schneider.

Here are some reviews for the second found below on the link (it seems that this author pen three more books to):

http://www.amazon.com/Siege-Novel-Eastern-Front-1942/dp/0345475852/ref=pd_cp_b_3

Helen

[Colonel Tubby]

I quite enjoyed these two novels by James Holland:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Odin-Mission-Jack-Tanner/dp/0552157368/ref=pd_sim_b_1

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Darkest-Hour-Jack-Tanner-2/dp/0552773956/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_b

Waiting for the third in paperback due out this year.

Also have this in my reading pile

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Death-Glory-I-Last-Commando/dp/0718154975/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1296417445&sr=1-1

I've seen this novel but never read it (anybody know if it's worth investing in?)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Coward-Beach-Dick-1/dp/0747592748/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1296417355&sr=1-1

[Cholly]

Colonel Tubby, just read the first 2 books in the Coward series: 'Coward on the beach' set during the normandy landings and 'Coward at the bridge' set during Operation Market Garden by James Delingpole. Not totally serious, as affected as a grandfather telling his grandson his war stories, but very well written, and manages to be exciting, moving, emotional and occasionally hilarious. Looking forward to the 3rd book in a series of 10, described as Flashman for WW2.

[Trencher]

May I recommend Colin Forbes' "Tramp in Armour" ?

This is a novel about a British tank crew and their Matilda II tank which got accidentally behind the German lines in France, 1940. Nice reading, many clicheés. 
The plot unfolds like a late 1960s war movie. Not too bad.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0330026860/ref=olp_product_details?ie=UTF8&me=&seller=



@ Colonel Tubby: Thanks for the links!

[Colonel Tubby]

Colonel Tubby, just read the first 2 books in the Coward series: 'Coward on the beach' set during the normandy landings and 'Coward at the bridge' set during Operation Market Garden by James Delingpole. Not totally serious, as affected as a grandfather telling his grandson his war stories, but very well written, and manages to be exciting, moving, emotional and occasionally hilarious. Looking forward to the 3rd book in a series of 10, described as Flashman for WW2.

Thanks for that - may invest in these once the reading pile has shrunk a little!

[SBMiniaturesGuy]

For fiction, check out David L Robbins:

The War of the Rats (Stalingrad)
The Last Citadel (Kursk)
The End of War (Berlin)
Liberation Road (Western Front, Red Ball Express)
The Broken Pearl (Pacific War -- Civilians in Japanese POW camp)

Also a great book called "Siege: A Novel of the Eastern Front, 1942" in which the German characters are trapped in a pocket after the Battle of Moscow in the winter of 1942.