books about: 1939-1945     books:       The Pianist102 reviews Wladyslaw Szpilman Picador, 1999 Incredible story! This book is an incredible story of survival. I have seen the movie also. I would recommend both!             I Have Lived a Thousand Years: Growing Up in the Holocaust165 reviews Livia Bitton-Jackson Topeka Bindery, 1999 Shocking This book is so powerful. I have read many stories of Holocaust survivors, but few if any have presented such a vivid view of the horrors the Jews faced. Some parts were disturbing, but they describe true history, so they are definitely important to read. If you're interested in the Holocaust, this is a great read.             Fate is the Hunter94 reviews Ernest K. Gann Simon & Schuster, 1986 Read through in few sittings - - This is one of those books that has a sneak ending - best appreciated by reading through at a steady rate (which only makes sense once the climax of the book is revealed). The stories, anecdotes and tales seem almost trite and mundane - but build to the showdown, for me a life lesson. Flying is revealed for the joy it is, for its wonder, the thrill of a good landing when one has fought the good ...             Shattered Sword: The Untold Story of the Battle of Midway111 reviews Jonathan Parshall, Anthony Tully Potomac Books Inc., 2005 A History Book That Delivers What The Movie Couldn't I was rather surprised that the authors make no mention of the actual prime source for the Battle of Midway that most Americans carry around in their heads: the 1976 film, "Midway." With familiar names like Henry Fonda, Glenn Ford, Robert Mitchum, Hal Holbrook and Charlton Heston, the film reinforces the popular wisdom that an under gunned American Naval task force, on June 5, 1942, surprised the ...             The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors128 reviews James D. Hornfischer Random House Large Print, 2004 Ranks with Shattered Sword A couple of years ago, I read "Shattered Sword" (about the Battle of Midway) and proclaimed it the best WWII account of Pacific Theatre Naval history to date. I now have to say THE LAST STAND OF THE TIN CAN SAILORS by James Hornfischer ranks right beside it. This is a brilliantly presented accounting of Halsey's folly when he let his enormous ego get in the way of following orders. The result ...             With the Old Breed at Peleliu and Okinawa199 reviews E. B. Sledge Presidio Press, 1990 I understand my Grandfather I never fully understood my grandfather till I read this book as part of a collage class on WWII. He never talks about the war. He has storys of his time in boot camp, and his time in Japan after the war ended, but none during the war its self. I never understood what he went through, or how it made him who he is till I read this book. I knew he was a marine, and that he was stationd in ...             All But My Life96 reviews Gerda Weissmann Klein Hill and Wang, 1995 Survial of the Human Spirit~A deeply moving story. This is one of the first Holocaust survival stories that I read. It is by far one that has stayed with me in the most detail. What a strong girl Gerda is. she was told to never give up her boots and in the end it is one thing that saved her life after marching in a blizzard half frozen to death. How she survived is nothing short of a miracle. Reading this when you are in a hard time reminds ...             Forgotten Soldier : The Classic WWII Autobiography (Brassey's Commemorative Series WWII) (Brassey's ...163 reviews Guy Sajer Brassey's (UK) Ltd, 1990 Chillingly Clear Account of War on the Eastern Front Awsome - the one word I use to describe this book. Debates exist whether this book is non-fiction or fiction mainly due to the inaccuracies regarding specific details, some minor such as uniform markings. However, after researching this topic I came across a letter to the Editor of "Military Review", printed in the March-April 1997 edition, by a Douglas E. Nash. Nash eventually located Sajer ...             Alicia122 reviews Alicia Appleman-Jurman Bantam, 1989 An irrepressible spirit of survival Raised from the age of five in Buczacz, which was roughly a third Jewish at that time, Alicia was sheltered relatively well from the anti-Semitism that plagued her town, as well as the rest of Europe. She had many friends, both Jewish and Christian. After the Hitler-Stalin Pact of 1939, whereby the two genocidal dictators divided Poland between them, Buczacz fell into the Soviet zone. The ...             Good Night, Mr Tom119 reviews Michelle Magorian Topeka Bindery, 1999 powerful story about family Timid, scrawny, Willie Beech is the abused child of a single mother. She sends him to Mr. Tom, who lives in the English countryside, because London is being bombed by the Nazis. The two main adults in this story, the mother and Mr. Tom, seem very similar in the beginning. Yet, by the end, we see that they are completely different. What really hit home was this: hard times can make hard ...             In My Hands80 reviews Jennifer Armstrong Turtleback Books Distributed by Demco Media, 2004 A book for both Mothers and Teen Daughters My 14-year-old daughter read this book and insisted that I read it. When I finally agreed, I could not put the book down. The story is so well told that you can can truly understand the experience of a 17-year-old girl in the midst of the horrible events. A compelling book that everyone should read and discuss.             A Bridge Too Far: The Classic History of the Greatest Battle of World War II70 reviews Cornelius Ryan Simon & Schuster, 1995 Excellent Introduction in this Important part of WW2 History I can't say it much better than the previous reviews have already. I wanted to read something on this subject and was led to this book. I couldn't have asked for a better introduction to the topic. Broad in scope yet detailed in its descriptions of the soldiers, units, and battles in this massive offensive. This is an excellent jumping off point to begin studying the Battle of Arnhem. Well ...             The longest day: June 6, 1944 (Crest Book)75 reviews Cornelius Ryan Fawcett Publications, 1962 It Started Two Genres Cornelius Ryan invented two genres with his ground-breaking history-The Longest Day. On the one hand, he started a trend to personalized history. His book relies heavily on the recollections of those who fought on both sides. In this he anticipates Ken Burns' The War - A Film By Ken Burns and Lynn Novick and also The Second World War the more scholarly John Keegan. His other innovation, a brisk ...             Iron Coffins88 reviews Herbert A. Werner Mandarin, 1990 A Very Personal and Accurate Account of the U-Boat War If I could give this book more than 5 stars, I would - it is absolutely excellent. Herbert Werner was born in 1920, and served active duty aboard German submarines from 1941 until the very end of the war in May 1945. He survived the war, which is no small accomplishment. Of 40,000 World War 2 German submariners, 30,000 never returned home alive. But on a personal level, he suffered tremendous ...             From A Name to A Number: A Holocaust Survivor's Autobiography89 reviews Alter Wiener AuthorHouse, 2007 Very Compelling! Alter Wiener's book, "From A Name To A Number" is a message of survival, hope, love and forgiveness. It is a prominent and important work of history that all should read. It not only puts a personal face on the Holocaust, but reveals the horrors of Hitler to the generations who came after the war. I believe this book should be mandatory reading in our school system.             Anne Frank and Me81 reviews Cherie Bennett, Jeff Gottesfeld, 2008 AWESOME BOOK! Anne Frank and Me was an exceptional book and I enjoyed it very much. I can't imagine how anyone wouldn't love following Nicole through her journey starting in the 90's and ending up in year of 1942. I've read it twice and I know I'll set it down for a few months, then read it again! I recommend this to anyone with a heart! Enjoy Anne Frank and Me. Stephanie A. Tustin, CA             The cruel sea (Cardinal giant)80 reviews Nicholas Monsarrat Pocket Books, 1953 Ping . . . . . . Ping . . . . . . Ping . . . . . . Ping . . . . . . Ping . . . . . . The unrelenting echo of the sonar punctuates this understated J. Arthur Rank film with a taut atmosphere of suspense. Novelist Eric Ambler's intelligent script remains faithful to Nicholas Monserrat's novel about the last voyage of HMS Compass Rose and all who sailed on her. The splendid performances of Jack Hawkins as her captain and Donald Sinden as his First Mate bring the novel to life, as do ...             Brothers In Battle, Best of Friends61 reviews William "Wild Bill" Guarnere, Edward "Babe" Heffron, ... Berkley Hardcover, 2007 Great book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOUSY SERVICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The book was great. I ordered it for my Dad's 87th Birthday, he's a WWII vet that was at the Battle of Bastonge With General Patton, so I wanted him to read about some of the 101st airborne he met there...well I ordered it with 2nd day air shipping, I got it almost 3 weeks later!!!!! So much for my Dad's birthday present...Thanks for making an old soldier feel wanted!!!!!! It took 4 contacts for ...             Jacob's Rescue68 reviews Malka Drucker, Michael Halperin Yearling, 1994 The rescue... An excellent book dedicated to two people stood up for life when others looked the other way. My children and I enjoyed reading this book together. Visitors are coming for seder dinner and Marissa wants to know who they are!             Sara's Children : The Destruction of Chmielnik86 reviews Suzan Esther Hagstrom Sergeant Kirkland's Press, 2001 This should be required reading in schools I am a clinical psychologist, and I found Sara's Children well worth reading for the personalized insight it provides about the Holocaust. Although this book is poignant and heartrending, it remains well written without going over the top. The five Garfinkel siblings endured far beyond what human beings seem capable of bearing. Out of the war's destruction and nearly complete genocide, this ...              search for books alicia, autobiography, brassey, bridge, brothers, cardinal, children, chmielnik, classic, coffins, commemorative, destruction, forgotten, friends, greatest, growing, history, holocaust, hunter, longest, okinawa, peleliu, pianist, rescue, sailors, series, shattered, soldier, survivor, thousand books:    Kindle - Amazon's New Wireless Reading Device This is the future of book reading. I have used it and love it! randomly chosen book: Dionysius Longinus On The Sublime leave a comment home  impressum - about us