[South Dakota]

A must read. A Bridge too Far

[DCBryan1]

A must read. A Bridge too Far.

I both agree and disagree. Cornielous is a notorious exaggerator. He is discredited by historians and veterans alike in his version of events. Although it is an entertaining and tells the basic tale, your advanced WW2 authors will be Ambrose, John Keegan, and Raminov (for those of you who read Russian).

[freedomson]

Yeah, really, 'A Bridge Too Far' should be on everyone's top ten list of military non-fiction.

[Skooz]

I agree 100% about A Bridge Too Far. It is a masterpiece. I would also add:

• With the Old Breed
  by E. B. Sledge. One Marine's first hand account of his experiences in the invasions of Peleliu and Okinawa. A straightforward and engrossing true story that will forever change the way you look at war and the men who fight. Sledge manages to convey the horrors and vivid emotions of battle without resorting to gratuitous sensationalism. A must read.

• Chickenhawk
  by Robert Mason. Absorbing experiences of a Huey chopper pilot in Vietnam. At times painfully honest, the narrative is filled with irony and even humor. Well done.

• The Sharp End: The Fighting Man in World War II
  by John Ellis. Unusual and fascinating study of the individual front line combat soldier. Each chapter is devoted to one aspect of the soldier's daily life, ie. Combat, Relaxation, Casualties, Discipline and Morale. Perhaps no other work, primary or secondary, gives a better idea of what the average soldier endured.

• The Rising Sun
  by John Toland. A sweeping survey of the Pacific War written, more or less, from a Japanese perspective. Fascinating insights from the chambers of Japanese power make this a powerful and enjoyable book.