Eastern Front books

[WG dog]

Read some interesting books recently about WW II on the Eastern Front. Figure someone here might be looking for something to read.

Through the Maelstrom (A Red Army Soldier's War on the Eastern Front, 1942-1945) by Boris Gorbachevsky (2008).

http://www.kansaspress.ku.edu/gorthr.html

In Deadly Combat (A German Soldier's War on the Eastern Front) by Gottlob Herbert Bidermann (2000).

http://www.kansaspress.ku.edu/bidind.html

800 Days on the Eastern Front (A Russian Soldier Remembers World War II) by Nikolai Litvin (2007).

http://www.kansaspress.ku.edu/liteig.html

And a book about flying and World War II in China. China's Wings (War, Intrigue, Romance and Adventure in the Middle Kingdom during the Golden Age of Flight) by Gregory Crouch (2012). Well written, interesting and entertaining. Little stories that come to mind, a good use of a .22 pistol, the value of gifted cigarettes, a flying bear....

http://gregcrouch.com

This post about books inspired by the good posts by postino.

[alvin]

KU published some interesting books. I just got a copy of "Stalin's Secret War - Soviet Counterintelligence Against Nazis 1941-1945" for summer reading.

[Norme]

Another great book, this one about the battle for Stalingrad, is "Enemy at the Gates", by William Craig. One episode of which inspired the movie of the same name. Regards, Norm

[sheepherder]

Originally Posted by Norme

Another great book, this one about the battle for Stalingrad, is "Enemy at the Gates", by William Craig. One episode of which inspired the movie of the same name. Regards, Norm

That's odd...I have the book "War Of The Rats" by David L. Robbins [1999], which was supposedly the book the movie was based on...

[Norme]

Hi Rich, I have the book in front of me, it was first published in 1973, my copy, a Penguin soft cover dates from 2001. It has a picture of Jude Law and Joseph Fiennes on the cover below the words "An inspiration for the major motion picture from Paramount Pictures and Mandalay Pictures". By the way, the sniper duel is only a small part of the book, which is a well researched and footnoted work of history. Most historians consider Stalingrad the single most significant battle of WW2, nearly two million people lost their lives, including most of the German 6th Army. If you've ever wondered where most of those "Russian capture Lugers" came from, now you know. Regards, Norm

[sheepherder]

Originally Posted by Norme

Hi Rich, I have the book in front of me, it was first published in 1973, my copy, a Penguin soft cover dates from 2001. It has a picture of Jude Law and Joseph Fiennes on the cover below the words "An inspiration for the major motion picture from Paramount Pictures and Mandalay Pictures". By the way, the sniper duel is only a small part of the book, which is a well researched and footnoted work of history.

That might explain it. The Robbins book is fiction.

[nukem556]

Also, "The Forgotten Soldier" by Guy Sajer, an Alsatian Frenchman that joined the SS and fought on the Russian front....great read!

[pitsword]

Originally Posted by nukem556

Also, "The Forgotten Soldier" by Guy Sajer, an Alsatian Frenchman that joined the SS and fought on the Russian front....great read!

One of my favorite books of all time. Cannot remember how many times I have read it. It gives one the feeling of really being there. It was a horrific way to fight and die.

[pitsword]

BTW. Sajer was drafted and ended up in Grosse Deutchland, which was Heer, not Waffen SS.

[GySgt1811]

WG Dog,

Thanks for the great references! I just went online and ordered 800 Days on the Eastern Front and In Deadly Combat. The notes to the books make them sound like a great read.

Regards,

John