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What is your favorite World War Two Novel?

Douglas W Jacobson
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What is your favorite World War Two Novel?

Post by Douglas W Jacobson » Mon December 8th, 2008, 6:02 pm

World War Two was the largest human conflict in history. With more than fifty million casualties it changed the scope of world affairs forever. Many wonderful novels have been written with the backdrop of this incredible conflict. My favorites are the Herman Wouk classics, WINDS OF WAR and WAR AND REMEMBERANCE because of the scope and the memorable characters. Wouk leads us from one continent to the other as we follow the war through the eyes of an American naval family.

What are your favorites?

Douglas W Jacobson
Author,
NIGHT OF FLAMES: A Novel of World War Two

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donroc
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Post by donroc » Mon December 8th, 2008, 6:08 pm

My favorite is The Young Lions by Irwin Shaw.

The best of the others in no particular order are:

The Caine Mutiny by Herman Wouk
Mila 18 by Leon Uris
From Here to Eternity by James Jones
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Bodo the Apostate, a novel set during the reign of Louis the Pious and end of the Carolingian Empire.

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MLE (Emily Cotton)
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Interest in HF: started in childhood with the classics, which, IMHO are HF even if they were contemporary when written.
Favourite HF book: Prince of Foxes, by Samuel Shellabarger
Preferred HF: Currently prefer 1600 and earlier, but I'll read anything that keeps me turning the page.
Location: California Bay Area

Post by MLE (Emily Cotton) » Mon December 8th, 2008, 6:29 pm

I don't generally read WWII fiction, but of the ones I have read, my favorite is Corrie Ten Boom's the Hiding Place.
Oops, that isn't a novel, it's a memoir. So I'll pick a YA book: Number the Stars.

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diamondlil
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Post by diamondlil » Mon December 8th, 2008, 7:34 pm

Paullina Simon's The Bronze Horseman
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Michael Dobb's books on Churchile - I've only read two of them but I really liked them.
South Pacific by James A Michener
The Persimmon Tree by Bryce Courtenay
A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute
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Carla
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Post by Carla » Tue December 9th, 2008, 12:05 pm

I don't think I have a favourite as such, but can I mention The Cruel Sea by Nicholas Monsarrat.
PATHS OF EXILE - love, war, honour and betrayal in Anglo-Saxon Northumbria
Editor's Choice, Historical Novels Review, August 2009
Now available as e-book on Amazon Kindleand in Kindle, Epub (Nook, Sony Reader), Palm and other formats on Smashwords
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Volgadon
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Post by Volgadon » Tue December 9th, 2008, 3:05 pm

I rather like the Guns of Navarone as well as MacLane's first novel, the HMS Ulysses, IIRC..

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Post by schultpe » Sun March 1st, 2009, 7:32 pm

Anton Myrer's Once an Eagle is a magnificent novel that encompasses WWI, WWII and beyond. Ken Follett's Eye of the Needle and Hornet Flight are both excellent. I am the author of the just-released novel entitled The Fuhrer Virus. It is a WWII spy/conspiracy/thriller for adolescent/adult readers. It can be found at http://www.eloquentbooks.com/TheFuhrerVirus.html, http://www.barnesandnoble.com, and http://www.amazon.ca.

Thanks!

Paul Schultz

G. Alvin Simons
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Post by G. Alvin Simons » Fri February 5th, 2010, 12:38 am

I enjoyed The Thin Red Line by James Jones. Not only a great read, but a text book for others wishing to take pen to paper.

G. Alvin Simons

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Post by Ash » Fri February 5th, 2010, 1:13 am

I tend to read more WWI than WWII, but these were a few standouts:

The Winds of War and sequels

Suite Francaise

Fortunes of War

Slaughterhous Five

Ive also read many books on the Holocaust but nothing stands out for me except for Book Theif, but thats probably because it was the last Holocaust book I read.

Texas
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Post by Texas » Fri February 5th, 2010, 1:51 am

There's a fabulous short essay on James Jones in the new book, A New Literary History of America, out of Harvard. I really enjoyed it, although my favorite era is the previous decade.

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