What's Your Favorite Biography?

[Dallas]

If you could recommend two or three of your favorite biographies of WWII era personalities, what would they be? Mine are;

Patton by Carlo D'Este

Knight's Cross : A Life of Field Marshal Erwin Rommel by David Fraser

The Last Lion: Winston Spencer Churchill: Visions of Glory, 1874-1932
by William Manchester

The Last Lion: Winston Spencer Churchill, Alone 1932-1940 by William Manchester

I am recommending the early volume on Churchill so you will have a better understanding of the second volume. Unfortunately Manchester passed away in 2004 before the final volume could be finished. Rumor has it that the third volume is about half complete with notes for the rest. Again rumor says that Manchesters son and a ghost writer are going to fnish the work.

[Dallas]

No additions????

I need titles to add to my reading list.

[Jim O]

The books by Patrick Agte on Wittman and Peiper are a bit biased (more than the average biased history - Agte comes off as a Nazi sympathizer and SS apologist) but the photos are great and even the Peiper book is well worth the price just for them alone. If one reads the books with a critical eye there's still lots of wheat with the chaff.

[Dallas]

Speak of the devil. I just finished Volume 1 of Wittman and I'm on volume 2 right now. You are correct about the author, definitely biased to the SS. The books read more like a divisional history than a biography. They are good, but.... take them with a grain of salt.

[Wolster]

I'm just reading 'Wings on my Sleeve' by Eric Brown for the second time. A WW2 test pilot, he is said to have flown more different types of aircraft than anybody else.

I also like the Spike Milligan autobiographies, not the best if you want to read about battles and campaigns but bloody funny!

[Airchallenged]

Simple Sounds of Freedom or Behind Hitlers Lines by Thomas Taylor: About Joe Beyrle, the only American to fight on both the Eastern and Western fronts. See my avatar for his POW picture.

Are Autobiographies/Memoirs fine?

[Dallas]

[quote=Airchallenged;19267
Are Autobiographies/Memoirs fine?[/QUOTE]

Sure why not.

[Airchallenged]

Originally Posted by Dallas

Sure why not.

Okay then:

If You Survive- George Wilson
Visions From a Foxhole: A Rifleman in Patton's Ghost Corps- William Foley
Foot Soldier: A Combat Infantryman's War in Europe- Roscoe Blunt Jr.

Matt

[Holly6]

Originally Posted by Jim O

The books by Patrick Agte on Wittman and Peiper are a bit biased (more than the average biased history - Agte comes off as a Nazi sympathizer and SS apologist) but the photos are great and even the Peiper book is well worth the price just for them alone. If one reads the books with a critical eye there's still lots of wheat with the chaff.

(New guy sucks up to the Boss) THIS is the view of a Historian. Auto-Bios, Bios, Memoirs, Journals, Diaries are fraught with bias, but should not be discarded because of that. As part of a lengthy study, these can often offer thoughts and perspectives that are unique. That said, several of the books previously mentioned are excellent. Let me add:

Inside the 3rd Reich...Albert Speer (I'm just an innocent bystander)

The First and the Last...Adolf Galland (I was just following orders)

ROMMEL: The Desert Fox...Desmond Young (60 year old chesnut)

As with most historical tomes, I encourage students to check the local libraries for books, read them, and then decide whether it is worth adding to your library.