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I was wondering whether someone has already read a book about the battle of kursk?

To me it's the most interesting battle, but I haven't been able to find alot of books on it and the only one I possess is by Paul Carell, who used to be Obersturmbanführer during WWII. It's basically a collection of pictures taken by Soldiers during Operation Barbarossa.

However, I'd like to read more about it. Thank you in advance :)

EDIT: I happen to think that's not the book I own (I have the book in it's original language - German - but ŷ������ told me it is, so..)

Hi Katriina I know a few of our members will be able to offer up suggestions for you but let me start with one that should be relatively easy to obtain as it has been reprinted a number of times:

by Robin Cross

Hi Katriina 'The Battle of Kursk' is fairly recent, I have a copy but not the chance to read it yet.

by David M. Glantz


'The Battle of the Tanks' is recent and looks reasonable too.

by Lloyd Clark

Hi Katriina, I have read all read all three books recommend above. I would suggest "Citadel" by Robin Cross as a good general overview, nothing too in depth but easy to read. Lloyd Clarks's book on Kursk, "The Battle of the Tanks" is a very good telling of the battle with the use of numerous first hand accounts. David Glantz's book is very in depth and very detailed and can be a bit of a slog to read and the maps are painful but if you want a very detailed and researched account then that's the book on Kursk. There is one other new book on the battle that I have but have not read yet:

by Dennis E. Showalter

There are also two very good titles released by Helion & Co. but I don't have the details with me at the moment, I'll post the book titles later.

Katriina,

If you don't mind novels, I think David Robbins



is pretty good

Thank you Geevee, Tom, Aussie Rick and happy! I didn't expect such prompt and extensive replies. I'm so grateful!

I think I'm going to try and get hold of the book by Lloyd Clark's first, as I noticed it does cover the Stalingrad battle to some extent too. Plus, being written from a point of view other than of a neutral, historian-type of narrator and journals and anecdotes from soldiers it doesn't sound dry either.

So thank you all, I'm really grateful!

Let's us know how you go, I'm pretty sure you will enjoy "The Battle of the Tanks".

This looks good, judging by accounts: by Raymond Gattner. I'm curious if anyone here's ever read it.

That does sound like a good book Steve!

I read this book a long time ago, under a different title, it was Fire in the East and the second was Scorched Earth. Back in the early 80s when I was in the army. They were quite impressive as I recall.


Katriina. �� wrote: "I was wondering whether someone has already read a book about the battle of kursk?

To me it's the most interesting battle, but I haven't been able to find alot of books on it and the only one I p..."

That's one I can't help you with Ed but I am sure someone in the group will come up with a recommendation or two .....

For American production, I can recommend It was big and thorough, laying groundwork from the end of WW1 to the end of the second war.

Ed wrote: "Can anyone recommend any good books on the American "production" side of WW2? I suppose it would be something like "The Wages of Destruction" by Adam Tooze, which covers the German economic side of..."

Hi Ed, This might be somewhat "specialist" but the British official history series of WWII has an excellent volume within its War Production series entitled "North American Supply" by H Duncan Hall published in 1955 (Hardback) by Her Majesty's Stationery Office (HMSO) [Not listed on ŷ������]

Main chapters are:
1.Munitions supply from Canada: The First Phase
2.The Creation of Aircraft Capacity in the Commonwealth Overseas
3. The American Potential: The Coming of War in Europe
(this includes sections on Friendly neutrality, Finance and purchasing war supplies
4. The American Potential Before Dunkirk
(this includes sections on The Morgenthau-Purvis Channel, Strategic materials (Allied supply & Denial to the enemy)
5. The Great Supply Crisis: Summer 1940
6. Packaging for the Journey: Dunkirk to Lend-Lease
7. The Barrier of the Exchanges: 1940-44
Sections on Canada and USA include Financing, Lend-Lease effects, Contracts, Cash payments and reciprocal aid
8. Lend-Lease to Pearl Harbour: The Beginnings of British-American Combination
Includes Lend-Lease - Banker or Partner?, production & strategy and The Victory Programme
9. The Combination in Mid-War, 1942
(includes sections on raw materials and governance boards
10. The Harvest of Munitions and Combined Supply
11. The Ending of War Supply from North America
Includes Lend-Lease passes its peak, Lend-Lease in decline, Collapse of financial aid from North America and retrospect
Appendices include: Purchase of US Army Surplus equipment, Lend-lease Act, Canadian Mutual Aid Acts, War Claims Settlement, UK Balance of Payments in WWII.

I hope this is helpful.

Thanks for helping out Lee & Geevee!

Ed wrote: "Both of these recommendations are fantastic. Thanks so much! I have already bought Call to Arms and will look into this as well."

Its on my TBR list too.

I've noticed this newly published title :


The Arsenal of Democracy: FDR, Detroit, and an Epic Quest to Arm an America at War

Ed wrote: "Can anyone recommend any good books on the American "production" side of WW2?..."

Ed, if you have an interest in naval shipbuilding these two might be good.

by L.A. Sawyer
by Greg H Williams

For all folks here is a link to many unique WWII books.

Thanks for sharing these books folks.

Is there any good book about the German WWII code-breaking efforts: the B-Dienst and such?

Ed - you might try Paul M. Kennedy's "Engineers of Victory".

The group might have covered this topic already, but can anyone suggest books with an overall overview of the US Pacific Campaign?

Karl wrote: "The group might have covered this topic already, but can anyone suggest books with an overall overview of the US Pacific Campaign?"

Hi, Karl. There is an entire thread on the Pacific Theatre of Operations (/topic/show/...), and we also had a group read on the Pacific Theatre in November 2013 (/topic/show/...) where you will find a lot of good suggestions and recommendations.

Thanks Paul. A good pointer to lots of books and do shout if you have any thoughts or questions Karl.

Thanks for looking after that question Paul, well done :)

I knew it was the middle of the night in Australia, AR. ;)

Paul wrote: "I knew it was the middle of the night in Australia, AR. ;)"

LOL

:)

It's now 7.00am and I'm about to leave for my last day at work, by 6.00pm I'll be retired!

Enjoy it Rick - the Police will miss you and you have done good service for Australia in the army and then law enforcement. I guess it won't matter if you're late today too :)

Don't want to get my pay docked, I need every penny for books :)

Enjoy it AR - lots more time to get the TBR list caught up!

Isn't that the truth, happy? Or you just spend time acquiring more.

Best of luck on your last day Rick. Didn't know you are a police office, I'm one as well. Best of luck on your last tour.

28 years David, will be sad to walk away but so many books to read and so many places to see and visit overseas :)

My Dad used to tell me police officers never retire, they just walk a different beat.

Congrats on retirement, Aussie Rick, that's exciting!

Hey Rick, all the best. You'll have a good life here!

Many thanks folks, my first job in retirement is doing a massive clean up of my library and getting everything in order, should be fun and no rush!

'Aussie Rick' wrote: "Many thanks folks, my first job in retirement is doing a massive clean up of my library and getting everything in order, should be fun and no rush!"

Congrats and good luck!

Thanks :)

Congratulations on your retirement, AR!

'Aussie Rick' wrote: ":)

It's now 7.00am and I'm about to leave for my last day at work, by 6.00pm I'll be retired!"

AR, congratulations on a fine career and welcome to the retired community.

Congratulations too AR. I know you will remain active.

Congratulations AR - I'm sure that you will enjoy retirement. I have been retired for 12 years! Only thing I miss is the additional income for books & travel. But you adjust! my father was in the Met for 25 years retired in the early Sixties & then went back to work for a Regional Crime Squad on a consultancy basis. Nice work if you can get it! Good luck. Ian Patrick

Thanks again everyone, I am preparing myself for the re-adjustment but hopefully I'll survive :)

'Aussie Rick' wrote: "Thanks again everyone, I am preparing myself for the re-adjustment but hopefully I'll survive :)"

Good wine and good books are the best adjustment therapies.

I am pretty sure you are right there Manray9, I will give it a go and let you know if it works :)

Congrats, AR: We expect 2x the flow of book recommendations!

Oh I don't know I think there is a lot to be said for taking hand guns or automatic weapons and slaughtering paper targets. LOL.

By the way, in a country where it is starting to seem that owning a gun isn't just a Constitutional right, but a requirement. I don't own one. The NRA and the Army taught me that the best gun safety is not to have it in the house. Go figure.



Manray9 wrote: "'Aussie Rick' wrote: "Thanks again everyone, I am preparing myself for the re-adjustment but hopefully I'll survive :)"

Good wine and good books are the best adjustment therapies."

Well I still have a few old WW2 rifles in my gun locker, getting back on the range wouldn't be a bad thing either!

My BIL has a match prepared M-1 Garand. As far as I know he hasn't shot it.