Two good books for anyone who is looking

[rotc2013]

Just finished reading two of my Christmas presents:

"Black Edelweiss" by Johann Voss is the WWII memoirs of a Waffen-SS Mountain Trooper. Goes back and forth between his wartime experiences and his account of captivity after the war. Good chance to read about the fighting near the Arctic Circle and in Finland, I hadn't read much on it until now. It can be a little pretentious and I think naive at times (it was written right after the war, in 1946), but all in all a good book.

"Steel Boat, Iron Hearts" by Hans Goebeler is the account of a U-boat crewman aboard U-505, the sub captured by our Navy in 1944 (it is still on display in Chicago). Really thorough and detailed, I really enjoyed reading this one. It is rare to find such a complete memoir due to the high losses of U-boat crewmen during the war.

either one would be a great read!

 

[flieger83]

Just finished reading two of my Christmas presents:

"Black Edelweiss" by Johann Voss is the WWII memoirs of a Waffen-SS Mountain Trooper. Goes back and forth between his wartime experiences and his account of captivity after the war. Good chance to read about the fighting near the Arctic Circle and in Finland, I hadn't read much on it until now. It can be a little pretentious and I think naive at times (it was written right after the war, in 1946), but all in all a good book.

"Steel Boat, Iron Hearts" by Hans Goebeler is the account of a U-boat crewman aboard U-505, the sub captured by our Navy in 1944 (it is still on display in Chicago). Really thorough and detailed, I really enjoyed reading this one. It is rare to find such a complete memoir due to the high losses of U-boat crewmen during the war.

either one would be a great read!

Allow me to add a few, if you have time for reading. You might have to do a little searching for a couple of them...

WWI
"No Parachute" by Arthur Gould Lee. GREAT book by a WWI pilot from the RFC (precursor of the RAF). He became a flag officer in WWII. VERY detailed and written from his diary by him.

"Der Rote Kampflieger" or "The Red Baron" as it has been "loosely translated" of late; by Manfred von Richthofen. Yes, really, THE "Von Richthofen." He wrote it before his death in WWI. Some very interesting views of the war from the beginning of aerial combat to about late 1917/early 1918.

WWII
"Iron Coffins" by Herbert Werner. German U-Boat skippers' account of his WWII service from beginning officer in a sub to his final command at the end of the war. As of now, he's still alive in Florida about to celebrate his 90th birthday.

"The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors" by James Hornficher (sp?). It's about an incredible battle in the Pacific and the extreme heroism of a group of US Navy officers and sailors. Just an amazing read!

"Hitler's Last Courier" by Armin Lehmann. Fascinating book by a young teenage member of the Hitler Youth who served as a courier in the "Fuhrerbunker" in Berlin. Just a really interesting read, about growing up in the HJ, how the youth of Germany were schooled, the affects of the war on the home front, etc...etc... Mr. Lehmann passed away a little over a year ago but I saw an interview with him and it in and of itself was fascinating.

As you may guess, I have a VERY extensive library! I'm a reading addict and have literally hundreds of military history, strategy, etc., type books.

Steve
USAFA ALO
USAFA '83

 

[rotc2013]

Thanks for the suggestions! The Werner and Lehmann books both look REALLY good, I've been reading a lot of German WWII nonfiction lately and I think those two will be next on my list.

The Tin Can Sailors was a great book-I still get goosebumps when I read that order from Sprague- "Small boys, attack". Takes a lot of guts for a destroyer escort to go up against a battleship. Every one of Taffy 3's sailors should have been decorated.