WW2 books

[AENeuman]

I have a senior student needing to make up some units so I have him doing an independent study for me. He really got into "fog of war" and wanted to study more things like that.

I just had him read a chapter from Howard Zinn's 20th Century on WW2. While I do not like Zinn, I think if I can give it to him now, with some balance, he won't be like most college freshmen who read Zinn and just get more cynical and selfish.

So what books or journal articles could I give him that would balance out Zinn? Or at least offer another persuasive perspective.

PS- I asked brother Bucc about Zinn and his reply was: "giving a student to read (Zinn), which makes them end up believing in all or parts, is no different than giving them a KKK-view of the history of the South."

[MrBigglesworth]

I'm not familiar with Zinn, what's he like and what kind of stuff would be a counter to it?

[Dutch]

:)


Zinn's philosophy incorporates ideas from Marxism (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marxism), anarchism (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anarchism), socialism (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socialism), and social democracy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_democracy). Since the 1960s, he has been a visible figure in the Civil Rights (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_Rights) and anti-war movements (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-war_movements) in the United States.



Anti-communist liberal writer Michael Kazin describes Howard Zinn as "an evangelist of little imagination for whom history is one long chain of stark moral dualities." [14] (http://www.dissentmagazine.org/article/?article=385). Daniel J. Flynn, who has written two books, says of Zinn, "his is a captive mind long closed by ideology." [15] (http://www.frontpagemag.com/articles/Printable.asp?ID=8145)

[MrBigglesworth]

I read that on wiki too, but what does that mean about his views of WWII? Was he pro-Soviet Union?

[Buccaneer]

I told him to ask the board here since I am not a good reader of WW2 literature, and I knew some of you are quite knowledgeable in the field. I don't know if I would focus too much on counter Zinn (despite my bias) but more on some good WW2 chapters. Can someone help?

[st.cronin]

Len Deighton wrote a pretty good book. I forget the title.

[Buccaneer]

I read that on wiki too, but what does that mean about his views of WWII? Was he pro-Soviet Union?

Tell you the truth, I don't know. His People's History probably counters the claim that WW2 was a "people's war" and focused on class and race warfare.

[st.cronin]

dola
I don't know what "fog of war" in the first post is referring to. I know what "fog of war" means, but I don't understand the reference.

I also like Winston Churchill's multi-volume memoir of the war.

[Klinglerware]

dola
I don't know what "fog of war" in the first post is referring to. I know what "fog of war" means, but I don't understand the reference.

I also like Winston Churchill's multi-volume memoir of the war.

The McNamara documentary, perhaps?

I like Keegan's WWII book, it's a good "overview" type book on the war that focuses a little more on concepts, and the socio-economic and political contexts that shaped strategy and decision-making than some of the other WWII surveys out there, which tend to focus heavily on the military aspects. Might be a good starting point for AEN's student.

[JPhillips]

I'm also a little confused on what you're after. Do you want grand WWII books or more battle/front specific books?

If he reads some western WWII history it would be good fro him to read "The German Generals Talk". It gives a nice perspective from the enemy's POV.

On Zinn, I'll add that his biggest strength is digging up lost/forgotten primary source material. The companion to "People's History" is really an outstanding collection of primary sources.

[MrBigglesworth]

I'm assuming Fog of War is this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fog_of_War

Never seen it, but looks interesting. I'm guessing he wants something with an broad overall view of the causes and rationales of the major decisions of WWII, but one with a different perspective than Zinn, who wrote that the causes of the war were related to class and race struggles.

Am I close?

[KeyserSoze]

The Churchill's volumes are for me, a great read, but very biased. Anyway they are the essential to understand the WWII.

For me, the best book to describe the war is Stalingrad of A. Beevor. Maybe it's not the most accurate, but I enjoy to read it again and again.

The third book I think it's essential is Why the Allies Won of Richard Overy. Instead of looking just at the battles, it centers the anaylisis in the "economics" of war. For me it talks of the main question of the war, "why in 1941-42 Germany with all Europe controlled made so few tanks and planes when the USSR made more without so many strategic cities?"

Well, just my two cents.

[vtbub]

The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich.

Written by a CBS reporter based in Berlin.

It's a huge book, but spellbinding.

[st.cronin]

By the way, I believe Zinn actually served in WW2. So I wonder if that's what he's talking about with Fog of War - a 1st person account.

I don't know if Zinn wrote a 1st person account or not.

[AENeuman]

Thanks for the suggestions. I guess I need to be more focused in explaining what I need.

Despite the great information they may hold I am not looking for a 1000 plus page book to give to my high school student.

"The Fog of War" is the McNamara movie. I show it to my government class towards the end and so far they all really get into it.

I think what I would like him to focus on is Japan and the atomic bomb/fire bombing. This issue is very divisive and I think this is one of the few cases where Zinn is not alone in his interpretations. What I would like to give him is a chapter from a few sources that discuss the reasons and results on dropping the bomb. I particularly want him to focus on who benefited, in what way and why.

Thanks again

[JPhillips]

"The Making of the Atomic Bomb" by Richard Rhodes may have some chapters you can use. It's been a while since I read it, but it does deal with the political implications and the differences between firebombing and nuking. It's a massive book, but it should be in a close library and it may be what you're looking for.