I'm developing a very serious

[Greedo]

obsession with World WarII

My wife is getting a bit concerned

I think it all stems from my thread about what the best war film was.

Since then I've found myself searching for websites and good books on the subject.

I never studyied WWII at school as I didn't pick history and the bit I did in first year was all about the French Revolution.

While I have amassed over the years a bit of knowledge about WWII, I've never really sat down and read about the actual dates, events and reasons behind certain things.

Anybody point me in the direction of some good sites or books.

 

[papercorn2000]

Churchill's history of the Second World War is good (if heavy).

Good starting point would be to get the DVD of The World at War, Wikipedia, or even your local bookshop or library.

There's a few history geeks on here who will cheerfully argue about the most influential battle of WW2 or the most important aircraft.
Post a topic and I'm sure that they will appear from the woodwork.

 

[Night Train]

I am old enough to have studied WW2 at school when it was still refered to as the last war. It can't be studied in isolation though as its roots are in the unresolved peace following WW1. Future historians may see the two world wars as one extended war with a cease fire in the middle.

My interests are in the effects on civilian transport due to the changes in the transportation of warfare from horse back and trenches to mobile heavy armour and airbourne weaponry.

 

[papercorn2000]

See?

 

[Greedo]

See?

 

[Kovu]

I am old enough to have studied WW2 at school when it was still refered to as the last war. It can't be studied in isolation though as its roots are in the unresolved peace following WW1. Future historians may see the two world wars as one extended war with a cease fire in the middle.

My interests are in the effects on civilian transport due to the changes in the transportation of warfare from horse back and trenches to mobile heavy armour and airbourne weaponry.

Agree with everything there, alot of it steams from WW1 and how Hitler was able to manipulate alot of the UN. If you really study WW2 you have to look at before with the policies of America and how they reacted. For me, its anything with the veterans talking about it, and thier insight.

A great book is the 'The Last Fighting Tommy,' by Harry someone or another, got it out of the libary a while back, that's an excellant read and really moves you in places when you read it.

On the idea of looking at something, try if you can to find a DVD called 'The Last Tommy'. It was a few years ago, aired on TV and basically showed around 20 vets who were still alive from WW1 was a truely moving documentary and they all gave an insight into what the war was like for them and how they struggled to get back to thier ordinary life. If you do somehow manage to find it, give me a PM, i must have searched for a while and still can't see it.

 

[Night Train]

However, I do also have a wide range of interests. My secondary school history project was on the history of fashion from the restoration to the 70's. My primary school project was on the Arianne rocket then being developed by the European Space Agency.

 

[Kovu]

However, I do also have a wide range of interests. My secondary school history project was on the history of fashion from the restoration to the 70's. My primary school project was on the Arianne rocket then being developed by the European Space Agency.

I do medieval history now at college and prefer it to this modern stuff. Alot more violance and bloody battles for my liking.

 

[Night Train]

As much as I am a pacifist, or maybe due to it, I have the greatest respect for the soldiers involved in the world wars. So many of them didn't have a choice and those who chose to go didn't really know what they were getting into.

 

[Mortiroloboy]

Churchill's history of the Second World War is good (if heavy).

Good starting point would be to get the DVD of The World at War, Wikipedia, or even your local bookshop or library.

There's a few history geeks on here who will cheerfully argue about the most influential battle of WW2 or the most important aircraft.
Post a topic and I'm sure that they will appear from the woodwork.

What an utterly compulsive series that was.

 

[marinyork]

World at War gets shown on tv from time to time (it's not on at the moment I can't remember the last channel to show it - it's been on on various things like Sky1 and UKtvHistory). If you have a trawl around on tv there are plenty of programmes about the subject infact so much so that there were complaints and spoofs about it.

As for schools, I'm somewhat surprised you didn't do it. People normally complain about too much of it.

 

[Night Train]

I am much more into the advances of technology that comes with warfare then the vilolence and bloodshed that comes from it.

 

[papercorn2000]

I got my copy from e-bay.
Great for a rainy Sunday afternoon when I have the house to myself.

 

[Kovu]

I am much more into the advances of technology that comes with warfare then the vilolence and bloodshed that comes from it.

That's all good and well, but I am into the whole idea of how they fought in the conquests etc, and the politics surronding them ... to be honest it hasnt changed as much political wise.

 

[Greedo]

Cheers for the info. Anymore would be much appreciated