 |
 |
 |
||||
 |
 |
 |
|
|||
 |
|
|||||
 |
|
|||||
 |
|
|||||
 |
|
|||||
 |
 |
 |
|
|||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Further reading
on Germany in WWII, the German Resistance and
Army
Of the hundreds of sources used for
my Ph.D. and subsequent research, I have selected only those
secondary sources which are either major, classical works on the
topic (and so, although often older, still readily available) or
those books which stood out from the many thousands on the topic
for one reason or another.
Historical Sources 
Hoffmann, Peter, History of the German Resistance,
1933-1945This is a standard and comprehensive work on
the Resistance for serious
scholars.
Hoffmann,
Peter, Widerstand,
Staatsstreich, Attentat. Der Kampf der Opposition gegen
Hitler
Schlabrendorff, Fabian v., Offiziere gegen HitlerReleased in 1946 this was the first book ever
published about the German Resistance; Schlabrendorff was a minor
participant, who had also been arrested and tortured by the
Gestapo.
Zeller,
Eberhard: Geist der
FreiheitReleased in 1954 by a personal friend of many
members of the Resistance it conveys the spirit of their struggle
far better than many later, academic works.
Fest,
Joachi, Staatsstreich.
Der lange Weg zum 20. Juli Klemperer,
Klemens von, Enrico Syring & Reiner Zimmermann, Für Deutschland. Die Männer des 20.
Julis Lill,
Rudolf & Heinrich Oberreuter (Hrsg), 20. Juli. Portraits des
Widerstands Goddard,
Donald, The Last Days of
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Bonhoeffer, Dietrich, Letters and Papers from
Prison Hansen,
Richard, A Noble Treason:
The Revolt of the Munich Students Against HitlerA good introduction to the White Rose
resistance group.
Grunberger, Richard, The 12-Year Reich: A History of Nazi
Germany, 1933-1945By far one of the best, concise social
histories of Nazi Germany providing insights into education, the
role of women, business, agriculture, the press etc.; rather than
focusing on political events, it describes how society worked in
Nazi Germany.
Grube,
Frank & Gerhard Richter, Alltag im Dritten Reich. So lebten
die deutschen 1933-1945
Wheeler-Bennet, John, The Nemesis of Power: The German Army
in Politics, 1918-1945
Wheeler-Bennet, John, Die Nemesis der Macht. Die deutsche
Armee in der Politik, 1918-1945 Goerlitz,
Walter, History of the
German General Staff, 1657-1945 Dupuy,
T.N., A Genius for War:
The German Army and General Staff, 1807-1945 Müller,
Klaus Jürgen, Das Heer
und Hitler Siedler,
Franz: Blitzmädchen, Die
Geschichte der Helferinnen der deutschen Wehrmacht im Zweiten
WeltkriegPersonal Accounts/Autobiographies
Wartenburg, Marion Gräfin (Countess) York, Die Stärke der
StilleGräfin Yorck is the widow of a founding
member of the Kreisauer Kreis, Peter Graf Yorck and gives important
insights to this civilian resistance
group.
Feuersenger, Marianne, Mein Kriegstagebuch.
Führerhauptquartier und Berliner WirklichkeitMs. Feuersenger was a secretary working in
key Wehrmacht offices including at Hitler's HQ but with close ties
to members of the Resistance.
Boveri,
Margaret, Tage des
ÜberlebensLife in Berlin during the
war.
Bredow,
Ilse Gräfin v., Deine
Keile kriegste doch Maschmann,
Melita, FazitWritten by a young woman who became a senior
leader in the Bund deutscher Mädel - the girls equivalent of Hitler
Youth - this is one of the most critical and honest accounts of
life inside Nazi Germany I have ever run across.
Novels Solmssen,
Arthur: A Princess in
BerlinWritten by a Berliner, son of a Jewish
banking house, this is one of the most insightful books ever
written about Germany in the Weimar Republic.
There is still no novel on the German
Resistance that is both accurate and of literary value.
Return to menu of Further Reading Historical Sources
Bungay, Stephen: The Most Dangerous Enemy: A
History of the Battle of Britain (this is a day by day account with
excellent statistics and order of battles; an excellent source for
a serious scholar)
Bishop,
Patrick: Fighter Boys: Saving Britain 1940 (approaches the topic by
subject rather than chronologically providing greater insight and
analysis of such things as background, training and attitudes of
pilots rather than an historical account of events)
Townsend,
Peter: Duel of Eagles: The Struggle for the Skies from the First
World War to the Battle of Britain, (written by a man who commanded
a Fighter Squadron during the Battle of Britain, this bring some
personal perspectives but also looks at the subject historically
and includes the biographies of individual German fliers as
well)
Clayton,
Tim & Phil Craig, Finest Hour, (this book following a large
number of protagonists through the Battles of France and Britain,
including Dunkirk puts the Battle of Britain in
perspective)
Reynolds,
David: Rich Relations: The American Occupation of Britain,
1942-1945 (a very detailed account of how US and Britain coped with
the huge number of American troops stationed in Britain during the
war.)
Lewis,
Bruce: Aircrew: The Story of the Men who Flew the
Bombers
Gross,
Chris: Brothers in Arms: A Story of a British and a German Fighter
Unit, August to December 1940.Personal Accounts/Autobiographies
Hillary, Richard: The Last Enemy (published
during the war itself)
Gibson,
Guy, VC: Enemy Coast Ahead (published during the war)
Richey,
Paul: Fighter Pilot (published during the war itself)
Johnstone,
AVM Sandy, Enemy in the Sky (wartime diaries of then Squadron
Leader and commander in the Battle of Britain)
Wellum,
Geoffrey, First Light (Battle of Britain pilot, written only
recently with the retrospective advantages of a man of mature age
reflecting on his youth - truly excellent)
Page,
Geoffrey, Shot Down in Flames (as Hillary's book this describes the
experiences of a pilot shot down in the Battle of Britain and
burned beyond recognition along with the painful process of medical
treatment)
Deere,
Alan: Nine Lives (Battle of Britain "ace")
Kingcome,
Brian: A Willingness to Die (Battle of Britain flight
commander)
Johnson,
Group Captain J.E., Wing Leader (RAF's highest score fighter
"ace")
Gray,
Jennie, Fire by Night (written by the daughter of a man who served
in Bombers, this book reconstructs a critical crash, although not a
first hand account it is very personal and provides excellent
insight into life in Bomber Command)Novels With so many excellent first hand accounts, most novels just seem to fall flat or even ring false. An example of a book that completely misses the mark, for example, is Piece of Cake by Derek Robinson. It is so poor, that surviving Battle of Britain pilots considered suing Robinson but decided that would only increase the sales of the book and so let it be. Nevertheless, I think the following books, particularly Radcliffe's, are excellent reads.
Radcliffe,
Robert, Under an English Heaven,
Grieg,
Andrew, That Summer,
Singer,
E.M., Mother Flies Hurricanes,And of course one can always enjoy a classic like Memphis Belle by Monte Merrick. Women Pilots in the U.S.A. There has been a great deal published on the WASPs and WAFs in the U.S. including a large number of personal memoirs. The memoirs vary in quality from books of glaring historical inaccuracy to excellent biographies combining solid period research with personal experience. Among the latter are the Simbeck biography of Cornelia Fort and Bartels moving story of Evelyn Sharp. For a detailed and well documented academic analysis of the reasons the WASP bill failed in Congress in 1944, readers should refer to Merryman, Clipped Wings. For an easy but fair introduction to the topic in a non-fiction format, I recommend Verges, Keil and Rickman, all of who have produced highly readable and well researched books. Verges, Marianne, On Silver Wings: The Women Airforce
Service Pilots of World War II, 1942-1944, 1991. Rickman, Sarah Byrn, The Originals: The Women's
Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron of World War II, 2001. Keil, Sally Van Wagenen, Those Wonderful Women in Their
Flying Machines: The Unknown Heroines of World War II,
1990. Cole, Jean Hascall, Women Pilots of World War II,
1992. Granger, Byrd Howell, On Final Approach: The Women
Airforce Service Pilots of World War II, 1991. Merryman, Molly, Clipped Wings: The Rise and Fall of
the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) of World War II,
1998. Simbeck, Rob, Daughter of the Air: The Brief
Soaring Life of Cornelia Fort, 1999. Bartels, Diane Ruth Armour,
Sharpie: The Life Story
of Evelyn Sharp, Nebraska's Aviatrix, 1996.Women Pilots in the U.K. Publications on the women pilots in the UK are fewer and generally much older. In fact, only Diana Barnato Walker (also famous for being one of the first women to fly faster than the speed of sound) has recently published her memoirs including her time with the ATA, and Lettice Curtis has published an autobiography which, however, adds nothing new to her 1971 comprehensive history of the ATA. Curtis' history of the ATA, The Forgotten Pilots, remains the best history of the organization on the market and includes much valuable information about the women who flew with it, as does the "official" history of the ATA, published just after the end of the war, Cheeseman's Brief Glory. For books focusing exclusively on the women (something not entirely appropriate in the context) one can turn to Lucas, King, de Bunsen or du Cros. Michael Fahie, the son of the Director of Women Pilots, Pauline Gower, has produced a lovely tribute to his mother in A Harvest of Memories, with much important information on her tactics and success in gaining equal opportunity for her women pilots. The best and easiest reads are Cheeseman and Walker, and both books are highly recommended for an understanding of the ethos and spirit of the ATA and the women who flew in it. Curtis, Lettice, The Forgotten Pilots: A Story of the
Air Transport Auxiliary, 1939-45, 1971. Cheeseman, E.C., Brief Glory: The Story of the Air
Transport Auxiliary, 1946. Lucas, Y.M., WAAF with Wings,
1992. King, Alison, Golden Wings: The Story of Some of
the Women Ferry Pilots of the Air Transport Auxiliary,
1956. Bunsen, Mary de, Mount up with Wings,
1960. Cros, Rosemary du, ATA Girl: Memoirs of a Wartime Ferry
Pilot, 1883. Fahie, Michael, A Harvest of Memories: The Life of
Pauline Gower M.B.E., 1995. Walker, Diana Barnato, Spreading My Wings,
2003. |
ANCIENT SPARTA I MEDIEVAL/KNIGHTS TEMPLAR I WWII & AFTERMATH
ORDER I E-MAIL I GUEST BOOK
ERRATA I LINKS I AWARDS I RINGS I HOME
| NOTE: In building this site, I thought about many things - such as what spelling standard I should use in
referring to World War II, and what keyword spelling people might use
in a search engine to find this page. I found it interesting to
note the following numbers of page listings for the various ways one
might type World War II into a search engine. 6,050,000 for
world
war two 5,860,000 for world
war 2 134,000,000 for world
war II (using the capital i for the 2) 83,900 for world war
ll (using the lower case L for the 2) 26,200,000 for second
world war 310,000 for 2nd world
war 21,600 for ww two 804,000 for ww 2 7,130,000 for ww ii
(using the i for the 2) 46,300 for ww ll
(using the lower case L for the 2) 21,600 for w.w. two 804,000 for W.W.2 7,130,000 for w.w.II
(using the capital i for the 2) 46,300 for w.w.ll
(using the lower case l for the 2) Note that capitalization, punctuation and spacing changes introduced no differences. So if you are looking for information on a particular subject, remember to use all variations of the wrods related to the subject. The pages a search engine will give you to look at will vary with each method. Also in general, I have referred to World War II on these pages using WWII (using the capital i for the 2). |
Contents
of this web site are copyrighted. ©1993-2008 Helena P. Schrader unless
otherwise noted. If you would like to use material from this
site, please contact Helena
Schrader. If you experience
any
problems with this site, please contact
the web mistress.
