What's your favourite war novel?

[hellfish6 7]

2 Commando - about the Rhodesian Light Infantry. Good African bush war book.

The War That Never Was - a new book about a hypothetical NATO-Soviet conflict in 1989. Outstanding attention to detail, and includes theaters (like Norway, Mediterranean, Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean) that Clancy and his other mediocre minions forget about.

Arc Light - Eric L. Harry. BEST WAR NOVEL EVER

Unfortunately hard to find now.

[turms 0]

Sven Hassel is a Dane who wrote war books set in WW2. He claims that they are basd on real stories and real characters and that he actualy took part in the events that occured in the books(they are written from a first-person point of view) , but once you read his books you might doubt this. They are a bit over-the top, but quite a good read.

Actually I think he has only claimed that the first book he wrote was true,and others fiction.

As a Finn I would like to add one book here that is the most

classic warnovel in Finland; its called TUNTEMATON SOTILAS (1954, trans. The Unknown Soldier) written by Väinö (Valtteri) Linna (1920-1992)

[Broileri 0]

As a Finn I would like to add one book here that is the most

classic warnovel in Finland; its called TUNTEMATON SOTILAS (1954, trans. The Unknown Soldier) written by Väinö (Valtteri) Linna (1920-1992)

However, should you find the English translation, burn it.

It's probably one of the worst translations known in the history of translation. Not sure if it's been translated (better) again more recently, though...

[Warin 0]

Non fiction, but try Anthony Beevor's The Fall of Berlin

It's a pretty interesting look at the end of WWII in the ETO.

[Major Gripe 0]

What about the ULTIMATE war novel, I'm visibly shocked that no-one has suggested it yet, you uncultured simpletons   !!, The Art Of War by Sun Tzu.

[Shashman 0]

The War That Never Was - a new book about a hypothetical NATO-Soviet conflict in 1989. Outstanding attention to detail, and includes theaters (like Norway, Mediterranean, Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean) that Clancy and his other mediocre minions forget about.

Hmm...Is that a reprint of World War 3? It sounds like it and is written like a history book.

There's also The Third World War

[DracoPaladore 0]

I always liked Band of Brothers. It was pretty good. Black Hawk Down is a good one too.

I havn't read that many war books. I hope to some day.

[Cloney 0]

"God's Children" by Harold Coyle.

-a platoon of American peacekeepers is cut off behind enemy lines and is stuck in the middle of a fictional eastern european civil war.

[hellfish6 7]

The War That Never Was - a new book about a hypothetical NATO-Soviet conflict in 1989. Outstanding attention to detail, and includes theaters (like Norway, Mediterranean, Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean) that Clancy and his other mediocre minions forget about.

Hmm...Is that a reprint of World War 3? It sounds like it and is written like a history book.

There's also The Third World War

No, but IIRC the guy that wrote WW3 (Sir John Hacket?) was a major influence on the author and I think he even wrote the introduction.  

Edit: I also recommend Cloney's recommendation. In fact, a lot of Harold Coyle's books are pretty good (but not all). I read God's Children in about two days and was sorely tempted to make some missions based on it in OFP. Team Yankee is his first and best novel.

Also check our Larry Bond. He's the guy that made Clancy's Red Storm Rising good. He came out with Red Phoenix which is about a second Korean War, Vortex (my fav) about a South African War vs. Cubans with some American forces thrown in the mix. He has some others that are pretty good too.

[Cloney 0]

Edit: I also recommend Cloney's recommendation. In fact, a lot of Harold Coyle's books are pretty good (but not all). I read God's Children in about two days and was sorely tempted to make some missions based on it in OFP. Team Yankee is his first and best novel.

I have to agree with you there Hellfish, I also read it very quickly. I particularly liked some of the Ambush set ups and the clashes between the leadership, without that it would not have been the same. Unfortunately some of Coyle's novels aren't as good. One of them portrays a Vietnam-ish scenario in Columbia where the US Army is fighting an extremely intense Guerilla war with the FARC.

[SmokeyPhalanx 0]

Eric L. Harry = best damn writer ever.

World War III was amazing and some other book i've read I just can't remember the title... had something like "explosion" in the title...

[USSoldier11B 0]

My recommended reading list:

Blackhawk Down by Mark Bowden

Soldier by LTC Anthony Curtis (USA, Ret) (highly recommended)

Rogue Warrior by CPT Richard Marcincko (USN, Ret)

Rainbow Six by Tom Clancy

Special Forces by Tom Clancy

Shadow Warriors by Tom Clancy with GEN Carl Stiner (USA, Ret)

About Face by David Hackworth

The Price of Honor by David Hackworth

Brave Men by David Hackworth

Marine Sniper (biography of Gunny Carlos Hathcock) by Charles Henderson and E.J. Land (highly recommended)

let me think of more....

[theavonlady 2]

Nobody mentioned "Gone With The Wind"?

[SmokeyPhalanx 0]

Nobody mentioned "Gone With The Wind"?

What's that got to do with anything?

[Balschoiw 0]

Quote[/b] ]What's that got to do with anything?

Well, Avon is a women.

[Longinius 1]

I think there are several gems in the old series of books I think is called "Survivors". Its just a guess, a direkt translation from the Swedish title (De Överlevande). Basically it was a bunch of books by various writers, all taking part during or after a WW3 nuclear holocaust. The ones during the conflict were probably my favorites.

[SmokeyPhalanx 0]

Quote[/b] ]What's that got to do with anything?

Well, Avon is a women.  

I knew that