Best Fictional WW2 era novels

[greifer_77]

Ello all,

In the lead-up to release, im getting into the genre by reading lots of fictional novels.
Some are easy to find on areas of topics, but anyone have any generic recommendations of authors or series?

Even more so a naval series, there are only a few and most seem to be British based.

Cheers,
G

 

[Sir Pellew]

Will read next week : Ken Follett Winter of the World. (I am nearly done with the first book)

Loved Fatherland from Harris (Although it plays later in a fictional what-if-nazis-would-have-won-the-war world)

 

[Nicolas I]

Sven Hassel's books serial Legion of the Damned. Though they are sometimes brutal (as war really is), the characters are somewhat endearing.

There is even a film (The Misfit Brigade, 1987) made from his books Wheels of Terror.

 

[Lejo]

Väinö Linna's Unknown Soldier. I don't know about the English translaation but the Finnish one is great.

 

[Victor Cortez]

The only one that I remember reading and being any good:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killing_Rommel

Will read next week : Ken Follett Winter of the World. (I am nearly done with the first book)

Loved Fatherland from Harris (Although it plays later in a fictional what-if-nazis-would-have-won-the-war world)

Ken Follett is the call of duty of fictional novels.

 

[Nicolas I]

Väinö Linna's Unknown Soldier. I don't know about the English translaation but the Finnish one is great.

Great timing, a new paperback edition is coming on may 24. The previous english edition was back in 1982.

Great reviews, will order, thanks Lejo !

 

[Paglia]

"The Eagle has landed"
Tthey also did a movie inspired by the book, starring Michael Cain & Donald Sutherland
A very good book and a very good movie

 

[Xsio]

Special forces missions.

Alistair MacLean books:

The Guns of Navarone
Where Eagles Dare
Force 10 From Navarone

Spoiler

Films by the books

 

[Count Lake]

Harry Turtledove's Worldwar series

 

[Opanashc]

Harry Turtledove's Worldwar series

As well as his Day of Infamy series.

 

[JerkyJerry]

The first Superman Comic Book 1938

 

[greifer_77]

Will try a few of those thanks!
Just finishing the steel shark series, etc

 

[Mivo]

James Holland has a worthwhile fiction series ("Sergeant Jack Tanner") that starts with "The Odin Mission". He's also written a number of non-fictional books on the era, like "Fortress Malta: An Island Under Siege 1940-43" and the "War in the West" volumes.

 

[CV10]

Hermann Wouk's Winds of War and War and Remembrance are both good, and they're long enough to keep you occupied until HOI IV comes out.

 

[Director]

Fiction set in the pre-War years: I recommend 'Rommel and the Rebel' by Lawrence Wells.

Also by Alistair MacLean: 'HMS Ulysses'.

 

[MonkeyFuzz]

Does Das Boot count? It's historical fiction based on the experiences of a real German war reporter.

 

[Viper1989]

Harry Turtledove has several great series about alternate World War 2:

"Settling Accounts" series is awesome. It envisions a CSA that won the US Civil War and covers World War 1 and 2.

"The War That Came Early" is about a German declaration of war on Czechoslovakia in 1938.

"Day of Infamy" is about a Japanese invasion and occupation of Hawaii. It's a much shorter series at 2 books while "Settling Accounts" is 10 books and "Early" is 6.


Peter G. Tsouras has several books:

"Third Reich Victorious", "Red Sun Rising" and "Hitler Triumphant" are collections of short essays about alternate WW2. They are written more towards the text book style but are still good reads. (Personal favourite in "Third Reich Victorious" is Chapter 10: Rommel vs Zhukov.)

"Disaster at Stalingrad" is a full-length novel about the last phase of the battle in early 1943.


Overall, If you want naval then maybe "Day of Infamy". It is a novel but more people oriented then machine. "Third Reich Victorious" does have a chapter on Hitler focusing on German naval might.

 

[Telenil]

Connie Willis' Blitz series (Blackout/All Clear). It is very slow at times, but it has gripping descriptions of the London Blitz and life in 1940-1944.

 

[StabKingPro]

I recommend the "Red Gambit" series by Colin Gee. It depicts a scenario where the Soviets declare war on the Allies after WW2

 

[BeyondExpectation]

Ello all,

In the lead-up to release, im getting into the genre by reading lots of fictional novels.
Some are easy to find on areas of topics,
G

It's actually impossible to read fictional novels, and it's impossible to find any, because, as they are fictional, they don't exist.

What you mean is you're reading fiction novels.

Just a pet hate of mine.