Best military history pictorials according to redditors
We found 99 Reddit comments discussing the best military history pictorials. We ranked the 48 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
We found 99 Reddit comments discussing the best military history pictorials. We ranked the 48 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
Here is a quote from Jon Guttman a research director at the
Weider History Group
>Given the size, scope, location, and timing of D-Day, there was little room for alternate scenarios if Operation Overlord had failed. Calais was closer, but Adolf Hitler expected that to be the landing zone and had the most powerful defenses there (Operation Fortitude had been designed to keep him expecting the landing to be there even as the Allied force was heading to Normandy). The weather was a critical factor—it delayed the invasion for days and failure on June 6 would have held up any further action for two weeks—at which point the Channel would have been experiencing its worst storms in years (June 19-22). Failure was really not an option and nobody, least of all General Dwight D. Eisenhower, was able or willing to consider anything short of success. Everyone involved conducted themselves accordingly, which (combined with virtually complete Allied air superiority) assured that there would not have to be a "Plan B."
Source
To reaffirm what Mr. Guttman said, I believe I read this in this book: D-Day: June 6, 1944: The Climactic Battle of World War II
It was mentioned that during planning, they were ready to throw everything they had into D-Day. Due to the massive scope of the invasion and planning, it was unlikely at all there was a Plan B, at least not one that was as detailed as Operation Overlord. Depending on the outcome of the failure, some have speculated perhaps Hitler would launch another invasion of Britain, but if you want to read about D-Day speculation if it failed, there are a few sources, books etc that may have some historical merit. From the book, it is mentioned that it crossed the minds of the generals what would happen if failure ensued. But the constant mind set by the military commanders at the time was "We must succeed."
One last thing when Eisenhower addressed the troops before the invasion you can speculate (now that we have the foresight) that there was nothing else. This was it. If you can't see the above, below is the broadcast given by Eisenhower:
>Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Force!
>You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you. In company with our brave Allies and brothers-in-arms on other Fronts, you will bring about the destruction of the German war machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over the oppressed peoples of Europe, and security for ourselves in a free world.
>Your task will not be an easy one. Your enemy is well trained, well equipped and battle hardened. He will fight savagely.
>But this is the year 1944 ! Much has happened since the Nazi triumphs of 1940-41. The United Nations have inflicted upon the Germans great defeats, in open battle, man-to-man. Our air offensive has seriously reduced their strength in the air and their capacity to wage war on the ground.
>Our Home Fronts have given us an superiority in weapons and munitions of war, and placed at our disposal great reserves of trained fighting men. The tide has turned! The free men of the world marching together to Victory!
>I have full confidence in your devotion to duty and skill in battle.
We will accept nothing less than full Victory!
>Good Luck! And let us all beseech blessing of Almighty God upon this great and noble undertaking.
>-Dwight D. Eisenhower
EDIT: Clarification
Not really... there are a ton of accounts of the war, both from soldiers and from civilians. Go to your local library and have a look around. The Russians were amazing in the war and don't get nearly enough credit, at least as far as I was taught in America.
Here's my favorite quote of all the documents I've read about WW2, spoken by a Red Army soldier from Kirghizia during the siege of Stalingrad:
>The city is tired, the house is tired, the stones are tired. We are not tired.
This was when Hitler was literally trying to destroy the city--not just capture it, or overtake it, but destroy it. Entirely. He ordered that every man in the city be killed (this was literally his exact order), and the women "deported", most likely to death camps. His primary reason for such destruction at the cost of millions of men's lives, including his own soldiers? The city's name.
Here's the quote of a German corporal writing home to his father about Russians in Stalingrad:
>Father, it's impossible to describe what is happening here. Everyone in Stalingrad who still possesses a head and hands, women as well as men, carries on fighting.
The true horrors of WW2 occurred on the Eastern front. But, the Pacific front was perhaps filled with the most disgusting, sadistic moments--especially if you include the 2nd Sino-Japanese war (Japanese occupation of mainland Asia, specifically China, where the Rape of Nanking happened). The Bataan Death March alone stands as a record of how terrible the Japanese military was.
Here's a (truncated) quote from Lester Tenney, an American soldier who was in the Death March, taken from the book The Story of World War II by Donald L. Miller, a book mostly comprised of quotations from people who experienced the war. The previous two quotes were also quoted in this book. Here's one of Tenney's stories (he tells quite a few about the march):
>On that fifth day of the march, I witnessed one of the most sadistic and inhumane incidents of the entire march... the guard ordered us to stand up and start walking. One of the men had a very bad case of malaria... When ordered to stand up, he could not do it. Without a minute's hesitation, the guard hit him over the head with the butt of his gun, knocked him down, then called for two nearby prisoners to dig a hole to bury the fallen prisoner. The two men started digging, and when the hole was about a foot deep, the guard ordered the two men to place the sick man in the hole and bury him alive. The two men shook their heads; they could not do that...
>Without warning... the guard shot the bigger of the two prisoners. He then pulled two more men from the line and ordered them to dig another hole to bury the murdered man... They dug the second hole, placed the two bodies in the holes, and threw dirt over them. The first man, still alive, started screaming as the dirt was thrown on him..."
He goes on to tell stories about decapitation, random killings, and even an officer on a horse who rides along the line swinging his sword in an attempt to decapitate random prisoners--including nearly killing Tenney himself. All of this, however, is nothing compared to the Japanese in mainland Asia, but I don't have anything on hand to quote from.
This is the kind of stuff that really should be read, and the kind of stories that must be told, because there's no way to say "war is bad" without describing, in detail, why. It's like telling a toddler not to touch a hot stove... without knowing the truth of the feeling, it can't be understood.
If you want to read more about life in the war, check out "The Good War" by Studs Terkel, which is entirely comprised of interviews with survivors of the war, families of soldiers, regular civilians during the war, etc. Gives a great portrait of every aspect of life during that time, not just the battles themselves. It doesn't give enough about the Eastern front, however, which is disappointing to me.
If you're curious about how absolutely ludicrous the Eastern front, notably the Russians, were, check out Ivan's War by Catherine Merridale. Absolutely fascinating. Also, listen to Dan Carlin's Hardcore History series about it. Really well presented and, though long, never boring. It's free on iTunes, under the podcast listings.
edit - Spelling, grammar, etc.
edit 2 - Forgot to mention that if you don't like non-fiction and haven't read All Quiet On The Western Front, this is basically a story designed to "stop war" by telling of its atrocities. Though I think it's technically fiction, the author was in the war (WWI in this case, and on the German side) and bases the story on his own/the others soldiers he served with's experiences. The scene where the narrator returns home on leave made me cry my eyes out. Short book but very powerful.
Best guess is he was being liberal with the page count and talking about D-Day by Stephen Ambrose (guy who wrote Band of Brothers), https://www.amazon.com/Day-June-Climactic-Battle-World/dp/068480137X
I can recommend the books from Osprey Publishing. They have published several booklets regarding infantry (and armoured) tactics in WWII.
World War II Infantry Tactics (1): Squad and Platoon
World War II Infantry Tactics (2): Company and Battalion
World War II US Armoured Infantry Tactics
World War II Infantry Anti-Tank Tactics
World War II Infantry Assault Tactics
World War II Airborne Warfare Tactics
World War II Street-Fighting Tactics
World War II Desert Tactics
World War II Japanese Tank Tactics
US World War II Amphibious Tactics
US World War II Amphibious Tactics: Mediterranean & European Theaters
World War II Combat Reconnaissance Tactics
World War II Jungle Warfare Tactics
World War II Axis Booby Traps and Sabotage Tactics
It seems like an archaic way to learn about them now, but when I was a kid, I used to buy books like this and just study them for hours at a time.
https://www.amazon.com/Illustrated-World-Encyclopedia-Guns-Photographs/dp/0754831760/ref=pd_sbs_14_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=JW0ZHJJRAN917V58HJQ6
We say 'Mosin' for the rifle, because there's a 'Nagant' revolver, but Mosin didn't design any other firearms.
This will show you how to adjust your sights.
This explains a concept called 'Natural Point of Aim,' which is very important indeed.
Cooper's Art of the Rifle is very readable.
Fred's Guide to Becoming a Rifleman is the basis of the curriculum of Appleseed, which is a very suitable introductory marksmanship clinic worthy of your attendance.
Since you are looking for some reference books, here are some that I resort to using quite often in my world-building process.
Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies by Jared M. Diamond
Plagues and Peoples by William H. McNeill
Weapon: A Visual History of Arms and Armor by Roger Ford
What People Wore When: A Complete Illustrated History of Costume from Ancient Times to the Nineteenth Century for Every Level of Society by Melissa Leventon
The History of Money by Jack Weatherford
If you need more, I can list more. I have a reference book for just about anything you could imagine in my ever-growing personal library.
Art of the Rifle
I also found this one helpful
Thanks. Looking for other funny business...
Yes, definitely WWI. The BBC Documentary 'World War One' has some video footage of this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zViwCUtQ5o&list=PLF99D52C080463C76
I can't remember which episode it's in, but they are all great. Really shows the "world war" element of WWI.
Documentaries are based on this book:
http://www.amazon.com/The-First-World-War-Strachan/dp/0143035185/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1368974043&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=hugh+strachan+world+war+i
You've started out right. Keep safe, buy ammo, use up, repeat.
Read the textbook. Zero your rifle, then get off the bench and get good at shooting from the standard positions.
Once you've done that, you'll be ready to make the most out of a centerfire rifle.
Have fun!
I suggest reading Stephen Ambrose's book on D-Day. The amount of planning, logistics, manpower, and whatnot that culminated in D-Day is nuts.
https://www.amazon.com/Day-June-Climactic-Battle-World/dp/068480137X
I always felt Stephen Ambrose did great work on his books.
The best part is that it only has positive reviews.
We really have to jump on it and tell people that it is full of errors and Wiki/Website copied text
Remember seeing this in an excellent visual encyclopaedia I checked out from the library as a kid in the mid 90's.
Fairly certain it was Weapon: A Visual History Of Arms And Armour if it wasn't Warrior: A Visual History Of The Fighting Man
It helps to know what something is worth and if you don't, look it up. You can get burned by impulse purchases.
About a year ago, I'm at a Goodwill and its 8:30 PM, they close a 9.
I see a beautiful coffee table book called The Navy by Rear Admiral W. J. Holland.
GW wanted $25 for it. It also had some light wear damage and dirty brown scuff marks on it, Formula 409 would have easily taken care of the dirty scuff marks.
Coffee table books can be very expensive..... I'll have to look in to this! It could be a schweet score! I doubt that anyone will buy this book in the next half hour, it'll be here tomorrow.
I go home and start researching this book, first stop, Google.
The Navy. This book has a stuffed and padded vinyl cover, the Navy emblem is raised about 1/4 off the cover and is about 4 inches wide. Take a look at the image gallery.
Amazon had it for under $20, Barnes & Noble had it for $11.99 and if you did an online reservation for in-store pickup, it was reduced to $9.99.
I also see that they have a book for each branch of the service, I call a friend who is a retired Army officer and ask him if he wants a nice book on the Army and I deliberately don't tell him anything about it.
"I found a nice book you may enjoy, its on me, my treat.".
I reserve both books and about 45 minutes later, I get an email that my order is ready for pick-up.
I go to the customer service desk with my reservation printed out, my order is waiting at the check-out counter.
They had stacks of these books in perfect mint condition near the front of the store.
When it was my turn to see a sales person, the guy there asks me if I have a B&N frequent reader rewards card, I stated that I didn't. He picked up a card from the side of the register and scans it, an additional discount registers on the screen.
I thank him, pay for the purchase and walk back to my car.
Looking at the receipt, including sales tax, each book came out to be $7.13, brand new.
The look on my friend's face when I pulled the book out of the bag and handed it to him was awesome.
Be careful of impulse purchases, if you are not sure you're looking at a deal in your hands, do your research first. I'm glad I did!
I found a great deal thanks to GW! Too bad it wasn't at GW.
I was at Barnes and Noble and wanted to get it but then I saw that mistake.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1465436081/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_Y24Jzb9PD9NSC
I don't know about videos, but I recently picked up The Art of Rifle by Jeff Cooper. After reading it, I've gotta say it's a must have. It's a short book, but it covers everything the rifleman needs to know. I disagree with him on some points (Scout rifles are really stupid), but that doesn't detract from the wealth of information he offers. It covers proper stances, grip, breathing, all sorts of other stuff, and, perhaps more importantly, mindset. It's exactly what you need. Hell, I wish I'd read it a year or so ago when I got into rifles.
Jeff Cooper's book is pretty good.
I would recommend New History Of World War II, specifically the revised/updated one by Stephen E. Ambrose. Here's a link to it on Amazon.
http://www.amazon.com/American-Heritage-New-History-WWII/dp/0670874744
It's a rather hefty book, in fact I'm fairly certain it's some sort of textbook, but I have yet to come across a better text on World War II.
...and other people grossly underestimate the importance of tactics and the fact that even miracles have their limits. If huge losses are acceptable, even tanks can be taken by disciplined but ill-equipped force. Also:
http://www.bayonetstrength.150m.com/Tactics/Formations/FireSupport/infantry_antitank_tactics.htm
http://www.amazon.com/World-Infantry-Anti-Tank-Tactics-Elite/dp/1841768421 [see first review]
As always, American Heritage is a good reference and starting point. I also recommend their Civil War book if you're interested in that.
Stephen Ambrose has several good books including Band of Brothers.
I like John Keegan, so I'll recommend his book.
That's all I've got to start with, maybe someone else can pick up where I left of, there are a lot of books on WWII out there. Might be easier to pick a specific battle or theatre you're interested in and find a good book about it.
Here's a great book that a lot of gun fans enjoy.
https://www.amazon.com/Art-Rifle-Jeff-Cooper/dp/1581605927
I really enjoyed The First World War by Hew Strachan. I enjoyed the approach, and it read a little easier than other books on the topic I tried.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Army-Harold-Nelson/dp/0883631016/ref=pd_sim_b_1 Not sure if your son is a big reader. Alternately, if your son is a religious gentleman, there are bibles that are customized for Soldiers. (I was given a copy of the Airman's Bible when I graduated boot from religious family members, for example!)
He also wrote a book called D-Day which is also a very good WWII read. Along with many other historical works spanning from the American Civil War through the Cold War. D-Day by Ambrose, Ambrose's other books.
Nope, but I on Thursday I finished a 650 page book about the WW2 experience. That should count for at least something. Anyways, the wish for this such wounds was repeated by multiple soldiers on multiple fronts and made to sound like it was a common sentiment. Here's a link if you're interested.
Actually on the western front this did happen a lot. Especially in machine gun nests which were basically made up of 4-5 conscripts with a German officer responsible for them. Often times they would just shoot the officer and surrender to the Allies advancing their way. This book is really good if you're interested in the subject.
This one! It's great if you like pictures of things, and since I was doing a project on the uniforms, I really found that super useful. There's a lot of information in there too, and it's all really easy to absorb.
The NRA offers a solid set of rifle and pistol 101 classes. One of these would be a good way to get started. After that, competition is a great way to meet experienced shooters and grow your skills. The same applies with classes taught by a good instructor. Check out IDPA for practical pistol shooting. You didn't specifically mention what kind of firearm you're planning to learn.
There's a lot of culture and history wrapped up with firearms. Unintended Consequences is a great way to get a quick overview of that. I see that it's now out of print and rather pricey, but perhaps your library has it.
Tactical Pistol Shooting is a good text on serious use of a pistol. After that, Practical Shooting, Beyond Fundamentals is your guide to reaching the stars. The book will make no sense the first time you read it, but keep shooting and returning to it, and it will not only take your shooting to the next level but change the way you experience the world. Gabe Suarez's books are also good discussions on fighting with pistols. The hardware section in In the Gravest Extreme is woefully out of date, but the sections on legal use of lethal force still apply.
FM 23-10 is a good text on shooting a rifle. The Art of the Rifle is a very readable intro text but leaves out a lot of important things. Jim Owens's book on sight alignment and trigger control is a masterpiece, and his others are worth the price. Green Eyes, Black Rifles is the best book I've found for getting down to business with an AR-15.
But really, you're not going to learn all this from books. They'll mostly help once you've reached a level of proficiency where you can begin to accurately self assess your performance. Note that you'll be ahead of 95% shooters at that level. See Unskilled and Unaware of It for an overview of that. I thought I knew how to shoot a pistol when I showed up for my first IDPA pistol class and ended up getting my ass handed to me. It was quite a humbling experience. After that, I took some classes, spent time shooting with master-class pistoleros, and developed my skills. A few years later I was placing at the top of local matches and teaching other newbies to shoot. I've gotten fairly good with a rifle and carbine thanks to a few classes and shooting with guys that have spent time downrange.
Julie Goloski likely wouldn't appreciate the comments on male family members being the only ones qualified to teach shooting ;-)
Can't help you with shotguns.
I remember having two english books. One is about Weapons and equipment used in WW2 and the other is a Tiger Tank Manual. Hope this helps!
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1844769976/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_1?pf_rd_p=1944687442&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B008SLJQKI&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0W3M8DDGEKCA7Q8CW5MM
Are you looking for something like this?
The First World War by Hew Strachan is an excellent read, and goes into this.
I got so engrossed in this, I started naming my EVE Online ships after German Pacific Fleet ships, like the Emden and Seydlitz.
The bench is great for removing all human error so you can sight a rifle in. After that, it's not much use for building real shooting skills. Ask a soldier or a hunter how many times they've had the luxury of sitting down at a bench to set up their shots.
Jeff Cooper wrote a relatively inexpensive book that covers everything you ever wanted to know about how to shoot from field positions:
http://www.amazon.com/Art-Rifle-Jeff-Cooper/dp/1581605927/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1301327002&sr=1-1
My dad taught me to shoot from kneeling and prone as a kid and I've been doing it ever since, and I still learned more about those positions in that book, as well as others like rice paddy squat, etc. Most outdoor ranges will let you shoot from field positions as long as you don't get ahead of the line of benches. If not, it's time to find a new range.
Some of my reccommendations
​
Anthony Beevor's books on Stalingrad and The Fall of Berlin
​
Bernard Fall's Hell in a Very Small Place about the Siege of Dien Bien Phu
​
Osprey's book on Infantry Anti Tank Tactics. I thoroughly enjoyed this and gave me some insight into tactis that I can try out in the Combat Mission games.
​
Well a large difference would likely to be in the material and workmanship of the weapons. Roman swords were produced of relatively high-quality steel in large facilities known as fabricae who's sole purpose was to produce weapons and equipment for the legions (I'm guessing from your tag you know this, but I'm extrapolating for others that may come along and read).
On the other hand, Anglo-Saxon weapons were mostly made of iron and low-quality steel produced in local forces and smithed by local craftsmen, except in rare cases where higher quality steel was traded for. This would have made the Roman weapons harder, more rugged, and able to take and keep a better edge for longer. A roman's sword was expected to last him (with repairs and maintenance) his entire campaign (indeed, his pay would be docked if he required a replacement). As anyone who's used a iron or cheap steel weapon for any period of time can tell you, they frequently will be bent, chipped and lack an edge by the end of even a couple hours and require extensive resharpening or even reworking. I don't feel comfortable speculating on exactly how long an Anglo-Saxon would keep to one particular weapon, but it's safe to assume that they were not viewed with the same aire of longevity that roman swords were.
I recommend this book for further reading. It's one of my favorites.
The Art of the Rifle by Jeff Cooper
NOT the magpul 'art of the precision rifle' stuff, i wont say its shit, but ill spend my time reading cooper over watching that stuff any day of the week.the man is a legend, his writing is surpurb, and the information is timeless.
I think this is probably the best answer. If they didn't have any bazookas or AT grenades available to attempt dislodging the tank tracks their best plan would've been to impede the tanks' movement as best as possible (essentially just slowing them down). They had time to pre-position debris, felled trees, concertina wire, and other improvised obstacles to this effect but realistically they would've still had to blow the bridge. Please note that this is all highly speculative.
More reading: World War II Infantry Anti-Tank Tactics (in particular check out the "US Army Anti-Tank Ambush" description on page 61)
Battlefield 1 is fantastic. Here's my personal favorite two - books about guns. No, I'm not a gun nut, I just really like military history. The first one goes more into history, while the second has specifications and technical information. Both are really interesting and make a great conversation starter. The best part is as you can see, they're not expensive at all.
As for history, any of - the Smithsonian's - visual history books are fantastic.
A personal favorite of mine, though, is Timeline. It's a gorgeous art book with a timeline of human history. It really helps kind of put things in perspective, and while it's not photographs, the art is really well done and appealing.
As for mycology, check the website of major arboretums near you. I'm lucky enough to live near the Virginia State Arboretum, and they usually have contact emails and are more than glad to recommend books, activities, and even offer volunteer positions to help you turn your interest into a hobby. I'm not sure myself about fungi books, but your local arboretum (usually on a major university campus) or the Virginia Arboretum should be able to point you in the right direction.
For anything else, you can usually find good art books by googling (Subject) Visual History or Visual Compendium, Visual Compilation, Etc. Visual is usually the key word. Even (Subject) Visual Book usually nets some great results.
Ive got this one which might be appropriate https://www.amazon.com/World-War-Definitive-Visual-History/dp/1465419381
She gave us a year, it was The Price of Glory, Strachan's First World War and The War Walk, and managed to get us rooms at [ Toc H] (http://www.greatwar.co.uk/ypres-salient/museum-talbot-house-history.htm), a living museum, so she was forgiven.
...If you ever have the chance to go to Toc H, do. It was one of the highlights of the trip.
Deep survival
Bushcraft
These are the two that come to mind. Deep survival focuses on frame of mind, and bushcraft focuses on skills. It's a good balance.
Edit: the art of the rifle if this doesn't motivate you to learn about shooting, nothing will.
I'd honestly recommend Hew Strachan's books over this. His work is much more in line with the current views in the field.
Volume one: to arms
His less in depth single volume overview of the war
If you'd like to learn more...
Weapon: A Visual History of Arms and Armor was very popular when I was in school. Everyone loved looking at the weapons and reading about them. I can't remember how easy the readings were, but it would definitely interest him!
https://www.amazon.com/Gun-Visual-History-DK/dp/0756695732
Well, at one point I was into books like these. GI Joe was another big influence.
I was going to suggest https://www.amazon.com/Art-Rifle-Jeff-Cooper/dp/0873649311/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=the+art+of+the+rifle&qid=1569479540&sr=8-1 but HOLY SHIT that's not cheap.
Well, let's see.
There's a professor based out of Washington, another professor - Harvard-educated, and a graduate in international security who writes for Time.
But hey, maybe all these guys are politically biased. That could happen, right? Let's see what the right-wing press has to say.
Oh, wait. Huh. Maybe someone with access to CIA data, then?
Well gosh and darn. Maybe the New York Times can provide a different answer?
No? Jeez, seems like ya can't trust anyone to toe the official line any more.
Not sure if it's "reading" material per se, but he might be interested in a World War 1 atlas. I can't attest to the offers on Amazon, but this visual history for example seems to cover with visual examples key battles of the war, key figures in the war, weapons and tactics used in the war, personal accounts, illustrated timelines... it looks a lot more fun than just a straight-forward book.
And this atlas (albeit without photo examples and a steep price tag) promises "a comprehensive visual guide to this complex conflict. It plots the exact course of the land, sea and air campaigns in fine detail, enabling the reader to trace the ebb and flow of the fortunes of all sides. With the aid of more than 160 full-color maps, every theatre of war is covered – from the Western Front to Sumatra, from Gallipoli to Galicia to Ghana, from Dogger Bank to Dalmatia, from Romania to Rhodesia, from the Falklands to Togo to Sinai."
Anyway, I think these could be as good and informative a Battlefield 1 companion as a straightforward text.
http://www.amazon.com/Military-History-Definitive-Objects-Warfare/dp/0756698383
The DK Smithsonian books are quite good for visuals. These two may be up your brother's ally. The first one has a bit of everything while the second one is Military.
https://www.amazon.com/When-Earth-DK/dp/1465429409/
https://www.amazon.com/Military-History-Definitive-Objects-Warfare/dp/0756698383
Hew Strachan has a shorter version https://www.amazon.com/First-World-War-Hew-Strachan-ebook/dp/B002UZDTEC/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?keywords=strachan+first+world+war&qid=1573422017&sprefix=strachan&sr=8-1
The Story of World War II is amazing!
Drawing on previously unpublished eyewitness accounts, prizewinning historian Donald L. Miller has written what critics are calling one of the most powerful accounts of warfare ever published. Here are the horror and heroism of World War II in the words of the men who fought it, the journalists who covered it, and the civilians who were caught in its fury. Miller gives us an up-close, deeply personal view of a war that was more savagely fought -- and whose outcome was in greater doubt -- than readers might imagine. This is the war that Americans at the home front would have read about had they had access to the previously censored testimony of the soldiers on which Miller builds his gripping narrative.
Miller covers the entire war -- on land, at sea, and in the air -- and provides new coverage of the brutal island fighting in the Pacific, the bomber war over Europe, the liberation of the death camps, and the contributions of African Americans and other minorities. He concludes with a suspenseful, never-before-told story of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, based on interviews with the men who flew the mission that ended the war.
https://www.amazon.com/Story-World-War-II-expanded-ebook/dp/B003L77XCW
>Ultimately, a real program for maintaining U.S. power would involve accepting the risk of occasional security failures, rather than trying to overwhelm risk with ever-higher defense spending: There is no way for even the world’s largest economy and mightiest military to become invulnerable. The United States must identify and prioritize the greatest current and future threats to its national security rather than try to do everything, everywhere. Ineffective military interventions are siphoning off funds that could be better spent at home. They also distract the military from preparing for future wars, possibly against other great powers.
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>While there are downsides to pulling troops out of existing conflicts too quickly, waiting too long is counterproductive—more problems will be created than terrorists killed. The United States also does not need to spend hundreds of billions of dollars each year maintaining approximately 800 military bases in 80 countries. This is roughly double the number of countries that bases were in at the end of the Cold War, and the total amount can be reduced somewhat without severely compromising America’s ability to respond to future crises.
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>All of this does not mean that the United States should turn inward and disengage from the world—something the Ming dynasty in China did, arguably to its detriment. Instead, the message policymakers need to absorb is one that may seem counterintuitive: Diplomacy and development may be more effective and cheaper than military spending. A smart policy prioritizing U.S. security, like the one President Trump claims he wants, would actually involve cooperating with other countries and supporting international institutions like the UN (which the president consistently denigrates), letting these institutions do the work they are designed to do, and which the U.S. military in the long term is a poor and ineffective substitute for.
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>History indicates that all great powers eventually fall. And it’s far from clear that striving to maintain American dominance at all costs would be a morally advisable course even if it were a realistic one. But the United States has the power to affect the pace of change in the dynamic global balance of power and reduce the chances of a devastating war with its rivals. Everyone, the U.S. included, would benefit from that.
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We are accelerating towards the "fall of the United States" because we are evolving slower than much of the world around us and our government is arrogant in it's belief that we are the strongest. We may be today but internal instability grows with each day and that makes it impossible for us to be effective world leaders.