I finished The Guns of August and am now reading Paris, 1919 -- both about WWI. I've searched the internet for a quality book covering the period from the end of WWI to the beginning of WWII, but I haven't seen anything that has stood out.
Does anybody have a book recommendation for the period between the world wars? Or causes leading up to WWII?
Thanks.
Kind of... sort of... in the fiction world you might find this a good look at German life between the wars.Originally Posted by Crash Davis
STONES FROM THE RIVER: Ursula Hegi
I certainly don't mind good fiction.
Hmmm...Let's see here, an Oprah selection in 1997. I'll try it anyway
Amazon's reviews seem to be saying it's not an easy read and the main character is tough to identify with. However, what really grabs the reader is the description of Germany between the wars. Several reviews called it a masterpiece.
This book sounds intriguing . I'll definitely check it out. Thanks woy.
Most good comprehensive World War II books cover the run-up to war. For a better look at the Europe of the 1930s, I'd recommend William Shirer's books. "Rise and Fall of the Third Reich" is one of the best books of all time, IMO, and spends hundreds of pages on how the Germany of 1919 ended up as Hitler's Germany. "Berlin Diary" recounts his personal observations in the period of 1934-1941 when he was a CBS Radio correspondent stationed there. "Collapse of the Third Republic" chronicles the period between the wars in France that left them so unready to face Germany again.
My library's a little short on the Pacific side of the equation; most of the pre-war info I know comes from the comprehensive war histories.
Reading comprehension is not just an ability, it's a choice
Thank you. I feel a little obtuse for missing this one in the first place. I think I've come across this book at various times in the past, but may have told myself subconciously that I wasn't ready for the subject matter. It looks like any good reading of the period starts with this classic...wow, 1100 pages!
The length & the swastika on the cover are a bit intimidating, but this one will certainly head to the top of my "must read" list.
It looks like this is good one from the Pacific side of the equation:
The Rising Sun : The Decline and Fall of the Japanese Empire, 1936-1945
I took a class in Europe between the wars, and the main political text we used was "Europe Between the Wars: A Political History" by Martin Kitchen.
Pretty much strictly political history, and pretty much strictly about Europe. I'm trying to think about what else we read.
All of these suggestions sound much more interesting than anything I was able to dig up on my own.
Thanks for your help.
This looks pretty comprehensive. The no frills, textbook angle...including the textbook price. This appears to be the best bet to cover all of the participants in Europe rather than solely Germany. I'll look to use this as a complement to Rise & Fall. Thanks.
Kitchen is pretty dry, but will give you an overview. Might help you narrow your focus. And again, it's strictly European, if that's what you're interested in.
We also read Homage to Catalonia by George Orwell, and The New Architecture and the Bauhaus by Walter Gropius. Also a biography of Hitler.
My professor started all his classes with novel, and we read Mrs. Dalloway for this class. Kind of a fun way to start a class.
If you're interested in social/cultural American history, consider these:
Terrible Honesty by Ann Douglas. and The Damned and the Beautiful by Paula Fass.
And the literature of the period provides some great stuff to read too.
Good luck. It's a very interesting period to study. Important period in social and cultural history as well.
Dwarve's usually are.the main character is tough to identify with
My wife read it I picked it up.. Oprah reading lifecycle.Oprah selection in 1997
You might also do a search on books about "Weimar" Germany, aka the "Weimar Republic."
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