Forgotten Voices Of The Second World War: A New History of the Second World War in the Words of the Men and Women Who Were There

I've had this book for quite a while and never really read it properly. I'd always just read short snippets to get a feel.Now, as we've been seeing a lot of TV and press coverage to mark the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain, I decided to read it thoroughly and I'm very pleased that I did.Other reviewers have described the format well and give you a good idea of what to expect but what i particularly enjoy is seeing the same names cropping up and piecing together their stories. Some make you realise how much of a lottery the 2nd world war must have been, not just for soldiers but also for civilians as well.The emotions also come across so well, even though some of the accounts must have been recorded years later it's obviously still very vivid in peoples minds. You really do feel like you've been a part of the events, it's empowering!From the perspective of the western allies, almost all the confrontations are covered. As a result of this it makes for an excellent tutorial on the war's events.Finally, it's good to see the odd account dropped in from the German perspective. You get a sense of balance and really feel the nationalism that the Nazi's managed to ingrain in their people at the start.A very enjoyable read that constantly piques your interest and makes you want to keep turning those pages.

Good book and in good condition

I actually got this for my other half who is into History, I like history but this book is great for the both of us. It really does capture what it was like for our grandparents/great relations that were in the war. It has different perspectives from a diverse range of people like soldiers, German/English school children etc. Easy to pick up and put down again with short detailed interviews with each person in a variety of situations. A great book and good educational tool no doubt. I had the first world war book and hadn't had it a week before ordering this one! Go for it. makes great gift or personal read.

Another very good read from the FORGOTTEN VOICES series.The book uses interviews taken from the IWM sound archive to tell the peoples stories of their experiences in WW2.It charts the war from 1939-45 using accounts from soldiers, sailors, airmen, children, civilians, from the outbreak of war thru to VJ day.It includes accounts of evacuation, the phoney war, Dunkirk, Battle of Britain, Burma, Western Desert, Arnhem, the Atomic bomb etc.A marvellous insight into WW2 from a personal perspective.

This book, like the others in the series, consists of first-party recollections by people who witnessed and participated in the events covered. The accounts vary in length between a few lines and several pages, and the contributors include a wide range of military ranks (as well as a few civilians). The voices of the lower ranks are particularly interesting, as such veterans did not, in general, write full-length memoirs as many officers did.The book can either be read from beginning to end, or dipped into. I did the former, to benefit from the chronological order. Either way, anyone interested in military history should find it an enthralling read.

great read couldn't put it down

This book has blown me away, I love the fact there are views from all walks of life and nationalities. It has opened my eyes to the Second World and I cannot put the book down.

Compelling and fascinating read. Sometimes amusing. Also heartbreaking to read of grave injustices of conscripts, most too young to understand the insanity of how stupid and expensive wars are!

This is a good read giving accounts of individual people. It is personal and up close not a military history. It is a history of the people who made history.

Well researched & written

This is an excellent book, the heroic stories of ordinary people living through life and death situations to protect democracy and freedom. Is the current generation made of the same stuff?. Also read by same author, 'Forgotten voices of First World War' which was perhaps even better. Was interested in this as 100th anniversary is soon.

Too centered in officers completely ignoring privates and normal soldiers. And too much description of "I did X, with a gun type Y with uses ammunition type Z". Too much description and too little about what the soldiers where thinking about what was happening, which in the end is why one buys this types of books instead of "pure" history.