THE LIBRARY

Diamondback · **Diamondback**

As suggested by BasicBob over in General Discussion, I'm starting a list of reference books recommended by the Forumini Community. Tiornu, not snubbing you, I just need to look up your works so I know what you've done and where to place 'em...

General WWII Warships/Naval History:
John Keegan, The Price of Admiralty +1/-0
S. E. Morison, US Naval Operations in World War II +1/-0
Conway's:
--All the World's Fighting Ships, 1906-21
--All the World's Fighting Ships, 1922-46+1/-0
M. J. Whitley:
--Battleships of World War II
--Cruisers of World War II
--Destroyers of World War II

UK Royal Navy, various Commonwealth Navies and merchant-marine:
Osprey Publishing:
--New Vanguard 154: British Battleships 1939-1945 (1)
--New Vanguard 88: British Battlecruisers 1939-45
--New Vanguard 129: British Submarines 1939-45
--New Vanguard 74: British Motor Torpedo Boat 1939-45

French Navy, FNFL and merchant-marine:

United States Navy, Coast Guard and merchant-marine:
Osprey Publishing:
--New Vanguard 114: US Navy Aircraft Carriers 1922-45 (prewar CVs)
--New Vanguard 130: US Navy Aircraft Carriers 1942-45 (war-built CVs)
--New Vanguard 118: US Submarines 1941-45
--New Vanguard 148: US Patrol Torpedo Boats
--New Vanguard 115: Landing Ship, Tank 1942-2002

German Kriegsmarine and merchant-marine:
M. J. Whitley:
--German Capital Ships of World War Two
--German Cruisers of World War Two
--German Destroyers of World War Two
--German Coastal Forces of World War Two
Osprey Publishing:
--New Vanguard 71: German Battleships 1939-45
--New Vanguard 75: German Pocket Battleships 1939-45
--New Vanguard 81: German Heavy Cruisers 1939-45
--New Vanguard 84: German Light Cruisers 1939-45
--New Vanguard 91: German Destroyers 1939-45
--New Vanguard 51: Kriegsmarine U-boats 1939-45 (1)
--New Vanguard 55: Kriegsmarine U-boats 1939-45 (2)
--New Vanguard 59: German E-boats 1939-1945
--New Vanguard 151: Kriegsmarine Coastal Forces
--New Vanguard 156: Kriegsmarine Auxiliary Cruisers

Italian Regia Marina and merchant-marine:

Imperial Japanese Navy and merchant-marine:
Ugly Ducklings: Japanese Liberty Ship Equivalents
Capt. Tameichi Hara, Japanese Destroyer Captain +1/-0
(OOP) A. J. Watts, Japanese Warships of World War II, Doubleday 1967 +1/-0
Osprey Publishing:
--New Vanguard 109: IJN Aircraft Carriers 1921-45 +1/-0
--New Vanguard 146: IJN Battleships 1941-45
--New Vanguard 135: IJN Submarines 1941-45

Scandinavian Campaign:

Destruction of Graf Spee:

Operation Rheinubung (Bismarck):

Mediterranean Campaign:

Channel Dash:

Pearl Harbor:
Carl Smith, Campaign 62: Pearl Harbor 1941
Remember Pearl Harbor (dated, but shows contemporary reporting)
The Broken Seal
Gordon Prange et al.: (controversial, but worth a read)
--At Dawn We Slept +1/-0
--Pearl Harbor: The Verdict of History

ABDA Southwest Pacific Battles:

Doolittle Raid:
Clayton Chun, Campaign 156: The Doolittle Raid 1942 (Osprey)

Midway:
Mark Healy, Campaign 30: Midway 1942
Jon Parshall & Anthony Tully, Shattered Sword (yes, the CombinedFleet.com guys!) +1/-0

South Pacific:
Richard B. Frank, Guadalcanal +1/-0
Richard Tregaskis, Guadalcanal Diary (landside, but worth a read--librarian's biased, this is one I learned to read on) +1/-0
Joseph Mueller, Campaign 18: Guadalcanal 1942

Central Pacific:
Osprey Publishing:
--Campaign 77: Tarawa 1943
--Campaign 139: Guam 1941 & 1944
--Campaign 137: Saipan & Tinian 1944
--Campaign 110: Pelelieu 1944
--Campaign 146: The Marshall Islands 1944

Leyte Gulf:
Bernard Ireland, Campaign 163: Leyte Gulf 1944 (Osprey) +1/-0
James D. Hornfischer, The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors +2/-0
Edwin P. Hoyt, The Battle of Leyte Gulf +1/-0

Final Steps to Japan:
Osprey Publishing:
--Campaign 81: Iwo Jima 1945
--Campaign 96: Okinawa 1945
--Campaign 200: Japan 1945

Operation DOWNFALL:

WWII Fiction:
Herman Wouk, The Caine Mutiny +1/-0
Nicholas Monserrat, The Cruel Sea +1/-0

Video References:
Das Boot

NOTE: Yes, some of these headings are empty--I'll add more later.

As new entries are posted, I will edit them in here--and for you landlubbers, I'll start one for you guys in a few days.. Also, I'm going to place part of my personal Rolodex at the Forumini's disposal--if anybody else has personal contacts well-placed within naval, maritime or air museums and is willing to act as a go-between, post 'em and I'll add you.

Diamondback
--National Museum of Naval Aviation, Pensacola
--Australian National Maritime Museum, Sydney
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Frickin' cookie crap...

IJNCVLF: 'Cuz my Avengers wanna bust more'n just BB's...

weedsrock2 · **weedsrock2**

I have a great little book called "Japanese Warships of World War II" by A.J. Watts. 1967. New York:Doubleday & Co. 400 pages. It is out-of-print so I paid a premium price on the used book market. But it was worth it. It lists all IJN and IJA ships with stats and many illustrations and photos.

Okay, here are a few books in my library that I consider to be of good quality and/or fun to read.

Hara, Tameichi, Capt. 1967. Japanese Destroyer Captain. Annapolis, MD:Naval Institute Press. 310 pp.

Parshall, J. and A. Tulley. 2007. Shattered Sword: The Untold Story of the Battle of Midway. Washington D.C.: Potomac Books. 612 pp.

Stille, M. 2005. Imperial Japanese Navy Aircraft Carriers: 1921-1945. Oxford UK: New Vanguard. 48 pp.

I will give a second vote for Conways ( I own the 1922-46 volume) and for Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors.

WWII Naval Fiction:

Wouk, H. 1951. The Caine Mutiny. Garden City, NY: Doubleday & Co. 498 pp.

Monserrat, N. The Cruel Sea. The current edition 'in press' on Amazon is from Burford Books printed in 2000 with 520 pages. I read this book back in the 60's. It is one of the best.
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The IJN Carrier Liberation Force - "Because We Care"
Join the IJNCVLF. Service Guarantees Citizenship!

BasicBob · **BasicBob**

Thank you D-back this is primarily what I was referring to.

In addition we should add the author's name to these titles as I think it's the proper thing to do.

James D. Hornfischer - The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors

I believe there are two books that I know of that has The Battle of Leyte Gulf as the title. The one I would recommend is the one by Edwin P. Hoyt.
C. Vann Woodward ( a noted historian) has authored a book on this battle as well, but I have not read it.

Also I would like to add to the list US Naval Operations in World War II by Samuel E. Morison ( a 15 volume set! Superb!)
Guadalcanal by Richard B. Frank
The Price of Admiralty by John Keegan ( half of the book deals with Midway and the Battle for the Atlantic.)
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"DAMN the Torpedos!"

BasicBob · **BasicBob**

Categories to add D-back.

General WW II Naval warfare ( anything that covers the entire naval war.)
Mediterranean Campaign
Battle of the Java Sea
Norway 1940 Campaign at Sea

More will come later from I'm sure.
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"DAMN the Torpedos!"

Diamondback · **Diamondback**

Edit in progress, guys. I'm not "voting for" or endorsing anything on the list, I'm just braindumping everything I can think of related to this subject.

Any readers with Research Board Mod credentials, please feel free to edit your suggestions directly into the OP, and edit the +/- to suit:

BasicBob · **BasicBob**

D-back message recieved.

I have recalled another one before I turn in for the night.
At Dawn We Slept by Gordon W. Prange ( subject Pearl Harbor ) I forgot I still had this one.
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"DAMN the Torpedos!"

Diamondback · **Diamondback**

Oh, Bob, I've been omitting authors on the Osprey "series" titles for spce and the fact that series and title should be enough to locate 'em. No disrespect to some very talented authors intended.
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Frickin' cookie crap...

IJNCVLF: 'Cuz my Avengers wanna bust more'n just BB's...

drittal · **drittal**

Ship of Ghosts, James D Hornfischer. Story of the USS Houston, Details her time as flagship of the Asiatic fleet, ABDA, the battles around Java, and the hardships her survivors endured as POW's.

Sea of Thunder, Evan Thomas. The battle of Leyte Gulf from the perspective of Halsey, Kurita, Ugaki, and best of all Cmdr Ernest Evans of the USS Johnston. Great read to go along with Last Stand...
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NeuralDream · **NeuralDream**

When a few new books need to be added in the Forumini store, please let me know by pm.
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My new blog, specialised in the military equipment of Greece (1821-today).

EvilKobra · **EvilKobra**

Another +1 to Conway's 1922-1946. And to Ospreys 118, 129 and 135.

I'll also second all of Whitley's and Osprey's Kriegsmarine books, except the E-boat, Coastal Forces, and Aux Cruisers volumes, which I don't yet have.

On the subject of Auxiliaries, you absolutely can't miss:

Wolfgang Frank & Bernhard Rogge's "German Raider Atlantis"
Ulrich Mohr's "Ship 16"
August Muggenthaler's "German Raiders of World War II"

Also, whether or not you've seen the film, it's worth reading:

Lothar-Günther Buchheim's "Das Boot"

There's some more I'd like to recommend, but I don't remember the authors by name so I'll look when I get home.
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NeuralDream · **NeuralDream**

+1 Conway's and Das Boot
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My new blog, specialised in the military equipment of Greece (1821-today).

drittal · **drittal**

RAEVSKI · **RAEVSKI**

The main Romanian source is the bible-
Third axis fourth ally Mark Axworthy ISBN 1-85409-267-7
+ The ospery book on Romania i can't remember the title
+ The Order of battle of Romania- Nafzigger ( i found lots mistakes in this be careful)
Australia
The Encyclopedia of Australia's Battles Chris Coultard-Clark ISBN 1-86508-634-7
The Royal Australian Navy- A History. Oxford press ISBN 0-19-555542-2
Hope that helps
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RaySpruance · **RaySpruance**

Despite it not being the best book, I'll toss in the Jane's Fighting Ships 1947 edition as a place to at least start for the Allied Navies.
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"Si vis pacem parabellum" - If you want peace, prepare for war

GOLD Rated Trader at +32

protevangelium · **protevangelium**

Paul S. Dull's A Battle History of the Imperial Japanese Navy (1941-1945) (Annapolis, Md.: Naval Institute Press, 1978) is a handy volume for surface actions. I use it a lot if I want a condensed but accurate version of various battles. You may want to include it.
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c_m_kwong · **c_m_kwong**

i am not a serious naval historian but i am now reading Edward S. Miller, War Plan Orange: the US Strategy to Defeat Japan, 1897-1945, (Annapolis 1992)

As the title suggests, this is an in depth study on how the plan against Japan evolved over time, very interesting to me because it deals with how militarymen planned war in changing circumstances.

btw, although its not directly related to WAS, there is an excellent book in English on Chinese navy from 1860s to 1945
Richard N. J. Wright, The Chinese Steam Navy 1862-1945, (2001)
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I just hope they will make a miniature of the French battleship Hoche...

drittal · **drittal**

Iron Coffins by Herbert Werner. Written by one of the few surviving U-Boat Captains about his experiences in WWII.
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Diamondback · **Diamondback**

Thanks, y'all. I'm swamped juggling things, but I'll edit 'em all in as soon as I can--if you see an edit by me in your post, it means I've incorporated your suggestions into the OP, it's mainly a housekeeping note for me so I know what I have and haven't gotten to yet.

Thanks to all for your patience!
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Frickin' cookie crap...

IJNCVLF: 'Cuz my Avengers wanna bust more'n just BB's...

cealigh the MadScot · **cealigh the MadScot**

For an in depth analisys of naval power beginning in the early dreadnaught era to modern day
"Power at Sea" three book series by Lyle A Rose.
Very informative in understanding not only the Political aspects but also the strategic and tactical ramifications of decisions that were made and outcomes of key battles.
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The SCA: Just an excuse for getting dressed up in Medieval clothing and beat each other up with padded sticks!

Tiornu · **Tiornu**

My interest is mostly in warship design, so I'll focus on that. I'll list the "essential" titles with a broad scope. I'll try not to repeat titles already mentioned, but I'll probably fail.
Campbell, John. Naval Weapons of World War Two. Conway Maritime Press Ltd., 1985.
Brown, Louis. A Radar History of World War II. Institute of Physics Publishing, 1999.
Conway’s All the World’s Fighting Ships series (loads of stats, makes a good complement with my FLEETS book)
Brown, Eric M. Duels in the Sky. Naval Institute Press, 1988. (carrier aircraft)
Layman, R. D. and Stephen McLaughlin. The Hybrid Warship. Naval Institute Press, 1991.
Garzke, William H. and Robert O. Dulin, Jr. Battleships: Axis and Neutral Battleships in World War II. Naval Institute Press, 1985.
Garzke, William H. and Robert O. Dulin, Jr. Battleships: Allied Battleships in World War II. Naval Institute Press, 1980.
Garzke, William H. and Robert O. Dulin, Jr. Battleships: United States Battleships 1935-1992. Naval Institute Press, 1995.
Friedman, Norman. Battleship Design and Development 1905-1945. Conway Maritime Press Ltd., 1978.
Worth, Richard. In the Shadow of the Battleship. Nimble Books LLC, 2008. (booklet providing a foundation for those who want to understand cruiser designs--ask me if you want to know more)
Chesneau, Roger. Aircraft Carriers of the World. Naval Institute Press, 1984. and
Bagnasco, Erminio. Submarines of World War Two. Naval Institute Press, 1977. (these two are the equivalents to Whitley's battleship, cruiser, and destroyer encyclopedias)
Jentschura, Hansgeorg, Dieter Jung, and Peter Mickel. Warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy 18691945. Naval Institute Press, 1978. and
Evans, David C. and Mark R. Peattie. Kaigun. Naval Institute Press, 1997.
Peattie, Mark R. Sunburst. Naval Institute Press, 2001. (not about design but essential for understanding doctrine)
Ledet, Michel. Samouraï sur porte-avions: les groupes embarques japonais et leurs porteavions 1922-1944. Lela Presse, 2006. (helps if you read French....)
Francillon, René J. Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War. Naval Institute Press, 2000.
Carpenter, Dorr and Norman Polmar. Submarines of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Naval Institute Press, 1986.
Boyd, Carl and Akihiko Yoshida. The Japanese Submarine Force and World War II. Naval Institute Press, 1995.
Yakubov, Vladimir and Richard Worth. Raising the Red Banner: The Pictorial History of Stalin’s Fleet 1920-1945. Spellmount Ltd. Publishers, 2008. (currently the best guide for most of the ships it covers)
Meister, Jürg. Soviet Warships of the Second World War. Arco Publishing Company Inc., 1977. (attempts to cover everything--it's a classic but now very long in the tooth)
McLaughlin, Stephen. Russian & Soviet Battleships. Naval Institute Press, 2003.
Polmar, Norman and Jurrien Noot. Submarines of the Russian and Soviet Navies 1718-1990. Naval Institute Press, 1991.
Gröner, Erich. German Warships 1815-1945: Vol. I Major Surface Vessels; Vol. II U-Boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. Naval Institute Press, 1990-92. (actually a translation of a portion of the 8-volume German original)
Whitley has already been mentioned; if you're careful, you can find the books by Koop & Schmolke that give in-depth coverage on a class-by-class basis.
Israel, Ulrich H.-J. Einziger deutscher Flugzeugträger Graf Zeppelin. Koehlers Verlagsgesellschaft mbH, 2000. (yes, in German, but continues to be the acknowledged authority)
Breyer, Siegfried. Graf Zeppelin. AJ-Press, 2004. (not a bad substitute, don't confuse it with the older Schiffer title)
Friedman, Norman. U.S. Naval Weapons. Conway Maritime Press Ltd., 1983.
Friedman, Norman. U.S. Battleships. Naval Institute Press, 1985.
Friedman, Norman. U.S. Aircraft Carriers. Naval Institute Press, 1983.
Friedman, Norman. U.S. Cruisers. Naval Institute Press, 1984.
Friedman, Norman. U.S. Destroyers. Naval Institute Press, 1982.
Friedman, Norman. U.S. Submarines through 1945. Naval Institute Press, 1995.
Friedman, Norman. U.S. Small Combatants. Naval Institute Press, 1987.
Friedman, Norman. U.S. Amphibious Ships and Craft. Naval Institute Press, 2002.
Silverstone, Paul H. The Navy of World War II, 1922-1946. Routledge, 2006.
Lenton, H. T. British and Empire Warships of the Second World War. Naval Institute Press, 1998.
Friedman, Norman. British Carrier Aviation. Naval Institute Press, 1988.
Burt, R. A. British Battleships 1919-1939. Arms and Armour Press, 1993.
Raven, Alan and John Roberts. British Battleships of World War Two. Naval Institute Press, 1978.
Raven, Alan and John Roberts. British Cruisers of World War Two. Naval Institute Press, 1987.
Friedman, Norman. British Destroyers & Frigates: The Second World War and After. Chatham Publishing, 2006. (another volume on pre-WWII designs is due out soon)
Akermann, Paul. Encyclopaedia of British Submarines 1901-1955. Periscope Publishing Ltd., 2002.
Unfortunately, almost all the top sources on French and Italian ships are in French or Italian; if anyone wants a list, I can do that. An English-language book on modern French battleships is due out sometime this year. Similarly, the smaller navies are largely neglected in English writings.