Top 5-Fall Military non-fiction books

Hey folks! Today I'm back with my top 5 favorite non-fiction military books! Or, on my case, research books. Since I've used everyone of these books mainly for research for writing.

Duel of Eagles by Peter Townsend

Dogfights in the sky, ruthless political maneuvers, legendary heroes of the air like Richthofen (the "Red Baron") and Douglas Bader, this book combines all of these colorful, dramatic, and evocative accounts of the furious air conflicts that saved Britain from German invasion.

From this book came the majority of my research for my WWII novel. SO. Much. Info. It took me a while to get through; I wanted to make notes about every little think!! If you want to learn more about The Battle of Britain, even down to the smallest details (what were the places called where everyone gathered on the airfield?! Where did the pilots sleep?)You'll find it here. Tis awesome, folks!



Hitler's Cross by Erwin Lutzer

Six million Jews...dead. The monstrosity of Adolph Hitler's 'Third Reich' remains a stunning chapter in the pages of history. Although the power by which he hypnotized an entire nation is legendary, one question in particular begs an answer: Where was the church of Christ? Seduced by the Satanic majesty of The Fuhrer, church leaders throughout Germany allowed the Swastika a prominent place alongside the Christian cross in their sanctuaries. Nationalistic pride replaced the call of God to purity, and with few exceptions, the German church looked away while Adolph Hitler implemented his 'Final Solution' to his Jewish problem. How did this happen? In Hitler's Cross, Erwin W. Lutzer examines the lessons that may be learned from studying the deception of the church: the dangers of confusing &quote;church and state,&quote; how the church lost its focus, the role of God in human tragedy, the parameters of Satan's freedom, the truth behind Hitler's hatred of the Jews, the faithfulness of God to His people who suffer for Him, the comparisons between Hitler's rise and the coming reign of the Antichrist, and America's hidden cross-her dangerous trends. Hitler's Cross is the story of a nation whose church forgot its primary call and discovered its failure too late.

One of the things I love about Pastor Lutzer's preaching and his writing is that he does not shy away from the truth. He doesn't mince words or try to make something easier to read, he says it how it is. It was fascinating and horrifying to see yet another side of Hitler and his Third Reich, yet the stories included of those who stood up against the Nazi regemine, as few as they may have been, was inspiring. The chapters on suffering for Christ were convicting. In this day and age no one likes to talk about that. Yet, as Christians, we are called to "take up our cross and follow Him." The cross is suffering! It's enduring shame for His name. And if we back down, we are not worthy of the name of Christ. The last chapter, "America's Hidden Cross", was a sobering warning. This book was published in 1995, but it hits on so many things that are going on in our world today. If we become content to simply live our lives and not preach the gospel and be willing to suffer for it, the freedoms we have will be taken away till we have nothing left. The cross of Christ is the only thing that can lead to salvation; to revival. And it is worth suffering for! One of my favorite quotes was; "Remember, God isn't interested in saving America. He's interested in saving Americans."

An Album of Memories

History comes alive in Brokaw's bestselling American family album of stories, reflections, memorabilia, and photos. Starting with the Depression and Pearl Harbor on through the war in Europe and the Pacific, this unusual book preserves a people's rich historical heritage and the legacy of a nation's heroism.

I'm now obsessed with getting these sort of books for research. Real-life correspondence accounts are amazing! So many of the small details included in the letters from men who were overseas are just astounding! Also, they cover many other things non-fiction books about the war seem to overlook, and it's a first-hand account. You can't get much better than that! Oh, and if you're wondering, in WWII one pound note was worth $4. ;) I'D LOOKED EVERYWHERE FOR THAT!

A Higher Call by Adam Makos

Four days before Christmas 1943, a badly damaged American bomber struggled to fly over wartime Germany. At its controls was a 21-year-old pilot. Half his crew lay wounded or dead. It was their first mission. Suddenly, a sleek, dark shape pulled up on the bomber’s tail—a German Messerschmitt fighter. Worse, the German pilot was an ace, a man able to destroy the American bomber in the squeeze of a trigger. What happened next would defy imagination and later be called the most incredible encounter between enemies in World War II.

I love this book.  I adore this book. What else is there to say? ;) 
It's a true life account, and it's amazing! It follows two different story lines. That of Franz, the German pilot, and that of Charlie, the American.  Reading this, I felt it was written like histoprical fction. Biographies can be hard for me to read because of how "boring" they seem, but this one was astounding! I wanted to keep reading!
There were a few curse words scattered throughout the book, but I don't remember more than a couple.  I was surprised at how few it had, considering it is a secular book.
It's amazing. Read it. NOW! ;) 


Timelife books---WWII

The full history of WWII in 39 volumes - brilliantly illustrated comprising Prelude to War, Blitzkrieg, The Battle of Britain, The Rising sun, The Battle of the Atlantic, Russia Besieged, The War in theDesert, The Home Front:USA, China-Burma-India, Island Fighting, The Italian Campaign, Partisans and Guerrillas, The Second Front, Liberation, Return to the Phillipines, The Air War in Europe, The Resistance, The Battle of the Bulge, The Road to Tokyo, Red Army Resurgent, The Nazis, Across the Rhine, War under the Pacific, War in the Outposts, The Soviet Juggernaut, Japan at War, The Mediterranean, Battles for Scandinavia, The Secret War, Prisoners of War, The Commandos, The Home Front:Germany, Italy at War, Bombers over Japan, The Neutrals, Victory in Europe, Bombers over Japan, Aftermath: Europe, Aftermath: Asia.

Okay, so I do not have all 39 books, but I got, like, 15 or so of them when our library was selling them for $0.50 a piece. (I adore our library, guys. Come visit me and you'll get BOOKSSS! ;))
These are my-go to for research. If I don't need specific details but I'm looking for just an overview of a certain event, this is where I go to look. (The Battle of Britain and the French Resistance have become my most-used ones.) 
A slight caution, these have real-life photographs in it. Because of this my sister and I took a sharpie marker and made the books I own  "G rated", so that anyone in our family can look through them. (I'll just say some of the modesty levels on the pictures weren't quite up to our family standards.) 
But yes. Amazing research books! I'd highly recommend them as the first place to look when researching a certain event of WWII. 


So have a seat and tell me. *sits down and pats seat next to me* Have you read any of these? What's your favorite go-to research book?