Forgotten Voices of the Second World War: A New History of the Second World War and the Men and Women Who Were There (Forgotten Voices World War 2)

I have read a few books on WWII. This book will draw you into the lifes of the men and women who were there. It covers the start of the war right upto the War with Japan and VE Day. What I found interesting about this book is that it covers hundreds of different accounts from the different people who experienced the war. This book was difficult to put down. If you like WWII then this is a must read !!

A book that saddens but inspires (10/10 people found this helpful)

What can I say? This book is compelling stuff and a must-read for anyone with an interest in the human aspect of war. The book is divided into chapters corresponding to the years 1939-1945 which makes the events coherent and easy to follow.

The book is made up of accounts from people involved, from evacuated school children to glider pilots, much in the vain of the book ENEMY AT THE GATES by William Craig. We learn their name and position in the war and then they tell their version of what happened. The stories are riveting, exciting, funny and tragic.

This book is based heavily on the British aspect of things (being taken from Imperial War Museum tapes) and as such includes no accounts of the Eastern front or Pacific theatres. Every theatre where the British were involved is included - Home Front, evacuation, Dunkirk, Malta, Crete, North Africa, Burma, D-Day, Arnhem, the list goes on. I found the stories of the Atlantic Convoys particularly gripping. There is the odd account from a German or French soldier thrown in, too, to add a bit of balance.

If you like reading about real people and their own acounts of the War then this is the book for you!

Not to be Forgotten (6/6 people found this helpful)

What a wonderful book. "Forgotten Voices" is one of those books that once you've started, you just can't put down. The contents are split into each year of WW2, covering events from all over over the world.
Not only do veterans from the allies remember their stories, but also there are comments from Germans. Civilians also remember those terrible years.
Having many books on WW2, this one is so different as it puts such a personal touch to events from The Blitz, Battle of Britain, D-Day and the Far East.
The sights and sounds that these people recall will make the reader appreciate exactly the trauma, fear, and elation that prevailed during those 6 years.
The book is excellent in every respect, written not by Historians, but by people who were there. That in itself should tell you that each page is is full of accounts so detailed that you imagine you were there yourself. We must never forget these voices, and books like this will ensure that we wont.

first class oral history (4/9 people found this helpful)

A fascinating and compelling companion to any study of the First World War which is brought to life with these first-hand accounts. The book also succeeds in giving shape to the different battle arenas of the war which can sometimes appear to meld into one. I gave it to my 'non-reading' teenage son who was equally gripped by it.

Unforgettable Voices! (18/18 people found this helpful)

Right from the beginning - the outbreak of war - the individuals' accounts give an immensely moving insight into such widely different areas of the conflict - and portray such a range of experience, from the home front to the front line. The first-hand reminiscences bring the events of history to life - so vividly. I read the accounts from every year and every campaign with an increasing realisation of just how the war took its toll. The reminiscences of a former prisoner of the Japanese who returned to his family home stunned me. He went to his own room, having never been completely on his own for four years, and was suddenly alone with his thoughts - what had it all been about? It was a really powerful and moving read - whether you're a war-reader or not.

Forgotten Voices of the Second World War: A New History of the Second World War and the Men and Women Who Were There (Forgotten Voices World War 2)

Max Arthur

Reader Reviews:

Best Insight into WWII (3/3 people found this helpful)

A book that saddens but inspires (10/10 people found this helpful)

Not to be Forgotten (6/6 people found this helpful)

first class oral history (4/9 people found this helpful)

Unforgettable Voices! (18/18 people found this helpful)

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