THE WORLD WAR TWO GROUP discussion

One of our group members, Adam, has requested a new thread to discuss where we buy our books.

From Adam:
In this electronic age when books appear through the ether onto any device of your choice, I still believe that there is nothing like the feel of a 'real' book. Personal experience has also led me to conclude that the best place to find books is on second hand markets & antiques centres. These abound here in the UK & it is not difficult to unearth fantastic examples of WW2 themed books. My collection has expanded twenty fold as a result & now includes some fantastic works which would be impossible to source via other means.
So from where do you like to source your books & what have been your best finds?

Since my wife is a librarian at our local branch - most of what I read comes from there. If what I want is not in the system they will normally either purchase it or request an ILL for me.

We have a couple of decent second had stores in Salt Lake City that I try and get to every couple of months or so and wander through their stacks.

When all else fails, there is Amazon and the Barnes and Noble websites.

Thanks for adding this topic Rick.

As already pointed out I have managed to buy some great WW2 themed books. One of my stand out finds was an old hardback copy of the following book:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Winged-Dagge...

If you haven't read it then I strongly suggest you try to obtain a copy. It is an awesome account of life in the WW2 SAS.

I really enjoy the feel of having a real book to read, and I have many, however , reality has set in at my age so now I rely on e-books for the great part. They have their faults, but generally they are cheaper and when I'm done with them I just turn them in. I genuinely believe there is plenty of room for all kinds of books in this world; there's just not enough time to read them all. :-)

I don't read electronic books. I like the feel and flexibility of old-fashioned hardback or paperback books. I've posted this previously, but I'll reiterate: this is a golden age for book buyers. With online used book stores, worldwide, you can find decent used copies of most book at very low prices. Many prices are so low, I don't see how the sellers can afford to sell them. Amazon's used books often sell for $.01 plus shipping. My "go to" site when looking for a book is ABE. If I can't find it there, I'll try Amazon, E. R. Hamilton, Alibris, Kelmscott, or Wordery. I like Naval & Military Press and Pen & Sword too, but NMP ships books to the U.S. on a slow boat via Macau.

happy wrote: "Since my wife is a librarian at our local branch - most of what I read comes from there. If what I want is not in the system they will normally either purchase it or request an ILL for me.

We have..."

Happy is on to something here. I keep a list of potential ILL books. If a book of interest is rare or too expensive, I'll go the ILL route. With WorldCat linked to each book on GR, it's easy to see which libraries in your region have copies.

Any new books I require I tend towards the local independent book stores. The one I like in Brisbane CBD is Folios. Not that I am averse to heading to the chains for a bargain.
I love used books shops and will explore them for hours. In the Brisbane CBD Archives claims to have over a million books and I do not doubt that after spending time exploring. It has a fantastic military section and I wish I could get into it a bit more. Bent books in the West End is a good place for military as well and also The Really Good Book Shop in Logan City for those wanting to travel has a great blend of new and used.
I love Lifeline Bookfest held at the Brisbane convention centre and recommend that if anyone is in Brisbane around the time it is held they go. People actually take along shopping trolleys and fill them to the brim with bargains.

I am not really a kindle user but have the app on an old tablet and will buy the odd book off Amazon for the purpose of reading while doing daily exercise on my stationary bike. The doc has ordered this due to high blood pressure and I hate it but reading takes the boredom away.

Since space is limited in our apartment my husband and I always get ebooks so we can read them on our iPhones or iPads.

I have many 'physical' copies of books - so many in fact that most of them are in storage boxes & subsequently never see the light of day which is a great shame. I agree that there is most certainly room for ebooks. My own personal thing is if - while visiting flea markets & such - I spot a good WW2 book which I haven't seen before I have to have it. Briefly back to the Roy Farran book I was speaking about earlier. I looked at my copy only to realise that it is a first edition. It cost three pounds! I think it is available from Pen & Sword much cheaper than the amazon link I provided.

1) Waterstones Brussels.

The staff considers me knowledgable enough to stock an extra copy of my orders for future sale. During a recent shelves reorganisation, they asked me whether Packenham's The Boer War should stay under South Africa or move to the Military History section. They moved it.

2) "Librarie de l'Escadron" (Rue De L'escadron 1, 1040 Etterbeek)

a perfectly ordinary magazine shop with friendly staff and a discreet door in the back. That's where they stock 60.000 titles of military history, with a focus on aviation for model building and WWII. Expensive but good for specialised finds, such as a bilingual work on the Italians in 80s Lebanon, Also good for pristine hardcovers of older gems such as It Never Snows in September (1990) and even the Guns of August (1962)


3) the ol' fashioned secondhand circuit ! from priced-down modern titles to an original edition of Coddington's Gettysburg Campaign

4) never travel home with empty hands : finding Anmerkungen zu Hitler at the Bebelplatz bookfair, next to the monument commemorating the Berlin book burnings feels like a perfect F***U to Nazism.

5) military events ! I bought Patton's Vanguard: The United States Army Fourth Armored Division during the 70th commemoration of the Bulge, with several veterans and Helen Patton to sign it.

Online shopping ; considering bookdepository.com ....

E-books : No. A common complaint online is the bad quality of the scanned maps, which are indispensable in military history. Also, you can't majestically gesture towards the bookcase when people ask "how many books do you have ?" or beat them over the head with Dreadnought when they go "World War One ? That's the one with Hitler, innit ?"

I'm pretty much an Amazon shopper, although I never pass up the opportunity to look in any bookstore I come across, no matter what country I'm in! Sadly, there aren't many used bookstores in my area and the ones which are around have a pretty limited World War II selection. Library selection is about the same, although I haven't explored it as much as I should.

eBay has been another source of several books, although it can be hit and miss when it comes to condition. Some people just don't rate them very accurately and I've returned quite a few.

As for the debate of digital v. analog, I'm a physical book person all the way. Of course, this means a perpetual shifting of my shelves, but that's the cross I bear.

Use a mixture of 'real' books & ebooks. Like most people I like the feel of 'real' books but ebooks are just so convenient in terms of travelling & storage.

On holiday in Northumberland this week by Hadrian ' s Wall and went into Barter Books in Alnwick. (Was visiting Alnwick Castle much used in films. Doubled as Hogwarts in the Harry Potter series. Well worth a visit if you're ever in this amazing part of the UK).

Back to Barter Books. It's in the old railway station in Alnwick and claims to stock 350,000 second hand books. Yesterday found a book on British & Indian Army battle honours in which I was able to find details of the 38th Regiment of Foot, subsequently the South Staffordshire Regiment, in which my wife's great grand father fought in the Crimean War and in the Relief of Lucknow - all for £5.70! A serendipitous find.

Also use the public library system and they have always found the book I wanted from libraries all over the UK. They have an ebook borrowing system, but the range is pretty narrow.

My physical books are always under threat from my wife's desire to have an empty loft!!

(1) Riemer en Wallinga, Ermelo
This bookshop could have walked out of a Lord Of The Rings novel. It serves a good selection of (militairy) history books and friendly staff. I always drop in here when I'm in the neighbourhood.

(2) Het Ezelsoor, Amersfoort
My first choice when it comes to second hand books. They have a surprisingly good military history section. The owner keeps a stack of books ready for me when I drop in, which I nearly always buy completely.

(3) Second hand booksites such as marktplaats.nl, the Dutch version of ebay.

(4) Amazon
For both e-books and audiobooks I visit Amazon. I have a Kindle Voyage which I use extensively during my business travels. Nothing is more satisfying than reading a book whilst waiting on or in a plane. Or during lonely evenings in hotels. I listen to audiobooks on my commute from home to work (2 hours a day). This way, I manage to read about 75 books per year.

(5) The good old library
I live in a small town, and we have a small library. Luckily, I'm able to tap into the wealth of resources kept in the Royal Dutch Library in The Hague, and for a few euro's I'm able to have lots of books delivered to my local library.

I bought most of my books at a second-hand bookstore called Evernew Bookstore. I always wonder about that name, given that they sell nothing is ever new. I think they have a warehouse somewhere because for the size of the store (small), they turn around their books quite a bit and so there are always surprises.

If I want to buy a new book, I'll go to the only big size bookstore left in Singapore - Kinokuniya.

I prefer the book sales that comes around once in a while when I can get new books in mint condition at a fraction of the price. The best one I've visited was the book sale by Penguin Books. Between my children and I, we lugged home more than 50 books in that one trip.

But my favourite haunts are the two libraries in the two universities of which I am a member. Where else can you find hardcover dusty books that are out of print? The only problem is the markings inside the books.

I'm reading an ebook on the Kindle app. There are a few things I like about ebooks.
1. I can increase the size of the fonts.
2. I can make annotations without feeling guilty about destroying a book.
3. I can check the meaning of a word immediately without having to refer to a dictionary.

But...

I get totally disoriented when I read an ebook. Yes I know I am 32% into the book, but what does it meaning? With a proper book, I can see the physical progress, with an ebook, 32%. What am I supposed to do? Do a mental calculation as I read? There is no sense of progress.

And I hate it when the app underlines a few lines of text by itself and then tells me that another 41 people have underlined those lines.

If ever you're on the Isle of Wight check out Ryde Bookshop (http://www.ryde-bookshop.co.uk/index.asp). I did a signing there once and it's an Aladdin's Cave!

Chin Joo wrote: "I get totally disoriented when I read an ebook. Yes I know I am 32% into the book, but what does it meaning?"

Second that. It is usually caused by the fact that the notes section sometimes takes up more than 25% of the bookpages. So you suddenly end up having read the book whilst at only 75%. Frustrating.

Chin Joo wrote: "I bought most of my books at a second-hand bookstore called Evernew Bookstore. I always wonder about that name, given that they sell nothing is ever new. I think they have a warehouse somewhere bec..."

On the Samsung Nook, one can click on the bottom of the page in the middle which would say 248/417. That grounds me as I then have an idea of how much I have left to read. Otherwise, one doesn't know what page one is on.

Chin Joo wrote: "And I hate it when the app underlines a few lines of text by itself and then tells me that another 41 people have underlined those lines."

You should be able to turn off popular highlights. On my paperwhite, it's under settings and reading options. I agree--I don't want to see what other people have highlighted.

Bou wrote: "Chin Joo wrote: "I get totally disoriented when I read an ebook. Yes I know I am 32% into the book, but what does it meaning?"

Second that. It is usually caused by the fact that the notes section ..."

I'm always surprised when I switch from nonfiction to fiction and the book keeps going after 90%.

I buy mostly ebooks. I like making the font bigger, the easy highlighting, and the unlimited storage.

For physical books, I usually buy from Abe or Amazon.

I like the local library too. Their military history selection is limited, but I recently tried out ILL and it worked really well. (But next time I won't request three at once. Even with staggered due dates it's challenging to get them done on time.)

I buy my books everywhere - and by books I do not mean ebooks.

online - like amazon.ca, chapter.indigo.ca. , ABE
Also bookstores - and there are excellent used bookstores where I live in London/ON.
Also like book sale fair events where there are excellent discounts. At the local library here in London they sell used books at cheap prices (like 2 or 3 dollars for a hardback book)!

When I go to NYC I always pay a visit to the Strand and get at least one shopping bag of books!

Mikey B. wrote: "I buy my books everywhere - and by books I do not mean ebooks.

online - like amazon.ca, chapter.indigo.ca. , ABE
Also bookstores - and there are excellent used bookstores where I live in London/ON..."

Ah...the Strand. My home away from home.

Yes !! I have learnt to go early in the morning with my list to avoid the crowds - and also get better information from the staff as in - do you have this book and where is it.

Mikey B. wrote: "Yes !! I have learnt to go early in the morning with my list to avoid the crowds - and also get better information from the staff as in - do you have this book and where is it."

I went to grad school in NYC and lived at 10th Street and Avenue A. Too much of my scarce money was spent at the Strand.

A.L. wrote: "II like the local library too. Their military history selection is limited, but I recently tried out ILL and it worked really well. (But next time I won't request three at once. Even with staggered due dates it's challenging to get them done on time.) "

Ain't that the truth - the problem of one at a time is that you're never quite sure when the will come in.

Another place is the gift shop of a museum or park - my current read I got at the gift shop of the CAF museum at Phoenix.

You know you're a history addict, if this has happened to you, Re: museum gift shops, often real good selection, but you know you can probably find it online/used cheaper, but you buy anyway to 'support the place'.

Yep:)

carl wrote: "You know you're a history addict, if this has happened to you, Re: museum gift shops, often real good selection, but you know you can probably find it online/used cheaper, but you buy anyway to 'su..."

Yep, me too. Especially gift shops at Civil War battlefields.

happy wrote: "A.L. wrote: "II like the local library too. Their military history selection is limited, but I recently tried out ILL and it worked really well. (But next time I won't request three at once. Even w..."

Among the books was one borrowed from the University of Utah and one from Brigham Young University. Apparently the U has a slightly better football team this year, but BYU is a month more generous with their ILL books.

Good Game last Saturday :) I received alot of the ILLs from the "Y" also, UNLV seems to have a pretty good collection also. I've even gotten one from Harvard - can't remember what it was though

happy wrote: "Good Game last Saturday :) I received alot of the ILLs from the "Y" also, UNLV seems to have a pretty good collection also. I've even gotten one from Harvard - can't remember what it was though"

My third ILL book was from a public library in Kansas. Fun to see where they come from!

Chin Joo wrote: "I bought most of my books at a second-hand bookstore called Evernew Bookstore. I always wonder about that name, given that they sell nothing is ever new. I think they have a warehouse somewhere bec..."

Thanks for this elucidation of ebooks
particularly your positives and negatives
Yes its great that you can get the meaning of a word

but 33%, 34%... of progress through the pages, well that's kind of too analytical
and how annoying to automatically underline passages that others underlined...

A.L. wrote: "happy wrote: "Good Game last Saturday :) I received alot of the ILLs from the "Y" also, UNLV seems to have a pretty good collection also. I've even gotten one from Harvard - can't remember what it ..."

A. L. -- I agree. Here in South Carolina, I've received ILL books from as far away as Shawnee Mission, Kansas and the USMA at West Point.

Manray9 wrote: "A. L. -- I agree. Here in South Carolina, I've received ILL books from as far away as Shawnee Mission, Kansas and the USMA at West Point. "

It doesn't surprise me at all that you've gotten something from West Point. It's nice to have access to university/academy libraries--especially for those out-of-print or extremely expensive books. My three recent requests would have cost me over $200 for used copies.

I prefer solid books over electronic. But I have to admit being a bus rider the ease and mobility of my Kindle is a blessing. I mostly read what I consider light reads that I don't really want to keep using up space on my shelves on the Kindle. So Sci-Fi, Fantasy and Fiction for the most part since none of that is anything that I am going to flip back and forth in looking for reference information. Whereas almost all of my WWII books are on the Shelf or will be as soon as I can pick them up.
Also doing the e-book option lets me decide if I am going to want to keep a book as a reference material. Whiting...no, Beevor...yes.
Still for my hard copy books I usually go to one of these two sources.

http://www.powells.com/

Powell's City of books, takes up a whole city block in downtown Portland Oregon. For book lovers it is a must seen tourist destination if your in the area. There are other locations as well, but mostly they specialize or have smaller selections. I like this source, since I live close by one of the outer stores. So it makes it easy to order and pick up. But they do a thriving mail order operation as well.

http://www.bobsbeachbooks.net/

This book store is much like Powell's without the overwhelming sense that it is an money making operation. It has a small homey feel and the owner really knows books. (Don't as about Patton, he hates the guy). The selection is wonderful and the prices are fair. It is in Lincoln City, so not really a distention spot for those outside of Oregon, but a Wonderful place to stop if you are taking the coast road. It is for me like being a kid in a candy store. Some of my best acquisitions of used WWII books have come from here.

Of course I use Amazon, for both e and hard books, but in this day and age who doesn't?

Good info on Bobs Beach DJ, will note it in the files. Have been to Powells before, I think there are bookworms living in there.

carl wrote: "Good info on Bobs Beach DJ, will note it in the files. Have been to Powells before, I think there are bookworms living in there."

You never know with Powell's. Generally I find it is best to know what sort of Military book you want, since for the most part they aren't really knowledgeable in that area. If you want SciFi, though they are probably all over it. It is to big to have a really good staff top to bottom though so I forgive them.

90% of my reading is on a Kindle Fire 8in HDX, so I get my ebooks online through amazon.
The other 10% is from our base library, PX or if I'm in Seoul, one of the big bookstores.

As far as maps are concerned haven't had any problems on the HDX, now on my Paperwhite that is another matter.

I found the barns and noble in Paramus NJ has a great used book section or there is always Ebay.

One for the UK based members. I've found that poundland and poundworld both sometimes sell books which are of interest to the WW2 enthusiast. Only the other day I bagged a hardcover copy of the following book from poundworld. The RRP was £18.99 I of course got it for £1!

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Operation-Su...

I love to travel and I live close to Route 66. Someday I will try to drive the entire length to "get my kicks on Rte 66". Along the way, you can do some book shopping:

https://www.abebooks.com/books/featur...

Mike wrote: "I love to travel and I live close to Route 66. Someday I will try to drive the entire length to "get my kicks on Rte 66". Along the way, you can do some book shopping:

https://www.abebooks.com/boo..."

"Now you go through Saint Louis
Joplin, Missouri,
And Oklahoma City is mighty pretty."

Mike wrote: "I love to travel and I live close to Route 66. Someday I will try to drive the entire length to "get my kicks on Rte 66". Along the way, you can do some book shopping:

https://www.abebooks.com/boo..."

Great link! One day.

From the web, try BookFinder. It aggregates a number of websites and (possibly the best point) sticks the postage price into the final amount, so no nasty surprises!

In the UK, I found one very good shop is Ian Allen (website here). They've got a good shop in Birmingham near the train station, and it was always my first stop when I was visiting friends in town. I also discovered recently they have one near Waterloo train station in London, but I haven't been in yet.

In London, there's a good discount shop chain in the form of the Book Warehouse (locations here). Good to drop in and see what's fallen off the back of the remainders van. They also have some good jazz playing in the Southampton Row store - the Scottish guy who manages it on the weekends seems pretty chilled out.

Charles wrote: "From the web, try BookFinder. It aggregates a number of websites and (possibly the best point) sticks the postage price into the final amount, so no nasty surprises!

In the UK, I found one very g..."

Charles: Thanks for the link to Bookfinder. Looks like a good site.

Thanks Charles for the site!

Thank you, Charles!

Thanks Charles for the link!

Also, I will be on a business trip to London very soon and may have some hours to spare ... so I'll make sure to visit the Book Wharehouse.

Thx Charles. This might be a good introduction to the ruinous wonders of online shopping

I usually buy my books at my Libreria Militare in Milan, Italy (www.libreriamilitare.com). But my, as my collection is made by out of print books, mostly in German, I use Zvab.de, Ebay or Amazon to have the rarest one.

Regards
Federico