THE WORLD WAR TWO GROUP discussion

I'm in the market for an Atlas on WWII to make it easier for me to follow along with the campaigns and strategies I'm reading about. So far the "The Times Atlas of World War II" edited by John Keegan seems to be the best.

Can anyone comment on this or recommend a better one?

Hi Alex,
I've not read this but as it's by Barrie Pitt it may well be good:

Month-By-Month Atlas of World War II by Barrie Pitt

Alex wrote: "I'm in the market for an Atlas on WWII to make it easier for me to follow along with the campaigns and strategies I'm reading about. So far the "The Times Atlas of World War II" edited by John Keeg..."

Hi Alex,

I use the The Times Atlas by Keegan and it is very good. Besides the maps, it also has a summary of each campaign including sea and air campaigns and some useful statistics and other great information on military units etc. Highly recommended.

Rick, you mean this one?

Thanks all!

Went over to my local used/general bookstore (Strand Bookstore in NYC, I highly recommend their WWII section for out-of-print and other rare books on WWII).

They had used copies of both "The Times Atlas of the Second World War" and "The Collier Atlas of the Second World War." The fact that both were edited by John Keegan made me suspicious so I looked through both side by side and found them to be essentially identical versions of the same book. (I'm guessing The Times is a UK printing and Collier a US printing). I ended up buying Collier since it was in better condition. I've so far been extremely satisfied with how comprehensive and detailed the Atlas has been. Great recommendation.

Also planning to by the Month-by-Month Atlas in the near future as that seems to present the war in a different and interesting way.

This thread has been inactive for quite some time, so I'll revive it with this recommendation:

Atlas of World War II Battle Plans: Before and After by Stephen Badsey

Badsey is a senior lecturer at Sandhurst and a prolific author and editor on military history. The book above, I bought from the "remainder" bin at a local bookstore. It contains 22 chapters by different authors, including Niall Barr, Aryeh Nusbacher and Duncan Anderson, with each chapter addressing a separate battle or campaign of WW II. Chapters include: France 1940, Barbarossa, Operation Pedestal, Crete, Sinking the Bismarck, Market Garden, Iwo Jima and others. The chapters feature maps with descriptions of each battle or campaign as planned and what, in fact, really occurred. I consider it $9.00 well spent.

Alex wrote: "I'm in the market for an Atlas on WWII to make it easier for me to follow along with the campaigns and strategies I'm reading about. So far the "The Times Atlas of World War II" edited by John Keeg..."

Sir John Keegan had the best collection. I was his house guest during postgraduate school in the UK, and I liked him very much. His library of old collectible books was to envy.

Vincent Esposito's "West Point Atlas of World War II" is well worth the investment.

Collins Atlas of World War II

This is definitely the best atlas I have ever read on the subject of the second world war.It is a book I always go back to.

The book is very descriptive and the maps are of the greatest quality.
(10 out of 10) a must read for any ww2 enthusiast.

This atlas also looks good:The Military Atlas of World War II

Thanks Adrian - I think the best war "atlas" outside your recommendations would be those maps on the walls in the Cabinet (now Churchill) war rooms under Whitehall. How amazing if one had room to have the copies of those displayed at home.

Geevee wrote: "Thanks Adrian - I think the best war "atlas" outside your recommendations would be those maps on the walls in the Cabinet (now Churchill) war rooms under Whitehall. How amazing if one had room to ..."

Geevee: When I was posted at HMS Dryad in Hampshire, the coffee room of the officers' quarters was known as the War Map Room. The officers' lived in Southwick House, which was allied HQ for D-Day. Admiral Ramsay's naval charts and the maps for the landings were still on the walls. I was in awe while drinking my morning coffee and perusing the war maps.

This Wikipedia link shows the house, but the gigapan link at the bottom of the wiki article shows the big map.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southwic...

Well, well Manray9 Southwick house eh! You are a lucky man no such fineries from my own military career only holes, dust and mud :)

Geevee wrote: "Well, well Manray9 Southwick house eh! You are a lucky man no such fineries from my own military career only holes, dust and mud :)"

You should have joined the navy! I told my son so too -- always hot meals, showers and air conditioning. He chose the field artillery and when he complains, I remind him.

Manray9 wrote: "Geevee wrote: "Well, well Manray9 Southwick house eh! You are a lucky man no such fineries from my own military career only holes, dust and mud :)"

You should have joined the navy! I told my son..."

As I noted briefly in Patton's Oracle, when I was drafted in 1955 I and all the other guys, after being sworn in, were lined up and marched through a door. On the other side stood an Army officer on the right and a Navy officer on the left. Each tapped every other man on the shoulder: "You're Army." "You're Navy." Simply the luck of the draw.

Geevee wrote: "Thanks Adrian - I think the best war "atlas" outside your recommendations would be those maps on the walls in the Cabinet (now Churchill) war rooms under Whitehall. How amazing if one had room to ..."

Ive been in the cabinet war rooms,will put some pics up for people to look at.

That's excellent thanks Adrian. It is a fascinating and atmospheric place.