I'm looking for some good WWI and WWII books that tell the tale from a neutral perspective, accounting for all sides of the story etc. Any recommendations?
>>5561 Hobsbawm's Age of Extremes isn't about the World Wars themselves, it's a world history of the 20th Century, from 1914 to 1991. As you can imagine, the World Wars figure prominently, and I think it provides an excellent historical context, particularly for the interwar period.
I don't know if I'd call it "neutral" (in fact I might say that a lack of neutrality is what separates a historian from a chronicler), but he certainly doesn't make any simplistic judgements.
Bumping this thread to see if anyone knows any good good contemporary books about WW1, preferably from soldiers, medics, or reporters who were there to witness it.
I recently read "Sniping in France" by H. Hesketh Prichard, and I have to say I find the first hand accounts about trench warfare fascinating. You mostly only ever hear about trench warfare in the context of the infamous massed assaults, and very little else; I find it very compelling to learn about the reality and tactics of combat in such a disparate environment.
No such thing as a neutral perspective, but if you want to read about it from the perspective of someone who rooted for the losing side, have a look at The Nameless War.
Warning: The author was imprisoned over his views.
Still, as I said, there's no such thing as a neutral perspective and I imagine you've heard plenty from the other side, so it might be entertaining to read. Just don't take any of it too seriously.
Other than that, Spike Milligan's war diaries are excellent.