100 Books Like The Time of Light

Future-facing at the time of its publication in 1957, On the Beach isn’t really war fiction in the literal sense, because the fictional war around which it is built is already over.

Set in 1963 Australia, it details the life-affirming but grim experiences of a cast of characters including the crew of a US Navy submarine who are all facing inevitable and impending death from the aftereffects of massive nuclear war that has extinguished all life in the northern hemisphere.

The LA Times described it as "timely and ironic... an indelibly sad ending that leaves you tearful and disturbed," and The Economist called it "still incredibly moving after nearly half a century.” I’d call it a compelling and thought-provoking cautionary tale, and a ride you only want to go on via your imagination.

Published just two days after World War II was declared in Europe in 1939, and two years before the United States would enter the conflict, Dalton Trumbo’s powerfully emotional story centering on horribly wounded American World War I soldier Joe Bonham sparked controversy for its anti-war stance, while also winning the 1939 National Book Award for Most Original Book.

Apparently inspired by an article Trumbo had read about the Prince of Wales paying an emotional visit to Curley Christian, a Canadian soldier who’d survived the loss of all four limbs at the 1917 Battle of Vimy Ridge. Johnny Got His Gun is simply a gut-wrenching read that took me to places no one should really go.

Let’s just say I was a different 14-year-old the day I closed its covers and sat thinking for a very, very long time.

A “fictional autobiography” that has really stuck with me, What is the What is based on the real-life experiences of Valentino Achak Deng, who survived the brutality and terror of Sudan’s second civil war.

At six or seven years old, he was separated from his parents when his village, Mariel Bai, was virtually wiped out by militia. Against all odds, he ultimately made it all the way to the United States, only to experience injustice, violence, and cruelty again.

Incredibly, the real story told in What is the What is one of hope and resilience, and it’s a powerful reminder that chance and circumstances are the only differences between us and anyone else on this planet. Gee, I don’t know… maybe we should all act accordingly? 

P.S. Somewhat controversial for its “autobiographical” claim despite being novelized—some say appropriated—by another person, What is the What was required reading at numerous US… show more.

Well, I certainly can’t say that The Zone of Interest is an enjoyable read, but it is an important one, especially given the moment—or should I say given the neverending stream of cruel and inhuman moments that have led us right up to this moment?

And while the Holocaust may be well-trodden ground for fiction writers, the late/great Martin Amis was never a well-trodden fiction writer. Centered in and around the banality of life going on in the actual shadow of abject evil, this novel holds up a mirror and dares us to take a look. In short, it dares us to acknowledge that the monsters behind the systemic societal and institutional “othering” that led to the absolute horrors of Auschwitz weren’t actually monsters at all. They were us. Which makes them the most terrifying monsters of all.

Surely we as a species can do better. But maybe not…?

Beevor has a rare gift of presenting war at the level of both the ordinary soldier and the generals and distant leadership making decisions both good and bad. His sources range from letters home, to diaries, to dispatches on both the Soviet and German side. He writes without flinching about the horrors of war, or too overtly playing the cheerleader as so many military histories do, to their detriment. 

I took up this gigantic novel on the recommendation of a friend who recommended Grey Bees. I was skeptical that I would read much of it because it is about Russia during the Second World War. However, once I got into the book, I was blown away.

Grossman is a bigger artist with words than any painter. He had a deep insight into humanity, every aspect of it. The chapters are short, but the book is over 800 pages long. I wanted to stop, but each chapter presented such insights that it was impossible not to be in awe at his writing. The story includes descriptions of the battle of Stalingrad from both sides, family life, the plight of Jews, and much, much more. 

After reading this book, I feel that I have lived another lifetime. There is a lot of sadness, some comedy, and lots of horror and… show more.

For WWII, the definitive Dean of East Front Operations is David Glantz, who has written over 30 books on that theater. His work on a critical turning point in a trilogy recounting the Battle of Stalingrad was outstanding, and I recommend this book—volume two.

To say it is comprehensive is an understatement. With detailed maps defining areas of operations, orders of battle for opposing forces, and a keen look at the mindset, moods, and strategies of the commanders involved, this book has it all—from the front-line bunkers to the map tables at OKW. You won’t find better reference books on Stalingrad than those written by Glantz.

I relied on this for several volumes of my series, most particularly my book Thor’s Anvil, Volume # 26.

The Nazi-Soviet War was a notable exception to the unofficial “victors write the history” rule common to military history. In this case the losers wrote the first histories because 1) English-speaking nations and armies were not involved, 2) Cold War prejudices demanded an anti-Soviet narrative, and 3) the conflict was so confusing and complex plus alien to Western readers.

This book dispenses with the “we came so close” and “only inexhaustible numbers beat us” arguments of immediate post-war German memoirists and apologists. I always appreciate a historian is willing to take a new look at evidence and challenge long-held…and false or misleading…certitudes – Reinhardt does all of these things.

This riveting novel brings us into the lives of Russian snipers during the WW II siege of Stalingrad.

We live in a basement, learn something of extreme patience, and get a sense of how people barely remain sane in pressure-cooker situations. What struck me most were the women. One was a sniper with extreme convictions. Others were there for the pleasure of the men. But the best part of the novel was the cat-and-mouse game between opposing snipers. 

Not only did I learn something about warfare, but I couldn’t put the book down.

No list of best books about Operation Barbarossa war would be complete without at least one title from David Glantz— the grandee of scholarship about the war in the East. Many of his titles are known for their great size and forensic detail, but this book is an exception. It is highly readable and, unlike Megargee’s book (above), it covers both the German and Soviet experiences of the war. Photos and maps abound and there is also an appendix with wartime orders and official directives. It is the best overview of the Nazi-Soviet war in 1941.