The Long Day's Dying - Alan White
Commandos in Germany in the last days of WW2.
Was made into a good film, the tech advisor was RSM of a Para Bn which is why they became Paras on celluloid.
Los Chicos de la Guerra - Can't remember who.
First person interviews with their blokes straight back from the Falklands. The best argument against conscription I've ever read.
Boldness Be My Friend - Richard Pape
Bomber Command aircrew then POW. Swapped ID with a Kiwi, then again with a Pole, ended up working in the Eagles Nest restricted area. Amongst other tasks put the marble into Eva Braun's bathroom and re - grouted Herman Goerings swimming pool. Sounds completely unbelievable but it was on the reading list for (memory fails me) either RAFC Cranwell or the E&E part of the Survival pam, so they believe it.
Mercenary - Mike Hoare
Primary source as they say. Only about the Congo, doesn't cover the Seychelles affair.
I Believe And Profess - Carl von Clauswitz
Clauswitz is on so many lists, only found out recently that he thought only the first book of On War was ready for publication. I Believe And Profess is a patriotic rallying call to his country in the wake of catastrophic defeat.
Cross Of Iron - Willi Heinrich
Read it years ago when it was called The Willing Flesh. (Nearly) everything in the film is there, but also much more. Steiner is a very different character and if you've only seen the film and wondered about the kids climbing the hill in the title sequence or why they're Alpenkorps here's your answer.

The Machine Gunners by Robert Westall.

Read it when I was 11 and a couple of times since. Definately a young teens/adult read but if as a kid you ever dreamed of finding a machine gun and fighting back at the Huns then this is the book for you. Not a holy war in sight... good old fahioned Jerry bashing! :D

Originally Posted by Lepus

Berlin and Stalingrad by Beevor.

seconded, stalingrad is an excellent account of the battle, well worth a read

try...............A Soldiers Song.........

A brilliant read

Killing zone by Harry McCallion,
A Brit Para who joined the South African Recces, then re-joined the British Army to go SAS, then joined the RUC and ended up as a Lawyer, a damn good life story

I know it was mentioned early on, but I defy anyone to stand at Serre on 01 Jul, and not have a lump in their throat having read 'Covenant with Death'. I first read this book in 1976, having found it amongst my grandfathers things after his death. He was wounded on the first day of the Somme and obviously related to the things in the book. It isn't about glory, or derring do, or about body counts - just ordinary blokes motivated by a sense of duty, patriotism and comradeship. I cannot recommend the book, too highly.

'Death of a Regiment' by John Foley; the fictional account of an infantry regiment re-roled as an armoured unit, in time for D-Day.

Well written but probably now long out of print - I've read my copy so many times it's starting to fall to pieces; time to get out the Sellotape! The cover price was 6/- .... That's 30p for the uninitiated! :D

Ref Devils guard - I spoke to a Maj in the fRench Marines and he said that his Father told him he had Germans serving in the 50's. Looked on Amazon and book was about 180$

Originally Posted by Run_Charlie!

Because books are always better than films

Full Metal Jacket

Couldn't be assed to read through all the posts on this thread but did anyone put R_C right on this? The book is called Short Timers by Gustav Hasford. Also Elford wrote a novel about Ghanners called Kizilkar. It weren't three bad as I remember.

Kizilkar

Don't know if this has been mentioned in previous posts but it must be 'Fireforce' by Chris Cocks - the story of operations in the Rhodesian Light Infantry. check out www.30degreessouth.co.uk for copies