The
following list is from Nuav's very good friend, Bob Pearson. We feel his
list is very complete when it comes to research on ww2 history in Norway;
Bob Pearson recommended book list;
I have drawn up a list of books that I have found useful
for researching on Norway, SOE, and Kompani Linge.
Some books are no longer in print. However, many online
books shops are very helpful in sourcing old books, plus of course second
hand books shops in the high street. The list is not exhaustive so I would
be pleased to hear from others about recommended references. Where possible
I have listed the publisher and the date, but please bear in mind that
publishers may have changed due to reprints etc.
“The Navy’s Here!” – Willi Rischauer & Robert Jackson
(1955) – V Gollancz Ltd – London (story of the ‘Altmark Incident’)
Hunt the Altmark – Richard Wiggan (1982) – Robert Hale
Publishing
Operation Fish – Alfred Draper (1979) – Cassel Ltd – ISBN
0-304-30068-3
Set Europe Ablaze – E H Cookridge (1969) Pan Books –
ISBN 3-300-2219-9
Behind the Battle – Intelligence in the War with Germany
1939-45 – Ralph Bennett (1999) – Pimlico Books – ISBN 0-712-66521-8
Fledgling Eagles – Christopher Shores ((1991) – Grub Street
– ISBN 0-948-81742-9
The Churchill War Papers – At the Admiralty Vol 1 – Martin
Gilbert ((1993) – Heinemann – ISBN 0-434-29203-6
Secret War Heroes – Men of the Special Operations Executive
- Marcus Binney (2005) – Hodder & Stoughton – ISBN 0-340-82909-5
A Man called Intrepid – William Stevenson (1976) Macmillian
– No ISBN
The Turn of the tide – A Bryant (1957) Collins – No ISBN
The Royal Navy in World War II – Robert Jackson (1997)
– Airlife Publishing – ISBN 1-853-1071-X
Hitler’s Artic War - Mann & Jorgensen (2002) – Ian
Allan Publishing ISBN 0-711-02899-0
Sons Of The Vikings – R B Nyquist – Royal Norwegian Government
Information Office – no date given
Fighting Norsemen – R B Nyquist – Royal Norwegian Government
Information Office – no date given
The Polar Bears – Monty’s Left Flank – Patrick Delaforce
(1995) – Sutton ISBN 0-750-91061-5
HMS Sheffield – The life and Times of ‘Old Shiny’ – Ronald
Bassett (1988) Arms and Armour Press ISBN 0-853-68911-3
Voices in the Air 1939- 1945 – Laddie Lucas (2003) – Arrow
Books ISBN 0-094-6566-3
Forgotten Voices of the Second World War – Max Arthur
(2004) Imperial War Museum – ISBN 0-091-89734-3
Blockade Busters – Ralph Barker (1976 – reprint 2005)
– Pen & Sword – ISBN 1-844-15282-0
The Waves Are Free – James Irvine (1988) – Shetland Publishing
Company – ISBN 0-906-73610-2
The Final Curtain – James Irvine
The Fairmile ‘D’ Motor Torpedo Boat – John Lambert (2005)
– Conway Martime Press – ISBN 1-844-86006-X. A superb book about the ‘Dogboat’
used by the allies during WW2, including the Norwegians.
Dog Boats at War – Royal Navy D Class MTBs & MGBs
1939-45 – Leonard C Reynolds OBE, DSC (1998) – Sutton Publishing (IWM)
– ISBN 0-750-91817-9
Agents By Moonlight (The Secret History of RAF Tempsford
During World War II) – Freddie Clark - 1999 – Tempus Publishing Ltd
ISBN 0-752-41691-X (SOE Squadrons)
Secret Flotillas (Clandestine Sea Lines to France &
French North Africa 1940-1944) – Brooks Richards – 1996 – HMSO Publication
– ISBN 0-11 630- 960-1
Sabotage & Subversion – Ian Dear 1996 – Arms &
Armour Press – ISBN – 1-854-09260-X
Blockade Runners – Sweden’s lifeline in the Second World
War – Lars-Axel Nilsson & Leif A Sandberg 1996 – Gullers Forlag (Sweden)
– ISBN – 9-163-04890-6
Commando Attack – Gordon Holman 1942 – Hodder & Stoughton
The Navy in Action – Taffrail 1940 – Hodder & Stoughton
The Battle of the Narrow Seas (Light Coastal Forces 1939-45)
– Lt Cmdr Peter Scott M.B.E., D.S.C. & Bar, R.N.V.R. 1945 - Country
Life Ltd
The Campaign in Norway – T K Derry (1952) – HMSO – considered
to be one of the best accounts of the Norwegian Campaign.
The Norwegian Campaign of 1940 – J L Moulton 1966 – Camelot
Press – no ISBN stated
Inside The Nazi Ring (A Naval Attache in Sweden) – Henry
Denham 1984 – John Murray Publishers – ISBN 0-719-54160-3
SOE Syllabus – Lessons in ungentlemanly warfare, World
War11- Secret History Files (National Archives) 2001 ISBN 1-903-36560-0
Undercover – The Men and Women of the SOE – Patrick Howarth
1980 – Routledge & Kegan Paul – ISBN 1-842-12240-1
Narvik – Donald Macintyre (1959) ISBN 0-330-02708-5
The Bedford Triangle: US Undercover Operations from England
in World War Two – Martin W Bowman (1989) Sutton Publishing ISBN 0-750-93173-6.
A few references to SOE, Op Gunnerside and Area Houses.
Gubbins & SOE – Peter Wilkinson & Joan Bright
Astley (1993) Leo Cooper Publishing – ISBN 0-850-52556-X
S.O.E. The Special Operations Executive 1940-46 – MRD
Foot (1984) BBC Publication – ISBN 0-749-30378-6
Norway the Commandos Dieppe – Chris Buckley (1952) HMSO
– ISBN 0-117-72194-8
Norway 1940 – Bernard Ash (1964) Cassel – No ISBN
A Biologist On The Run – Sven Somme (1992) No ISBN or
stated publisher. This book is currently being rewritten by Ellie Targett.
In Peace and War: The Story of HMS Glasgow 1937-1958 –
G D Oliver
Norway 1940 – Francois Kersaudy (1990) Collins - ISBN
0-002-15546-X
Norway 1940 – The Forgotten Fiasco – Joseph Kynoch (2002)
Airlife – ISBN – 1-840-37380-6
The Naked Soldiers – Joseph Kynoch (1995) Charnwood Publications
ISBN – 0-953-10391-9
Haakon King of Norway – Maurice Michael (1958) Allen &
Unwin
We die Alone – David Howarth (1955) Collins No ISBN but
believed to be in reprint.
The Bitter Years (The Invasion and Occupation of Denmark
and Norway April 1940 – May 1945) – Richard Petrow (1974) Hodder &
Stoughton – ISBN 0-340-19651-3
The Mountains Wait – Theodor Broch (Former Mayor of Narvik)
(1943) Michael Joseph
The Secret History of SOE: Special Operations Executive
1940-1945 – William Mackenzie (2000) St Ermin’s Press – ISBN 1-903-60811-2
(This book is an absolute ‘must have’ and will give a very detailed background
to SOE)
Norway Invaded – James Tevnan & Terence Horsley (1940)
Withy Grove Press Ltd. Journalist account of the invasion of April 1940.
SOE In Scandinavia – Charles Cruickshank (1986) Oxford
University Press – ISBN 0-192-15883-X (This is also another essential book
for the study of Norwegian SOE)
Inside Fortress Norway – Bjorn West – Norwegian Guerrilla
Base 1944 – 1945 – Thomas Nielsen (1992 & 2000) Gyldendfal Norsk Forlag
– ISBN 0-897-45245-3. Detailing the exploits of Nielsen’s time with the
Bjorn West group.
I Saw it Happen in Norway – Carl J Hambro (1941) Appleton-Century.
Skis Against The Atom – Knut Haukelid (1954, 1973 &
1989) Org. William Kimber now published by North American Heritage Press
– ISBN 0-942-32307-6. A brilliant account of Operation Gunnerside. Essential
reading.
The Second World War – A Guide to Documents in the Public
Records Office – John D Cantwell (1998) – ISBN 1-873-16260-X (A good starting
point for works of reference from the PRO)
SOE Operations in Scandinavia – PRO (1998) – ISBN 1-873-16215-4
(another ‘must have’ booklet that will list every Scandinavian SOE Operation
including reference numbers and dates)
Peter Moen’s Diary – no date given, but publisher is Faber
& Faber. Diary written in 1944: Gestapo prison 19 Mollergaten, Oslo.
Inside SOE – The Story of Special Operations in Western
Europe 1940-45 – E H Cookridge (1966) Arthur Barker Ltd. Very useful reference
book with sections on Norway.
The Shetland Bus – David Howarth (1957) Thomas Nelson
& Sons. Believed to be in reprint. Thought provoking account of what
brave Norwegian crews achieved in the face of overwhelming odds.
Pimpernel Gold – How Norway Foiled the Nazis - Dorothy
Baden Powell (1978) Robert Hale – ISBN 0-709-16748-2
Operation Jupiter – SOE’s Secret War in Norway - Dorothy
Baden Powell (1982) Robert Hale - ISBN 0-709-19367-X
Assault in Norway – The True Story of the Telemark Raid
- Thomas Gallager - 1975 Purnell Books
Norway 1940-45 The Resistance Movement – Olav Riste &
Berit Nokleby – 1970 Tanum Norli – ISBN 8-251-80164-8
Norway and the Second World War – Andenaes, Risre &
Skodvin, 5th Ed 1996. ISBN 8-203-22163-7
Ray Mears - The Real Heroes of Telemark – Ray Mears –
2003 Hodder & Stoughton – ISBN 0-340-83015-8. A well researched book
superbly put together. The book follows the excellent television program
on the same subject.
Commando – Peter Young, 1969, Pan Books. ISBN 0-330-23916-3
Secret Agent – Britain’s Wartime Secret Service – David
Stafford – 2000 & 2002 BBC Worldwide – ISBN 0-563-48811-5
Report From # 24 – Gunnar Sonsteby – 1965 Lyle Stuart
& 1999 Barricade Books – ISBN 1-569-80141-X (Gunnar Sonsteby is very
highly regarded and respected figure in Norway)
Little Norway” in pictures – RNAF in Canada – no published
date, author or ISBN (Excellent pictures)
Underwater Saboteur – Max Manus – 1954 William Kimber.
Max Manus is one of Norway’s best known saboteurs. Along with his friend,
Gregers Gram, who later lost his life to a trap laid by the Germans, they
destroyed significant amounts of shipping.
Norwegian Patrol – Gron Edwards – 1985 Airlife Publishing
– ISBN 0-906-39353-1 Book about a 233 Squadron pilot (Hudsons) on anti-shipping
strikes, including searching for Scharnhorst and Gneisenau.
Salt Water Thief – E O Hauge – 1958 Duckworth. A gripping
tale about Odd Starheim and fellow resistors who stole ships under the
noses of the Germans.
Sweet is War – Malcolm Munthe – 1955 – Duckworth
From Artic Snow To dust Of Normandy – Patrick Dalzel-Job
– 1991 – Alan Sutton Publishing – ISBN 0-862-99842-5. A superb book detailing
the exploits of Dalzel-Job and his work with Ian Fleming’s (creator of
James Bond) Intelligence Commando 30 AU. Patrick Dalzel-Job is the holder
of the Ridderkors (Knight’s Cross) of St Olav personally awarded by King
Haakon for saving the civilians of Narvik from horrendous German bombing.
Shetland Bus Faces and Places 60 Years on – Trygve Sorvaag
– 2003 –
The Shetland Times Ltd – ISBN 1-898-85288-X
Secret Agent’s Handbook of Special Devices – Introduction
by
Mark Seaman – Crown Copyright 2000 – Public Record Office
SOE the scientific secrets – 2003 - Boyce & Everett
– Sutton Publishing
Hitler’s Espionage Machine – Christer Jorgensen – 2004
– Spellmount Ltd – ISBN: 1-862-27244-1 (interesting account of the actiivities
of the Abwehr etc)
With Britain in Mortal Danger – Britain’s most Secret
Army – Edited by John Warwicker – 2002 – Cerberus Publishing – ISBN: 1-841-45112-6
(excellent account of the Auxillary units in the UK, plus some background
to MI(R), John Holland and Colin Gubbins)
The following publications are certainly worth obtaining.
Published by HMSO Books, they are, however, generally viewed as propaganda
material:
Combined Operations – 1940-1942
Coastal Command
His Majesty’s Submarines
There’s Freedom in the Air – Official story of the allied
air forces from the occupied countries.
Before We Go Back – Norway’s Fight since April 1940
Fleet Air Arm – The Admiralty account of Naval Air operations
Bomber Command
The Royal Marines – The Admiralty account of their achievement
1939 – 1943
MAGAZINES:
After The Battle – Telemark – Operation Freshman – Issue
45
After The Battle – The Shetland Isles – Issue 67
After The Battle – Sinking of the Blûcher – Issue
101
After The Battle – The Raid on Vaagso – Issue 109
After The Battle – The Norwegian Campaign – Issue 126
The above magazines can be ordered via their website:
www.afterthebattle.com |