Scientific book(s) on World War II military hardware (esp. tanks)

**Fixiwee** · March 14, 2012, 08:16 AM

Hello history-gang,

I want to ask you for some help. I'm writing a master thesis about history and the implication of video games. I have found tons of books on various aspects but oddly enough I cannot find a scientific book on WW II military hardware. I need to quote a few technical aspects of tanks and in one case a military plane. My university has a few books on the matter, but most are simple picture books. I also searched other universities in my country and still could not find anything which has an adequate scientific standard. I need to order them per interlibrary loan, which can be expensive for me, so I rather not order books blindly.

So could anyone propose good scientific books on that matter?
Thanks in advance.

**Rolling Thunder** · March 14, 2012, 10:41 AM

Go to wiki.
Check sources.
Follow from there.

**Colossus** · March 14, 2012, 11:35 AM

Are websites good enough for this sort of thing? As the information is very easy to find, for example:

http://www.tarrif.net/cgi/production...hicles_adv.php
http://www.historyofwaronline.com/WW2-4.html (technical summaries link for each nation)

**Fixiwee** · March 14, 2012, 12:58 PM

Originally Posted by Rolling Thunder

Go to wiki.
Check sources.
Follow from there.

That was actually my first step and that only led me to the picture books (like the Osprey books). Furthermore the section of World War II tanks only offers one (!) book.

Originally Posted by Colossus

Are websites good enough for this sort of thing? As the information is very easy to find, for example:

http://www.tarrif.net/cgi/production...hicles_adv.php
http://www.historyofwaronline.com/WW2-4.html (technical summaries link for each nation)

If I can't find anything else I will use websites. But websites are hardly scientific in nature, that's why I refrain from using them.

**StealthFox** · March 14, 2012, 01:08 PM

You definitely have to get Grunden's Secret Weapons and World War II: Japan in the Shadow of Big Science. I think it will be exactly what you're looking for as Grunden takes a very scientific look at World War II. I'm also sure that his bibliography and endnotes will be a great source for you.

**Nik** · March 17, 2012, 04:17 AM

As far as german tanks go, the book series of Walter J. Spielberger go into all the nitty-gritty details, from operational aspects down to the transmission gear of the tracks. The Author even served on a Jagdpanther in 1944 and 1945, so he knows his stuff.

**Fixiwee** · March 19, 2012, 07:17 AM

Thanks for the books. I'm ordering them right now.

**Col. Tartleton** · March 19, 2012, 10:59 PM

Originally Posted by Fixiwee

That was actually my first step and that only led me to the picture books (like the Osprey books). Furthermore the section of World War II tanks only offers one (!) book.

If I can't find anything else I will use websites. But websites are hardly scientific in nature, that's why I refrain from using them.

It's in a book therefore it must be true...

You get what you get whether its online or in a book.

**StealthFox** · March 19, 2012, 11:06 PM

Big difference between information placed online that can be put there by anyone and information that has gone through a peer review process, publication review, and written by someone with expertise on the topic. Of course not all books meet this criteria, so you have to make sure you properly vet the book as you would any source.

The OP also said it's for his masters thesis. His thesis committee isn't going to approve a thesis with a bibliography full of websites.

Originally Posted by Fixiwee

Thanks for the books. I'm ordering them right now.

Let me know how you like the Grunden book.