Hi AskHistorians,
After recently graduating with a degree in chemistry, I have started to feel that I have left some rather large gaps in my knowledge in other topics. I know very little about the world wars, something which I would like to change...which books would you recommend I read?
Antony Beevor's WW2 is a great over view, and his arena specific ones are also great (e.g. D-Day and Stalingrad).
This sub has some lists for that:
WWI: https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/wiki/books/wwi
WW2: https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/wiki/books/wwii
There is no one way to get into it. Some people prefer to look at things from the solders perspective first, and then maybe unit or larger histories. Other people, like myself, prefer to read from the top down, about the Grand Generals like the Combined Chiefs of Staff.
Even other people prefer to read about Homefront, and experience it a little like they did.
Just start reading something that catches your fancy (and has a good reputation). You don't have to start out with a tome on diplomacy and grand strategy.
If you want to go threw it chronologically, you might start with the background of WW1, something like "The War That Ended Peace" and then "World War One: A Short History".
Max Hastings has written som pretty good WW2 books covering different parts of the war.
John Keegan has also written both about WWI and WW2.
"All's Quiet on the Western Front" is fiction but was written by a German soldier shortly after WW1, most of the experiences in the book are realistic. It's an incredible story.
You know a book is good if Hitler banned it.