These certainly aren't the BEST history books ever written but does anybody remember the old Ballentine (sp?) Illustrated History series? These had different colored spines depending on subject, weapons, leaders, battles, etc. I grew up reading these books; they were my first real introduction into the history of WWII. 40 odd years later I still remember things I read first in those books.

Wish I had hung on to them just for nostalgia

I remember as a kid living in Canada in the early seventies there were a series of comic books, each one telling a true war story. I remember reading about the capture of the Remargen Bridge, and another about the Bataan Death March. I don't know how accurate they were but they really got me hooked on WW2 history.
Martin

Not a history book per-se...but I like "The Cruel Sea" by Nicholas Monseratt. It's the story of a Flower Class corvette named "Compass Rose" during WW2.