What are your favorite books on the military and/or war?

[Deleted member 12605]

Which one had the biggest influence on your military career?

Please share your recommendations, even if they’re not about either of those things.

 

[Ooh-Rah]

Bonus points for putting your post in the right part of the board.

My #1 favorite military related book is called Chicken Hawk by Robert Mason. It is about flying Huey's in Vietnam and today this day I can sit in a chair and 'fake fly' a helicopter based on the incredible descriptions he wrote.

#2 is Five Fingers by Gayle Rivers. Maybe it happened, maybe it didn't? Either way, I loved it.

 

[Devildoc]

It's Your Ship: management techniques from the best damn ship in the Navy. Excellent leadership book.

An Army at Dawn: the war in North Africa 1941-43. Wonderful primer about large-scale multinational complex operations.

These two books probably helped me understand principles of leadership and how to look at problems from multiple angles.

If I just had to add a third, it would be Marine! by Burke Davis, a biography about Chesty Puller, because, Chesty.

 

[GOTWA]

The most influential book I've read was The Mission The Men and Me.

 

[CQB]

For domestic security I'd rate Beyond Fear by Bruce Schneier as the go to text & he also writes well on other nerd topics. For military I'd go for 1001 Battles That Changed The Course of History. It covers about 4,500 years of decisive battles from the Hoplites to the present day.

 

[suaveflooder]

The most influential book I've read was The Mission The Men and Me.

Might need to try and get into that one again. I made it 1/2 way through.

My favorite is “Fearless”, which is the story of Adam Brown. Even though I am not military, the dude was a beast and overcame a lot of bad to get to the top. Worth the read.

 

[Diamondback 2/2]

Not really a military book, but definitely had a major impact on my career...

https://www.amazon.com/Winning-Mind...webp_QL65&keywords=with+winning+in+mind&psc=1

I recommend this book to all military leaders...

https://www.amazon.com/Black-Hearts...to+madness&dpPl=1&dpID=51GTQPWyeaL&ref=plSrch

I will second the Mission, Men and Me. It has great insight on leadership and development outside of the box (or normal military progression).

But if you are really looking to learn, stick your nose in the Field and Technical Manuals, once you have those down front to back, than start branching out to the other stuff.

 

[Ball N' Chain]

The Forgotten Soldier by Guy Sajer - I finished this book recently and it was great perspective on a front we were not involved in.

Lions of Kandahar - one of the first military books I read, and to this day I am amazed by what one ODA team can do.

Lastly, I recommend you read The Strenuous Life. It is not a book, but a speech given by Theodore Roosevelt, but it motivates the hell out of me.

“I wish to preach, not the doctrine of ignoble ease, but the doctrine of the strenuous life, the life of toil and effort, of labor and strife; to preach that highest form of success which comes, not to the man who desires mere easy peace, but to the man who does not shrink from danger, from hardship, or from bitter toil, and who out of these wins the splendid ultimate triumph.” Theodore Roosevelt

 

[Deleted member 2517]

Catch 22- nothing gets the absurdity of what goes on the military like this book.

The Caine Mutiny-best guide to what bad leadership looks like, and illustrates how people can rise to the occasion, aka“lambs become lions.”

Generation Kill- best depiction of a modern combat arms unit. Gets the culture right.

War- best depiction of OEF from a joes perspective and on par with GKs depiction of combat arms culture.

Tribe- another Junger work, and not solely focused on the military but there is so much overlap. It helped me personally make sense of the Army and what draws guys to this life. And it helped me frame some of the shit we all go through while helping me realize what makes this job great.

Relentless Strike- understanding your unit and commands history is really priceless. It also helps you realize how far Special Operations has come. It also gave me a lot of back ground and insight into stories and events I’ve heard about and helped give me perspective on it. A lot of “aw ok” moments reading that book.

 

[Teufel]

Once an Eagle by Anton Meyer

 

[Kaldak]

Killer Angels by Michael Shaara

Started my love of reading about the war and the biographies of a number of the main names.

Really, all three books by Shaara in this series are amazing.

Also, more recently, I highly recommend Level Zero Heroes. It shows the complexity and constraints of modern warfare from a SOF view point.

 

[ShadowSpear]

Gates of Fire by Steven Pressfield

 

[BloodStripe]

Has anyone read The Evil Hours by Morris?

 

[Viper1]

Defeat into Victory- Field Marshal William Slim

 

[Bunsickle]

Just finished “The Body Burning Detail” by Bill Jones. and
“Welcome Home” by Pierce Platt.

 

[“The Old Man”]

"Our Supreme Task" by Philip White

 

[Gunz]

Anything written by John Keegan.