Good Military Books?

[MattPJA]

I was wondering if anybody could recommend some books that you've read?
Specifically I've been looking for a book that surveys American Military history as opposed to a single auto-biography.

More or less, I'm just looking for a good read.

Any ideas are highly appreciated, Thanks!

*Edit below line/topic summary____________________________________________________________
Below is a list I have made containing all the excellent reading suggestions made in this topic.

The list is composed in this manner,
First post to last(Exception non-Ranger/Veteran recommendations are at the end of the list)
Authors are ommitted unless the book has a less than unique title
Each book that is concurrently recommended by another Ranger/Veteran will have a * on the end of it's title.

Recommendations by Veteran IEDMagnet:
Six Silent Men (Series)*
Recondo *
Ghost Soldiers*
We were Soldiers once and Young**
Blood on the Risers*
The Art of War*

Recommendation by Ranger colt1rgr:
Reflections of a Warrior..... The Franklin Miller story*

Recommendation by Ranger Invictus:
Message to Garcia

Recommendations by Ranger Silverback:
The Last 100 Meters?
Three Meter Zone: Common Sense Leadership
SH-76 Ranger Handbook (Official issue Ranger Handbook)**


Recommendations by Ranger mortar_guy78:
On Combat*
To Fight with Intrepidity
Rangers in Combat

Recommendation by Ranger The Holmchicken:
The Battles of Peace

Recommendations by Ranger Dan B 3/75:
This Kind of War
Iron Coffins
On Killing*

Recommendation by Ranger Cajun Scout:
War by Sebastian Junger*

Recommendations by Ranger rgrpuck:
The Forgotten Soldier
Combat Jump by Ruggero
The Class of 1846

Recommendations by Veteran Old Grunt:
Book of Five Rings (Victor Harris Translation)
Starship Troopers**
Tradoc 600-4 (The current IET booklet)

Recommendation by Ranger madslashers1-2:
Lone Survivor

Recommendations by Veteran GypsyRoll:
Gates of Fire
Not a Good Day to Die
The Mission, the Men, and Myself
Charlie Mike*

Recommendations by Ranger angry infidel:
SOG by John Plaster
Eyes of the Eagle

Recommendation by Veteran cbiwv:
Charlie Rangers

Recommendation by Veteran STG:
The Night the Eagles Soared

Recommendations by Ranger Slowpoke:
Jonathan Livingston, Seagull
Of Their Own Accord
Cyclops in the Jungle

Recommendations by Veteran Merlyn:
Very Crazy GI
Death in the Ashau Valley
War Paint
Night of the Silver Stars
Ghosts of the Highlands
Pathfinder
Acceptable Loss

Recommendation by Embryo ski20:
The Road to the Unafraid

Recommendations by Embryo MattPJA:
Black Hawk Down
Jarhead

Recommendation by Egg Saratoga463:
The Prince, Machiavelli

Official US Army reading list, link courtesy Ranger Cajon Scout:
http://www.history.army.mil/prlist.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[IEDmagnet]

The "Six Silent Men" series, "Recondo", "Ghost Soldiers", "We were Soldiers once and Young", "Blood on the Risers".....there are thousands....



And then there is the one book I think every soldier should read... "The Art of War".

[colt1rgr]

I have read and agree with everything IED says and would add to that "Reflections of a Warrior..... The Franklin Miller story" (Read it in one night, could not put it down).

[Invictus]

I was wondering if anybody could recommend some books that you've read?
Specifically I've been looking for a book that surveys American Military history as opposed to a single auto-biography.

More or less, I'm just looking for a good read.

Any ideas are highly appreciated, Thanks!

Several threads exist on this very topic.

Perhaps, based on your lack of effort in finding any of them, you should start with "Message to Garcia".

[Lefty]

I was wondering if anybody could recommend some books that you've read?
Specifically I've been looking for a book that surveys American Military history as opposed to a single auto-biography.

More or less, I'm just looking for a good read.

Any ideas are highly appreciated, Thanks!

Several threads exist on this very topic.

Perhaps, based on your lack of effort in finding any of them, you should start with "Message to Garcia".

This simple request, in itself, speaks volumes about the individual making the request.

[Silverback]

I am not so certain that reading the Art of War, Sun Tzu is a "solid" recommendation. I read it as a Squad Leader and found it unappealing and lofty. I know it's touted by every leader as a "must read" but I just don't think there was a lot of take away for me. I read a book that is not recommended often and It is titled something like "the last 100 meters", I will research the title when I get home. Another good book is The "Three Meter Zone: Common Sense Leadership"

The bottom line is there are a lot of recommendations on what to read and who to read. I would offer that you should learn the Ranger handbook.

The reason I reccomend these other books is because they discuss things at the Team Leader level. Concepts of assault, micro-terrain, and various other topics that the generals often overlook.

[mortar_guy78]

The Ranger Handbook is always a good place to start, per Silverback. In addition, books that will help the young Ranger:

On Combat by David Grossman
To Fight with Intrepidity & Rangers in Combat both by JD Lock

As for the Art of War, I had to read it recently for a Military Philosophy class. I agree with Silverback that it is a bit esoteric for the young soldier.

We Were Soldiers Once and Young is awesome, like IED said. There's also plethora of books about Vietnam era Rangers specifically.

Or hell, go to the library and poke around. It's fucking free.

[The Holmchicken]

"The Battles of Peace" Michael Lee Lanning. Quite possibly one of the best books on leadership ever printed.

[colt1rgr]

I would also highly recommend "Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance" by Barack Hussein Obama. Excellent Read!






























Nah just kidding! I'd rather pluck my eyeballs out with a K-Bar! GET DOWN AND KNOCK'EM OUT IF YOU THOUGHT I WAS SERIOUS!!!!

[Dan B 3/75]

These are 3 of my favorites:

This kind of war

- Korean war

- The version I read had an opening that discussed the detrimental effects of lowering standards in both men, training, and equipment, and how poor policy within and outside of the military leads to wasted lives, resources, and eventual failure. Our nation failed to learn the lessons of the Korean conflict, and we have made the same mistakes ever since and to this day.

Iron Coffins

- WWII

- Written by a German U-Boat Commander. Of 39,000 troops assigned to the German U-Boat fleet during WWII, 28,000 were killed. Excellent book that shows the ebb and flow of technology and tactics, and the effects of having maniacal and ineffective policy makers.

On killing

- Excellent book that discusses the intentional, and unintentional, psychological conditioning that occurs in service during peace and war.

There are too many to list, and from too many different eras and conflicts. The more you read, the more you realize that the more things change, the more they stay the same.

[Cajun Scout]

http://www.history.army.mil/prlist.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

If you are looking for something modern, check out War by Sebastian Junger. There are about five copies of this book floating around my unit.

[MattPJA]

I would also highly recommend "Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance" by Barack Hussein Obama. Excellent Read!
Nah just kidding! I'd rather pluck my eyeballs out with a K-Bar! GET DOWN AND KNOCK'EM OUT IF YOU THOUGHT I WAS SERIOUS!!!!

You're a funny guy, Sir .

I was in the library before making this topic, but as IEDmagnet mentioned, there's so many of these books; I had trouble picking just one to stick with.

Ranger Silverback, Thank you for the recommendation of the Ranger handbook, I found it online and am just now taking a break from reading it.

Ranger Invictus, Sir I did use the search function and was unable to find the kind of information I was looking for, I am sure there's references to military books on this forum but I did not find a general thread about them. I apologize for my lack of initiative/effort in finding such a thread.

Thank you Sir for recommending "Message to Garcia", I found it a great read.


Thank you Rangers for the amazing recommendations, I have reserved all of the books that my local Library carries and I'll keep an eye out for the others to purchase once I run down all the ones at my Library.

P.S. More ideas for books would be great! I've already got enough material just reserved at my library to read through the whole month of September and into October!

[IEDmagnet]

Nah just kidding! I'd rather pluck my eyeballs out with a K-Bar! GET DOWN AND KNOCK'EM OUT IF YOU THOUGHT I WAS SERIOUS!!!!

I was going to ask you to please put the pipe down and step away from the crack rock.

[rgrpuck]

The forgottin soldier. -Guy Sajer

Combat Jump -Ruggero

The class of 1846

[colt1rgr]

[quote="MattPJA You're a funny guy, Sir .[/quote]

A funny guy? Funny How? What I make you laugh? You laugh at me?

No just kidding Stud! But lay off the "Sir" shit, I work for a living!