The top 3 miltary or war books you own?

2015-04-09T04:31:58-04:00

What are your favorite military or war-related books of any type that you have on your bookshelf? These could include fiction, historical fiction, books on leadership, PTSD, military stratefy, technical manuals, regulations, spiritual books, historical books, journals, references, etc.

Response by 1SG(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 9 at 2015 6:48 AM

2015-04-09T06:48:21-04:00

The Diamond

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 9 at 2015 7:50 AM

2015-04-09T07:50:25-04:00

FM 7-22.7
NCO Guide by Stackpole Books
Personal Financial Planning for the Armed Forces

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 9 at 2015 8:35 AM

2015-04-09T08:35:10-04:00

Lone Survivor

Response by PO3 Steven Sherrill made Apr 9 at 2015 8:56 AM

2015-04-09T08:56:12-04:00

I like the Tom Clancy novels with Jack Ryan. I like the Stephen Coonts novels with Jake Grafton. I only own "Clear and Present Danger" so I have to say that is my favorite that I own. The others came from the library. Of all of the ones I have read "Final Flight" by Stephen Coonts is my favorite. It is a good story, it has action, it has intrigue, it has some other really great events that I won't detail.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 9 at 2015 9:10 AM

2015-04-09T09:10:31-04:00

Steel My Soldiers' Hearts by Col. (Ret) Hackworth is by far my absolute favorite book on leadership and the application of a Mission First, Soldiers Always mentality.

Ender's Game (yes, the science fiction novel) by Orson Scott Card provides excellent examples of leadership as well as an excellent metaphor for the burden of command.

Not A Good Day To Die (Operation Anaconda) is in my opinion the best book written on Operation Enduring Freedom, outlining serious lessons learned by our Army while highlighting the outstanding potential of our NCOs to adapt on the fly to the terrain and enemy.

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 9 at 2015 9:17 AM

2015-04-09T09:17:31-04:00

Favorite is hard to define for me. I'll go with most useful.

Ranger Handbook SH 21-76

Engineer Bible FM 5-34

Rifle Marksmanship FM 3-22.9

Even that was harder than I expected, and I don't know how accurate it is, but it'll work for off the top of my head.

Response by Capt Richard I P. made Apr 9 at 2015 9:25 AM

2015-04-09T09:25:15-04:00

These ones:
https://www.rallypoint.com/topics/reading/answers/what-is-the-best-professional-military-fiction

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 9 at 2015 10:12 AM

2015-04-09T10:12:05-04:00

The Bear Went Over the Mountain (Discussion of the Soviet War in Afghanistan from the Russian perspective)

Enders Game
Enders Shadow (The shadow series in general is a good point of reference. Tactics may not be realistic, but the ability to think outside the box and use the various tools is what is beneficial)

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 9 at 2015 10:31 AM

2015-04-09T10:31:13-04:00

1. Rommel-Infantry Attacks
2. Starship Troopers
3. History of the Peloponnesian War- This one was a very long book but it talked about massive war between Athens and Sparta. A lot of lessons in this one.

Response by LCDR Rabbah Rona Matlow made Apr 9 at 2015 11:35 AM

2015-04-09T11:35:31-04:00

I actually buy very few books other than professional library stuff (my rabbinic library is huge).

That being said, I have found that the vast number of books written by troops serving in OIF/OEF have been very compelling.

Far too many in this country really understand what folks went through during these wars. In previous wars, the conditions in the US were very different, and folks knew what was going on. During OIF/OEF, far too many people didn't even realize we were at war...

That being said, I do have a copy of "Rickover" on my shelf. I was a Navy Nuclear Power officer, so it was kind of required to have it... The other military books I have are on treating combat PTSD, since I specialize in that as a Pastoral Counselor...

Response by Cadet MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 9 at 2015 11:38 AM

2015-04-09T11:38:23-04:00

We were soldiers once... And Young

Response by LCpl Mark Lefler made Apr 9 at 2015 12:29 PM

2015-04-09T12:29:15-04:00

generation kill, all quiet on the western front, farewell to arms.

Response by Sgt David G Duchesneau made Apr 9 at 2015 12:59 PM

2015-04-09T12:59:22-04:00

I don't want to get into any more trouble here on RP, but does it count that I wrote and authored a book? It' s about growing up during the "baby boomer" years, the 50s and 60s and then at 17 years old, enlisting, not being drafted, into the US Marine Corps, going through Boot Camp at Parris Island and then serving two tours of duty as a Combat Veteran in Vietnam-1969-70.
My book is featured, among other locations, on the Police Writers website (http://www.police-writers.com/david_duchesneau.html) and in the United States Marine Corps section of the Military Writers website (http://www.military-writers.com/marinecorps/david_duchesneau.html).

Response by PO1 Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 9 at 2015 1:00 PM

2015-04-09T13:00:09-04:00

A bit biased, but Sand Pebbles, 1812:The Navy's War, and recently read Lone Survivor before seeing the movie. The last one was a good read, but the two mentioned before are full of interesting facts and history that really struck a chord with me and my service.

Response by SGT Craig Northacker made Apr 9 at 2015 1:00 PM

2015-04-09T13:00:26-04:00

The Gunner Asch trilogy by Hans Hellmut Kirst. I first read them when I was in 6th grade when I took them out of the Tempelhof AFB library. It is a poignant series about the exploits of a young private recruited for the Wehrmacht during peace, becomes battle-hardened during the Russian conflict, eventually becomes an officer, and how he survives. The author was an NCO on the Command Staff on the Eastern Front, and is is merciless in his satire about the different levels in the military-poking fun all the way through. It was wildly popular in Germany in the 1950's when first published, and turned into films. "Kirst is best remembered as the creator of the "Gunner Asch" series which detailed the ongoing struggle of an honest individual to maintain his identity and humanity amidst the criminality and corruption of Nazi Germany." (Wikipedia). The series was entitled "08-15" which essentially was that era version of SNAFU, FUBAR, CF, etc.
They are out of print but available through Amazon. It is great reading.

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 9 at 2015 2:26 PM

2015-04-09T14:26:35-04:00

Red Storm Rising by Tom Clancy, this was the book that got me into Tom Clancy and military fiction

Rifles for Waite by Harold Keith, Civil War historical fiction. Made me realize the history was fun. I read this one so much the book literally disintegrated.

The Ten Thousand By Harold Coyle, mechanized modern warfare at it's best.

I realize that these are all fiction and I do have quite of non-fiction military books on the shelf. But those tend to be a little dry. These are the ones I would finish the book and flip back to page one.

Response by PO1 Michael Fullmer made Apr 9 at 2015 3:46 PM

2015-04-09T15:46:01-04:00

We are soldiers still - follow on by Gen Moore & Joe Galloway, In Harms Way...The story of the sinking of the USS Indianapolis, American Soldier-The Tommy Franks story, and several others, including Colditz, Ghost Soldier and The Greatest Generation.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 9 at 2015 5:31 PM

2015-04-09T17:31:16-04:00

Clancy's Jack Ryan Series & his Armored Cav, Airborne, Marines, & Special Forces
W.E.B. Griffin - The Brotherhood of War Seriers and The Corps Series
Herman Wouk - The Winds of War & War of Remembrance (also made into an awesome mini-series)
Rick Atkinson - Long Gray Line, In the Company of Soldiers, The Day of Battle
Stephen Ambrose - Band of Brothers (best mini series ever) and his other writings as well

I could go on....but that's enough for now.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 12 at 2015 9:15 PM

2015-04-12T21:15:45-04:00

The Sabre Chronicles by Col (R) Tom Willard

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 14 at 2015 7:15 AM

2015-04-14T07:15:12-04:00

Death of the Wehrmacht (The German Campaigns of 1942), by Robert Citino
The German Way of War (From the thirty Years' War to the Third Reich), by Robert Citino
All my military History Magizines

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 29 at 2015 6:12 PM

2015-04-29T18:12:55-04:00

Once an Eagle-Anton Myrer (Historical Fiction WWI-Vietnam)
Black Hearts (Non-Fiction Iraq 2006-2007)
Outlaw Platoon-Sean Parnell (Non-Fiction Afghanistan 2006-2007)