Posted on Nov 28, 2014
What is the best professional military fiction?
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Of the options offered? Warning: mentioning the movies without having read the books is a down-votable offense.
Offering an alternative professional military fiction is acceptable, but six answers to a survey is not supportable.
Offering an alternative professional military fiction is acceptable, but six answers to a survey is not supportable.
Posted in these groups: 
Professional Development
PME
Professional Development PME
Edited >1 y ago
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 45
I read Enders Game when I was in much younger. It still remains one of my favorites. The movie was terrible though.
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The Ten Thousand by Harold Coyle. Moving a modern US Army Armored Corps from Ukraine to Hamburg with a hostile(as in actively shooting at you) German government.
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Starship Troopers is very very good look to the future of science fiction that may become science fact. So many great teaching points. Gates of Fire comes in a very close second!
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I've read two of the four choices offered. While I enjoyed Ender's Game, Starship Troopers was one I couldn't put down. I like the movie, but it doesn't do the book justice.
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MAJ (Join to see)
Capt Richard I P. For me Starship Troopers (The film) is one of those it's so bad and campy it's entertaining. There's not a lot of professional value to it, other than perhaps demonstrating how poor tactics cause casualties. I enjoyed Ender's Game (The film) as well, but not enough to watch it more than once.
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Capt Richard I P.
MAJ (Join to see) I'm so inflexible when it comes to movies ruining my favorite books that I cant even appreciate camp value. I understand how you can though.
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I agree that Ender's Game is probably one of the better books I have read. His ability to see threats and ensure they stay down is a pretty good tactic...
The Jack Reacher novels are by far the best out there (IMHO) - and I am in camp Tom Cruise to portray him due to the fact he is suppose to blend into a crowd yet in the books look like a freaking Line Backer.
The Jack Reacher novels are by far the best out there (IMHO) - and I am in camp Tom Cruise to portray him due to the fact he is suppose to blend into a crowd yet in the books look like a freaking Line Backer.
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Capt Richard I P.
SFC (Join to see) I'd put Lee Child's work in the same category as Tom Clancy's, entertaining, but only marginally useful as professional reading.
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There is no singular best.
I used to strongly encourage ROTC cadets to read "West of Honor" by Jerry Pournelle -- any of his CoDominium tales featuring John Christian Falkenburg makes for a good read, but "West of Honor" was written from the view of a newly commissioned lieutenant serving under a young Captain Falkenburg on a military expedition to a remote colony.
http://www.baenebooks.com/chapters/ [login to see] / [login to see] .htm
I'm also surprised to not see any mention of Frederick Forsyth. His "Dogs of War" is full of incredibly realistic detail (and, according to some reports, may be almost historical), and all of his works are very readable.
There are quite a few more I could list off given time to peruse my shelves, but I strongly recommend perusing the offerings of Baen Publishing (http://www.baen.com/). As an editor and publisher, Jim Baen nurtured many authors and good military science fiction was one of his favorite products. One of his sneakier marketing methods was to offer free electronic copies of at least one book from each author, just to get you hooked into buying the other books.
I used to strongly encourage ROTC cadets to read "West of Honor" by Jerry Pournelle -- any of his CoDominium tales featuring John Christian Falkenburg makes for a good read, but "West of Honor" was written from the view of a newly commissioned lieutenant serving under a young Captain Falkenburg on a military expedition to a remote colony.
http://www.baenebooks.com/chapters/ [login to see] / [login to see] .htm
I'm also surprised to not see any mention of Frederick Forsyth. His "Dogs of War" is full of incredibly realistic detail (and, according to some reports, may be almost historical), and all of his works are very readable.
There are quite a few more I could list off given time to peruse my shelves, but I strongly recommend perusing the offerings of Baen Publishing (http://www.baen.com/). As an editor and publisher, Jim Baen nurtured many authors and good military science fiction was one of his favorite products. One of his sneakier marketing methods was to offer free electronic copies of at least one book from each author, just to get you hooked into buying the other books.
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1LT William Clardy
Capt Richard I P., there are much worse ways to lose track of time than spending a day reading "West of Honor" or a weekend reading one of Frederick Forsyth's novels.
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Can not decide between Troopers and Ender's Game.
Troopers is more about the political mindset and the development of the state as a whole, but also has elements of leadership and development for a military member.
Ender's game teaches us about the empathy for the enemy, the battle for resources, and the tactics that can turn the tide of any battle, no matter the odds.
I think Heinlein's book is a better tale of what an ideal government and it's encompassing military can be, but I think Card's is the better military specific novel, especially for commanders.
Troopers is more about the political mindset and the development of the state as a whole, but also has elements of leadership and development for a military member.
Ender's game teaches us about the empathy for the enemy, the battle for resources, and the tactics that can turn the tide of any battle, no matter the odds.
I think Heinlein's book is a better tale of what an ideal government and it's encompassing military can be, but I think Card's is the better military specific novel, especially for commanders.
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Highly recommend "The First Sergeants" by CSM (Ret) Richard Morgan, especially for any of you former Cavalry Troopers (especially 11th ACR) out there that pulled tours, OP Duty and Border Patrol, Annual Gunnery at Graf, Wildflicken, holenfelss, REFORGER, etc along the East-West German-Czechoslavakian Border during the Cold War. It will take you back!
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