"10 Propositions Regarding Air Power" by Col Phillip Mellinger
"The Soldier and the State" by Samuel P, Huntingdon
The Tongue and Quill
American Sniper by Chris Kyle
Lone Survivor by Mark Luttrell
Full Catastrophe Living by Jon Kabat-Zinn
You Can't Predict a Hero: From War to Wall Street, Leading in Times of Crisis by Joseph Grano

Should we as Squad Leaders require our Soldiers to have "mandatory reads?" | RallyPoint
Soldiers in my squad, upon reception, are counseled and issued a list of books to read. I have among the Infantry Community been praised and have been scoffed at. The basic is should we as leader require our Soldiers to read books such as; "Gates of Fire," "Lone Survivor," and "House to House." I believe personally hell yes because it gives a history lesson and shows them what they should look for in a leader.

CHESTY PULLER besides Dan Daly and John Basilone...........And Mad Dog Mattis
Gates of Fire - Steven Pressfield
The Long Walk: The True Story of a Trek to Freedom - Slavomir Rawicz
How to Win Friends and Influence People - Dale Carnegie
The Men, The Mission, and Me - Pete Blaber
Miracles & Massacres: True and Untold Stories of the Making of America - Glenn Beck
Rich Dad, Poor Dad - Robert Kiyosaki
Being of a heavy martial arts and hand-to-hand combat background, I find that there are things that people seem to overlook. For example, some might tell you to read an autobiography of some famous General or other- but it unfortunately Americanizes the views of our troops at large. Don't get me wrong, that is all well and good, and sometimes our country needs a bit of patriotism written by some retired General or former Chief of Staff- however, I find that a broader view happens when people look into a broader reading list from people not only in this country, but from countries around the world. My list is as follows:
Son of Hamas by Mosab Hassan Yousef
Art of War by Sun Tzu
The Book of Five Rings by Miyamoto Musashi
Spetsnatz hand-to-hand combat training guide
Yeager, an Autobiography by General Chuck Yeager and Leo Janos
The Red Circle by Brandon Webb
All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque
Traveller (A Civil War Novel) by Richard Adams
Killer Angels by Michael Shaara
Gods and Generals by Jeff Shaara
and, believe it or not, Lord of The Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
Son of Hamas goes in-depth like never before from the point of view of a Sheik's Son, who witnesses first hand the horrors of the Hamas regime. The Art of War and The Book of Five Rings both are from famous warriors, and reflect deeply on their philosophies and teachings to a degree of acuteness rarely seen from most perspectives of martial arts and battle tactics, both defensive and offensive. The Spetsnatz combat guide is not just for training purposes, but also to induce a mindset of understanding what most people from other armies and special forces endure in their daily training. It's extremely hard to get a copy of one, but if you have it, it is invaluable as an asset to your combat guide collection. General Yeager's Autobiography explains in detail the rigors of a combat and test pilot, and has more than it's share of points in the story where General Yeager is frank to the point of bluntness. The frankness allows some light-heartedness and will not have you bored out of your skull. The Red Circle deals with the rigors of SEAL training and the personal experiences of a SEAL sniper, who ultimately becomes a focal point in several battles and a Navy SEAL instructor.
All Quiet on the Western Front is a novel of World War I and focuses heavily on the German Army as they struggle- from boot camp to the trenches of blood and mud.
Traveler, Killer Angels, and Gods and Generals are three Civil War Novels, based directly on historical events and records that reflect on the living conditions, battles, and what lead to the outcome of the Civil War. And Finally, I go to Lord of the Rings as (believe it or not) a Psychological evaluation. It was written by J.R.R. Tolkien who began writing The Hobbit in the trenches on the front lines during World War I. I find it to be a valuable example of what horrors or venturous ideas a person might think of while under a high-stress environment and a lot of tension. The very thought that someone created a new storyline and a whole new world just to deal with stress is remarkable in itself, and the details given are nothing short of intriguing and amazing.
The List not only covers our struggles as Americans, but the struggles of those involved in war.
SFC Pederson, thanks for sharing, excellent choice!
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38876.Once_an_Eagle

SSgt Guina, just saw this earlier today.
http://undertheradar.military.com/2014/02/a-first-look-at-unbroken/?comp= [login to see] 70&rank=3
1LT Ginestar, excellent... thanks for sharing!

a) Anything by Ernest Hemingway, Essentials: "For Whom the Bell Tolls" and "A Farewell to Arms".
b) Anything by John Steinbeck, Essentials: "The Grapes of Wrath" and "East of Eden".
c) Anything ever written by Jack London, Essentials: "The Iron Heel", "Martin Eden", "The Call of the Wild", "People of the Abyss".
d) Anything by Fydor Dostoevsky, Essentials: "Crime and Punishment" and "The Brothers Karamazov".
e) Alexandr Solzhenitsyn - "The Gulag Archipelago"
f) Any novel written by modernist Kurt Vonnegut.
g) Robert Graves: "I Claudius" and "Claudius the God".
h) T. E. Lawrence: "The Seven Pillars of Wisdom".
i) "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald.
For fun check out "The Big Sleep" by Raymond Chandler and anything by Dashiell Hammett.
Currently finishing up Shelby Foote's 3 volume Opus on the Civil War, aka "The American Iliad"
Camp Pendleton’s Marine Corps Community Services held a First Lady of the Marine Corps Reading List kickoff and book review seminar here Oct. 29.Bonnie Amos, the commandant of the Marine Corps’ wife,
2.BROWNSIDE OUT both are good books to read they tell the stories of 2 marine corps friends and their marine corps careers korean war and vietnam war veterans............
2 Feb 1974 i was omaha city golden glove champion i trained out of that gym i got beat in the mid west finals at the civic auditorium it was on the street over from farnam if i remember right...
14th and Douglas i think was where it was at hehehehehehehehe i left omaha with the carnival in feb 1975 and enlisted in the marines in north dakota july 1975 so my memory is vague take care my friend..........


SPC Walden, excellent choices... thanks for sharing!
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/78127.On_Killing
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/88431.On_Combat


LTC Haines, great reading list and resources, thanks for taking the time to share it with us all... outstanding!




BAND OF BROTHERS is the history of Easy Company, 506th Parachute
Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, from basic training to
D-Day. It follows the jump into Holland, the Battle of
the Bulge, ...



