Which military book would you read?

2015-05-14T18:46:05-04:00

I love writing and reading. One of my favorite places to reach to for great story lines are military books. Out of the four I have listed which would you reach for? If you know of them what would be your next suggestion?

Response by Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS made May 14 at 2015 6:50 PM

2015-05-14T18:50:57-04:00

Of note, The Killer Angels has been cited as the inspiration for the TV show Firefly (Joss Whedon). For those who enjoyed that, Avengers, or Buffy the Vampire Slayer, it's always to follow the breadcrumbs back to the source.

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made May 14 at 2015 6:52 PM

2015-05-14T18:52:19-04:00

The Killer Angels is one of my favorites.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made May 14 at 2015 7:04 PM

2015-05-14T19:04:54-04:00

I would not pick any of them now.

Response by LTC David Stender made May 14 at 2015 7:42 PM

2015-05-14T19:42:57-04:00

Once an Eagle is a long read but well worth it

Response by MAJ Robert (Bob) Petrarca made May 14 at 2015 8:20 PM

2015-05-14T20:20:03-04:00

"The Killer Angels" was a mandatory read for our ROTC program. I would also add, "We Were Soldiers once and Young"

Response by SFC(P) Private RallyPoint Member made May 14 at 2015 8:24 PM

2015-05-14T20:24:12-04:00

Read the Face of Battle by John Keegan. Well, really anything by Keegan is excellent. I read it while a History major in undergrad. He was a brilliant military historian.

Response by COL Charles Williams made May 14 at 2015 8:32 PM

2015-05-14T20:32:21-04:00

There are many good ones. I have read Killer Angels.... and would recommend everyone read it. I have not read the rest, so I need to check them out. I would recommend Dereliction of Duty by HR McMaster, and Fiasco by Tom Ricks. SGT Nia Chiaraluce ATW!

Response by SPC Charles Brown made May 14 at 2015 8:43 PM

2015-05-14T20:43:23-04:00

I'm No Hero by Captain J. Charles Plumb Vietnam Pow
Semper Fi Mac
Tunnels oc Cu Chi
The Tunnel Rats
Just to name a few

Addendum:
Citizen Soldiers
Pegasus Bridge
Band of Brothers
The Wild Blue
All by Stephen E Ambrose

Response by Col Lyman Faith made May 14 at 2015 8:49 PM

2015-05-14T20:49:05-04:00

Infantry Attacks by Erwin Rommel

Response by LTC Jason Mackay made May 15 at 2015 12:00 AM

2015-05-15T00:00:15-04:00

This kind of war TR Fehrenbach is a great read to understand the Korean War in one sitting. Hell in a Very Small Place is good, But better if you read Street Without Joy too.

Response by 1LT Private RallyPoint Member made May 15 at 2015 1:16 AM

2015-05-15T01:16:13-04:00

The Lord of the Rings

WWI PTSD. Incidentally, JRR Tolkien was a Signal Officer!

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made May 15 at 2015 2:26 AM

2015-05-15T02:26:48-04:00

I also love reading and writing. I writing a lot here. I have seriously been thinking of putting together a book of some sorts on leadership. But of these I would read killer angels. I am currently reading a book about Thomas jefferson at the moment. I have a couple leadership books lined up and then another military history book. I have also been studying a lot of civil war history lately.

Response by PO1 John Miller made May 15 at 2015 2:33 AM

2015-05-15T02:33:55-04:00

Even though I'm not a Navy SEAL nor did I ever have any desire to be one, I am none the less fascinated by what they do and enjoy reading their autobiographies and other true stories. My favorite SEAL books are:

1. American Sniper (SOC(SEAL) Chris Kyle USN)
2. The Rogue Warrior (CDR Richard Marchinko, USN Ret.)
3. No Easy Day (Kevin Maurer and Matt Bissonnette (former Navy SEAL)

Another book I greatly enjoyed was "Life in Mr. Lincoln's Navy" (Dennis J Ringle). It concerns the integration of black crew members and the integration of engines (engines were in use before, but only as a backup to sails) on ships. A very good read.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made May 15 at 2015 5:04 AM

2015-05-15T05:04:00-04:00

I don't know if I have ever seen him referred to as Terry. I think you mean T.R. Fehrenbach, born Theodore.

Killer Angels and This Kind of War are both great books, but I do not even know if they are in my Top 5. Once an Eagle is there at the top, Starship Troopers is a good one; Bing West's The Village is a good read; Field Marshal Slim's Defeat into Victory is another good book at the top of my list. This could go on and on.

Response by MSG Greg Kelly made May 15 at 2015 5:42 AM

2015-05-15T05:42:11-04:00

I would read Killer Angels more then the others I think. If I understand your question Sir. Just to put some of my favorites out there if no one minds.

If you are a leader of any kind you may enjoy
Stark's War By John G Hemry its 3 short Books but very good
The Last Centurion By John Ringo Great book

If you like SYFY with all types of military challenges then
The Lost Fleet Series by Jack Campbell is Awesome Campbell and Hemry are the same guy

Response by CH (MAJ) William Beaver made May 15 at 2015 7:34 AM

2015-05-15T07:34:35-04:00

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made May 15 at 2015 8:00 AM

2015-05-15T08:00:46-04:00

All very good books, but in my opinion none of these would be in the first four that I would reach for. I want ideas on war that challenge conventional thoughts and make us think about why we as leaders are doing something.
In no particular order:
Streets Without Joy- Bernard Fall
About Face- David Hackworth
Ghost Wars- Steve Coll
The Bear Went Over the Mountain- Les Grau
The American Way of War- Russell Weigley
The Generals- Tom Ricks
The Seven Pillars of Wisdom (Lawrence of Arabia)- T.E. Lawrence

Response by SPC Mark Beard made May 15 at 2015 9:04 AM

2015-05-15T09:04:51-04:00

always loved reading about the civil war however after i finshed that book id read all of them

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made May 15 at 2015 9:24 AM

2015-05-15T09:24:27-04:00

Very good book about Vietnam, I actually met one of the Soldiers from that book while stationed in DLI

Response by 1LT Private RallyPoint Member made May 15 at 2015 12:22 PM

2015-05-15T12:22:41-04:00

SGT Nia Chiaraluce. Some ideas for interesting airport, flying, and/or bedtime reading . . .

o Weber, Theory of Authority: The Four Types of Authority
o Whimster, Understanding Weber

o Shirer, The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany
o Schlesinger, A Thousand Days: John F. Kennedy in the White House
o Halberstam, The Best and the Brightest ( Kennedy & Johnson Administration)

o Gavel, The Pentagon Papers: DoD History of US Decisionmaking on Vietnam (4 Volumes)
o Petraeus, U.S. Army U.S. Marine Corps Counterinsurgency Field Manual

o McLucas, Reflections of a Technocrat: Managing Defense, Air & Space Programs in Cold War
o Mahnken, Technology and The American Way of War Since 1945

o Bamford, The Puzzle Palace: Inside the National Security Agency
o Theoharis, The Central Intelligence Agency: Security under Scrutiny
o Snepp, Decent Interval: An Insider's Account of Saigon's Indecent End
o Sasgen, Stalking the Red Bear: True Story of US Cold War Submarine Covert Operations
o Perry, A History of Satellite Reconnaissance ( CIA/NRO Declassified 5 Volumes )
o Anonymous, United States Cryptologic History ( NSA/CSS Declassified 4 Volumes )
o Ennis, Assault On The Liberty: True Story Of Israeli Attack On American Intelligence Ship
o US Senate, Committee Study of the CIA's Detention and Interrogation Program
o NAS, Protecting the Frontline in BioDefense Research: The Special Immunizations Program

o Carroll, Dustoff: A Young Man’s Guide To The Surreality Of War
o Tambini, Wiring Vietnam: The Electronic Wall

o Herman, Navy Medicine in Vietnam
o Silver, Textbook of Traumatic Brain Injury

o Feinstein, The Shadow World: Inside The Global Arms Trade
o Jalali, The Other Side of the Mountain: Mujahideen Tactics in the Soviet-Afghan War
o Uris, Mila 18

o Melvin, Principles of Modern Radar: Advanced Techniques
o Vakin, Fundamentals of Electronic Warfare
o Adamy, Introduction to Electronic Warfare Modeling and Simulation
o Thompson, The Legality of the Use of Psychiatric Neuroimaging in Intelligence Interrogation

o Major, Writing Classified and Unclassified Papers for National Security

o United Launch Alliance, Atlas V Launch Services User's Guide
o United Launch Alliance, Delta IV Payload Planners Guide
o Flight & Maintenance Manuals: Huey, Loach, Apache, Black Hawk, RC-135, C-130, U-2, SR-71

o FM 5-250, Explosives and Demolitions
o TM 43-0001-38, Army Ammunition Data Sheets for Demolition Materials

o Ulam, The Curve of Binding Energy
o Chertok, Rockets and People ( NASA Declassified 4 Volumes )
o Winterberg, The Physical Principles of Thermonuclear Explosive Devices
o Gsponer, The Physical Principles of Thermonuclear Explosives
o Gsponer, Fourth Generation Nuclear Weapons: Military effectiveness and collateral effects
o Fitzpatrick, Igniting the Light Elements: The Los Alamos Thermonuclear Weapon Project
o NAS, Effects of Nuclear Earth-Penetrator and Other Weapons

o Edingfield, The Back Side of the Sun ( One of My Favorites: A Jewish Nurse in Vietnam )

o O'Neill, Don't Mean Nothing: Short Stories of Vietnam
o Walker, A Piece of My Heart: Stories of 26 American Women Who Served in Vietnam
o Fink, Five Days at Memorial: Life & Death in A Storm Ravaged Hospital ( New Orleans )
o Fink, War Hospital: A True Story of Surgery & Survival ( Bosnia-Herzegovina )
o Darr, The Forgotten Warriors: Missions of Mercy ( Vietnam Dustoff )
o Vuic, Officer, Nurse, Woman: The Army Nurse Corps in Vietnam
o Walsh, River City: A Nurses Year in Vietnam
o Klutz, Round Eyes: An American Nurse in Vietnam
o Steinman, Women in Vietnam
o Heikkila, Sisterhood of War
o Rushton, Vietnam War Nurses: Personal Accounts of 18 Americans
o Powell, A World of Hurt: Between Innocence and Arrogance in Vietnam
o Kulik, War Stories: False Atrocity Tales . . . What Really Happened in Vietnam

Response by CMDCM Gene Treants made May 15 at 2015 12:39 PM

2015-05-15T12:39:08-04:00

Since it is May and you did not specify Non-fiction, I would recommend Seven Days in May. This could happen when the Military becomes truly disgusted with its civi;ian leadership and what POTUS does to the country.

Other then that CNO has a required reading list that I found very enlightening. I am working on SOME of them, but since I am retired, happily I do nto need to read them all (nor can i afford to). This list includes the prices though Navy and also Amazon:

CNO Professional Reading Program Collection of books recommended as Essential Reading

The Crisis of Islam $9.77
Description Price In Stock Qty Buy

The Crisis of Islam
Kindle $9.99
Used $0.01 + Ship $9.77

Seal of Honor
Kindle $9.99
Prime 14.38
Used $7.69 + Ship $20.96

Neptune's Inferno
Kindle $11.84
Prime Paperback $13.37

Used Hard 11.52 + Ship $21.00

Navigating the Seven Seas
Kindle $9.99
Prime Paperback $17.76

$13.26

The Man from Pakistan
Kindle $9.74
$17.50

The Seventh Angel
Kindle $4.95
Prime Paperback $11.77
$9.09

Wake of the Wahoo
Used: 15.97
New: $25.00

$13.97

Super Freakonomics
Kindle $10.99
Prime Paperback $10.48

$20.99

The Gamble
Kindle $9.97
Prime Paperback 10.49
Used $0.01
$19.57

The Morality of War 1st ed
New $15.00
Used 3.88
$36.95

Execute Against Japan
Kindle $14.97
Prime Paperback $15.76
Prime Hard $26.98 (U$4.52)
$37.50

Wired for War
Kindle $10.99
Used $0.01
$20.96

A Sailor's History of the U.S. Navy
Kindle $9.99
Prime Paperback 17.76

$20.96

Cyber War
Kindle $9.49
Prime Paperback 13.48

$19.19

1812: The Navy's War
Kindle $12.99
Prime Paperback 14.89

$22.75

Monsoon
Kindle $10.63
Prime Paperback $11.19
Hard Used only $1.22
$19.60

Red Star Over the Pacific
Kindle $13.99
Prime Paperback $16.99
$25.86

In the Shadow of Greatness
Kindle $16.17
Prime Hard $18.48

$20.96

Shield and Sword
Kindle $9.99
Prime Paperback 17.76

$25.87

1) The Crisis of Islam: Holy War and Unholy Terror
Mar 2, 2004 by Bernard Lewis
The Crisis of Islam ranges widely through thirteen centuries of history, but in particular it charts the key events of the twentieth century leading up to the violent confrontations of today: the creation of the state of Israel, the Cold War, the Iranian Revolution, the Soviet defeat in Afghanistan, the Gulf War, and the September 11th attacks on the United States.

While hostility toward the West has a long and varied history in the lands of Islam, its current concentration on America is new. So too is the cult of the suicide bomber. Brilliantly disentangling the crosscurrents of Middle Eastern history from the rhetoric of its manipulators, Bernard Lewis helps us understand the reasons for the increasingly dogmatic rejection of modernity by many in the Muslim world in favor of a return to a sacred past. Based on his George Polk Award–winning article for The New Yorker, The Crisis of Islam is essential reading for anyone who wants to know what Usama bin Ladin represents and why his murderous message resonates so widely in the Islamic world.

2) Seal of Honor: Operation Red Wings and the Life of Lt. Michael P. Murphy, USN Apr 5, 2011 by Gary Williams
Lt. Michael Patrick Murphy, a Navy SEAL, earned the Medal of Honor on 28 June 2005 for his bravery during a fierce fight with the Taliban in the remote mountains of eastern Afghanistan. The first to receive the nation's highest military honor for service in Afghanistan, Lt. Murphy was also the first naval officer to earn the medal since the Vietnam War, and the first SEAL to be honored posthumously. A young man of great character, he is the subject of Naval Special Warfare courses on character and leadership, and an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer, naval base, school, post office, ball park, and hospital emergency room have been named in his honor.

A bestselling book by the sole survivor of Operation Red Wings, Marcus Luttrell, has helped make Lt. Murphy's SEAL team's fateful encounter with the Taliban one of the Afghan war's best known engagements. Published on the 5th anniversary of the engagement, SEAL of Honor also tells the story of that fateful battle, but it does so from a very different perspective being focused on the life of Lt. Murphy. This biography uses his heroic action during this deadly firefight in Afghanistan, as a window on his character and attempts to answer why Lt. Murphy readily sacrificed his life for his comrades. SEAL of Honor is the story of a young man, who was noted by his peers for his compassion and for his leadership being guided by an extraordinary sense of duty, responsibility, and moral clarity.

In tracing Lt. Murphy's journey from a seemingly ordinary life on New York's Long Island, to that remote mountainside a half a world away, SEAL of Honor will help readers understand how he came to demonstrate the extraordinary heroism and selfless leadership that earned him the nation's highest military honor. Moreover, the book brings the Afghan war back to the home front, focusing on Lt. Murphy's tight knit family and the devastating effect of his death upon them as they watched the story of Operation Red Wings unfold in the news. The book attempts to answer why Lt. Murphy's service to his country and his comrades was a calling faithfully answered, a duty justly upheld, and a life, while all too short, well lived.

3) NEPTUNE'S INFERNO by Hornfischer, James D.: The U.S. Navy at Guadalcanal (25-Jan-2011)
The Battle of Guadalcanal has long been heralded as a Marine victory. Now, with his powerful portrait of the Navy’s sacrifice, James D. Hornfischer tells for the first time the full story of the men who fought in destroyers, cruisers, and battleships in the narrow, deadly waters of “Iron bottom Sound.” Here, in stunning cinematic detail, are the seven major naval actions that began in August 1942, a time when the war seemed unwinnable and America fought on a shoestring, with the outcome always in doubt. Working from new interviews with survivors, unpublished eyewitness accounts, and newly available documents, Hornfischer paints a vivid picture of the officers and enlisted men who opposed the Japanese in America’s hour of need. The first major work on this subject in almost two decades, Neptune’s Inferno does what all great battle narratives do: It tells the gripping human stories behind the momentous events and critical decisions that altered the course of history and shaped so many lives.

4) Navigating the Seven Seas: Leadership Lessons of the First African American Father and Son to Serve at the Top in the U.S. Navy Paperback – February 15, 2011 by Master Chief Melvin G. Williams Sr. USN (Ret) (Author), Vice Adm. Melvin G. Williams Jr. USN (Ret) (Author)
Navigating the Seven Seas is an account of the leadership experiences two high-achieving African-Americans in the U.S. Navy. This father and son duo both achieved leadership ranks in the service of their country by following certain precepts than can applied for success in any profession, both military and civilian.

Melvin G. Williams, Sr. served in the U.S. Navy for 27 years (1951-1978) and reached the highest enlisted leadership rank of Master Chief, with final Navy leadership assignment as a Command Master Chief. His son, Melvin G. Williams, Jr., served 32 years (1978-2010) and reached the rank of Vice Admiral with final Navy leadership assignment as a Fleet Commander). As two African Americans who served the nation for nearly 60 consecutive years across two generations, they hope to provide readers with their perspectives on leadership.

Their book describes how they navigated up through the ranks of the U.S. Navy to positions of greater responsibility by employing their "Seven Cs" of leadership: Character, Competence, Courage, Commitment, Caring, Communicating, and Community.

Their book addresses the questions regarding who a leader is, what a leader does, why and how a leader performs? Although the context of their experiences is with the U.S. Navy, their message is that the seven Leadership Cs are germane to all readers, regardless of occupation or leadership situation (civilian, military, public and private industry, etc), and regardless of the reader's background, culture, or gender.

The authors contend that leadership is an art and a science and that leadership can be learned, practiced, and refined and that there is no stereotypical type cast mold for leaders. They argue that if they as members of a minority can rise to leadership roles in the U.S. Navy by following these key principles to navigate across the rough seas of life, then anyone can employ these rules to rise to increased leadership responsibility in any profession or career.

5) The Man from Pakistan - Formerly titled: The Nuclear Jihadist: The True Story of the Man Who Sold the World's Most Dangerous Secrets...And How We Could Have Stopped Him by Douglas Frantz and Catherine Collins
The world has entered a second nuclear age. For the first time since the end of the Cold War, the threat of nuclear annihilation is on the rise. Should such an assault occur, there is a strong likelihood that the trail of devastation will lead back to Abdul Qadeer Khan, the Pakistani father of the Islamic bomb and the mastermind behind a vast clandestine enterprise that has sold nuclear secrets to Iran, North Korea, and Libya. Khan's loose-knit organization was and still may be a nuclear Wal-Mart, selling weapons blueprints, parts, and the expertise to assemble the works into a do-it-yourself bomb kit. Amazingly, American authorities could have halted his operation, but they chose instead to watch and wait. Khan proved that the international safeguards the world relied on no longer worked.

Journalists Douglas Frantz and Catherine Collins tell this alarming tale of international intrigue through the eyes of the European and American officials who suspected Khan, tracked him, and ultimately shut him down, but only after the nuclear genie was long out of the bottle.

6) The Seventh Angel by Jeff Edwards
THE WORLD HAS FORGOTTEN THE TRUE NATURE OF TERROR. IT'S ABOUT TO BE REMINDED.
A military revolt in southeastern Russia puts a former hard-line Soviet leader in command of a ballistic missile submarine and its arsenal of nuclear weapons. His goal: re-ignite the communist revolution, and recapture the might and glory of the fallen Soviet Union. Without warning, Russia, Japan, and the United States become hostages in a scheme of international nuclear blackmail. When the warheads start falling and people begin dying, no one can pretend that it's a bluff.
As the earth rushes toward extinction, a lone U.S. Navy warship must penetrate the Siberian ice pack to destroy the submarine before it can destroy the world.
It may already be too late.

7) Wake of the Wahoo: The Heroic Story of America's Most Daring WWII Submarine, USS Wahoo Paperback – October 1, 1999 by Forest J. Sterling
From Pearl Harbor to her last and fatal voyage, the heroic story of America's most daring World War II submarine, as told by the only surviving member of her crew Forest J. Sterling. USS Wahoo (SS-238) was the most successful American submarine in the World War II Pacific Fleet. She was the first to penetrate an enemy harbor and sink a Japanese ship. And was the first to wipe-out an entire convoy single-handedly. In her 11 short months of life, Wahoo managed an incredible 21 kills, totaling over 60,000 tons of ships. Then, just 45 minutes before leaving Midway (island) for what would be her last and fatal patrol, Yeoman Forest Sterling was suddenly transferred to other duty. The result is this book; Wake of the Wahoo, Sterling's fantastic yet completely authentic account of a remarkable crew, captain and the ship they lived and died for. Wahoo's captain the aggressive and brave Lieutenant Commander Dudley 'Mush' Morton was the pride of the submarine fleet. He would earn the Navy Cross at the helm of Wahoo. The sub's executive officer the daring Lieutenant Richard H. 'Dick' O'Kane. O'Kane would later receive the Medal of Honor in command of the submarine USS Tang (SS-306. Forest Sterling tells the story as no one else could Wake of the Wahoo is a true account of American submarine warfare from a man who lived it ... and live to tell about it.

8) SuperFreakonomics: Global Cooling, Patriotic Prostitutes, and Why Suicide Bombers Should Buy Life Insurance Paperback – May 24, 2011
by Steven D. Levitt, Stephen J. Dubner
Freakonomics lived on the New York Times bestseller list for an astonishing two years. Now authors Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner return with more iconoclastic insights and observations in SuperFreakonomics—the long awaited follow-up to their New York Times Notable blockbuster. Based on revolutionary research and original studies SuperFreakonomics promises to once again challenge our view of the way the world really works.

9). The Gamble: General Petraeus and the American Military Adventure in Iraq Paperback – January 6, 2010 by Thomas E. Ricks
Thomas E. Rick's news-breaking follow up to the #1 New York Times bestseller Fiasco

Now updated to fully document the inside story of the Iraq war since late 2005, The Gamble is the definitive account of the insurgency within the U.S. military that led to a radical shift in America's strategy. Based on unprecedented real-time access to the military's entire chain of command, Ricks examines the events that took place as the military was forced to reckon with itself, the surge was launched, and a very different war began. His stunning conclusion, stated in the last line of the book, is that "the events for which the Iraq war will be remembered probably have not yet happened."

10). The Morality of War - Brian Orend

"Brian Orend's The Morality of War promises to become the single most comprehensive and important book on just war for this generation. It moves far beyond the review of the standard just war categories to deal comprehensively with the new challenges of the conflict with terrorism. It thoughtfully reviews every major military conflict of the past few decades, mining them for implications of the evolving tradition of just war thinking. It concludes with a critical engagement with the major alternatives to just war thinking: pacifism and 'realism.' It is, in short, the most comprehensive and thoughtful assessment of all aspects of just war since Michael Walzer's classic Just and Unjust Wars." - Martin L. Cook, United States Air Force Academy

11) "Execute against Japan": The U.S. Decision to Conduct Unrestricted Submarine Warfare (Williams-Ford Texas A&M University Military History Series) Paperback – December 6, 2013 by Joel Ira Holwitt
“ . . . until now how the Navy managed to instantaneously move from the overt legal restrictions of the naval arms treaties that bound submarines to the cruiser rules of the eighteenth century to a declaration of unrestricted submarine warfare against Japan immediately after the attack on Pearl Harbor has never been explained. Lieutenant Holwitt has dissected this process and has created a compelling story of who did what, when, and to whom.”—The Submarine Review
“Execute against Japan should be required reading for naval officers (especially in submarine wardrooms), as well as for anyone interested in history, policy, or international law.”—Adm. James P. Wisecup, President, US Naval War College (for Naval War College Review)
“Although the policy of unrestricted air and submarine warfare proved critical to the Pacific war’s course, this splendid work is the first comprehensive account of its origins—illustrating that historians have by no means exhausted questions about this conflict.”—World War II Magazine
“US Navy submarine officer Joel Ira Holwitt has performed an impressive feat with this book. . . . Holwitt is to be commended for not shying away from moral judgments . . . This is a superb book that fully explains how the United States came to adopt a strategy regarded by many as illegal and tantamount to ‘terror’.”—Military Review

12) Wired for War, P. W. Singer
In Wired for War, P. W. Singer explores the greatest revolution in military affairs since the atom bomb: the dawn of robotic warfare. We are on the cusp of a massive shift in military technology that threatens to make real the stuff of I, Robot and The Terminator. Blending historical evidence with interviews of an amazing cast of characters, Singer shows how technology is changing not just how wars are fought, but also the politics, economics, laws, and the ethics that surround war itself. Traveling from the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan to modern-day "skunk works" in the midst of suburbia, Wired for War will tantalize a wide readership, from military buffs to policy wonks to gear heads.

13) A Sailor's History of the U.S. Navy Thomas J. Cutler
Adopted by the U.S. Navy for issue to all new Sailors, A Sailor’s History of the U.S. Navy brings to life the events that have shaped and inspired the Navy of today while highlighting the roles of all Sailors—from seaman to admiral. Rather than focus entirely upon such naval icons as Stephen Decatur and Chester Nimitz, as most histories do, author Thomas J. Cutler, a retired lieutenant commander and former second class petty officer, brings to the forefront the contributions of enlisted people. You’ll read about Quartermaster Peter Williams, who steered the ironclad Monitor into history, and Hospital Corpsman Tayinikia Campbell, who saved lives in USS Cole after she was struck by terrorists in Yemen.

Unlike most histories, A Sailor’s History is arranged thematically rather than chronologically. Chapters are built around the Navy’s core values of honor, courage, and commitment, its traditions of "Don’t Tread on Me" and "Don’t Give Up the Ship," and other significant aspects of the Navy.
As Cutler states in his preface, the book is not a whitewash. He includes mistakes and defeats along with the achievements and victories as he draws a portrait of a Navy growing stronger and smarter while turning tragedy into triumph. The result is a unique account that captures the Navy’s heritage as much as its history and provides inspiration as well as information while emphasizing that most essential element of naval history: the Sailor.

14) Cyber War: The Next Threat to National Security and What to Do About It April 10, 2012 by Richard A. Clarke
Author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Against All Enemies, former presidential advisor and counter-terrorism expert Richard A. Clarke sounds a timely and chilling warning about America’s vulnerability in a terrifying new international conflict—Cyber War! Every concerned American should read this startling and explosive book that offers an insider’s view of White House ‘Situation Room’ operations and carries the reader to the frontlines of our cyber defense. Cyber War exposes a virulent threat to our nation’s security. This is no X-Files fantasy or conspiracy theory madness—this is real.

15) 1812: The Navy's War Paperback – October 8, 2013 by George C. Daughan
When war broke out between Britain and the United States in 1812, America’s prospects looked dismal. British naval aggression made it clear that the ocean would be the war’s primary battlefield—but America’s navy, only twenty ships strong, faced a practiced British fleet of more than a thousand men-of-war. Still, through a combination of nautical deftness and sheer bravado, a handful of heroic captains and their stalwart crews managed to turn the tide of the war, besting the haughty skippers of the mighty Royal Navy and cementing America’s newly won independence. In 1812: The Navy’s War, award-winning naval historian George C. Daughan draws on a wealth of archival research to tell the amazing story of this tiny, battletested team of Americans and their improbable yet pivotal victories. Daughan thrillingly details the pitched naval battles that shaped the war, and shows how these clashes proved the navy’s vital role in preserving the nation’s interests and independence. A stunning contribution to military and national history, 1812: The Navy’s War is the first complete account in more than a century of how the U.S. Navy rescued the fledgling nation and secured America’s future.

16) Monsoon: The Indian Ocean and the Future of American Power Paperback – September 13, 2011 by Robert D. Kaplan
On the world maps common in America, the Western Hemisphere lies front and center, while the Indian Ocean region all but disappears. This convention reveals the geopolitical focus of the now-departed twentieth century, but in the twenty-first century that focus will fundamentally change. In this pivotal examination of the countries known as “Monsoon Asia”—which include India, Pakistan, China, Indonesia, Burma, Oman, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Tanzania—bestselling author Robert D. Kaplan shows how crucial this dynamic area has become to American power. It is here that the fight for democracy, energy independence, and religious freedom will be lost or won, and it is here that American foreign policy must concentrate if the United States is to remain relevant in an ever-changing world. From the Horn of Africa to the Indonesian archipelago and beyond, Kaplan exposes the effects of population growth, climate change, and extremist politics on this unstable region, demonstrating why Americans can no longer afford to ignore this important area of the world.

17) Red Star over the Pacific: China's Rise and the Challenge to U.S. Maritime Strategy Paperback – March 15, 2013 by Toshi Yoshihara
Combining a close knowledge of Asia and an ability to tap Chinese-language sources with naval combat experience and expertise in sea-power theory, the authors assess how the rise of Chinese sea power will affect U.S. maritime strategy in Asia. They argue that China is laying the groundwork for a sustained challenge to American primacy in maritime Asia, and to defend this hypothesis they look back to Alfred Thayer Mahan's sea-power theories, now popular with the Chinese. The book considers how strategic thought about the sea shapes Beijing's deliberations and compares China's geostrategic predicament to that of the Kaiser's Germany a century ago. It examines the Chinese navy's operational concepts, tactics, and capabilities and appraises China's ballistic-missile submarine fleet. The authors conclude that unless Washington adapts, China will present a challenge to America's strategic position.

18) In the Shadow of Greatness: Voices of Leadership, Sacrifice, and Service from America's Longest War Hardcover – October 15, 2012 by Naval Academy Class of 2002
They were walking to class on 9/11 when the World Trade Center and Pentagon were struck. These midshipmen were soon to graduate from the Naval Academy into a nation at war, the first officers to do so since Vietnam. The men and women of the Class of 2002 lost their youth to a decade of deployments and their innocence on battlefields in distant places. Each story provides a glimpse into the lives of modern day Navy or Marine Corps officers who were faced with unique challenges and sacrifices. Their stories poignantly explain the trials of war and reveal a world many don't understand. Refreshingly honest, their narratives take readers on a journey from Annapolis to the far corners of the world to experience the unique challenges of operations at sea, on the land, and in the skies. Themes of leadership and service are on display throughout. The editors spent three years inviting their classmates to open up their hearts to share what they endured on the frontlines. The end product is a superb collection of experiences that depict what Admiral Mike Mullen, USN (Ret), 17th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, calls 'the next greatest generation.' Serving as a virtual podium for the voices of those unlikely to write about war, these first-person accounts of real-world operations are written with humility and respect for those they served with, bringing deserved recognition to all veterans of this so called 'Long War.' With a foreword by David Gergen.

19) Shield and Sword: The United States Navy and the Persian Gulf War, Feb 1, 2001 by Edward J. Marolda and Robert J. Schneller
Though not so well known as the land and air campaigns, the campaign at sea in the 1991 Gulf War was vital in subduing Saddam Hussein's invasion forces and driving them out of Kuwait. U.S. Navy surface ships and submarines launched hundreds of cruise missile attacks against Iraqi targets throughout the war, and carriers sent air strikes deep into enemy territory. The battleships Missouri and Wisconsin bombarded hostile targets while U.S. sailors joined U.S. Army and Royal Navy helicopter crews in additional actions. SEAL missions, global sealift actions, mine countermeasures, and operations in support of the economic embargo were still more contributing factors to the complex joint warfare effort.
Details of these naval operations are thoroughly documented and analyzed in this authoritative study, conducted by the Naval Historical Center and published in limited numbers in 1999. It is based on previously classified action and lessons-learned reports, interviews with participants, and studies conducted by the Center for Naval Analyses and the Department of Defense. The book includes candid evaluations of leadership effectiveness, interservice relations, and methods of command and control. It also analyses the effectiveness of various weapons and sensors, including the Tomahawk land-attack missile, the EA-6B Prowler electronic warfare aircraft, the Aegis battle management system, and unmanned aerial vehicles. Winner of the Navy League's Theodore and Franklin D. Roosevelt Naval History Prize and favorably reviewed by military scholars and foreign affairs journals, this credible historical account captures the drama as well as the detail of a modern victory at sea.
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Response by PO3 Private RallyPoint Member made May 15 at 2015 2:14 PM

2015-05-15T14:14:40-04:00

Lone Survivor always gives me goosebumps.

Response by MAJ Timothy Hale made May 20 at 2015 5:11 PM

2015-05-20T17:11:07-04:00

I grew up with a very eclectic reading list...at OBC it was The Defense of Duffer's Drift and Defense of Hill 781. During Company Command...Ender's Game and Before the Battle [Lt Gen E. M. Flanagan Jr.]...A great book that I thought spoke about PTSD w/o calling it that was Armor by John Steakley...Stepping forward into OIF and OEF...Blackhawk Down (Pre...but still great) and Robert's Ridge remain two of my favorites. As well as Les Grau's two books on the Soviets in Afghanistan.

For historical fiction...The Afghan Campaign and Gates of Fire by Pressfield

Response by SGT John Wesley made Jun 8 at 2015 5:41 PM

2015-06-08T17:41:30-04:00

Traveller by Richard Adams

Tells the story of the Civil War from the perspective of Traveller, Gen. Robert E. Lee's horse.

Loved it!