book recommendations, anyone?

rotcdonde

rotcdonde

5-Year Member
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Jan 29, 2010
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looking for some books to read. preferably on the army, but the other branches are fine too. also preferably ones that are in paperback, cause money is too short right now to buy hardcover.
 
Absolutely American is a great book on USMA. The Long Gray Line is a great book on army officers in Vietnam.
 
Two EXCELLENT reads in my opinion; but others may or may not agree:

a. 19 Stars
b. American Generalship

Both are by Edgar Puryear.

Steve
USAFA ALO
USAFA '83
 
If you're looking for a great book that's military related but not about the military or a SA, you should try "The Killer Angels" by Michael Shaara. Its about the Battle of Gettysburg but he tries (successfully in my opinion) to put you into the mind of the participants, particularly Generals Lee, Longstreet and Chamberlain. One of my favorite books - on any subject.

Regarding the cost of books; there's something new springing up in almost every town - its called The Library. Amazing as it sounds, they'll let you take books for free just as long as you agree to return them on time. Amazing, these new fangled inventions. What will they think of next? :)
 
Echoing OSDAD- "Killer Angels" is a great book. Another is "We Were Soldiers Once and Young" by LtG Hal Moore. One of the great Army novels : "Once an Eagle" by Anton Myrer.
 
osdad said:
Regarding the cost of books; there's something new springing up in almost every town - its called The Library. Amazing as it sounds, they'll let you take books for free just as long as you agree to return them on time. Amazing, these new fangled inventions. What will they think of next? :)
Click to expand...

They'll be printing books on PAPER next! :eek:
 
I'll just throw out the novel "The Lords of Discipline" by Pat Conroy. It's fiction, and shows an experience at The Citadel (loosely disguised as Carolina Military Institute) in the mid 1960s which is far worse than anything you could imagine today; however, it does give some insight into cadet life. Everyone had read this book when I went to VMI. If anything, it is a good story, and Conroy's lyrical prose is a highlight. He thoroughly paints the picture of what Charleston means to him, and he obviously has mixed feelings on El Cid. If you want more insight into Conroy as a man, and why he feels the way he does, check out "My Losing Season" which discusses his final year playing basketball for The Citadel. It's nonfiction, and it addresses some of his family issues which, I think, explain some of his reactionary earlier criticisms in TLOD. He has, since writing TLOD, come to be a favored son of The Citadel, so obviously some of the demons noted in his writings have gone away.
 
haha i have heard of libraries, actually. it's just that the library is far away, and there's a book store close to my house...i guess that isn't really an excuse. I'll go to the library next time :cool:
thanks for the recommendations!
 
LIBRARY?

Oh, you mean that big blue bedroom where a 4dig can SLEEP without the upperclasses being a pain?

THAT PLACE!!! I knew it well!!!

Now?

I think its called my Kindle.

Steve
USAFA ALO
USAFA '83
 
osdad said:
If you're looking for a great book that's military related but not about the military or a SA, you should try "The Killer Angels" by Michael Shaara. Its about the Battle of Gettysburg but he tries (successfully in my opinion) to put you into the mind of the participants, particularly Generals Lee, Longstreet and Chamberlain. One of my favorite books - on any subject.
Click to expand...

I absolutely love Michael and Jeff (is son)'s books. The Killer Angels is actually the second book in the Shaara trilogy on the civil war. The first is Of Gods and Generals, and the second is The Last Full Measure. There are movies based off the first two that were done amazingly to the letter (each is almost 5 hrs long and uses serious re-en actors with their authentic uniforms and weapons. They changed the name of The Killer Angels movie to Gettysburg, FYI). Highly recommended series.
 
I would recommend Once an Eagle, For Whom the Bell Tolls (if you can stand soppy romance), and Black Hawk Down for some good non-fiction/fiction war books...can't think of anything more right now
 
Honor and Duty by Gus Lee. It's about USMA. A little sad, but it's really well written and definitely worth reading.
 
Sprog tossed up a couple of Pat Conroy books- I would add his best novel: "The Great Santini" to that list (Which was a great movie starring Roert Duvall & Blythe Danner) - although this is about a Marine Fighter pilot I don't know many guys who don't see some elements of their relationship with their Dad in this book and movie.
Another one you have to search for on Amazon - "Legionaire- my 5 years in the Foreign Legion" by Simon Murray written by a well to do Brit who joined the Foreign Legion in 1959 and served in the Algerian War in the 2d Legion Parachute Regiment- you have to read it to understand what truly hard corps is! (Murray eventually became the CEO of Jardine Matheson in Hong Kong.
 
For a nonfiction book, "Making the Corps" by Thomas Ricks is a great book on the marine corps that I just finished reading. Very informative about Parris Island and the spirit of the corps in general.
 
I've read the autobiography of General H. Norman Schwarzkopf: It Doesn't Take a Hero. It was pretty good. Another good one is Under Fire (I think that's what its name is). It's about Oliver North and the Iran-Contra affair.
 
Not Your Father's Coast Guard: The Untold Story of U.S. Coast Guard Special Forces (Paperback)

Paperback: 260 pages
Publisher: AuthorSolutions (November 16, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1449044409
ISBN-13: 978-1449044404
Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 1 inches

"While the Coast Guard's many battles at sea in the War on Drugs are widely known, its participation in the ground offensive is not. Indeed, the Guard didn't just send its cutters to interdict narcotics-laden vessels attempting to bring their illicit cargo into Uncle Sam's territorial waters, it sent ground troops to foreign lands to train their forces and, when necessary, directly engage the enemy. But to create the type of force needed was no small task and would not be without tribulation, both from within and outside the organization. The road traveled to complete the mission was laden with obstacles. This is not a story about the Coast Guard you know, or think you know. Rather, this is a story about the other side, the side that history nearly forgot; not the standard, but the antithesis of standard. It is a story that will undoubtedly make even the most seasoned Coast Guardsmen question their understanding of the organization to which they belong. To be sure, "This is not your father's Coast Guard."

:cool:
 
Beyond Duty: Life on the Frontline in Iraq . I haven't read it yet - have it on order- but the Author (Cpt Shannon Meehan- VMI 2005) came to speak at VMI about 2 months ago and my son reports that Meehan is a truly thoughtful and compelling speaker and author writing/speaking about his experiences in Iraq. (Interestingly - my son said he was far more relevant than Marcus Luttrell who came a few days later.) The book has great reviews found at the link below. When I finish it I will give you my own review.

http://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Duty-L...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1253335104&sr=8-1
 
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