Good Book

If you haven't read Anton Myrer's novel "Once an Eagle" - go get it. It's my favorite novel- I reread about every 5 years - it's almost 40 years old- but was on the Chief of Staff's reading list as recently as a couple of years ago as one of the great books about leadership - different but another great old novel- "The Good Shepherd" by CS Forester - great story about leadership and service. Doris Kearns Goodwin's book 2 years ago about Abraham Lincoln's presidency and cabinet -"A Team of Rivals"- was fascinating and makes you appreciate how skilled Lincoln was as a president and politician in unbelievably trying times.
 
I have read "Once an Eagle" and did not enjoy it. I usually give up on a book if I am forcing myself to read it after the first 50 pages. In this case I did finish it, but it was work. I found the book dull. My son likes the book too so maybe it is more interesting if you are/will be in the military.
 
I guess that's why they publish all those different books- different tastes.
 
A Hero of Our Time by Mikhail Lermontov is an excellent book. Has anyone else read it?
 
Great thread! Had to dust off the bookshelf a little...:wink:
One of my favorite books on the Vietnam experience is Susan Schaeffer's Buffalo Afternoon. My dad is a Vietnam vet, and this book opened my eyes as to why he acted the way he did, upon coming home and for many years after. Very good.
Fortunate Son by Lewis Puller is excellent, he is the son of Chesty Puller, the most decorated Marine in US history. Tough shoes to fill. The book won Pulitzer Prize in 1992.
One of my favorite military books of all time is Into the Mouth of the Cat, the story of Lance Sijan. He is a true hero. It will always have a revered spot on my shelf.

Thanks for the suggestions on other books, will check them out.
 
Although just marginally relevant "Bugs Bunny: 50 Years and Only One Grey Hare" by Joe Adamson is a great book.

Bugs Bunny is the only cartoon character with a service record in the USMC. (There's the connection - no SA, ROTC or OCS to my knowledge.)

I'll have to do my review from memory because I lent my copy to someone (whom I don't remember) and the book has never returned.

Anyway - it's got great humor. The men who wrote, illustrated, voiced and even composed the music to the cartoons were so talented.

Some of the more memorable characters like Elmer Fudd and Yosemite Sam were based on people who worked for Warner Brothers at the time. I think they were the bosses.

It sticks with me that they were a hard working bunch of guys who purposely managed to appear as though they were always goofing off whenever management came through their offices.:smile:
 
Great thread! Had to dust off the bookshelf a little...:wink:
One of my favorite books on the Vietnam experience is Susan Schaeffer's Buffalo Afternoon. My dad is a Vietnam vet, and this book opened my eyes as to why he acted the way he did, upon coming home and for many years after. Very good.
Fortunate Son by Lewis Puller is excellent, he is the son of Chesty Puller, the most decorated Marine in US history. Tough shoes to fill. The book won Pulitzer Prize in 1992.
One of my favorite military books of all time is Into the Mouth of the Cat, the story of Lance Sijan. He is a true hero. It will always have a revered spot on my shelf.

Thanks for the suggestions on other books, will check them out.

I'll add a pair to this list- Rick Atkinson's first two books of what is planned to be a trilogy on the Army in World War II. "An Army at Dawn", won the Pulitzer in 2002 and "Day of Battle" last year. :thumb::thumb:Both were excellent and highly readable histories- the first about the Army in North Africa a campaign which had been almost forgotten even though it was the USArmy's first campaign in the ETO, and the second book was about the Sicily and Italian campaigns. Fascinating books about the coming of age of the US Army in WWII at multiple levels from Eisenhower down to the tactical unit level. You really don't have to be Army to appreciate these books- I would highly recommend them to anyone.
Rick Atkinson in general has produced some great books in the last few years- of particular note in addtion to the above mentioned I would add "The Long Grey Line" about the USMA class of '66, and "In the Company of Soldiers" about his embed experiences with the 101st Abn in Iraq- you get a real appreciation for then MG Petraeous as well as for guys down at the grunt level.
 
I just finished "Merle's Door - Lessons from a Freethinking Dog" by Ted Kerasote. I recommend it for everyone but especially dog lovers. Warning...have tissues handy when you get near the end of the book.
 
Thought I would revive this -

This Man's Army by Andrew Exum.
Thank you Peskemom for recommending this book to me.

"Breathing the Fire" by Kimberly Dozier. If anyone wants to know what it is like to be hit by and critically injured by an IED this is the book.
I had the opportunity to hear her speak - if she had been hit in 2003 she would have died at the scene. If she had been hit in 2004 she would have lost both legs in Baghdad. If she had been hit in 2005 she would have had her right leg amputated in Germany. She was hit on Memorial Day 2006 and as a result of at the scene and trauma care by our military medical wonders she kept both legs and is preparing to run in a Marine Corps 10k.

"Love my Rifle More than You" by Kayla Williams.
What its like to be young female and in the Army.
And in Iraq. She tells it like it is from a female enlisted soldiers point of view. The good the bad and the ugly.
 
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