Books on West Point

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2015USMA

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I just finished reading Absolutely American, and for the most part I liked it. Can anyone else recommend any other books on West Point?
 
I'm about 20 pages away from the end of Absolutely American. Great book in my opinion.

I heard Duty First by Ed Ruggero is a decent book about West Point. I'm going to buy that one next.
 
Duty First is definitely a great read! Got through it in about two and a half days - I recommend it!
 
The Long Gray Line

About class of 1966. Amazing. But good luck on getting through it in 2 and a half days....
 
Not really an actual story based plot book, but I have the West Point Candidate's Guide off Amazon. I'm pretty sure you guys would know what it would talk about it, but it does have some good tips for soon to be cadets. It does have some interesting comments from people in the admissions process.
 
Ken2012 said:
Not really an actual story based plot book, but I have the West Point Candidate's Guide off Amazon. I'm pretty sure you guys would know what it would talk about it, but it does have some good tips for soon to be cadets. It does have some interesting comments from people in the admissions process.
Click to expand...

Cannot stress enough how much this book has helped me through the process, especially with nomination interviews. the book has every question that you could possibly being asked in a nomination interview, and how to handle the interview in general (things like how to dress, what no to say, etc.)

Another book is In a Time of War. It's about the USMA Class of 2002 after they graduate and talks about a few of them as they begin their Army careers.


And while this link is to an article and not a book, it is an interesting read. My SLS squad leader sent this to my squad late this past summer and he gave us a disclaimor with it, which said that while he doesn't agree with everything in the article, you can't help but agree with the general theme of it. For me personally it has been the biggest gut check on if West Point and the Army is really what I want to dedicate my life to. The article is titled "Should I go to, or stay at, West Point?" by John T. Reed, USMA 1968

http://www.johntreed.com/gotousma.html
 
Take everything Reed says with a grain of salt. He made a poor personal decision by attending USMA and therefore describes everything regarding West Point, or the Army for that matter, in a very negative, pessimistic light.

His article is a terribly written, rambling piece with flawed evidence to support his claims. For example, I remember him talking about how unlike in Harvard Business School, no one ever gave standing ovations at the end of West Point lectures. He also whines about the ass-kissing and political BS that goes on in the Army, as if the same kind of thing doesn't go on in the corporate world. The only way you could avoid some of the stuff he *****es about is by being a private entrepreneurial investor like him. And then he cites an article discussing officers having trouble finding jobs after the military, as if that means West Point grads will have trouble as well. Right. And not misleading at all.

Reed brings up good points that people should consider if they are thinking about attending a service academy, but the vast majority of what he writes for his intended audience is stupid.
 
An Officer and a Junkie by Michael Winder

This is an interesting read and is about a cadet who turned to drugs while at West Point. It is no way indicative about life at West Point and he does not blame West Point for his addiction, but I think it shows that walking through those gray arches and stepping up to the line does not transform you into a flawless creature.
 
Porcelain on Steel

This is a series of biographies of women who went to West Point and how West Point influenced their lives as stay at home moms, professionals, entrepeneurs and career officers.

I was not too interested in reading it, but it was a fascinating read.
 
I would also recommend "The Unforgiving Minute" by Craig Mullaney. It provides a look at life as a West Point cadet (the author was also a Rhodes scholar, and the part about Oxford was neat), as well as life as an Army officer serving in Afghanistan.
One other one, specifically for girls, is "Battle Dress" by Amy Efaw. It was a quick read and not a true story (though the author is a West Point grad, I believe), but it still provided some interesting insight.
 
There is a 1LT in my Battalion that is a West Point Grad; During my application process, he gave me a copy of Absolutely American saying it was one of the "realest" books of the modern service academy's, and among his favorites personally.

I finished it yesterday, and it is now on my favorites list as well!
 
The book "A Soldiers Heart" is a really great read, especially if you're a literature junkie like me. It was written by Elizabeth Samet who teaches in the English department at West Point.
 
Thanks for all the suggestions. I finished Absolutely American a few days ago, and I now realize how awesome it was! At least I know what to ask for in my stocking!! :biggrin:
 
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