Good military books to read

jdalv2

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Aug 13, 2010
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Hey everyone,

Just to give some context, I have just graduated high school and I have received an NROTC scholarship that I will use next fall- I'm still not sure where exactly I'm going to college.

That being said, I decided it would be a good idea if i buffed up on military (specifically Naval) literature.

Does anybody have any suggestions for good books about or written by past or current military figures? Are there any books that stand out in your mind that could give me good lessons about military leadership?

Thanks for your help.

Josh
 
Here are a few that I've read, enjoyed, re-read, and learned from:
1. Band of Brothers by Stephen Ambrose
2. The Unforgiving Minute by Craig Mullaney - not very typical military experience in some regards, but still a very good book
3. A World Without Islam by Graham Fuller - not really a military book, but pertains to the Middle East
 
Hey everyone,

Just to give some context, I have just graduated high school and I have received an NROTC scholarship that I will use next fall- I'm still not sure where exactly I'm going to college.

That being said, I decided it would be a good idea if i buffed up on military (specifically Naval) literature.

Does anybody have any suggestions for good books about or written by past or current military figures? Are there any books that stand out in your mind that could give me good lessons about military leadership?

Thanks for your help.

Josh
Hi!

Here's a few suggestions:

Edgar Puryear
a. 19 Stars
b. American Generalship
Some people don't really like this author, others find him to be very interesting. I found his books[/] to be very interesting.

Douglas MacArthur
a. Reminiscences (again, some folks do NOT like Gen'l Mac...others revere him.) I found this book to be fascinating! His outlook on history, his role in it, the key players in WWI/WWI/Korea and all in-between, etc., is just riveting.

Dudley Pope
a. At 12 Mr. Byng was shot
This is naval history. A British Admiral SHOT on his quarterdeck after a court martial. If you want to learn the beginnings of early naval warfare, how the "laws of the navy" became, etc...etc...this is a fascinating read.

James D. Hornfischer
a. The Last stand of the Tin Can Sailors
This is history...and an amazing study of leadership, devotion to duty, bravery...it will keep you riveted. And this HAPPENED!

Edwin P. Hoyt (anything this guy writes...)
a. How They Won the War in the Pacific: Nimitz and His Admirals
Some superb insights into the leadership of the war in the Pacific in WWII

Thomas B. Buell
a. The Quiet Warrior: A Biography of Admiral Raymond A. Spruance
One of the "unsung hero's" of WWII

Those are just a few from my shelf...I have a HUGE library...can't tell that one of my "hobbies" is studying leadership, can you? Just don't limit yourself to naval history or naval officers. Military leadership is trans-service.

Steve
USAFA ALO
USAFA '83
 
I'll second The Unforgiving Minute and Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors.

Not a Good Day to Die is also an interesting look at the early stages of the war in Afghanistan. It showcases some of the best and worst of battles--bravery, skill, leadership vs miscommunication, planning errors, etc.
 
The Unforgiving minute is a great book, and I have to recommend Once an Eagle by Anton Myrer. Clausewitz's "On War" is interesting to read, but very very hard. It took me close to a year to finish it.
 
While I will echo flieger83 comment to not limit yourself to one particular service....I do want to point out that when you study US Naval History, you are studying the History of the US Navy and Marine Corps TEAM. And make no bones about it...we are a team. It is that teamwork that has made us so successful since 1775.

You mean 1797 right?


Of course, U.S. Naval History includes the U.S. Coast Guard, the nation's oldest continuous sea going service.
 
No, no, not at all. I mean 1775 when during the American Revolution, When a committee of the Continental Congress met at Tun Tavern to draft a resolution calling for two battalions of Marines able to fight for independence at sea and on shore.

The resolution was approved on November 10, 1775, officially forming the Continental Marines.

By the way....What did the US Coast Guard, I mean US Lighthouse Service....oh no I mean the US Life-Saving Service ....darn wrong name again.....The US Revenue Cutter Service ....or was it the US Revenue Marine do during the American Revolution? You know that small conflict that started our Nation? :rolleyes:

LOL...I think they made sure those crates of tea that hit the harbor got cleaned up.
 
No, no, not at all. I mean 1775 when during the American Revolution, When a committee of the Continental Congress met at Tun Tavern to draft a resolution calling for two battalions of Marines able to fight for independence at sea and on shore.

The resolution was approved on November 10, 1775, officially forming the Continental Marines.

By the way....What did the US Coast Guard, I mean US Lighthouse Service....oh no I mean the US Life-Saving Service ....darn wrong name again.....The US Revenue Cutter Service ....or was it the US Revenue Marine do during the American Revolution? You know that small conflict that started our Nation? :rolleyes:

Well, Captain John Foster Williams, commander of the first active revenue cutter, was commanding the Continental 20-gun frigate Protector when he captured the British 32-gunner Lord Duff. After the war, when the Navy and Marine Corps "experiment" was canceled, he went to sea with the only force patrolling America's oceans, the Revenue Cutter Service.

Captain Hopley Yeaton, the first commissioned officer in the Revenue Cutter Service, was the 1st Lieutenant aboard the Continental frigate Deane when it captured 8 prizes, including the sloop HMS Thorn, in only five weeks, widely considered to be one of the most successful patrols in early U.S. naval history. Like Captain Williams, he also wasn't to happy at the disbanding of the Navy, but fortunately, he was able to obtain a commission in the USRCS.

On topic, I'd recommend Flyboys by James Bradley and Ship of Ghosts by Hornfischer as well.
 
No, no, not at all. I mean 1775 when during the American Revolution, When a committee of the Continental Congress met at Tun Tavern to draft a resolution calling for two battalions of Marines able to fight for independence at sea and on shore.

The resolution was approved on November 10, 1775, officially forming the Continental Marines.

By the way....What did the US Coast Guard, I mean US Lighthouse Service....oh no I mean the US Life-Saving Service ....darn wrong name again.....The US Revenue Cutter Service ....or was it the US Revenue Marine do during the American Revolution? You know that small conflict that started our Nation? :rolleyes:

Yes, but to have the team work you're talking about you had to have the U.S. Navy, and they were disbanded for a decade until 1797.


I had a goldfish. Got it in 1990. It died two years later. I got another goldfish in 2000. I decided to celebrate to adopt the 1990 birthday as my new goldfish's birthday, you know, to make it look older.

American Revolution? Nothing....but we did fire the first naval shot of the Civil War....so that's something.
 
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