Book Reviews: Military History and Tactics

[James]

I thought we could use a thread in this section for reviewing non-fiction books we've read. Please try to provide more of a description than "Great book, I enjoyed it".

I will also remove or edit posts that turn into a debate about the merits of a certain book, unless one of us is the author of that book ;).

Have a good one.

Thanks.

[James]

A few weeks ago I read a book called To Dare and To Conquer: Special Operations and the Destiny of Nations from Achilles to Al Qaeda by Derek Leebaert.

http://img164.imageshack.us/img164/5395/todareandconquer225or2.jpg

One thing I thought was valuable is his overview of special operations throughout western history, from the ancient world to the present. Leebaert states (and I agree) that a special operation is defined by the mission, not the sort of unit that undertakes it. Consequently, you can have a special operation like a nighttime winter raid across a river undertaken by barely professional soldiers (Washington crossing the Delaware in 1777), and you can have conventional operations like (hypothetically) DEVGRU running a simple overnight ambush patrol somewhere in Afghanistan. Those are my comparisons BTW, not the author's.

Many authors will start a book on a subject like this with the German assault on Eben Emael in 1940, or the SAS and LRDG running amok in the desert in 1941 and 1942. Leebaert doesn't even get to World War Two until more than 400 pages into a 600 page book. He describes how military forces have had elite units for a long time, but these haven't really been full time special operations forces until recently. Throughout most of history special operations have been short duration missions with a very specific objective, executed by a picked and (sometimes) specially trained group of men. On the other hand, a lot of things that can be described as special operations were efforts undertaken by small groups of men so far from, and out of touch with home, they might as well have been on another planet, like the early Spanish conquerors of South America.

In the end, it is apparent that, throughout history, the people who have participated in these operations share a trait; regardless of motivation, be it wealth, glory, or religion, they just won't quit. It isn't an option.

I give it 5 stars, and think it will appeal to those with a general interest in history as well as those with a more specific interest in special operations.

[CMNot]

Good idea, I have a couple of books I've been through lately that I can stick a small synopsis/review in here. I'll edit them into this post...

[Winger]

http://www.jjfpub.mb.ca/images/Fedorowicz/Photo_Albums/PT.jpg











This book written by Wolfgang Schneider is awesome. Over 500 pages long and about 600 photos in it. I recommend any such books which are published by JJ Federowicz.

This book deals with tank tactics as learned by the Wermacht. Very detailed. Here is plug from a promotion on the book. It sums up my view on it as well:


"Using period training manuals, after-action reports, countless interviews with Panzer veterans and his own experiences as a highly successful armor commander in the Bundeswehr, Schneider describes period Panzer tactics and couples this narrative with related maps and diagrams and hundreds of exciting photographs. Indeed, the photographs alone are worth the price of the book. Drawing on many previously unpublished sources, the photos illustrate all of the concepts presented in the text.

Concentrating at the battalion level and below, Schneider discusses the major types of small-unit operational art — the offense and the defense — as well as road marches, reconnaissance, command and control, working with other arms of service, life in a tank, armor training and gunnery and the future of armor. The text provides useful insight into armor tactics for both the layman and the armor professional.
This title plugs a gap in the available literature, since very little has been written on the topic for the general public by soldiers who are intimately familiar with the demands of armored warfare.

This is the third title written by Wolfgang Schneider for J.J. Fedorowicz Publishing. It joins the hugely successful titles, Tigers in Combat and Tigers in Combat 2, as an indispensable reference work on World War 2 armor."

[Johnny_H02]

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Stephen Brumwell has outdone himself. This book chronicles the life of Major-General James Wolfe. A Fiery young Officer in the British Army who eventually conquered Quebec and forced the French out of North America as a sovereign power. James Wolfe for that reason is a very controversial figure in North American and Canadian history.

Stephen Brumwell go's out of his way to stack both the criticisms and the evidence and the book is one hell of an enjoyable read. Whether you are reading about Wolfe in his youth fighting on the Continent, or at the infamous battle of Culloden. The shambles at Minorca and finally the Victories at both Louisbourg and Quebec. If you have a keen interest in Military History than this book is a "Must Read" and if you are a "Wolfe tone like so many of us are - As said by a good fellow of the Army Museum" then this book is a must have, surely to be studded with bookmark's sticky pad paper and anything else that can be jammed into the pages to mark the bits that catch interest. This book is simply put superb!

Additional things that were very interesting included, General Wolfe's direct influence on Admiral Nelson, and Nelson's heroic after death hero status. General Wolfe's personal struggle with many issues that are the ammunition of his critics ie "The Scorched Earth campaign around Quebec" and the detainment of French Canadian people from the surrounding area of Quebec. Also what really comes into play in this book is how much of a "Soldiers General" or "Poor man's Friend" he was. He always looked out for the welfare of his soldiers down to the rank and file, in addition to that he cared as much as one could for the people he was conquering. Making sure that when live stock was destroyed enough was left to feed or provide for the women and children left behind. Wolfe's own correspondence are proof of this and this book is full of those surviving letters, reports. Its the "Full Story" nether a Hero worship or Revisionist Character assassination it lays it all out for you and forces you to see the truth behind all of the Glory and all of the attempts at smearing Wolfe's duly justified reputation as a fiery aggressive soldier and one of G.Britain's greatest military heroes.

Another thing that caught me was the fact that even during the War of American Independence James Wolfe was still revered by both sides Americans included. Even Thomas Paine was of the mind that things would be different if Wolfe hadn't died. The depth that the book go's into describing the Quebec campaign, the disagreement with his Brigadiers and the fear he held himself of not actually being sure as to whether he could take Quebec. These are just some of the things that caught my attention. I'm extremely happy I read this.

5/5 Stars easily, I can't brag this one up enough.

[James]

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The Guts to Try, by James Kyle.

This book provides a unique and very detailed look at all the difficulties involved in the planning of Operation Eagle Claw, the attempted American hostage rescue in Iran in 1980. Other books that deal with this subject (there aren't that many) tend to focus almost exclusively on the role played by Delta Force. In this book, James Kyle, who helped plan the air aspects of the mission, and who was the LZ commander at Desert One, provides the reader with an idea of the incredible effort that went into planning and training for the rescue mission. He and others (he seemed quite humble to me, and gave a lot of credit to others) sort of created what JSOC was later meant to be by necessity and by the seat of their pants. At the end of the book, he dissects what went wrong. I appreciated the fact that he admitted his own mistakes, and he pulled no punches in his review, not for himself nor anyone else. It made me want to be a staff officer. ;)

[Hellfish]

Has anybody read the Armored Corps series? It looks promising... http://www.amazon.com/Armored-Corps-1/dp/0515139327/ref=pd_sim_dbs_b_4

[Johnny_H02]

http://img254.imageshack.us/img254/4159/x17435sp3.jpg

Product Description
George MacDonald Fraser—beloved for his series of Flashman historical novels—offers an action-packed memoir of his experiences in Burma during World War II. Fraser was only 19 when he arrived there in the war’s final year, and he offers a first-hand glimpse at the camaraderie, danger, and satisfactions of service. A substantial Epilogue, occasioned by the 50th anniversary of VJ-Day in 1995, adds poignancy to a volume that eminent military historian John Keegan described as “one of the great personal memoirs of the Second World War.”
http://www.amazon.com/Quartered-Safe-Out-Here-Harrowing/dp/1602391904/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1220124787&sr=8-1


My Personal Opinion is this book is above and beyond fantastic. If you enjoy G.M. Fraser's Flashman work, or any of George MacDonald Fraser literature than this is a must read book. He wrote the book back in the 90's probably around the time of the 50th Anniversary of VJ-Day. He tries to pair up his experiences with official Regimental Histories of his actions in his section within 14th Army in Burma.

In the book there are all the compenents of an intriguing read, you can easily see where he got allot of his inspiration for his stories later on whether its excentric completely bat**** crazy Tommy Officer's who are literally nut cases but deadly accurate at what they do, or finding himself stuck in a well during a Japanese attack. There are also parts about the friends he lost, all the emotions he felt during the fighting, praise for the Ghurka, Sikh, Americans and everyone whom he fought with. He also go's into the modern apologists, who condemn the dropping of the Atomic bomb. In this aspect he comes up with a very understandable and perhaps indisputable conclusion with regards to that specific action. In addition to this the book ends incredibly and I dare not give any of it away. Needless to say he states his case and no doubt the case of many a Vet in any of the Armies of the Allies perfectly. I personally think all people my age or younger should be made to read the last chapter, it truly kind of humbles you to the sacrifices made by those of his generation, the whole book emphasizes this but this chapter really drives it home.

George MacDonald Fraser has delivered a classic yet again.
I find myself more and more saddened that we will not have anymore from him though his legacy of work is enough to keep someone busy for a long time. I will no doubt read this book and others repeatedly.

Quartered Safe Out Here gets a 10/10 from me, I strongly suggest it to everyone.

[Bartoha]

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51FvlHFoYvL._SL500_AA240_.jpg

In White Eagle, Red Star, distinguished historian Norman Davies gives us a full account of the Polish–Soviet War, with its dramatic climax in August 1920 when the Red Army—sure of victory and pledged to carry the Revolution across Europe —was crushed by a devastating Polish attack. Since known as the Miracle on the Vistula, it remains one of the most crucial conflicts of the Western world. Drawing on both Polish and Russian sources, Norman Davies shows how this war was a pivotal event in the course of European history.

The Battle of Warsaw 1920 (Miracle on the Vistula), during this war, stopped the march of Bolshevik's armies towards the Western Europe, where they wanted to spread the revolution.

Poland stopped on itself the full brunt of the Red Army and defeated an idea of the "export of the revolution". Western Europe, where revolutionary fever was boiling over on the streets, was spared a bloody fight for survival. Unfortunately, political and military significance of this victory was never fully appreciated by Europeans.

[Laruibasar]

"Counterinsurgency in Africa: The Portuguese way of war" by John P. Cann
http://images.barnesandnoble.com/images/1200000/1200002.gif

This book can be considered a "case study" about the way the Portuguese face the challenges that a guerrilla war has. It's well written and it's simple to comprehend, has a lot of research on different book sources and interviews with people that had been there. I read the portuguese version but i gather that the original it's similar.

[MostlyHarmless]

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Imperial Grunts: On the Ground with the American Military, from Mongolia to the Philippines to Iraq and Beyond, Robert D. Kaplan
This was a great book for anybody looking to get into the dare I say, "hearts and minds" of the American soldier. It also gives you an in depth look at the massive number of countries the US Military is currently active in, giving a glimpse at operations in places such as Columbia and Yemen that have been overshadowed by the full scale operation in Iraq and Afghanistan. Probably one of my favorite reads.

[SpecOpsGrandChild]

Has anybody read the Armored Corps series? It looks promising...
I've read it. It's really good.

[Panzerfaust99]

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l52/Panzer99/51KxmkuIxcL__SS500_.jpg
Josef "Sepp" Allerberger was the second most successful sniper of the German Wehrmacht and one of the few private soldiers to be honoured with the award of the Knight¹s Cross. An Austrian conscript, after qualifying as a machine gunner he was drafted to the southern sector of the Russian Front in July 1942. Wounded at Voroshilovsk, he experimented with a Russian sniper-rifle while convalescing and so impressed his superiors with his proficiency that he was returned to the front on his regiment¹s only sniper specialist. In this sometimes harrowing memoir, Allerberger provides an excellent introduction to the commitment in fieldcraft, discipline and routine required of the sniper, a man apart. There was no place for chivalry on the Russian Front. Away from the film cameras, no prisoner survived long after surrendering. Russian snipers had used the illegal explosive bullet since 1941, and Hitler eventually authorised its issue in 1944.

[Johnny_H02]

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l52/Panzer99/51KxmkuIxcL__SS500_.jpg


I really was disappointed with this book, as the English publication is half the size of the German one. The version I have also had a different cover and cites Allerberger as the actual author as apposed to Albrecht Wacker who actually wrote the book. There is some pretty unimaginable **** in there though, I think that is what really set me off about it. It pretty much amounts to a hundred odd pages of pure devilish sadism without any context what so ever. Babies ripped out of their pregnant mothers stomachs and pitted on Ruskie bayonets, a shop keepers wife repeatedly raped and has a flare gun shot inside her while her husband watches. Allerberger tells Wacker that he shot a guy and his head exploded like a ripe melon. Ether Allerberger described his story to Wacker in great gory detail or Wacker embellished the action to make it more interesting.

I have a feeling the English publication is just all the parts where he saw action while all the context for the bigger picture of where he was, what he was doing etc was left out. Which is a big disapointment.

[Panzerfaust99]

Johnny, have you read Devil's Guard?
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(I haven't fully read it, but on the back is says)
The ashes of World War 2 were still cooling when France went to war in the jungles of Southeast Asia(vietnam). In that struggle, its frontline troops were the misfits, criminals, and mercearies of the French Foreign Leegion. And among that international army of the desperate and the damned, none were so bloodstained as the fugitive veterans of the German SS. Loathed by the French, Feared and hated by the Vietnamese, the Germans fought not for patriotism or gloy but because fighting for France was better than hanging from its gallows. Here now is the untold story of the killer elite whos discipline, ferocity, and suicidal courage made them the weapon of last resort.

And this is a true story.

[Johnny_H02]

I've heard of it, Its one of those titles I'd like to get around to reading.
I do remember reading however that the numbers of proven Waffen SS men in the Legion are exaggerated or at least not as concrete as some say. I think I read that on this forum somewhere ages ago but I can barely remember it.

The issue of German WWII vets fighting in the Legion in the French Indo-China war has been discussed and there were some interesting results posted on this forum that much I do remember.

[khalifah]

Great Thread Idea!!!
http://www.achievement.org/library/bookcovers/CitizenSol_0.jpg


Citizen Soldiers opens at 0001 hours, June 7, 1944, on the Normandy beaches, and ends at 0245 hours, May 7, 1945. In between come the battles in the hedgerows of Normandy, the breakout at St.-Lô, the Falaise Gap, Patton tearing through France, the liberation of Paris, the attempt to leap the Rhine in Operation Market-Garden, the near-miraculous German recovery, the battles around Metz and in the Hurtgen Forest, the Battle of the Bulge -- the biggest battle in the history of the U.S. Army -- the capture of the bridge at Remagen, and finally the overrunning of Germany
http://www.bookbrowse.com/reviews/index.cfm?book_number=113

I first read this book my Junior year in H.S. been hooked ever since.
Ambrose does an excellent job of presenting facts and information of the US Army in Europe, without making it sound like a college text book. Highly recommend this for those interested in the subject.

[khalifah]

http://www.navyreading.navy.mil/images/covers/SavageWarsOfPeace.jpg



Synopsis

America's "small wars," "imperial wars," or, as the Pentagon now terms them, "low-intensity conflicts," have played an essential but little-appreciated role in its growth as a world power. Beginning with Jefferson's expedition against the Barbary Pirates, Max Boot tells the exciting stories of our sometimes minor but often bloody landings in Samoa, the Philippines, China, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Mexico, Russia, and elsewhere. Along the way he sketches colorful portraits of little-known military heroes such as Stephen Decatur, "Fighting Fred" Funston, and Smedley Butler. From 1800 to the present day, such undeclared wars have made up the vast majority of our military engagements. Yet the military has often resisted preparing itself for small wars, preferring instead to train for big conflicts that seldom come. Boot re-examines the tragedy of Vietnam through a "small war" prism. He concludes with a devastating critique of the Powell Doctrine and a convincing argument that the armed forces must reorient themselves to better handle small-war missions, because such clashes are an inevitable result of America's far-flung imperial responsibilities.

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Savage-Wars-of-Peace/Max-Boot/e/9780465007219/?itm=1
I just finished this book, very enlightening.

furthermore I recommend his other book on what technological advancement has done for warfare since the gunpowder age.

http://www.nypost.com/seven/10152006/photos/postopinion_books_1.jpg


War Made New begins with the Gunpowder Revolution and explains warfare's evolution from ritualistic, drawn-out engagements to much deadlier events, precipitating the rise of the modern nation-state. He next explores the triumph of steel and steam during the Industrial Revolution, showing how it powered the spread of European colonial empires. Moving into the twentieth century and the Second Industrial Revolution, Boot examines three critical clashes of World War II to illustrate how new technology such as the tank, radio, and airplane ushered in terrifying new forms of warfare and the rise of centralized, and even totalitarian, world powers. Finally, Boot focuses on the Gulf War, the invasion of Afghanistan, and the Iraq War-arguing that even as cutting-edge technologies have made America the greatest military power in world history, advanced communications systems have allowed decentralized, "irregular" forces to become an increasingly significant threat.
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/War-Made-New/Max-Boot/e/9781592403158

[Salonen]

Brand new Danish book about Team 1's service in Musa Qala back in 2006. Haven't read it, but if some out there have, lets hear about it. In the danish press the book has recieved good reviews.


http://www.dr.dk/NR/rdonlyres/B26F9E12-1F2A-4EFD-AC0F-15706300F45F/964855/defea0ad1de44dea84819b3fdb352434_dedansketigre.jpg

[CMNot]

To expand on Khalifah's post regarding Max Boot. Both are a very good read, and he does an excellent job of arguing his thesis; that essentially the West gained hegemonic power through it's adaptation and execution of democracy.

It is however, not an academic book. He is not exactly quick in referencing, which makes it a VERY difficult book to use in serious, analytical argument. The main reason being he's a journo, not an academic.

[James]

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William R. Meara, Contra Cross: Insurgency and Tyranny in Central America, 1979-1989.

This is a pretty short book, but it is an excellent read. The author writes of his experiences during a decade in Central America, first teaching English in Guatemala, then as a U.S. Army officer doing psyops, and finally as a Foreign Service officer working with the Contras. I didn't have much knowledge beyond the geography of the area before, and the book really helped me sort out what was going on in various places during the 1980s. A number of times Meara stressed the importance of understanding the culture of people you are dealing with rather than simply assuming they have the same needs as you (an American). This is something that a great many military people and policy makers around the world would do well to remember today. He also did a good job in illustrating how something relatively small - our aid to the Contras, in this case, is linked to something bigger - the cold war against the Soviet Union. What happens when the Cold War ends? Should we continue to support groups like the contras when their goals are no longer relevant to us? Another thing to consider, as America has a habit of lavishing support on indigenous groups around the globe... until we don't need them any more.

This book was a great read, and I'd encourage anyone with an interest in the wars of Central America in the 1980s to pick up a copy.

[James]

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Derek Leebaert. The Fifty Year Wound: The True Price of America's Cold War Victory.

In this book Leebaert tears the lid off the rosy collective memories America tends to have of the past and lays it all out. The 1950s were not just the good years, when every American family lived in a new house and drove a new car. The 1960s were not simply the years of Vietnam and hippies. The 1970s were not simply the decade of disillusionment and bad economy, and the 1980s weren't simply strength and glory. Things were far more complicated and interlinked (as real life tends to be).

Contrary to popular belief, American leaders like Truman and Eisenhower didn't develop an overarching, coherent plan for dealing with the Soviet Union in the late 1940s and early 1950s. At the time, our strained relationship with them was seen as something far more temporary than it ended up being. Who could imagine a conflict lasting two generations? The U.S. Government became far more involved in American life than it ever had been before, funding research and building weapons around the nation. What we often think of as sound, thought out policy today didn't develop as such. In many cases, our national leaders were just muddling through. As an example, what came to be known as the strategic triad of SLBMs, ICBMs, and SAC bombers on patrol 24/7 wasn't planned; the government just didn't know what the best answer would be to a Soviet first strike, so we developed all three in parallel, at the cost of hundreds of billions of dollars.

A recurring theme in the book is cost. How much money did the Cold War cost America? Leebaert refers to weapons that were developed, never to be fielded or obsolete almost as soon as they became active (the XB-70 Valkyrie bomber and B-47 are good examples from the past; the Comanche helicopter is more recent). And what of our "allies". Leebaert isn't shy in asserting that America's allies around the world took advantage of our wealth and power too. Germany and Japan in particular benefited from American commitments. Since it was inconceivable that America would simply walk away and let either of these nations fall into the Soviet sphere, why should they invest too much in their own defense when that money could instead be used to develop industry and economy? America would defend them anyway. Those were some of the real results of President Kennedy promising the world that America would "...share any cost, and bear any burden...".

This book is a fascinating, scholarly, and very well written history of the struggle between the United States and the Soviet Union from 1945 until 1991, as well as our struggle with the aftermath. Victor was never a sure thing.

[CMNot]

In this book Leebaert tears the lid off the rosy collective memories America tends to have of the past and lays it all out. The 1950s were not just the good years, when every American family lived in a new house and drove a new car. The 1960s were not simply the years of Vietnam and hippies.

Funny you should post this; I was reading over a journal article yesterday by someone writing about our (in this case Britain's) collective memories of these decades and how those memories tend to very much differ from what was actually experienced. Very much in line with your synopsis up until the '70s which was a monumental economic **** up over here.

[KB]

Thought I'd list some good books I've read. Look forward to other posts.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51QNcas6ZKL._SL500_AA240_.jpg (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/0760333130/sr=8-1/qid=1226255899/ref=dp_image_0?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books&qid=1226255899&sr=8-1)

Phil Nordyke is a US writer who a few years ago undertook a comprehensive history of the WWII 82nd Airborne titled "All American, All the Way". He has now published regimental histories, so far on the 505th PIR and recently, the 504th. I am reading the 504th history (titled More than Courage) and it is great. Lots of personal accounts together with the bigger picture. Helps remind you just how good these outfits were.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51kKkzWJyUL._SL500_AA240_.jpg (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/1599267624/sr=1-3/qid=1226255979/ref=dp_image_0?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books&qid=1226255979&sr=1-3)

Also found a book on Amazon called "The Run Up to the Punchbowl", written by a former platoon leader in the 1st Marines. Good personal account of fighting in the Korean War during the spring-summer 1951.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51RyonLFJ9L._SL500_AA240_.jpg (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/0307263517/sr=1-1/qid=1226256021/ref=dp_image_0?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books&qid=1226256021&sr=1-1)

Last one is "Retribution" by Max Hastings, an account of the last year of combat in the Pacific in WWII. Hastings is a well known UK journalist and author of several excellent military histories, who among other things embedded with 2 Para during the fighting across the Falklands in 1982. In this book he does an excellent job of capturing the perspective of the various nations at war, weaving personal accounts with the tactical and strategic aspects of the fighting. In particular, he does an excellent job of reacquainting younger generations with the particularly brutal aspects of the regime in power in Tokyo in 1944-45.

[Hutz]

I really was disappointed with this book, as the English publication is half the size of the German one.


I have to agree with you on this. I expected something to the same standard as Forgotten Soldier. The end was pretty interesting though.

[Bia]

I'm currently reading "Alexander Hamilton" by Ron Chernow.

Wow... Mr Hamilton was quite the badass he begged General Washington for over a year for a command in the Revolution... finally Washington gave in....Hamilton led the charge of his troops into battle, fought bravely and savagely including hand to hand sword fights in the front line. When Hamilton called the forward charge he was the first to come into direct contact with the enemy.

+rep

[Stars and Stripes]

I really like to read...i spend a good amount of my time reading military type books, and I am always on the lookout for new military books or books that maybe are not to mainstream.

I would greatly appreciate any recomendations.

Please post any books that are your favorites or that you are currently reading. Thank you.

Stars and Stripes


Some Good books I have recently read are:

"Knowing the enemy" (Jihadist Ideology and the War on Terror)
- By Mary Habeck

"The Al Qaeda Reader" (understanding the beliefs and motives of the Al Qaeda network) - By Raymond Ibrahim

"The Oxford History of Modern War" - By Charles Townshend

"U.S. Army/U.S. Marines: Counterinsurgency Field Manual"
- By Military Generals and strategists including General David Petraeus

[Coyote850]

Are you into military history or just the more modern stuff? Infantry/air/ or naval warfare?

[Stars and Stripes]

I really like everything, Historical or Current

[StarvinMarvin]

Thanks for those suggestions. I will check them out. The first book sounds interesting, and I think I have looked through the third one, IIRC. I enjoy short books and novels by Stephen E. Ambrose.

[jetsetter]

"Maurice's Strategikon"
-Byzantine Emperor Maurice (Reigned 582-602AD)

I'm reading it right now and I have to say that it is quite interesting. I would suggest it to anyone who is interesting in Byzantine military thought.

[domokun]

Okay, these are bit too cliche, but any way...

Sun Tzu - Art of War
Miyamoto Musashi - Book of Five Rings
Heinz Guderian - Achtung Panzer!

[digrar]

Thread going already. Merged.

[Stars and Stripes]

Marvin- The first book was great...very informative. Some of the reviews on the back include:

"A level headed, intelligent, through, and accessible survey of modern islamic militant thinking" and "The most through and valuable explination of jihadist ideology available in english to date"

and it is really as good as it sounds.

and jetsetter...thanks for the reccomendation, Byzantine military history is something i need to read up on lol. Do you think that is a good book to start with?

[jetsetter]

Do you think that is a good book to start with?I would suggest reading it and then reading a more general history of the empire. You must remember that the Strategikon is not a history book itself, it is a military manual produced by the government to be distributed to the military.

Here is a review of sorts:


http://img243.imageshack.us/img243/1120/134104267947to9.jpg


(Article from Military Review, August 1992. Scanned by Air War College.)

The Strategikon was written to serve as a manual to assist with the training of the mounted troops of the Byzantine army. The author suggests that this forgotten work has use for today's military organizations. He compares the philosophies of the Strategikon to those of Sun Tzu's The Art of War and discusses their differences. Finally, he notes that it was not until the 20th century that the Byzantine type of warfare returned to the battlefield.

O EDWARD GIBBON, "the vices of the Byzantine armies were inherent, their victories accidental."(1) Of all the many distortions in his Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, this one ranks with the most glaring. For it was largely the excellence of the Byzantine Empire's military organization and the sophistication of its art of war that enabled it to withstand assaults from Persians, Avars, Franks, Slavs and Arabs (to name just a few of its enemies) for more than 500 years between the sixth and 11th centuries.

The sources of this excellence lay not in the genius of Belisarious or Narses who, despite the brilliance of their victories, left no lasting imprint on the Byzantine military system, but in reforms enacted a generation later by the soldier-emperor Maurice (582-602) and codified in an outstanding military manual, the Strategikon. So successful were Maurice's reforms that they remained substantially undisturbed for the next five centuries. "Not until well into the nineteenth century," writes J. F. C. Fuller, "were military manuals of such excellence produced in western Europe."(2) Yet, very few copies of this work have survived; a printed version of the Greek text appeared only in 1981; and the first English translation, only in 1984.(3) Published by an academic press, it appears not to have come to the attention of the general military reader and has already gone out of print.(4)

The Strategikon is a practical manual, "a rather modest elementary handbook," in the words of its introduction, "for those devoting themselves to generalship."(5) Its concern with contemporary military problems contrasts sharply with the philosophical detachment of Sun Tzu's The Art of War, written a millennium earlier.(6) Even so, its military wisdom, like that of the Chinese military classic, speaks to generals of every era, and the principles that influenced its instructions for the deployment and employment of the East Roman army's field forces remain of interest today.

The Strategikon on Maurice's Reforms

The Strategikon consists of 12 chapter-length "books," all but one of which deal with the organization, training and support of mounted troops. But the mounted troops described in the Strategikon were no ordinary cavalry; they were balanced and versatile fighting formations capable of winning decisions independently in battle against a variety of opponents and in many kinds of terrain. The Byzantine army's infantry, as Sir Charles W. C. Oman points out, was "altogether a subsidiary force," used more for garrison duty and small-scale mountain warfare than for taking the field with the horse.(7)

The basic tactical unit of the Byzantine army, as reorganized by Maurice, was the bandum or tagma, a mounted company whose size fluctuated between 200 and 400 horsemen. "All of the tagmas should definitely not be of the same size," asserts the Strategikon. "If they are, the enemy can easily estimate the size of the army by counting standards."(8) Three or more tagmas formed a brigade or moira; three moiras in turn, a division or meros—all of them, like the tagma, of variable strength. Twelve hundred years later, Napoleon laid down a similar rule for his own higher formations for similar reasons.(9) Nevertheless, the requirements of efficient command and control did impose upper limits on the size of these units. Thus, the moira could not exceed 3,000 men, nor the meros "more than six or seven thousand"; otherwise, "as they become larger and more extended, they may prove to be disorderly and confused."(10)

The Byzantine army's success on the battlefield as a result of Maurice's reforms was founded on its effective blend of striking power, mobility and protection, and on a keen awareness that "the art of fighting depends upon the closest combination of the offensive and the defensive, so closely as does the structure of a building depend upon bricks and mortar."(11) Every formation in the Byzantine army, from the smallest to the largest, embodied these principles in its organization and tactics and was, consequently, able equally to fight on its own or as part of larger units, performing specialized roles.

The smallest tactical unit, the tagma, derived its striking power from its combined use of fire (from horse archers) and shock (from lancers), an innovation that no Byzantine adversary could match, being proficient in one or the other, but seldom both together. Well in advance of the rest of the medieval world, as the Strategikon reveals, the East Romans discovered that fire prepares the way for shock more through suppression than attrition and that the effectiveness of suppressive fire depends less on accuracy than on sheer volume and high trajectory. For when the enemy has to worry about avoiding the missiles raining down on him, his attention is diverted from what is happening directly ahead, and he becomes vulnerable to the shock of a charge.(12) Therefore, in the instructions for drilling the tagma, the horse archers line up behind the lancers, reversing the earlier practice, so that they must use high-angle fire in order to reach the enemy and avoid hitting their own men.(13) The directions for training the individual horse archer are equally revealing: "He should be trained to shoot rapidly . . . . Speed is important in shaking the arrow loose and discharging it with force. . . . This is essential. . . . In fact, even when the arrow is well aimed, firing slowly is useless."(14) This emphasis on speed, and hence volume, of fire, even at the cost of accuracy, was also without precedent in Byzantine military practice.(15)

The tagma's high mobility was the product of not only its equine locomotion but also the special training to enhance its cross-country capability. "It is essential," according to the Strategikon, "that the horses become accustomed not only to rapid maneuvering in open, level country, but also over hilly, thick and rough ground, and in the quick ascending and descending of slopes. If they get used to these different types of ground, then neither men nor horses will be surprised or troubled by any sort of land." After describing some drills to be used in "difficult country," the manual adds: "The men who spare their horses and neglect drills of this sort are really planning their own defeat."(16) The tagma's ability to move and fight on irregular terrain was further enhanced by the fact that its troopers were trained to fight on foot, as well as on horseback. This infantry training also improved their chances of survival if they were unhorsed or their mounts were killed in combat. (17)

For protection, the tagma's horsemen relied on helmets and on what the Strategikon describes as "hooded coats of mail reaching to their ankles, which can be caught up by thongs and rings." The lancers in the two front ranks also carried shields, and their mounts wore "protective pieces of iron armor about their heads, and breastplates of iron or felt, or else breast and neck coverings such as the Avars use."(18) In addition, the tagma was trained to fight both in extended (offensive) order and in close (defensive) order and to make rapid changes from one to the other as conditions required. During the charge, the tagma advanced in close order, the horse archers protected by the lancers ahead, and the lancers, in turn, by volleys of suppressive fire from the horse archers behind.(19)

In higher formations, Maurice's reforms introduced a distinction between "assault troops" (cursores) and "defenders" (defensores): one third of each division or meros was to consist of the former, drawn up on its flanks in open order, and the remaining two thirds of the latter, drawn up in the center in close order.(20) The task of assault troops was "to move out ahead of the main line and rush upon the retreating enemy"—in other words, to conduct pursuits, presumably after the enemy line of battle had been successfully charged and routed. The task of defenders, on the other hand, was to "follow them, not charging out or breaking ranks, but marching in good order as a support for the assault troops if they should happen to fall back."(21) An inherent weakness of mixed infantry-cavalry formations had been that pursuits after a battlefield success inevitably entailed the separation of the formation's mobile striking arm from its less mobile, defensive base, exposing the cavalry vanguard of the pursuit to possible annihilation in well-prepared ambushes. The Byzantine army solved this problem by making the defensive base as mobile as the striking arm, enabling the one to support the other in mobile warfare, as well as in set-piece actions.

The conviction that correct offensive action presupposes a sound defensive also found expression in a new order of battle for Byzantine field armies. Each was required to draw up for battle not just in one line, as before, but in two lines, one of them arrayed behind the other with "about a third" of the entire force. The author of the Strategikon makes a forceful argument to justify this change. "To form the whole army simply in one line . . . for a general cavalry battle and to hold nothing in reserve for various eventualities in case of a reverse is the mark of an inexperienced and absolutely reckless man," he writes.(22) For "if it should be outflanked or unexpectedly attacked by the enemy, and it has no support from its rear or flanks, without any protection or reserve force, it will be forced to retire in headlong flight." With a second line supporting the first, however, such a disaster could be avoided. If, on the one hand, the first line "retreats or is pushed back, then the second line is there as a support and a place of refuge. This makes it possible to rally the troops and get them to turn back on their attackers."(23) On the other hand, "When we are pursuing the enemy, we can make our attack safely, for if some of the enemy turn back on us or if there is a sudden attack from another quarter, then the second line can hold its ground, join battle, and protect the first."(24) In effect, then, the new two-line order of battle reproduced, at the grand tactical level, the organization of each meros into assault troops and defenders at the tactical level.

Of no less importance in the new order of battle were the detached bodies. "Two or three bandums" were to be posted as flank guards to the left of the first line, "where hostile outflanking and encircling movements may naturally be expected" (against the weaponless left arms of the men on that side). A "bandum or two of archers, known as outflankers," were to be deployed to the other side of the first line to turn the enemy's left flank, and an additional "three or four" bandums were to be placed in concealed positions on both sides, from where they could attack the enemy's rear.(25) According to the Strategikon, "well timed attacks against the enemy's flanks and rear are much more effective and decisive than direct frontal charges and attacks. . . . [If the enemy must be faced in open battle, therefore,] do not mass all your troops in front, and even if the enemy is superior in numbers, direct your operations against his rear or his flanks. For it is dangerous and uncertain under all conditions and against any people to engage in purely frontal combat."(26)

These dispositions proved so adaptable that they were still in use, almost without change, 300 years later, when the emperor, Leo VI, issued his Tactical Constitutions.(27) Nearly 900 years more were to pass, however, before an order of battle of comparable sophistication—Frederick the Great's celebrated "oblique order"—appeared in Western Europe.(28)

The Strategikon on the Art of War

The highest principle of the Byzantine art of war, as the Strategikon makes clear, was economy of force. "A ship cannot cross the sea without a helmsman, nor can one defeat an enemy without tactics and strategy. With these and the aid of God it is possible to overcome not only an enemy force of equal strength but even one greatly superior in numbers. For it is not true, as some inexperienced people believe, that wars are decided by courage and numbers of troops, but . . . by tactics and generalship and our concern should be with these rather than [with] wasting our time mobilizing large numbers of troops."(29) The manual likens warfare to hunting: "Wild animals are taken by scouting, by nets, by lying in wait, by stalking, by circling around, and by other such stratagems rather than by sheer force." In waging war, one should do likewise, "whether the enemy be many or few." To try "simply to overpower the enemy in the open, hand to hand and face to face," is a "very risky" enterprise that "can result in serious harm" even if the enemy is defeated. "It is ridiculous to try to gain a victory which is so costly and brings only empty glory."(30) Thus, "a wise commander will not engage the enemy in a pitched battle unless a truly exceptional opportunity presents itself."(31) He will avoid emulating those who "are admired for their brilliant success [but] carry out operations recklessly."(32) He will "watch for the right opportunities and pretexts" and "strike at the enemy before they can get themselves ready."(33)

One does not have to delve very far into this treatise to recognize its kinship with two other military classics, one of them written a millennium earlier; the other, a millennium later. The first, Sun Tzu's Art of War, was already mentioned. "To capture the enemy's army," we read there, "is better than to destroy it; to take intact a battalion, a company or a five-man squad is better than to destroy them. For to win one hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the acme of skill. To subdue the enemy without fighting is the acme of skill."(34) The "master of war," we read elsewhere in Sun Tzu's book, "conquers an enemy already defeated"; "a victorious army wins its victories before seeking battle; an army destined to defeat fights in the hope of winning."(35)

Two thousand years later, the 18th-century French general Maurice de Saxe echoes these thoughts in his Reveries upon the Art of War. "I do not favor pitched battles," he writes, "especially at the beginning of a war, and I am convinced that a skillful general could make war all his life without being forced into one." He adds: "I do not mean to say by this that when an opportunity occurs to crush the enemy that he should not be attacked, nor that advantage should not be taken of his mistakes. But I do mean that war can be made without leaving anything to chance. And this is the highest point of perfection and skill in a general."(36)

That the commander must strive to conduct war without leaving anything to chance is also a recurring theme in the Strategikon. "A general should not have to say: 'I did not expect it."'(37) "The general should be ignorant of none of the situations likely to occur in war."(38) "The sharp general takes into account not only probable dangers, but also those which may be totally unexpected."(39) We should not take this to imply that the general must strive for omniscience—only that his plans should be flexible, that they "ought to have several branches," as Pierre-Joseph de Bourcet says, so that alternative courses of action are always available if the one initially chosen does not bear fruit.(40)

Just as the wise commander should seek to reduce his own uncertainty, so too must he strive to magnify the enemy's, "for only those battle plans are successful which the enemy does not suspect before we put them into action."41) Thus, counsels the manual, "The general who wants to keep his plans concealed from the enemy should never take the rank and file of his own troops into his confidence."(42) "Your plans about major operations should not be made known to many, but to just a few and [only] those very close to you."(43) Nor should the army ever "draw up in its full combat formation . . . when it is just drilling," for "these dispositions are matters of strategy rather than of tactics, and they ought not be made known ahead of time during drill."(44)

The author of the Strategikon was aware, moreover, that the effort to magnify the enemy's uncertainty must not end with passive security measures such as these. He devotes a whole chapter to what we would now call "exercise deception," describing a series of mock drills (in addition to one suggested "for actual use") to be practiced "so others [enemy spies and potential deserters] will not find out which one we think is more important." (45) He is also an enthusiastic proponent of misleading the enemy with "disinformation": "It is very important to spread rumors among the enemy that you are planning one thing; then go and do something else."(46) He has a sophisticated appreciation of how to make defectors and deserters—who by most conventional reckonings are a liability—work against, instead of for, enemy interests. "The enemy should be deceived by false reports of our plans brought to them by deserters from us," he writes.(47) "Suspected deserters," he says elsewhere, "should be told the opposite of what we intend to do, so that we may use them to deceive the enemy."(48) Letters should be sent to deserters who have joined the enemy "in such a way that the letters . . . fall into enemy hands. These letters should remind the deserters the prearranged time for their treachery, so that the enemy will become suspicious of them, and they will have to flee."(49)

The author of the Strategikon understood, too, that the best economy of force entails more than just misinforming the enemy—he must also be misdirected, "so that, as in ju-jitsu, his own effort is turned into the lever of his overthrow."(50) The general, he writes, "should act like a good wrestler, he should feint in one direction to try to deceive his adversary and then make good use of the opportunities he finds, and in this way he will overpower the enemy."(5l) As a practical guide for the Byzantine field commander, the Strategikon offers a rich menu of ruses, tricks and stratagems from which to choose, with special emphasis on ambushes, which "are of the greatest value in warfare, [for] they have in a short time destroyed great powers before they had a chance to bring their whole battle line into action."(52) By the same token, the general must constantly "look for enemy ambushes, sending out frequent and far-ranging patrols in all directions in the area around the battlefield," and he must "avoid disordered and uncoordinated pursuits."(53) Above all, the general must avoid being predictable. He "must not always use the same modes of operation against the enemy, even though they seem to be working out successfully. Often enough the enemy will become used to them, adapt to them, and inflict disaster upon us."(54) For in war, the "line of least expectation" is ever shifting, driven by the independent will of a thinking, reacting opponent, so that a surprise today is always purchased at the risk of a reverse tomorrow. That is why the Strategikon says, "A general who takes nothing for granted is secure in war."(55)

By no means did the author intend to suggest that advantages should not be pressed, nor victories exploited; for "in war opportunity is fleeting, and cannot be put off."(56) Thus, while "it is essential to be cautious and take your time" in making plans, "once you come to a decision [you must] carry it out right away without any hesitation or timidity. Timidity after all is not caution, but the invention of wickedness."(57) And if the outcome of the battle is favorable, "one should not be satisfied with merely driving the enemy back. This is a mistake made by inexperienced leaders who do not know how to take advantage of an opportunity, and who like to hear the saying: 'Be victorious but do not press your victory too hard.' By not seizing the opportunity, these people only cause themselves more trouble and place the ultimate results in doubt. There can be no rest until the enemy is completely destroyed. . . . One should not slacken after driving them back just a short distance, nor . . . should one jeopardize the success of the whole campaign because of lack of persistence. In war, as in hunting, a near miss is still a complete miss."(58)

The author of Strategikon understood that the principle of economy of force directs the commander to know his opponent to avoid his strengths and strike at his weaknesses. The manual's forceful words again bear repeating in full:

"That general is wise who before entering into war carefully studies the enemy, and can guard against his strong points and take advantage of his weaknesses. For example, the enemy is superior in cavalry; he should destroy his forage. He is superior in number of troops; cut off their supplies. His army is composed of diverse peoples; corrupt them with gifts, favors, promises. There is dissension among them; deal with their leaders. This people relies on the spear; lead them into difficult terrain. This people relies on the bow; line up in the open and force them into close, hand-to-hand fighting. . . . If they march or make camp without proper precautions, make unexpected raids on them by night and by day. If they are reckless and undisciplined in combat and not inured to hardship, make believe you are going to attack, but delay and drag things out until their ardor cools, and when they begin to hesitate, then make your attack on them. The foe is superior in infantry; entice him into the open, not too close, but from a safe distance hit him with javelins."(59)

Book XI of the Strategikon, "Characteristics and Tactics of Various Peoples," elaborates at length on the foregoing advice.(60) This assessment of sixth century Byzantium's principal adversaries is of interest today chiefly to historians of the period. Still, it does serve to highlight one of the Byzantine army's keys to success—its willingness always to learn from its enemies; to make use of methods of warfare acquired from opponents on one front in order to exploit the vulnerabilities of opponents on another, while forging its own unique tactical synthesis along the way. Thus, the skills in close combat learned from the Franks and Lombards, it used against the Persians and Scythians; and the skills with the bow learned from the Persians and Scythians, it used when fighting the Franks and Lombards; but the fire-and-shock combination that emerged from this experience was distinctively Byzantine.(61)

In this way, therefore, the Byzantine army may be said to have turned its enemies' strengths to advantage as much as it did their weaknesses. Only a fortunate accident of geography—the Byzantine Empire's central position vis-a-vis its adversaries—made this possible. For not only did it confer the inestimable advantage of interior lines of operation, it also kept the empire's enemies physically apart and, therefore, largely unable to learn from each other, even as it enabled the empire itself to learn from all of them.

Lessons Learned

In the Strategikon, then, the Byzantine army as reorganized by Maurice possessed the doctrinal foundations for an effective response to encroachments from any of the Empire's neighbors—a response that exploited the versatility of that army's own formations and the lack of balance in those of its opponents. "Now the troops of those adept in war," says Sun Tzu, "are used like the 'Simultaneously Responding' snake of Mount Ch'ang. When struck in the head, its tail attacks; when struck in the tail, its head attacks; when struck in the center both head and tail attack."(62) There lies the essence, perfectly encapsulated, of the Byzantine art of war as expounded in the Strategikon.

Although it is customary to call the Byzantine army's mounted troops "cavalry," the appellation is quite misleading, for they played many more roles in combat than those to which cavalry in Western Europe was to become confined a millennium or so later. Not only did Byzantine horsemen pursue and reconnoiter the enemy, they also conducted an early form of fire preparation, assaulted enemy lines of battle and dismounted to fight on foot when conditions so required. Only the thickest forests and the roughest terrain remained inaccessible to them, requiring the services of specialized infantry. Thus, for all practical purposes, the seventh century Byzantine meros was a combined arms formation—as versatile, in terms of the combat requirements of its day, as Napoleon's corps d'arme'e was to become 1,200 years later; and superior, from the standpoint of its mobility, which was uniform throughout the formation, to that of the corps d'arme'e that was restricted to the marching speed of its infantry.(63) So different, indeed, was the Byzantine meros from the cavalry that was to evolve in Western Europe that one must reach as far as 13th-century Central Asia to find its nearest counterpart, in the Mongol tumen.(64) Not until the 20th century was a comparable combined arms force again to emerge—in Heinz Guderian's panzer division, whose mobility was no longer based on the horse, but on the caterpillar track. Only then were the standards of striking power, mobility and protection set by these ancient formations reattained.(65) MR

http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/strategikon/strategikon.htm

[Sweetwater]

http://www.blackfive.net/photos/uncategorized/2007/08/21/housetohousejacket_3.jpg

House to House by SSG David Bellavia

One of the best books I've read when it comes to CQB. Bellavia imagery and description are simply amazing. Some people might find this book hard to keep up because there are a lot of personalities but still I highly recommend it

[Stars and Stripes]

cool I will definitly look into that book, it seems very interesting.

Do you/have you read about Napoleonic Battle history / strategy. I understand that much better that Byzantine History.

[Coyote850]

Most of my collection is World War 2. Most I got from Amazon. Here are some of them:

Air War:

Samurai!! -Saburu Sakai
The Battle of Hamburg- Martin Middlebrook
Dresden-Fredrick Taylor
JG-26 "Top Guns of the Luftwaffe"- Donald Caldwell
Flying Fortress- Edward Jablonski
Log of The Liberators- Steve Birdsall
The Jolly Rogers- Tom Blackburn

Naval/Naval Air

Miracle at Midway-Gordan Prange
The Battle of Leyte Gulf-Thomas Cutler
Guadalcanal: The Carrier Battles- Eric Hammel
Gaudalcanal: Decision at Sea- Eric Hammel
Discovery of the Bismarck-Bob Ballard
Return to Midway- Bob Ballard
Clash of the Carriers-Barrett Tillman
Combat Patrol- Clay Blair jr (Submarine war in the Pacific)
Wahoo!! -Richard Okane
The Big E- Edward Stafford
Ploesti- James Dugan
Day of Infany- Walter Lord (Pearl Harbor)
At Dawn We Slept- Gordan Prange (Pearl Harbor)

[jetsetter]

cool I will definitly look into that book, it seems very interesting.

Do you/have you read about Napoleonic Battle history / strategy. I understand that much better that Byzantine History.

Negative. At this point I am more interesting in Roman/Byzantine history but perhaps in the future I will delve into the Napoleonic era.

[Stars and Stripes]

isnt miracle at midway a pretty recent book or am i thinking of a different one?

[Coyote850]

isnt miracle at midway a pretty recent book or am i thinking of a different one?

Nope it was published in 1982. Its a great book.

[Stars and Stripes]

http://images.barnesandnoble.com/images/27490000/27495747.jpg

whoops i was thinking of this book which came out this year

[foxtrot19]

I figure this is a good place to ask but does anyone know any good,thorough books about the Pacific theater of WW2. Something akin to Martin Gilberts history of the european theater would be helpful but im open to suggestions. Thanks!

[Stars and Stripes]

This is a good one i read...

"War In The Pacific: From Pearl Harbor to Tokyo Bay"

-By Harry A. Gailey

http://bks3.books.google.com/books?id=LUwLAAAACAAJ&printsec=frontcover&img=1&zoom=1&sig=ACfU3U3DaVSNYZMNCc9s1aTaDGYZBv6LXA










[/URL]




[URL="http://books.google.com/books?id=LUwLAAAACAAJ&dq=The+War+in+the+Pacific:+From+Pearl+Harbor+to+Tokyo+Bay"] (http://books.google.com/books?id=LUwLAAAACAAJ&dq=The+War+in+the+Pacific:+From+Pearl+Harbor+to+Tokyo+Bay)

[One Man Gang]

This is my review of another recent book on Midway:

Shattered Sword: The Untold Story of the Battle of Midway

Jonanthan Pashall and Anthony Tully. Dulles Virginia: Potomac Books, 2005. 612 pp. Ill. Notes. Bib. Index. $35.00.

On May 27, 1942 the second most powerful carrier strike force in ever seen to that time (the first was the six carriers of the Pearl Harbor strike force) raised anchor and sailed majestically out of the anchorage at Hashirojima. The four carriers, Akagi, Kaga, Hiryu and Soryu were the mailed fist of Kido Butai the mobile strike force of the Imperial Japanese Navy. They were the Varsity: the professionals. Counting Pearl Harbor, this force (with the addition of the sister ships Zuikaku and Shokaku) had sunk or seriously damaged three aircraft carriers, nine battleships and battlecruisers and a host of smaller vessels. They had swept all air opposition before them and had suffered but the loss of a hundred or so planes and one light carrier sunk at the Battle of Coral Sea. Coral Sea also saw significant damage to Zuikaku and the decimation of Shokaku’s air group at the hands of America’s “First Teamers” from the carriers Yorktown (CV-5) and Lexington (CV-2). Japan’s flyboys had sent Lexington to the bottom and seriously damaged Yorktown.

Less than a week later the four carriers of Kido Butai would be under 15000 feet of water off Midway. Japan had suffered a catastrophic defeat. It was at once devastating and completely unexpected. The Japanese had intended to occupy Midway and use it as a base to render Pearl Harbor untenable. That wasn’t going to happen. The rest of the Japanese Navy headed for home. It was time to apologize to the Emperor.

After spending 30-odd years studying military history in general – and World War II in particular - any book that purports to tell me an “untold story” I view with a skeptical eye. I have found that most of these “untold stories” have already been told, and in most cases far better, by someone else years ago.

I recall a report on “Sixty Minutes” that breathlessly told the “hidden” story of a German attack on American landing craft rehearsing for D-Day off Slapton Sands. This attack killed several hundred Americans but was deliberately not broadcast at the time as the Allied commanders realized that the Germans could figure out that the beaches at Slapton Sands and the beaches of Normandy shared many of the same characteristics. Morley Safer grimly spoke of “conspiracy” and “cover-up” and that these machinations persisted to that day. Well, I had seen accounts of the Slapton Sands incident in both the Army’s and the Navy’s official histories and in a novel of D-Day first printed in the early sixties.

Cover-up? No, more like hiding in plain sight.

I have in my collection about ten or twelve books on the Battle of Midway from a variety of viewpoints. There is a volume in Adm. Samuel Eliot Morison’s magisterial History of United States Naval Operation in World War II that deals with the battles of Coral Sea and Midway; you will also find Japanese Cdr. Fuchida Mitsuo with his Midway: the Battle that Doomed Japan; Prof. Gordon Prange’s Miracle at Midway and so forth. Nearly every historian of the Pacific Theater of World War II has done at least a chapter and many have done massive tomes on this critical battle.

Now come two relative newcomers saying they are going to tell me something I don’t already know. Yeah, right.

Breaded and fried properly, crow can taste – well – like crow.

Parshall and Tully tell this story strictly from the JAPANESE point of view. The Americans are, at best, bit-part players in this odyssey as the reader is transported into the highest reaches of Japanese Naval councils, onto the flight decks and bridges of the Japanese carriers and into the cockpits of the IJN planes. Using unprecedented access to Japanese archival sources and interviews with surviving veterans of the battle, the authors piece together the story of how the Imperial Japanese Navy set itself up for disaster and sailed confidently into its maw.

As a word of warning: I would advise the reader to have already read at least one of the standard works on Midway before tackling this book. A certain familiarity with the subject is necessary. However, this is a book that needed to be written.

I freely give Shattered Sword my highest recommendation.

[lag]

Hi guys, hope you can help me.

I want to buy some military fact books. - I've read "SEALs - The US Navy Elite Fighting Force" and it was a really awesome read! So are there more military books in this quality out there? If you know some, please post them!

Thanks, lag

[Trenk]

"Sleep with your ears open"

[Claymore]

"Not a Good Day to Die" Sean Naylor

[SickBick]

Any of the Tom Clancy series of non-fiction, like "Marine: A Guided Tour of a MEU", "Special Forces: A Guided...."

These are usually good (extremely informative) but a lot of it is big picture stuff.

[Mofreaka]

Anything by Russ Bryant (http://www.russbryantphoto.com/), his books are more about the amazing pictures he takes, but they contain some interesting facts and general info.

[Mike Keenan]

Any of the Osprey books.

[Dominique]

Any of the Osprey books.

Not quit true, while Osprey usually does a pretty good job, some of their more recent publications have been lacking in the fact checking department.

[digrar]

Not quit true, while Osprey usually does a pretty good job, some of their more recent publications have been lacking in the fact checking department.

I'll pass that on to an Osprey Author some of the mods know. :)

Also there is a thread on this topic already, so I'm merging it.

[Dominique]

I'll pass that on to an Osprey Author some of the mods know. :).

Feel free to let him know, and can put together a list of the stuff I found if he wants it. I was a little disappointed when I started finding small mistakes in their text of some books, as Osprey is usually extremely accurate in anything they produce. It was like going to your favorite restaurant for years, and then finding a hair in your food.

[Expert Marksman 126]

I dont know if youve already discussed this, but I didnt see it when I skimmed through. "Kill Bin Laden" by Dalton Fury is one of the best accounts of a military operation Ive ever read. It also provides insight into just how good the D-boys really are at what they do. Worth buying for sure.

[Ravage]

I've read "SEALs - The US Navy Elite Fighting Force" and it was a really awesome read!

I wasn't so impressed by that book, I don't know why there is such a 'hype' around it.

"A Question of Honor: The Kosciuszko Squadron - Forgotten Heroes of World War II " by Lynne Olson and Stanley Cloud is incredible.

[usmcprincipal]

I have been snowbound for a few days and without power until today. I'm a school principal, and since school has been cancelled for the past week, it's given me the opportunity to read. Normally, casual reading is a difficult enterprise during the academic year.

I would like to recommend two books I recently received as gifts:

The Last Stand Of Fox Company by Robert Drury and Tom Clavin.
The Strongest Tribe by Bing West.
______________

As a retired Marine I am very much aware of the history of Chosin Reservoir; however, I was unfamiliar with the amazing contribution made by Fox Company, 2/7 in the Nangnim Mountains, which allowed two Marine regiments to successfully withdraw from the Yalu River.

The book is well researched including extensive interviews with surviving Marines from Fox Company, as well as interviews with Marines (the remainder of 2/7) that linked up with them on the hill they defended. Essentially, Fox Company decimated a Chinese Division, which tried for five days to overrun Fox, but were unable to do so. Had the Chinese overrun Fox and taken the hill, two Marine Regiments would have been trapped and likely destroyed.

The Company Commander, Captain Barber, was an amazing man and a true leader of Marines. His Medal Of Honor was well deserved. His leadership was integral to the Marines and Sailors of Fox holding the hill, while under constant attack from a determined, tough enemy force.

After hostilities in Korea had ended someone suggested to Captain Barber that his company's stand was reminiscent of the Spartans at Thermopylae. Barber immediately put that notion to rest citing numerous instances of other modern day military forces, who stood firm in the face of overwhelming odds. Captain Barber was truly a humble warrior.

It's an account that refrains from cheerleading and allows the story to speak for itself. While the style is lacking, it is long on substance and definitely worth taking the time to read.

I now fully understand how 2/7 earned the nickname, "The Magnificent Bastards".
_____________

Bing West's book, The Strongest Tribe, analyzes the big picture of Iraq from 2003 through 2008, while using specific details to paint his big picture theme. As someone, who hasn't served in Iraq, I found the book enlightening in terms of creating a better understanding of Iraqi culture, the military planning during the occupation of Iraq, and the politics associated with the war. West is unrestrained in his criticism of the generals and politicians, but also gives credit when due to generals and politicians of whom he is critical.

While it is an imperfect book with errors, which I was able to note, it is obvious that West has intimate knowledge based on close associations with everyone from the highest political and military positions down to the platoon levels.

West notes that he has made fourteen different trips to Iraq, since 2003. He has a background as a Marine combat commander in Vietnam and as a military historian. His style is concise and straightforward, which makes for easy, chronological reading. My one difficulty was maintaining context with the many Iraqi figures involved in the book due to my own provincial knowledge of Arabic names.

Because of his book, I understand more specifically the political and military complexities of Iraq, as well as the evolution that took place in applying lessons learned. In my judgment, it's well worth reading for anyone, who seriously wants to broaden their understanding of the War in Iraq.

[gaijinsamurai]

Thanks, Honorcouragecommittment!

I've seen both of these books in the bookstore recently, and was considering them. Nice to know they're worthwhile.

[Gunge]

im def gonna get the first one
thanks for the review

[Shock_T]

http://img245.imageshack.us/img245/3268/c80092c008a017d2766c801wy3.jpg

The Guts to Try, by James Kyle.

This book provides a unique and very detailed look at all the difficulties involved in the planning of Operation Eagle Claw, the attempted American hostage rescue in Iran in 1980. Other books that deal with this subject (there aren't that many) tend to focus almost exclusively on the role played by Delta Force. In this book, James Kyle, who helped plan the air aspects of the mission, and who was the LZ commander at Desert One, provides the reader with an idea of the incredible effort that went into planning and training for the rescue mission. He and others (he seemed quite humble to me, and gave a lot of credit to others) sort of created what JSOC was later meant to be by necessity and by the seat of their pants. At the end of the book, he dissects what went wrong. I appreciated the fact that he admitted his own mistakes, and he pulled no punches in his review, not for himself nor anyone else. It made me want to be a staff officer. ;)


i've had conversations with a gentleman who served as the DF OpsO for this mission

very interesting

[DS73]

Feel free to let him know, and can put together a list of the stuff I found if he wants it. I was a little disappointed when I started finding small mistakes in their text of some books, as Osprey is usually extremely accurate in anything they produce. It was like going to your favorite restaurant for years, and then finding a hair in your food.

Essential History series are horrible. I can read only about events I know nothing about. Though everything else of what I saw, is really fine and always (even when not exactly accurate) is great starting point.

To maniacs of military history and tactics dedicated:
http://cgsc.cdmhost.com/cdm4/browse.php
(there is collections' selector in the left top corner)
Please don't crash this site, it's one of my favorites.

[commanding]

Some good military books IMHO:
Marine Sniper by Charles Henderson (about sniper Carlos Hathcock)

The Fetterman Masscre by Dee Brown (about the biggest loss the Army suffered at the hands of Indians prior to Custer at Little Big Horn...a really really good story and true)

Bad Hand by Charles M. Robinson III, (about Ranald MacKenzie and the Indian wars, a really under appreciated commander with a strange twist)

more later..

[Anatolian_eagle]

very interesting books on cold war that i read ;

1-Body of Secrets: Anatomy of the Ultra-Secret National Security Agency (james banford)

very very good book on NSA spy operations from 1945 untill 2001.

2-Red Star Rogue: The Untold Story of a Soviet Submarine's Nuclear Strike Attempt on the U.S.

very interesting theory of how soviet submarine k-129 sank in n.pacific.it was partially retrieved by CIA using ocean driller vessel glomar explorer.

3-Blind Man's Bluff: The Untold Story of American Submarine Espionage

very good book on cold war submarine spy operations

4-The Silent War: The Cold War Battle Beneath the Sea

one of best book on history of cold war submarine operations

5-The Price of Vigilance: Attacks on American Surveillance Flights

superb book!! no one knows anything untill hidden files were declassified about US spy planes daring operations over soviet soil.Alot of planes has been hit , a lot of airmen has lost their lives.must read...

[Shock_T]

i've had conversations with a gentleman who served as the DF OpsO for this mission

very interesting
regarding The Guts To Try, here's what he had to say...

"Jim Kyle. Jim (COL, USAF) was the overall aviation coordinator for the Iranian Rescue Mission, and was officially in command until the ground phase began. He rode the MC-130 /HC-130 flight into Desert 1 with us. Charlie Beckwith (COL, USA Special Forces) was the ground commander, and would officially take over at the second LZ - that to which the USMC helo contingent would take us, and where we would marry up with **** Meadows' covert advanced party in Iran, and the trucks they had secured. In point of fact, Beckwith was deferred to at desert 1 by Jim, because the USAF contingent had finished their job in fine fashion (no landing at more than predicted touchdown time + 30 seconds, and we infiltrated undetected).

Jim Pittman (COL, USMC) "led" the USMC helo contingent, but he himself turned back to the carrier off the coast after an hour's flight - without telling anyone that he had opted out. I will reserve judgement on Pittman, who later became Deputy Commandant of the Corps as a three star, but Jim Kyle is a fine Air Warrior and a great American. His book takes it easy on the Corps, but otherwise is a fairly complete telling of that sad moment in US History.

We started with 8 CH-53s,knowing that we needed a minimum of 5. They ran into a ha**** - sand storm - as did the C-130s. Pittman's turned back first and went back to the carrier. He just suddenly disappeared. Then they lost another CH-53 enroute. It landed, and and a second bird landed and picked up the crew. Then one landed at Desert 1 with "red chip lights all over the board" and the rest straggled in. That left the required 5. But the real killer was that the crews were all - well, shaken not stirred so to speak. I argued with Beckwith that we should jap slap the crews and call upon their manhood, and get on with the mission. He first said OK, and then changed his mind after another CH-53 pilot indicated he had red chip lights all over its instrument panel. Beckwith then called General Vaught in Egypt who called the White House, got the approvals, and ordered an abort. We were to clear out back to Masira in the 130s. The plan was to destroy the USMC CH-53s (they were already rigged with charges), put their crews on the MC/HC-130s fleet who were lined up turning props, and get outta Dodge.

While we were in the process of getting the word out and setting that action up, a USMC pilot by the name of Schaffer lifted his CH-53 off for some unknown reason - without permission from the USAF Command and Control Team who were running the LZ - and crashed the end HC-130, killing its crew and most of his, and with DELTA's 60 man B Squadron running out the back off the ramp and barely avoiding being incinerated themselves. My bird was next to the crashed site, and as we taxied away from the bonfire, CSMG Foreman and I pulled Shaeffer and his co-pilot, the only survivors of his crew, into the HC-130 we were in, and got them to the medic. Both were burned.

At that point, all the loaded 130s took off in a star pattern away from the burning crash site. Jerry Utaro who was flying my HC-130 hit a berm on takeoff and we lost the prop off one engine. We flew back to Masira on 3. I love 130s.

The USN fighter CAP then launched off the carrier, got feet dry, and covered our butts as we left Persians airspace (The Iranian Air Force was also flying Tomcats at the time). Thank God for that. But, The Iranians never even tipped to the fact that we were leaving, much less to the fact that we had penetrated to the middle of their country undetected.

Sad Tale, but Carter had put our military in such a low state of readiness, it's no surprise it didn't come off. Result: 52 American officials held hostage for 444 days. Ronnie Ray Gun had to fix it after his inauguration."

[Maine Finn]

Do you/have you read about Napoleonic Battle history / strategy. I understand that much better that Byzantine History.

Depends. Which 'side' of the Napoleonic wars are most interesting to you?


To contribute:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v729/AngryFinn/FrigateCommanderCover.png

I'm about a quarter of the way through this one. It's a pretty fascinating read, most notably for the frequent (and well-timed) inclusions of entries from Graham Moore's diary. Unlike other overview-type books that typically concentrate on campaigns/battles and how they're fought and/or turn out, this piece looks at how men aboard ships lived and how their officers related to both the crew and to other officers. In some ways it's a study of the social lives of Royal Navy officers and how they tried to forge and maintain connections with influential people in order to improve their own prospects. Too, it provides a good look at how subordinate ship captains/commanders related to their superiors when at sea.

Plus it's just a good read text-wise. The Moore family contributed a lot to the British military during the Napoleonic wars. Wareham does a fine job making Graham's diary fit in with the 'big picture'.

[commanding]

The Tunnels of Cu Chi...by Tom Mangold & Penycate .....really outstanding
Marine Sniper by Charles Henderson (story of Gunny Carlos Hathcock)....really outstanding
One Shot-One kill by Sasser and Roberts.....okay but not as good as the above two

[James]

I recently finished reading Veil: The Secret Wars of the CIA 1981-1987 by Bob Woodward of the Washington Post. I found it an interesting book to re-read (I read it first in 1998), but it is quite obvious to me that it is written not from a standpoint as an historian, but a journalist. Consequently, most of the activity took place in Washington, not in the field. Much of it was also the story of William Casey, who became CIA director after running Reagan's successful 1980 campaign. He is the main character in the book, and Woodward provided some insight into what the relationship between the Agency, the White House, and Congress was like in the 1980s. As an example, Reagan wanted to help the contras and fight the spread of communism out of Nicaragua. Casey was enthusiastic about this, but was frustrated at times by reluctance within a CIA that had been beaten and neutered under Ford and Carter, and then hampered further by Congress and the Senate, who were very reluctant to get America drawn into another jungle war. In a nutshell, Reagan was saying "Bill, go down there and help the Contras." Congress and the Senate were telling CIA "No, we won't fund it." Throw in an enthusiastic Marine officer on the NSC staff (Ollie North) and the desire to secretly get American hostages released by Hezbollah in Beirut, and the rest is history.

One thing I disliked reading (I don't think Woodward intended this) was the general attitude of the press, that they have a right to know things and write stories about them, even while they are taking place. I got the impression that there were an incredible number of people leaking things to the press, either on purpose, or through gross stupidity. I can't imagine what things are like today.

All in all, it was a decent book, and helps portray American foreign policy as it has been for many years, in my opinion - muddling and not always consistent. This book complemented the last two I read - All The Shah's Men and Guests of the Ayatollah. I think reading a number of books that all touch on a similar subject can build a more comprehensive view than reading a single book or single author.

[Stainless Steel Rat]

DANGERS' HOUR: The Story of the USS Bunker Hill and the Kamakaze Pilot who Crippled Her by Maxwell Taylor Kennedy

A long (450+ pages) but very readable account of the May 11, 1945 attack on the Essex-Class Carrier Bunker Hill. But the attack doesn't occur until about halfway through the book. Instead, you follow the combat history of the Bunker Hill and the men who manned her, gathered from actual interviews, and somewhat more surprisingly, the life of one of the two Kamakaze pilots who crashed into her decks off Okinowa.

How the author knew the identity of the pilot and discovered his history I leave to your reading the book (it is not disclosed until near the end). He provides the life aboard a WW II Carrier, the flaws in design that led to the loss of nearly the entire aircrews, and the Engineers who bought time to control the raging fires with their lives.

Highly recommended, I had trouble putting it down, and it provides a view of WW II from both sides that is pretty unique in the genre.

[saintM]

Haven't seen these mentioned. Even though there brick sizes I couldn't put them away. Not just explaining what happened, but also - why it happened. From the top brass to the man in the foxhole on the front line. Having spend the most of my adault lift in the Army I still have beeing able to find some serious examples of great - and not so great leadership in these books that I find just as importent as they where 60+ years ago.. Really good read!

[commanding]

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h8/clovisfirst/military9/51oTOBQghML_BO2204203200_PIsitb-sti.jpg
I saw someone here on MP.net write about this book and how great it is, and I ordered it the same day from amazon. I am barely into the book about 12 pages and it is GREAT. everyone who has read it on amazon gave it four stars. It really tells you the inside story of the prisoners and life at GITMO. from the allies capturing over 70,000 prisoners on the battlefield, they have vetted those down to the most dangerous, lethal, 800 detainees. And it is NOT a prison at GITMO, rather a "detention camp" to keep enemy combatents off the battlefield in the war on terror.
I can't put the book down! please read it if you are interested in the war on terror.

[usa320]

surprised no one has mention The Face Of Battle by John Keagan.

[SBL]

surprised no one has mention The Face Of Battle by John Keagan.
I read that about 2 years ago. It was pretty good as I recall, very informative. In fact, I think I may have mentioned it in here.

-edit-
I didn't mention it in here. I'm thinking of the currently reading thread

[Hutz]

surprised no one has mention The Face Of Battle by John Keagan.

Keegan is weird. I really like his book on the Great War, but couldn't finish A History of Warfare.

[James]

surprised no one has mention The Face Of Battle by John Keagan.

I'm making posts about books as I finish them. I read most of Keegan and Ambrose (mentioned above) many years ago.

[James]

I just finished Thomas L. Friedman's From Beirut to Jerusalem. It was outstanding. In many ways it is two books in one; the first part covers much of the Lebanese Civil War, including the major players, while the second portion is about Israel and her relationshi with America and the Palestinians. The one problem I found with the book was the fact that it's dated - it was published 20 years ago, and all of the major players - Arafat, Assad, King Hussein, Rabin, and Sharon have passed from the scene. A generation has passed. Many of the Palestinian youths involved in the intifada 20 years ago are very likely the parents of young fighters from Hamas, and the Israeli soldiers who went into Lebanon in 1982, or patrolled the West Bank and Gaza in the late 1980s have sons who still patrol those areas. Much of the story wasn't history; it was about national identity. In spite of its age, I think this book makes an amazing foundation for those who want to learn about the modern middle east. It would be fantastic if the author was able to pen a new addition that brings both Israel and Lebanon up to date, as well as covering other changes in the region; Desert Storm, 9/11, the ripples of the war in Afghanistan, the end of Saddam Hussein, and the U.S. involvement in Iraq

[Beirut525]

Ive read Generation kill by evan wright.
It's a pretty good book, especially if you're not an insider to the military like me.
I liked how it didn't just talk about the military aspect of the war but also of the things that the marines have to deal with everyday..

http://militarytimes.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=1133&stc=1&d=1217702125

Ive also read When I was a Soldier.
It's an israeli woman talking about when had to do her service.
But it turned out that the book was about her personal experciences and barely talked about the military aspect of the conscription.. so that was a little dissapointing.
http://www.avdistrict.org/library/y+605.jpg

[Willem]

Does anyone know a good book that has general information about modern warfare? I'm getting more interested in everything surrounding the military (any country) and I'd like to have a good 'starting book' to get at least a basic understanding of warfare. Any books about the Napoleonic, Medieval or ancient eras are great too.

[khalifah]

"War Made New", by Max Boot might answer some of your answers there Willem

To sum it up, it goes on about the changing ways of warfare , including the technology, and the people who implimented new tactics based on these new technologies. It starts from the birth of the Gunpowder age all the way to the digital age today. I think i mentioned it in the beginning of this thread.

[James]

Does anyone know a good book that has general information about modern warfare? I'm getting more interested in everything surrounding the military (any country) and I'd like to have a good 'starting book' to get at least a basic understanding of warfare. Any books about the Napoleonic, Medieval or ancient eras are great too.

You can't really learn about war from books. You might think so until you actually see one up close.

[Willem]

"War Made New", by Max Boot might answer some of your answers there Willem

To sum it up, it goes on about the changing ways of warfare , including the technology, and the people who implimented new tactics based on these new technologies. It starts from the birth of the Gunpowder age all the way to the digital age today. I think i mentioned it in the beginning of this thread.

Thanks for the tip, I'll look into it.


You can't really learn about war from books. You might think so until you actually see one up close.

No, but you can read about the stories, tactics and projections, right? I'm aware that the next war is always different than the last ones, but I'm just trying to acquire some knowledge about warfare in general. Until I've joined the armed forces and have fought an actual war, it's all just speculations, I know. ;)

[SickBick]

Does anyone know a good book that has general information about modern warfare? I'm getting more interested in everything surrounding the military (any country) and I'd like to have a good 'starting book' to get at least a basic understanding of warfare. Any books about the Napoleonic, Medieval or ancient eras are great too.

You might like Rommel's Attacks, a text still studied by commanders today.

Also, for a more recent document, Black Hawk Down is a pretty good account of combat in modern times, although I doubt you'll get much info out of it in regards to the grand scheme/big picture of warfare, if that is what you're looking for. Its still a great book, you should check it out.

[KB]

Heard the author interviewed on NPR. Bought the book last night and finished a day later.

Excellent read from a former platoon leader with G/2/4 operating in Ramadi during the spring and summer of 2004. Excellent book about combat leadership, conducting operations in an insurgency, and relationships between Marines and corpsmen in battle at fire team and squad level.

http://www.joker-one.com/media-gallery

[Sweetwater]

It was posted on this section of the forum. If I recall correctly it was written by an SS officer who fought with the Legion in Indochina, could you help me find it?

[Red-Phos]

Devils Guard,it wont be cheap! Excellent book.

[Sweetwater]

Thank you sir

[YMan]

I read Sun Tzu and the Art of Modern Warfare.

It's a good book and lot of the principles makes a lot of sense. It is also easy to understand because it translates some of Sun Tzu's principles into modern layman's terms. It's a good book on HOW to use strateic and tactical manuevers, but has nothing on WHAT to do (types of manuevers and tactics used by modern armies).

Any good Strategy textbook on WHAT to do?

[SOC]

They aren't modern but you can't go wrong starting with Guderian's Achtung! Panzer or Rommel's Infantry Attacks. A lot of modern battlefield strategy has its roots in those two.

[Rad Resistance]

Paul Watkins Night Over Day Over Night great book, 13th Valley best Vietnam novel ever written.

[FireNL]

oooh im gonna love this topic! :D

i'll add a few:

The naked and the dead - norman mailer
i loved that book. here's a quote from wiki:


In 1948, while continuing his studies at the Sorbonne (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Paris) in Paris (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris), Mailer published The Naked and the Dead (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Naked_and_the_Dead), based on his military service in World War II (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II). A New York Times best seller for 62 weeks, it was hailed by many as one of the best American wartime novels and named one of the "one hundred best novels in English language (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modern_Library_List_of_Best_20th-Century_Novels)" by the Modern Library (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modern_Library).

Based on his part in WO II at the pacific. very good book and a pleasant one to read.

and if you get a chance i would also recommend soldier of orange. It's written by Erik Hazelhoff Roelfzema, based upon his experiences in the dutch army during the second world war. also has a film made of it (maybe also known as "soldaat van oranje").

Any recommendations for books about modern warfare and about tactics and the evolution of military tactics?

[khalifah]

oooh im gonna love this topic! :D


Any recommendations for books about modern warfare and about tactics and the evolution of military tactics?


"War Made New", by Max Boot might answer some of your answers there Willem

To sum it up, it goes on about the changing ways of warfare , including the technology, and the people who implimented new tactics based on these new technologies. It starts from the birth of the Gunpowder age all the way to the digital age today. I think i mentioned it in the beginning of this thread.

I stand behind this book, it is THAT detailed and insightful in my opinion.

[FireNL]

aah thx! :) im very interested cause i'm thinking of at my security management education, and making it more focused on army and tactics ;)

if you ever come across it, warbooks from K. Norel (dutch writer) are great books for kids between 12-16 years old :)

[chefjavier]

Any good books in modern military?

[razor 01]

has anyone read long rifle by joe lebleu
it gives a great insight into being a sniper
it must be very frustrating to have a target in your cross hairs and then the powers that be call of the hit
anybody out their have any thoughts on this???

[tercio67]

While in the movies the emphasis always is on the impossible or war winning single shot the reality is that the sniper is more often used as an intelligence gathering tool.
The equipment they carry coupled with their stalking skills will enable them to be more valuable with a comms switch than a trigger.
If it is more effective not to shoot but in stead observe/confirm or call in artillery/airsupport then that is what they do.
Designated marksmen get far more 'triggertime' then snipers, but that is their intended role.
The idea is to win the whole war and not just the single engagement.

Just my thoughts,
Tercio67

[Rakkasans]

How true tercio67. The US has only one branch with an actual MOS involving sniping.... the USMC's 0317 (ex-8541) Scout Sniper. Notice the word Scout is first... the Scout Sniper, in my era, was assigned to a STA Platoon.... Surveillance and Target Acquisition Platoon... now replaced after Desert Storm 1 with what's generally referred to as the Scout Sniper Platoon. Gathering Intel is doctrinally the primary mission... targets of opportunity are the secondary function.

[deagle]

not really. the sniper is trained to do their job. they're supposed to be ready to take the perfect shot when called upon to do so. some situations may have political fallout, so its not totally up to them in those cases. usually, commanders tell snipers to go out and scout. then, with team evals, decides if its better to kill or capture.

[KBar666]

One way or the other I thaught it a good book, another good one with a similar subject is Trigger Men.

[razor 01]

any one read this yet????

[Stainless Steel Rat]

I presume you mean this book? http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G1-183483959.html

Or are referring to this movie? http://www.thegroundtruth.net/

Press on.

[Try&die]

?????????????????????????????

[ggk]

epic

...................
















.............fail

[razor 01]

its a book about the paras in afganistan

[jameshr4]

I have read it, it's not as good as 3 Para a little too scatter shot and concentrating on too few characters. Disappointing as Patrick Bishop is a good writer, he should have waited another 12 months to get a better picture of the tour.

[pimabread]

Any of you ever read the Art of War? This book is old as hell but the military tactics Sun Tzu wrote about are still used to this date with a few modifications of course

[beatles101]

four weeks in may about HMS Coventry in the Falklands

[Dodderynut]

I encourage anyone to pick up the book, "Trigger Men" it is a fascinating look into the world of U.S. Snipers.

http://www.amazon.com/Trigger-Men-Spider-Man-Magnificent-Bastards/dp/0312354568

[Harry Henkel]

I was wondering if anyone knows a book that's about the Roman Empire. I don't mean a book focusing on a certain leader or time period, but on the entire Empire, from the military to the politics. It's probably a long shot (such a book would probably be massive), but if anyone knows anything, please tell me.

[stonecutter]

After meeting and having drinks with him, I went out and got James Davis' book The Sharp End: A Canadian Soldier's Story. James is ex Canadian Airborne, served in Yugoslavia and Rwanda. I found it a very interesting read, offering a detailed picture of the inner workings of a Canadian infantryman's life and recent Canadian overseas military missions.

[SandBagger]

snipers by craig cabbell and richard brown

not a great read a few innacuracies re ww1 sniper rifles + they said p14 was main british rifle i think they meant sniper rifle and they said the germans used the aviators model 16 rifle

[SandBagger]

How true tercio67. The US has only one branch with an actual MOS involving sniping.... the USMC's 0317 (ex-8541) Scout Sniper. Notice the word Scout is first... the Scout Sniper, in my era, was assigned to a STA Platoon.... Surveillance and Target Acquisition Platoon... now replaced after Desert Storm 1 with what's generally referred to as the Scout Sniper Platoon. Gathering Intel is doctrinally the primary mission... targets of opportunity are the secondary function.


Somebody was reading jarhead , if not do its a great book that goes beyond what you see in the movie even someone who wasnt into the military would like it, its amazing how candidly he talks about himself

[James]

Somebody was reading jarhead , if not do its a great book that goes beyond what you see in the movie even someone who wasnt into the military would like it, its amazing how candidly he talks about himself

Anthony Swofford's tale has been questioned by other Marines who served in the same unit during the same period. I was in a few years after him, and we definitely served in different versions of the USMC. I'd encourage you to take it with a large dose of salt.

[SandBagger]

Anthony Swofford's tale has been questioned by other Marines who served in the same unit during the same period. I was in a few years after him, and we definitely served in different versions of the USMC. I'd encourage you to take it with a large dose of salt.

james you may have ruined my life

but seriously did not see that coming

i believe you but just out of interest can you recall any specific areas of the book?

[AmericanAirman]

I'm reading a new book titled "The Bitter Road to Freedom" by William I. Hitchcock. It talks about how painful liberation of Europe was, from the perspective of the "liberated". It's pretty good - it is making me think about things I never have before. How noble the Greatest Generation was as they accepted the mass civilian casualities, held their power over liberated, and even were racist to their fellow colored servicemen.

[James]

james you may have ruined my life

but seriously did not see that coming

i believe you but just out of interest can you recall any specific areas of the book?

I read this six years ago, so I don't remember the book too well. I used to work with some guys who were also in STA 2/7, and they said Swofford was basically a sh*tbird who whined a lot. Also, at some point he described Marines getting high when they were off duty - that never would have happened in my time (I was in from 93-97). That and the basic attitude he portrayed were just weird to me. People don't get assigned to STA, you have to volunteer and go through a short selection. My recollection is that he made it seem like being in STA was a huge chore. Another thing (and I might be mixing the movie up with the book) is the time when a young guy gets a video of his wife while she's getting it on with another guy... This is kind of an urban legend in the USMC whenever you deploy. There's always some poor dumbass in another platoon or company who got a video.

Swofford is a great writer, but I think he took some liberties - not with the way he portrayed the fighting (he's very honest about never actually shooting at anyone) but with the way he portrayed the USMC. I think he wanted to write a Catch-22 or MASH style story set around his own experiences. So, take it as a good piece of writing, but not an accurate portrayal of history or the USMC in the early 1990s.

[khalifah]

Thanks for the PM James.:)

[digrar]

Another thing (and I might be mixing the movie up with the book) is the time when a young guy gets a video of his wife while she's getting it on with another guy... This is kind of an urban legend in the USMC whenever you deploy. There's always some poor dumbass in another platoon or company who got a video.

The story goes that it was some bloke from 2RAR when we were in Timor.

[SandBagger]

I read this six years ago, so I don't remember the book too well. I used to work with some guys who were also in STA 2/7, and they said Swofford was basically a sh*tbird who whined a lot. Also, at some point he described Marines getting high when they were off duty - that never would have happened in my time (I was in from 93-97). That and the basic attitude he portrayed were just weird to me. People don't get assigned to STA, you have to volunteer and go through a short selection. My recollection is that he made it seem like being in STA was a huge chore. Another thing (and I might be mixing the movie up with the book) is the time when a young guy gets a video of his wife while she's getting it on with another guy... This is kind of an urban legend in the USMC whenever you deploy. There's always some poor dumbass in another platoon or company who got a video.

Swofford is a great writer, but I think he took some liberties - not with the way he portrayed the fighting (he's very honest about never actually shooting at anyone) but with the way he portrayed the USMC. I think he wanted to write a Catch-22 or MASH style story set around his own experiences. So, take it as a good piece of writing, but not an accurate portrayal of history or the USMC in the early 1990s.
shame about that but thanks a lot

[Harry Henkel]

I've just finished War Made New by Max Boot. An excellent book, focusing on how change in warfare has brought down entire empires. Boot describes all revolutions from the Gunpowder Revolution using like Königgrätz, to illustrate how the changes in warfare (in this case breech-loading rifles, railways) were the key to the defeat of a larger army by a smaller one.

The only (small) downside I found to the book is that the last revolution (the Information Revolution) only consists of chapters about wars fought by the US. However, this is completely understandable: the US has fought the only few wars (Afghanistan, Iraq, etc) on a large scale with an army which has undergone the Information Revolution.
This doesn't affect the overall quality of the book though. It is incredibly well-written, comprehensive and informative.

[khalifah]

That was a good book by Boot, i especially was surprised on his take on the use of massive bombing raids and the like in ww2.

If you or anyone else is interested, he does have another book based upon most/if not all/ of the US foriegn military action that would be considered "less than war", or "Small Wars".

The book is called The Savage Wars of Peace(Small wars and the rise of American Power),and it goes throughout the whole American military expirience from the Barbary Pirates, to the Insurrection in the Philipines, Chasing Panco Villa, The Banana Wars, all up to just the first year (i think) of Afganistan today.

He has an interesting argument about the Vietnam conflict that i brought up on this board to discuss. But i'll leave it to the Vietnam Vets.

[Johnny_H02]

http://img248.imageshack.us/img248/699/31186409.jpg

This book takes us through the preliminary actions taken by both enlisted men and staff in the lead up and culmination of the 'worst disaster in British Military History' where 1500 of HM Soldiers and levies were overwhelmed by an army of what seemed to be primitive natives armed with spears.

There have been ample books written on the subject some have been good others less so. More recently however there have been a number of 'revisionist' titles which have been less than accurate or flattering. Lt.Col. Mike Snook of "The Royal Welsh" formerly the Royal Regiment of Wales 24th/41st Ft. Sets the record straight. Combining his technical and historical knowledge and life time of study with his practical experience in soldiering. He pieces together the events in a way that is comprehensive and readable.

I bought this one a few years ago and found it initially to be a difficult read, however after reading more material and familiarizing myself with the British Army of the 19th Century the narrative moves smoothly and the locations of the staff and the 6 Companies of 1st/24th and G Coy. 2/24th as well as the native contingents and artillery are far easier to keep track of. So I would caution that a bit of familiarity with British army structure and doctrine of the late 19th century helps immensely in understanding the text.

This book is said to be coming out in paperback this summer and I strongly suggest it to anyone who has a soft spot for the Anglo-Zulu war and wants the real story. Its a worthy investment, it will be read multiple times (I'm on my 2nd read-through).

[John R.]

I read this six years ago, so I don't remember the book too well. I used to work with some guys who were also in STA 2/7, and they said Swofford was basically a sh*tbird who whined a lot. Also, at some point he described Marines getting high when they were off duty - that never would have happened in my time (I was in from 93-97). That and the basic attitude he portrayed were just weird to me. People don't get assigned to STA, you have to volunteer and go through a short selection. My recollection is that he made it seem like being in STA was a huge chore. Another thing (and I might be mixing the movie up with the book) is the time when a young guy gets a video of his wife while she's getting it on with another guy... This is kind of an urban legend in the USMC whenever you deploy. There's always some poor dumbass in another platoon or company who got a video.

Swofford is a great writer, but I think he took some liberties - not with the way he portrayed the fighting (he's very honest about never actually shooting at anyone) but with the way he portrayed the USMC. I think he wanted to write a Catch-22 or MASH style story set around his own experiences. So, take it as a good piece of writing, but not an accurate portrayal of history or the USMC in the early 1990s.I'm reading the book right now and, well... that's surprising. Thanks, anyway.

[Virus]

PW Pick of the Week: The Good Soldiers by David Finkel
The Surge: A Grunt's-Eys View
Publishers Weekly, 7/27/2009
ISBN 978-0-374-16573-4

http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l282/palatin/goodsoldiers.jpg

A success story in the headlines, the surge in Iraq was an ordeal of hard fighting and anguished trauma for the American soldiers on the ground, according to this riveting war report. Washington Post correspondent Finkel chronicles the 15-month deployment of the 2-16 Infantry Battalion in Baghdad during 2007 and 2008, when the chaos in Iraq subsided to a manageable uproar. For the 2-16, waning violence still meant wild firefights, nerve-wracking patrols through hostile neighborhoods where every trash pile could hide an IED, and dozens of comrades killed and maimed. At the fraught center of the story is Col. Ralph Kauzlarich, whose dogged can-do optimism—his motto is “It’s all good”—pits itself against declining morale and whispers of mutiny. While vivid and moving, Finkel’s grunt’s-eye view is limited; the soldiers’ perspective is one of constant improvisatory reaction to attacks and crises, and we get little sense of exactly how and why the new American counterinsurgency methods calmed the Iraqi maelstrom. Still, Finkel’s keen firsthand reportage, its grit and impact only heightened by the literary polish of his prose, gives us one of the best accounts yet of the American experience in Iraq. Photos. (Sept.)


Book written about my unit...read it...love it.... But seriously I've been waiting for this guy to finish this book for awhile, and now that it is coming out next month, I figure there would be some people here who might appreciate it.

Info acquired from http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0374165734

[khalifah]

Thanks for the heads up Virus, i be sure to look this book up :)

[John R.]

Sounds really interesting.

[Kuno]

Hope that it is allowed to do a little advertising for a book here. It's my own one, respectively I have done it with two colleagues who are interested in the subject. A review of a reader is this:



Raid Murzuk & Jebel Sherif

History and Background

There are a lot of different books and other sources of information (Internet-servers etc.) available about the Long-Range-Desert-Group (LRDG).

Especially the occurrence of „Raid Murzuk and Jebel Sherif“ is now described in more details in a new publication (English language), which I may recommend for all interested people.

Title: Incident at Jebel Sherif / In search of the First Clash of the Pecial Forces 1941
Author: Kuno Gross
Ordering: see below

The special points characterizing this book are:
+ Detailed description of the development of the special forces on
- Italian side (very interesting; rare information given)
- English side (LRDG, lot of background information)
- Free French side (coming from Tchad)
+ Complete description of the Raid
+ Reconstruction of the clash at Jebel Sherif (many photos and eyewitness reports)

The well done trip description of the author to Jebel Sherif (SE of Libya) completes the full story. While on the road associated information about the german exploration “DORA” (194x) are added.

The author is living in Libya and therefore could evaluate different details perfectly on two trips to Jebel Sherif.

This book is a well done collection of all associated information to one of the most important historical incident of the Special Forces in WW-II.
So this book must be recommended to all enthusiasts of the “Libyan Desert”.

Order information: http://www.jebelsherif.org/order.php

[SoSo]

Has anyone here read "The Foresight War" by Anthony G. Williams? Fascinating, isn't it? What did you think?

http://www.quarry.nildram.co.uk/TFW%20Extract.htm

http://www.quarry.nildram.co.uk/TFWreviews.htm

"Foresight America" by Paul Adkins:
http://www.quarry.nildram.co.uk/TFWreviews.htm

[Elbs]

James, I've been meaning to get a copy of it. The premise sounds pretty interesting

[Salonen]

Is this book any good? If the book has been mentioned somewhere else here, please let me know where, thanks.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/516FC2WKPAL._SS500_.jpg

[SBL]

Sorry, I thought this was the currently reading thread.

[Virus]

I just thought I would give this an update myself. The book is out, having just received it in the mail, I'm going to crack into it and see what it says. Supposedly it's good. :)


p.s. I'm not affiliated with anyone who is making money off of this book. Again, I just think there are some people out there who are interested in this kind of thing, so that is why I'm bumping. Thank you.

[Laconian]

I'd be interested to hear your perspective on a book about your unit.

[Virus]

I'd be interested to hear your perspective on a book about your unit.

Accurate from what I remember, found out some things that I didn't even know. Reminisced a bit, got pissed off, almost cried, loved it. It was written in an interesting way as well, a kind of a diary/journal style.

[Astaran]

Hey guys,
I need advice concerning two books about JEB Stuart:

Does anyone of you already read

"Cavalryman of the Lost Cause:A Biography of J. E. B. Stuart"
http://www.amazon.com/cavalryman-lost-cause-biography-stuart/dp/0743278194/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&s=books-intl-de&qid=1256119894&sr=8-12

or

"I rode with JEB Stuart: The Life and Campaigns of Major General J. E. B. Stuart"
http://www.amazon.com/Rode-Jeb-Stuart-Campaigns-General/dp/0306806053/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&s=books-intl-de&qid=1256119894&sr=8-11


Which one would you recommend? The first one is written by H.B. McClellan and Henry B. McClellan and I have doubts that some descandents of General "McClellian" (p-)) would give a "neutral" point of view about a confederate general ;)

[Alomax]

Hi All

First post, great site.


Having just finished the novels A Convenant With Death and A Long Long Way, I'm in need of a good WW1 novel.

Has anyone got any suggestions, and If so could you express a little about your recommendations?

[Policía Loco]

All Quiet On The Western Front

Or try here
http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/showthread.php?t=28657&highlight=reading
or
http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/showthread.php?t=140130&highlight=book+reviews

Edit: You could also try "A Farewell To Arms" by Ernest Hemingway. Never read it myself, but maybe someone else here can tell you if its worthwhile.

[Roland_09]

I would naturally suggest Erich Maria Remarque's "All Quiet on the Western Front".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Quiet_on_the_Western_Front

[CMNot]

'Ravi Lancers' by John Masters is worth a shot.

[Jarhead]

Krieg by Ludiwg Renn.
Great book.

[Macaca sylvanus]

The Regeneration Trilogy (Regeneration, The Eye in the Door, The Ghost Road) by Pat Barker, great novels based on factual events during, and in the immediate aftermath of the Great War. I also recommend Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks.

But I do agree with other posters here, All Quiet on the Western Front is the definitive novel on the Great War, and the 1930 Film is one of the best war films of all time.

[Bushranger115]

A good one is called 'Gallipoli Sniper'
'Bout an Aussie sniper who scored 200 kills (according to the book) at Gallipoli
its not a novel but its still a good read

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Sing

[JCR]

All quiet on the western Front of course.

But don't forget In Stahlgewittern (Storm of Steel in english) by Ernst Jünger.
Don't confuse this book with his later philosophical musings about war, Jünger is pretty factual.
He simply describes his experiences as a junior officer in the 73th "Gibraltar" Hannoverian Infantry Regiment on the Somme and in Flanders.
Actually for today's view it isn't that different from Remarque's description of war, except that Jünger actually did go over the top and participated in many assaults (he was the last living Pour le Merite winner) while Remarque "only" had to suffer bombardement in the rear as a medic and runner (which maybe was worse because he couldn't do anything and supply trenches were shallower and less protected than the primary trenches) and knew combat only from stories of his wounded.
They differed in their interpretation, not in what they saw and described. Their debate is not in the novels (which are both pretty factual) but in contemporary newspapers and subsequent books.

Have to read Renn's book, though, sounds interesting, but I doubt if it was ever translated into english.

[digrar]

A good one is called 'Gallipoli Sniper'
'Bout an Aussie sniper who scored 200 kills (according to the book) at Gallipoli
its not a novel but its still a good read

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Sing

I thought it was a below average book about an above average digger.
A brilliant Australian WW1 book is Somme Mud by Edward Lynch.

[Burt]

http://i38.tinypic.com/6e22s7.jpg

I just finished reading Shake Hands with the Devil. It is a very detailed account of the UN's response (or lack of response) during the Rwandan Genocide in 1994. It was written by Roméo Dallaire, the Force Commander of UNAMIR during the genocide.

I thought that the book was, for the most part, very interesting. Lieutenant-General Dallaire does a good job of telling the story of his mission. He goes into a lot of detail about various events. The book also gives a good description of the day-to-day life of a UN Peacekeeper and the hardships that they faced.

One of the responsibilities of UNAMIR was to arrange meetings and negotiations between various political parties in Rwanda. Lieutenant-General Dallaire recounts practically every single one of these meetings. This gets a little repetitive and boring, but I think that it is important to understand the political context of the genocide.

Overall, I thought that Shake Hands with the Devil was both interesting and sad. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in UN peacekeeping history or the recent history of Africa.

[Maine Finn]

http://www.freedomsphoenix.com/Uploads/Graphics/001-0930180534-mass-casualties.JPG

This book is about the 399th Combat Support Hospital and it's tour in Iraq, which lasted from 2006 to 2007. The unit's name is never actually given by SPC Anthony, but a number of things he says within the book, taken with news articles about the 399th's deployment and events related by other soldiers, give away the unit's identity.

Even before realizing that SPC Anthony was writing about the 399th - my own unit - I considered the book as straying somewhat too far toward something that might be read in a tabloid. True, it was difficult to put it down, in the manner of being unable to set aside a juicy WalMart romance novel.

I am sure there are some gems of reality to SPC Anthony's story, but I cannot attest to the whole of it myself, being as I did not deploy with the 399th. The broader facts he mentions, however, are true. The 399th did operate two hospitals, one in Mosul and one in Al-Asad. Detachments from Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Ohio - not to mention the many cross-levels from other Reserve units in thirty-three other states - helped make both hospitals function. That there was due dedication to the necessary work, as well as numerous lapses in responsibility is not what I take issue with. Both those things - and then some! - occur naturally in any place where soldiers live, work, and play. What I take issue with is the feeling within the book that it is nothing more than a sensationalist work designed to capitalize on the claimed experiences of one soldier - who, despite the title, is not actually a medic - who has apparently since left the Army.

I would feel no different even if it was not my unit being so ill-mentioned, but the fact that it is the 399th as the unit involved in this detestable piece of drivel only makes the whole affair worse. Basically, this is a book that could be better used as kindling than as reading material. I would burn it myself, but I'm considering donating it to somebody at Detachment for similar usage.

[Currahee 1SG]

http://www.freedomsphoenix.com/Uploads/Graphics/001-0930180534-mass-casualties.JPG


Anyone holding a paint ball gun on the cover of his book entitled "Death, Deception and Dishonor" about being in Iraq makes me question the person and the book.

[PathFindeR[BE]]

Brand new Danish book about Team 1's service in Musa Qala back in 2006. Haven't read it, but if some out there have, lets hear about it. In the danish press the book has recieved good reviews.



http://www.dr.dk/NR/rdonlyres/B26F9E12-1F2A-4EFD-AC0F-15706300F45F/964855/defea0ad1de44dea84819b3fdb352434_dedansketigre.jpg

any idea if it's published in english?

[owner_bsp]

I found a video on using the shotgun for home defense. They talked about common mistakes made, types of shotguns to have, etc. It was very informative. Most vids I can say I learned a thing or two but with this video I can say I learned a dozen important facts. Is there a resource on weapons and tactics, such as handguns for self defense, etc?

[domokun]

Anyone holding a paint ball gun on the cover of his book entitled "Death, Deception and Dishonor" about being in Iraq makes me question the person and the book.

Wouldn't be first time journalists or photo editors of publishers fail miserably. I don't know about that book personally, but picture may be completely unrelated to contents of book.

Currently reading Hagakure - Way of the samurai. Quite essential read. I definitely recommend to every one.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hagakure

[Dominique]

For those of you interested, I've picked up a few books, over the last couple of months, that may not have made it onto your local bookshelves, but that I think are worth checking out.

Not your Father's Coast Guard - http://www.cgblog.org/2009/09/15/not-your-fathers-coast-guard-drug-wars-of-past/
http://www.amazon.com/Not-Your-Fathers-Coast-Guard/dp/1449044395

Pretty good info on USCG counter drug ops in South America, including a lot of unpublished info on DIAT and IMLETT.

Phase Line Green: The FCI Talladega Hostage Rescue - http://www.amazon.com/Phase-Line-Green-Talladega-Hostage/dp/0981942601/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262962530&sr=1-2

Very good info on the actual rescue as well as a lot of history and training of the FBI HRT, and life as a FBI Agent in general.

ATF Sierra One Waco - http://www.amazon.com/ATF-Sierra-Waco-Wendel-Frost/dp/1606104411/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262962577&sr=1-1

Some good stories on what the day to day life of an undercover ATF agent is like, as well as some history on the ATF SRT program, and Waco.

On The Line: Inside the U.S. Border Patrol - http://www.amazon.com/Line-Inside-U-S-Border-Patrol/dp/0806525444/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1262962618&sr=1-2-spell

Good overview of the day to day life of a US Border Patrol Agent, as well as info on their SRT program and BORTAC, the BP national level tactical unit.

[Dominique]

Also, feel free to add to the list.

[Podman]

Heh.

At first I assumed it was this Phase Line Green:

http://www.amazon.com/Phase-Line-Green-Battle-1968/dp/1557509115/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262974686&sr=1-1

Excellent first hand account of the battle of Hue during the Tet Offensive.

[Stainless Steel Rat]

Just finished "The Marne, 1914--The opening of WWI and the Battle that Changed the World" by Holger H. Herwig.

Interesting look at the opening campaign, with an emphasis on the German perspective, and addresses some of the thornier issues of this rather epic conflict, which was often forgotten in the bitter and bloody years of stalemate.

[Dominique]

And here's a few that I'm thinking of picking up

Special Forces: War on Terror - http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1844547825/ref=ord_cart_shr?_encoding=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&v=glance

US ARMY'S FIRST, LAST, AND ONLY ALL-BLACK RANGERS, THE: The 2nd Ranger Infantry Company (Airborne) in the Korean War, 1950-1951 - http://www.amazon.com/ARMYS-FIRST-LAST-ALL-BLACK-RANGERS/dp/1932714456/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262990706&sr=1-1

Running with the Devil: The True Story of the ATF's Infiltration of the Hells Angels - http://www.amazon.com/Running-Devil-Story-Infiltration-Angels/dp/1599214490/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262990850&sr=1-2

And several of the upcoming RAID tittles from Osprey Publications - http://www.amazon.com/Certain-Death-Sierra-Leone-Operation/dp/1846038502/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262990977&sr=1-1

[T-5 Killer]

I want this one bad but don't know about the price
http://www.amazon.com/Stalins-Ocean-going-Fleet-Strategy-Shipbuilding/dp/0714648957/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262991744&sr=1-1

[skyeye]

Highly recommend Hunting The Jackal, by Billy Waugh. Chronicles his Army career through Special Forces and CIA. The book starts with his being left for dead an Bong Son, S. Viet Nam in 1965, and concludes with working with SF in Afghanistan in 2002. The "Jackal" is Carlos the Jackal who Billy monitored in Khartoum in 1994. While watching Carlos, he also observed Osama bin Laden at his compound. Billy also made one of the first HALO jumps onto the Ho Chi Minh trail in 1971, at night, in the rain.

This is a "can't put it down" book

[Dominique]

I want this one bad but don't know about the price
http://www.amazon.com/Stalins-Ocean-going-Fleet-Strategy-Shipbuilding/dp/0714648957/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262991744&sr=1-1

Fvck that. You try Ebay?

[Steak-Sauce]

Must read for everybody interested in the Vietnam War:

Hugh Mills Jr. Low Level Hell: A Scout Pilot in the Big Red One.

Robert Mason. Chickenhawk.

Randy R. Zahn. Snake Pilot: Flying the Cobra Attack Helicopter in Vietnam.

Ed Rasimus. When Thunder Rolled.

John T. Halliday. Flying Through Midnight: A Pilot's Dramatic Story of His Secret Missions Over Laos During the Vietnam War

Especially Mills and Halliday are my favourites.

Regards,

[Delta Niner]

Heard the author interviewed on NPR. Bought the book last night and finished a day later.

Excellent read from a former platoon leader with G/2/4 operating in Ramadi during the spring and summer of 2004. Excellent book about combat leadership, conducting operations in an insurgency, and relationships between Marines and corpsmen in battle at fire team and squad level.

http://www.joker-one.com/media-gallery

I saw this book yesterday at a local bookstore. I'll try to get it before the end of the week. :)

[Astaran]

Yesterday, I finished "Achtung - Panzer!", written by Heinz Guderian in 1937. At first: It was totally not what I had expected! I had expected some sort of Field Manual about armored warfare doctrine, maneuvers and tactics and not some sort of history book. But it is nevertheless a great read!


http://img297.imageshack.us/img297/3637/achtungpanzer.jpg


For the most time Guderian reviews the trench warfare of World War 1, how it led to "unconventional weapons" like Gas and tanks to break the hold and how the new armored warfare did during it's first appearance 1916. He points the mistakes out, which the British and French made during the first "armored supported" offensives in 1916 and shows what they did right (and wrong) at Cambrai 1917.

Only in the latter part of the book one can find some sort of general armored tactics for the operational level of command (like deploying tanks in breadth and depth and use them en masse ["Klotzen und nicht kleckern!"]).

Well, I can recommend the book to anyone who is enthusiastic about military history and the beginning of armored warfare.

[Ravage]

Thank you for the review. Much appreciated.

[Ravage]

And here's a few that I'm thinking of picking up

Special Forces: War on Terror - http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1844547825/ref=ord_cart_shr?_encoding=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&v=glance



I would like to ask your opinion about this book. There isn't much litterature about UKSF and their activities since OEF began. To be honest, the most I've got was from D. Furrys KBL and Ospreys two publications about SOF in OEF and OIF.
Any thoughts about this one?

[Brasi]

"Roberts Ridge" by Malcolm Macpherson. 10/10 review

http://www.amazon.com/Roberts-Ridge-Sacrifice-Mountain-Afghanistan/dp/0553586807/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1266826274&sr=8-1

This book is simply a must have if you want to know about the events that happened right after SEAL Neil Roberts fell out of the back of a helicopter when it was driven off from a landing while under tremendous enemy fire.

[Ravage]

I belive the story is more than that of PO1 Roberts. But yeah, its worth reading.

[Brasi]

I belive the story is more than that of PO1 Roberts. But yeah, its worth reading.

Yes, I know I read the book. It starts with him falling out of the helicopter and goes on from there.

[PeterG]

I was very impressed by "Not a Good Day to Die: The Untold Story of Operation Anaconda", by Sean Naylor - one of the best books i've read, on a military operation. It also describes in detail what happened to Roberts. It was pretty critical on the SEALs though, and i understand that "Roberts Ridge" is more positive on their performance in this operation. I should probably read both.

[PeterG]

I would like to ask your opinion about this book. There isn't much litterature about UKSF and their activities since OEF began. To be honest, the most I've got was from D. Furrys KBL and Ospreys two publications about SOF in OEF and OIF.
Any thoughts about this one?

I'm reading "task force black" By Mark Urban, and it is truly fascinating.. Lot of detailed info on SAS and Delta, and how they closely worked together in Iraq. Extremely interesting stuff!

[CMNot]

I would like to ask your opinion about this book. There isn't much litterature about UKSF and their activities since OEF began. To be honest, the most I've got was from D. Furrys KBL and Ospreys two publications about SOF in OEF and OIF.
Any thoughts about this one?

Ravage give Task Force Black a whirl, which covers UKSF in Iraq. It makes passing mention to Afghan, but I got the sense that the author couldn't get anywhere near as close to SB hence why the book focuses so heavily on the SAS (and to an extent SRR, SFSG) in Iraq. Also there is a pic of a Littlebird loaded with troopers which I imagine you will quite like p-)

EDIT: Pesky Norwegian pipped me by ten minutes!

[PeterG]

Task Force Black really helped me to better understand the idea behind the surge in Iraq, and how it combined with the relentless campaign of 'industrial counterterrorism' by the SF, with thousands of raids, helped turn the tide there. The SAS is very impressive as always, in the book - but senior British political and military leaders are not. The myth of the British army as masters of counterinsurgency warfare, is pretty much laid to rest in this book.

[James]

I haven't finished yet, but I'm enjoying T.X. Hammes' The Sling And The Stone about asymmetric warfare. Reading it and thinking critically about the changes we've recently taken in regards to fighting the war in Afghanistan is interesting.

[CMNot]

James you might be interested in Nagls Learning To Eat Soup With a Knife and Kilcullens Accidental Guerilla when you're done with Hammes. Both of them have good ~90 min podcasts (with a Q&A session) on the Pritzker Military Library podcast.

Hmm...not the easiest thing to navigate, and iTunes has a dreadful interface. So, the long way...

http://www.pritzkermilitarylibrary.org/podcasts/

Kilcullen, 2009, June 16.
Nagl, 2007, July 14.
Hammes, 2006, April 13.

Hammes is talking about The Sling... in that above podcast.


Task Force Black really helped me to better understand the idea behind the surge in Iraq

Peter you might want to check out Tom Ricks The Gamble concerning the surge, very well written and researched account. I would love to see the guys little black book. There's also a Pritzker podcast with him (there MIGHT be two, one for The Gamble and one for Fiasco).

[PeterG]

Thx for the tip, CMN!

[Brasi]

I'll take any recommendations about the Guadalcanal campaign. I went through amazon.com and got a library of books thrown back at me. Basically I'm looking for the 1st Raider Battalions role and all stuff related to when the Marines are first cut off from the sea.

Regards...

[Kaplanr]

Edson's Raiders :
the 1st Marine Raider Battalion in World War II /
Joseph H Alexander
2000
English Book xiii, 345 p. : ill., maps ; 24 cm.
[Annapolis, Md. : Naval Institute Press, ; ISBN: 1557500207 (alk. paper) 9781557500205 (alk. paper)

The do-or-die men :
the 1st Marine Raider Battalion at Guadalcanal /
George W Smith
2003 1st Pocket Books pbk. ed.
English Book xvii, 379 p. : ill. ; 18 cm.
New York : Pocket Books, ; ISBN: 0743470052 9780743470056

USMC raiders.
1995
English Book [2] p. : ill. ; 28 cm.
Washington, D.C. : Navy & Marine Corps WWII Commemorative Committee, Navy Office of Information,
GovDoc: D 201.39:R 13

An analysis of the contributions of the Marine Raiders to the Marine Corps /
Justice M Chambers
1966
English Book : Thesis/dissertation/manuscript Archival Material 1 v. (various pagings) : ill. ; 28 cm.

The U. S. Marine Raiders of WWII :
Those who served /
Jerome J C Beau; Robert A Buerlein
1996
English Book [x], 98 p. : ill. ; 28 cm.
Richmond, Va. : American Historical Foundation,

Real blood! real guts! :
U.S. Marine Raiders and their corpsmen in World War II /
James D Gleason
2003 1st ed.
English Book xxx, 348 p. : ill., maps, ports. ; 25 cm.
[Tampa, Fla.] : Raider Pub., ; ISBN: 0974049603 9780974049601

The Marine Raiders' historical handbook /
Martin J Sexton
1984 2d ed.
English Book [16] p. : ill. ; 28 cm.
Richmond, Va. : American Historical Foundation,

[Astaran]

I finished "I rode with Jeb Stuart- The Life and Campaigns of Major General J. E. B. Stuart", written by his general-aide Major Henry B. McClellan. Interestingly Major Henry B. McClellan was the cousin of General George B. McClellan, who commanded twice the Federal Army of the Potomac and around whose entire army Stuart rode with his cavalry in his famous raid.

http://img534.imageshack.us/img534/5528/stuartwith.jpg

The book is not only a biography of General Stuart but also a most interesting source of information about the Confederate cavalry during the US Civil War.
I would say it is even more a "biography" of the Confederate cavalry than a biography of Stuart himself. It ends, of course, with General Stuarts death at Yellow Tavern in 1864 but it covers most parts of the campaigns on the Eastern front of the war.

Unfortunately the book lacks of maps and therefor someone (like me ;) ) who has only an average knowledge about the US Civil War might have problems to understand where which actions took place. Also the enormous amount of names can be very confusing for someone who doesn't know every single brigade commander of the war. I had to re-read some passages to understand completely who is engaging whom, where and why, especially when McClellan describes cases of friendly fire and misunderstandings (like Federal cavalry regiments shooting/charging(!) at each other etc.).

Nevertheless it is an excellent read and highly recommended for everyone, who wants to learn more about the US Civil War (or "War between the States", like some folks call it ;) ). But for God's sake, before you read this book, read enough of the more general books about the campaigns in the East. I thought I knew enough, but I was proven wrong p-)

[PeterG]

Reading "The Main Enemy: The Inside Story of the CIA's Final Showdown with the KGB", by Milton Bearden and James Risen.

Bearden, who headed up the CIA's Soviet/ Eastern European division as the Soviet Union was coming undone, joins with Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Risen to chronicle those fateful years. Very interesting book, easily the best i've ever read on intelligence.

Also started reading "Lone survivor" by Marcus Luttrell, but.. How do you say this about a war hero - finding him almost insufferably pompous, judging from the beginning of this book with statements like 'we (SEALs ) are so stealthy that noone ever see us coming' also 'masters of strategy, artists with machineguns' 'generally speaking the best in the world at recon' etc. All a bit strange since the book is about them actually very much being seen coming, and hunted down to the last man, except the author, who is saved by a civilian afghan.

[muttbutt]

Reading "The Main Enemy: The Inside Story of the CIA's Final Showdown with the KGB", by Milton Bearden and James Risen.

Bearden, who headed up the CIA's Soviet/ Eastern European division as the Soviet Union was coming undone, joins with Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Risen to chronicle those fateful years. Very interesting book, easily the best i've ever read on intelligence.

Also started reading "Lone survivor" by Marcus Luttrell, but.. How do you say this about a war hero - finding him almost insufferably pompous, judging from the beginning of this book with statements like 'we (SEALs ) are so stealthy that noone ever see us coming' also 'masters of strategy, artists with machineguns' 'generally speaking the best in the world at recon' etc. All a bit strange since the book is about them actually very much being seen coming, and hunted down to the last man, except the author, who is saved by a civilian afghan.
Because it was written by Patrick Robinson...who has many many crimes against literature in his background....read "Ghost force" for instance.

[PeterG]

Currently reading "Chosin: Heroic Ordeal of the Korean War", http://www.amazon.com/Chosin-Heroic-Ordeal-Korean-War/dp/0891415270
I have to say the more i read on the USMC in WWII, Korea, or whatever - the more impressed i am... This is also an extremely good read, with lots of detailed accounts of the severe conditions they had to live under, and the intensity of the fighting there. Marines have a truly awe inspiring esprit de corps. Much respect to them.

[Bob the Builder on Crack]

Began reading Inside the Delta Force by Eric Haney. I was wondering if anyone can tell me if the book is B.S. because I heard the government didn't charge Haney for the secrecy contract w.e it is and the TV show THE UNIT was based on it and a lot of people say that show is crap. If it is crap I was wondering if people can suggest a more realistic book? I was also wondering if Col. Beckwith's book is better?

[Ravage]

Just finished "The Mission, The Men, and Me" by Pete Blaber. I found it very interesting. Good insights on how to be a leader.
Also, the chapter "Luis and Clarke discover bin Laden" shows - at least thats how I feelt it - the type of 'outside the square' type of thinking that SOF is known and regarded for.

[nikitenko.p]

The history of the Turks whose political order was developed in line with its military order dates before 4000 years. This long story, started in Central Asia, which spread throughout all the major continents as a result of the great immigrations. The Khun, Kokturk and Uighur nations in the East and the first Turkish state, namely the Great Seljuk Empire founded by Turks of the Oghuz origin, in 1040 in the West were instrumental in introducing the Turks to the World. Entering Anatolia thanks to Malazgirt victory in 1071, the Turks founded many provinces called as Beylikler, The Anatolian Seljuk State and the Ottoman Empire, one of the most significant states of the Turks. Language, religion, custom and traditions were the common elements of these Turkish communities. Over centuries, the Turkish Flag flew from one end to the other. The Turks watering their horses in theDanube, knocked on the doors of Vienna, established an absolute sovereignty in the Mediterranean and seized the Arabian Peninsula and North Africa. Devoted soldiers as individuals, the Turks proved themselves to be an army-nation to the whole world. Beginning from the Turkish nations inCentral Asia till today, being a soldier was not considered as a profession, since every Turk was regarded as a naturally born warrior. The God-given military mission, as depicted in the Kokturk Inscriptions, was accepted by the Turks as an ideal for all times. Having increasingly lost its power as a result of geopolitical and geostrategic circumstances, the Ottoman Empire, during its weakest period, took part in the World War I, resulting in new and legendary pages in the history of the Turkish Army. The Gallipolis War, which played a vital role in the geographical and political order of the world, ended with the victory of the Turkish Army, leading to the extension of the war. The defeat of its allies determined the end of theOttoman Empire, with the country being invaded and its army disarmed. The demise of this deep-rooted empire, gave way to the rise of a new sun, laying the foundations of theTurkish Republic that would last forever. Breaking through the dark clouds, this sun was Mustafa Kemal ATATÜRK, the great soldier and statesman of the XXth Century. As a reformist of military origin, Atatürk proved his genius to the nations of the world, by improving the state, which he founded, in every field. A completely new Republic now arose over the soils of Turkey, whose borders were drawn with blood. The great Atatürk led the Turkish Nation and Armed Forces, continuously strengthening them. While the flames of World War II were grazing the Turkish borders, the Turkish Army was on duty. Closely monitoring the developments taking place all over the globe after the World War II, the Turkish Armed Forces attracted everyone’s attention in 1950 by participating in the Korean War solely for humanitarian purposes. The reinforced infantry brigade deployed to Korea became a good example to many nations’ armed forces due to its military courage, discipline and spirit it displayed in the wars it participated in. 731 Turkish soldiers became martyrs in Korea. Becoming a member of the NATOAlliance on February 18, 1952, the Turkish Republic initiated a comprehensive modernisation programme for its Armed Forces. The Turkish Armed Forces, whose power of deterrence continuously increased, proved its power and capabilities once more during the 1974 Cyprus Peace Operation. Towards the end of the 80s, a re-structuring process has been initiated in the Turkish Armed Forces. Turkey is located in a vitally important and challenging region with various political regimes, religions, economic systems and military powers. Due to its dominant position surrounded by the Black, Aegean and the Mediterranean Seas, as well as the Balkans and the Middle East, it is a focal point of strategic lines beginning from Gibraltar, where land and sea lines of communication intersect, to Middle East and Central Asia on three continents.Turkey, with its Turkish Straits is also well positioned to control the Suez Canal and consequently the maritime traffic in the region. East and Southeastern Anatolia are the shortest land and air transport routes to the vast energy resources in the Middle East. Radical changes are taking place in the region where Turkey having vital strategic importance, is located and this process of radical changes brings great challenges with it. While the uncertainties in the content and duration of the changes continue, Turkey stands firm as an element of stability in the region. In this environment of uncertainty, the threat to the security of Turkey no longer comprise solely the regional military powers, but also political, economic and social instabilities, border disputes, struggles of power as well as terrorism. The conditions of the region whereTurkey is located, pose a clear threat. In addition to the regional crises, the Turkish Armed Forces, must, based on political decisions, also be prepared to respond to crises that pose a threat to the World Peace. Strictly adhering to great Atatürk’s principle, ‘Peace At Home, Peace In The World’, the Armed Forces of the Turkish Republic does not have any aggressive intentions, but it is employed when its independence, nation, country and honour are under threat or in parallel with the common ideals of international organizations of which it is a member. As a member of the NATO Alliance, the Turkish Republic ensured an increased security and contributed to the protection of the global balance, as well. Turkey cooperates in defence and economic fields with the US as the sole super power as a result of the changing balances and fully supports the initiatives towards Disarmament and Arms Control. In this context, Turkey is committed to a Disarmament that is realized under an effective control mechanism, which does not adversely affect the security of any nation. In an environment full of hot conflicts,Turkey, having great importance as the last link within the NATO defence chain, must have a powerful national defence capability and a strong armed forces ready to effectively react to potential dangers from peacetime. Elements of the Turkish Defence Policy are determination and will for National Defence, NATO solidarity and the Turkish Armed Forces. The Armed Forces of the Turkish Republic having great geopolitical and geostrategic importance comprise the Army, Navy and Air Force that are subordinate to the Turkish General Staff. The General Command of Gendarmerie and the Coast Guard Command, which operate as the parts of internal security forces in peacetime, are subordinate to the Land and Naval Forces Commands, respectively in wartime. The Chief of General Staff is the Commander of the Armed Forces. In wartime, he acts as the Commander in Chief on behalf of the President. Commanding the Armed Forces and establishing the policies and programs related with the preparation for combat of personnel, intelligence, operations, organization, training and logistic services are the responsibilities of the Turkish General Staff. Furthermore, the Turkish General Staff coordinates the military relations of the Turkish Armed Forces with NATO and other friendly nations.

[khalifah]

holy hell man! put some spaces on that sucker. :)

edit: BTW, lately ive been interested in Finland and its story during WW2. Anyone know any good books on it?

[Astaran]

I just ordered two new books. They should be here within this week. I know it's a bit too late to ask for opinions, but any comments? Are they worth the money?

Thunder Run: The Armored Strike to Capture Baghdad

http://img687.imageshack.us/img687/1497/thunderruncover.jpg

and

3 Para

http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/6855/3para.jpg

[gaijinsamurai]

3 Para is an excellent book. I haven't read the other one.

[softbrains]

In English:
Robert Edwards: White death- Russia`s war on Finland 1930-40 (about winter war)
William R Trotter: Frozen hell (about winter war)

In Danish:
Halfdan Lefevre: Danmark sender en ambulance (danish volunteer ambulance personnel in winter war)

In German:
Waldemar Erfurth:
Der Finnische krieg 1941-1944 (about continuation war from a German perspective)

In Finnish:
Unto Parvilahti: Terekille ja takaisin (about Finnish SS-men in operation Barbarossa- the author was one of them)
Erkki Palolampi: Kollaa kestää (Kollaa will hold!- about the battles of Kollaa, where a Finnish regiment held the line against two (later four) Soviet Divisions).

This message was meant for Khalifah

[Ravage]

Just got done with TF Black. I must say allthough it is not as "explosive" as the author would like it to be, it's still very much worth reading.

[Elbs]

A lot of good stuff being posted here.

Anyone here remember the old "Illustrated Guide to..." series put out by Salamander in the 80s? I just picked up a number of them from a used books store, and they make for interesting reading from back in the days of the Iron Curtain when little was known about the Soviets and their gear

http://i39.tinypic.com/1zd90dw.jpg

[Creampuff]

Robert Mason's "ChickenHawk"

Much respect to slick and hog pilots that worked Huey's during the Viet-Nam war.

[MN_Air]

Rommel's Desert War: The life and death of the Afrika Korps. By Samuel W. Mitcham Jr.

Awesomely good book, full of information on Rommel and the African campaign in general. Anyone who is a Rommel nut or a military nut in general will like this book as it is easy to read, full of maps and descriptions, and has a huge list of references at the end to further your knowledge on the topics described in the chapters.

I give it an 8/10 because it was slightly hard to read in some points, and there was a few run on sentences that made it hard to understand specific locations and battles.

[khalifah]

Hey Elbs, i got myself the "Fighters" version. really nice drawings, though its weird lookin at it and realizing most of those are retired, :(

@ softbrains, thanks for the info :)

[beatles101]

very much a good book he goes right from dunkirk to the end of the battle of britain i would recomend it to anyone that wants to read a good book on the battle of britain and yeat i feel bad for marshal dowding though " never in the history of mankind have so many owed so much to so few"

http://images.dave110.multiply.com/image/1/photos/60/500x500/12/124856040751jjwdkmlvl.jpg?et=iq9RdpX211MI17tiYFdGkA&nmid=282432131

[PeterG]

very much a good book he goes right from dunkirk to the end of the battle of britain i would recomend it to anyone that wants to read a good book on the battle of britain and yeat i feel bad for marshal dowding though " never in the history of mankind have so many owed so much to so few"

http://images.dave110.multiply.com/image/1/photos/60/500x500/12/124856040751jjwdkmlvl.jpg?et=iq9RdpX211MI17tiYFdGkA&nmid=282432131

May i also suggest 'Fighter' by Len Deighton. Brilliant book.

[Astaran]

3 Para is an excellent book. I haven't read the other one.

I finished 3 Para some days ago and I have almost completed Thunder Run.

You are right, 3 Para is an astonishing read and an excellent book. I have never read something similar intense like this (except Thunder Run). I remember that I saw some video footage and read some of the reports of the 3 Para deployment in 2006 here on mp.net and to read now the detailed reports of these events is a strange feeling.
It is written in a "describing" language, like a report or maybe a "history book", but it's still very, very intense.


Thunder Run on the other hand is written like a novel, with insights in the soldiers thoughts and emotions. There are even sometimes dialogues. From time to time I had the feeling to read Tom Clancy's newest novel. But I think this kind of narrative language gives Thunder Run the intense atmosphere. I always thought about the Thunder Run as a glorious military victory, but meanwhile it seams to me like a bloody close call. While I read how the Iraqis got slaughtered by the hundreds I always ask myself what had happened, if the US troops would had to face a well trained and led opponent. What had happened, if the Iraqis had been able to cut of the advanced battalions from the supply lines? Another Mogadishu on a larger scale? I think these questions are worth the discussion and I think I will start it after I have finished to book.

So, my conclusion of the two books: both are absolutely a must read.

[John R.]

I'm currently reading The Germans in Normandy, and so far it's a great read.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51B4nscxyYL._SS500_.jpg

[marleynrs8]

I'm an advid fan of military history and autobiographies, and just found this thread. Lots of suggestion I'll have to take up. Anyways, here's my contribution, in no particular order. This will be a short summary of each book and why it's worth reading.

1.) House to House by David Bellavia
Quite possibly the best book on a small unit at war. SSGT Bellavia is an Army Infantry squad leader who takes us with him to the second battle of Fallujah. Gritty, revealing, sympothetic, and takes you into the minds and boots of soldiers in modern war. A classic.

2.) Joker One
Written by a Marine lieutanant who took his platoon to war in Ramadi. Enough said. ****ing Ramadi.

3.)My War by Colby Buzzell
Great and revealing book. He tells it as it is, no BS. Hilarious at times, tense at times, but mainly funny. Seeing the war from an Army grunt's point og view.

4.)Waging Peace
About an Army Civil Affairs unit in Iraq. Read it to hear about the good that was done by service men and women there, rather than the killing and death. Good writing style, too.

By this point, there's just too many to even do a summary. I might do the summaries later on. Sorry.

5.)Hard Corps
6.)Sniper One
7.)Roll Me Over(WWII)
8.)Visions From a Foxhole(WWII)
9.)Inside Delta Force
10.)This Man's Army
11.)With The Old Breed(WWII)
12.)The Gift Of Valor
13.)A Long Way Home
14.)One Soldier's War
15.)Faith And Duty
16.)No True Glory
17.)Generation Kill
18.)Marine Sniper
19.)One Perfect Op
20.)Lone Survivor
21.)Thunder Run
22.)Down Range
23.)SEALs: The US Navy's Elite Fighting Force
24.)War by Sebastian Junger
25.)Operation Phantom Fury
26.)Masters Of Chaos
27.)We Were One
28.)Eight Lives Down
29.)Apache
30.)Heavy Metal
31.)Trigger Men
32.)Once A Marine
33.)The Tunnels of Cu Chi
34.)The Mission, The Men, and Me
35.)Marines in the Garden of Eden
36.)Jawbreaker
37.)None Braver
38.)Hill 488

[Dodderynut]

132554

On Killing by Lieutenant Colonel Dave Grossman

[cdr marcinko]

Reading right now FIASCO by Thomas Ricks.

Before this I read COBRA II.

I would highly recommend both

[Virus]

The Good Soldiers (http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/343719/august-11-2010/david-finkel?xrs=share_copy)

Regarding the book I previously talked about in this thread, The Good Soldiers, some recent media I found on it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkifca3PyFg&feature=player_embedded

Relevant video: By author.

[James]

I just finished the first volume in Shelby Foote's "The Civil War: A Narrative History".

Fantastic.

[Brasi]

Anyone know of a good Eastern Front fiction series?

[James]

I recently completed "The Gun" by CJ Chivers. It's about the evolution of automatic weapons that led to the development of the AK-47. Lots of interesting stuff about the development and early fielding of the M16 too.

[phasio]

hi

im thinking of buying

"War and Underdevelopment: Volume 1: The Economic and Social Consequences of Conflict" by Frances Stewart
ISBN: 9780199241873

has anyone read it or have any other thoughts ?

[therifleman]

Just finished reading "Yankee Doodle Boy" by Joseph Plumb Martin. Martin was a 7-year vetreran of the Continental Army during the American Revolution, enlisting at age 15 in 1775. Fought at Long Island, Germantown, Philidelphia, White Plains, Monmouth, and Yorktown.

Quick and easy read, great wealth of info on being a soldier in the Continental Army. It's the only firsthand account written by a Continental soldier from that war.

[Virus]

The Good Soldiers (http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/343719/august-11-2010/david-finkel?xrs=share_copy)

Regarding the book I previously talked about in this thread, The Good Soldiers, some recent media I found on it.


Relevant video: By author.

More continuation on this book, http://www.pritzkermilitarylibrary.org/events/2010/04-28-david-finkel.jsp

An hour long piece with Mr. Finkel speaking about the book. Very interesting for me, and I figure others here as well will appreciate it.

[Jon Jordan]

One I'd like to suggest is "Neptune's Inferno: The U.S. Navy at Guadalcanal." The great thing about that book is that the Guadalcanal campaign comprised seven separate surface fleet battles, so it's like a seven-for-one deal. The naval engagements - two of which were night battles - had a higher casualty count than the land campaign and was the closest thing to an even ship-to-ship battle of the war.

The author, James D. Hornfischer, also wrote "Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors" (about the battle of Samar) and "Ship of Ghosts" (about the U.S.S. Houston and her crew). He knows his stuff and documents well, and he recently spoke at Pritzker Military Library on "Neptune's Inferno." It's a great read, IMO.

[cdr marcinko]

I recently completed "The Gun" by CJ Chivers. It's about the evolution of automatic weapons that led to the development of the AK-47. Lots of interesting stuff about the development and early fielding of the M16 too.


I just got that from BD and I browsed a little bit :)


It sure looks interesting, plus the cover is a masterpiece applying the principle Less is more :)

[Bullhorn]

Full disclosure: I don't spend too much on Military Photos, mostly because I have a tendency to sink into the threads and get very little else done -- and also because I have trouble with my impulse control when it comes to responding to threads. ;-)

However, thought I'd stick my oar into these particular waters with a quick note re books. I have one out now. Released about a week ago, it goes over some of the experiences of an aulde pharte Reservist called up from suburbia to go mess around in OIF III. Some here may enjoy it.

The title is "Nothing In Reserve: true stories, not war stories" by Jack Lewis. Can be found on both Amazon.com (Kindle edition) and Barnes and Noble as an ebook. For reading in the tub, the paper version should be available by end-month.

The Kindling can be found here:

http://www.amazon.com/Nothing-Reserve-true-stories-ebook/dp/B004ULWBTI/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpi_3

...and it's CHEAP at $2.99, given that the paper book runs to 300 pages. Any reviews are appreciated, even if you think I'm full of, uh, "fertilizer." Some do, some don't -- but nobody gets to call "BS."

Every word is true.

Respectfully submitted,

Jack

http://img546.imageshack.us/img546/4576/41vwsqcf2lsl500aa266pik.jpg

[A.V.]

Book review--History of Aurangzib


This book , written by legendary bengali historian Jadunath Sarkar , was written during british rule , and is arguably the largest and the finest detail account of the life and times of India's most controversial emperor--Aurangzeb . Originally running into four volumes , it has now been abridged , and put together in one volume by Orient Blackswain.

The book dwells in short on his early life--how he had a inborn trait of suspicion . Once , he and his brothers and father are supposed to enter a underground room . He refuses , saying that somebody could murder them there.....

The stellar part of the book is of course the way in which he won the throne , murdering all his brothers in the process , and imprisoning his father , the emperor Shahjahan after a series of epic battles . The book also makes it clear that he had no choice in the process ; his own brother declares about his own ambition for the throne-- ' Ya takht ya tabut !! ' ( either the throne or the grave !! ) , meaning that he himself would kill Aurangzeb and his brothers if he won....or himself get killed. Such is the brutal tradition of Mughal emperors . Aurangzeb's own father Shahjahan has killed his brother before ascending the throne......

This tradition is forever in Aurangzeb's mind , for during his rule , he is forever plagued by suspicion that one of his sons would imprison him in a similar manner and humiliate him as he daily humiliated his father Shahjahan--so Aurangzeb keeps a close watch on his sons , and imprisons them many a times .

Coming back to the battles for the throne , Jadunath Sarkar describes the battles ( like the battle of Dharmat between Aurangzeb's oldest brother Dara Shukoh and him )in detail , showing great mastery of the art of creating the picture of the battlefield in our mind. The tragedy of the hapless prince Dara Shukoh is well brought out , as he is hunted down from pillar to post as he escapes from the battle , and is eventually captured and sentenced to death by learned kazis . His crime--he was too tolerant to hindus......

Full article here

http://defenceforumindia.com/showthread.php?t=20784

[James]

I'm currently about halfway though Richard Evans' The Third Reich at War. Has anyone else read this? It seems well researched and is well written, but there are some distractions and historical mistakes. The author decided to translate everything into English, regardless of how common the original German terms were for English speakers; hence, "Waffen SS" is "Military SS", "SS-SD" is "SS Security Service", "Fuhrer" is "Leader" and "Volkssturm" is "People's Storm". He writes that the Allied Strategic bombing campaign was very effective at demoralizing the German people and damaging German industry, though much of what I've read and learned over the past 20+ years indicated that this was not in fact the case. He also made a glaring error in his description of Otto Skorzeny's rescue of Mussolini at Grand Sasso, in which he wrote that the german paratroopers parachuted from their planes, which, left unmanned, crashed in the mountains. In fact, it was a glider assault. It's a small detail in one paragraph, but it made me wonder else what else he might have made a mistake about.

[PeterG]

Reading 'Dead men risen' ( http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dead-Men-Risen-Britains-Afghanistan/dp/1849164215 ). An extraordinary book about the Welsh Guards in Helmand in 2009. Very interesting, and also very sad. It really brings home the human cost of this conflict.

[RedSquirrel]

Has anyone read Citino's 'Death of the Wehrmacht' or 'The Germany Way of War'? Usually I'm more interested in the Soviet side of things, but his lecture at USAHEC is quite interesting.
I just listened to his talk at USAHEC
http://www.carlisle.army.mil/AHEC/mediagallery/videoGallery.cfm?id=32

[Rosbach]

Most of your recommended books are for sale. Here´s a side with a good chance for downloading some for free: http://www.archive.org/index.php, or check books.google.com

[khalifah]

pritty sure its been mentioned way before, but Gurdians Actung! Panzer!, and Panzer Commander i think.

[Rosbach]

Does it have to be ficticious? Good stories anyway. How´s your German?

[Rosbach]

A. Hilliard Atteridge - "The German Army at War", Downloadable at archive.org.
Basically a Book about the making of the German Army during the period 1806 till ww1.
Like answering the question: How comes that the Prussians, with an army of 42000 men in 1806 (Treaty of Tilsit)
were able to field 120000 fully trained soldiers against Napoleon in 1813

[firemanneil]

Panzers in the sand Volumes 1 and 2 dont know if this has been done already but my personal take.
Panzers in the Sand vol 1and 2
by Bernd Hartmann
· Vol 1 ISBN 0811707237 vol 2 ISBN-10: 0811707733
Author Bernd Hartmann served in the post-war German army as a Lt. Colonel and is now the spokesman for the Panzer Regiment 5 Veterans Association. Being in that position he is more than capable to bring us the history of Panzer regiment 5 from its early days to its end in 1945. This is done through a quiet interesting way of mixing the veterans firsthand accounts as well as after action reports which are a very interesting read.
The pictures are outstanding with many new and interesting ones. Which will be of use to the military modeller as well those interested in German panzer units.
Volume 1
Consists of 298 pages in six chapters. Included are 386 black and white photographs and 49 maps, diagrams, and various tables. Chapter one begins with the creation of the unit on the 15 October 1935 and then through the next six chapters follows the unit as it trains and then is deployed for war with volume one finishing in 1941 with the battles around Tobruk.

Volume 2
This volume is almost identical to the first in length and content .It contains are more than 285 photographs, along with many charts and tables. The quality of the photos is very good as are those of the first volume . The book continues with the fighting that took place in North Africa and follows the unit through the various actions with an incredible insight as to what it was like to fight in that theatre of war. With the demise of the unit in Tunisa it then switches’ to the final reincarnation of the unit as Panzer Abeilung 5 and the final battles toward the end of the war.

I would highly recommend both of these books to any historian or military modeller.

[greendzflash]

anyone read this? what did you think?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Deniable-Agent-Undercover-Afghanistan/dp/1845962095

as a book i thought it was ok but i wasnt aware of the writers history before i read it.

[bryanleu2002]

No! I have not read.. but sounds good, hope its not like a Tom Carew thing!

http://www.amazon.com/Jihad-SAS-Secret-War-Afghanistan/product-reviews/1840183268?pageNumber=2

by the way you could have had a better title ..

[Maine Finn]

I recently finished reading E.G. Burrows' Forgotten Patriots and recommend it. It covers the subject of captured Americans during the Revolution. It was a little slow to start but once I got into it, I was hooked.

[Ravage]

Reading Lions of Kandahar - worth picking up.