July 31, 200917 yr From Navy Times Skelton’s recommended military reading By Rick Maze - Staff writer Posted : Friday Jul 31, 2009 16:14:01 EDT The House Armed Services Committee chairman has come up with a new national security reading list of 50 essential books that he personally recommends for military officers and noncommissioned and petty officers, as well as his colleagues. Reading the list is not essential to testify before the committee, but Rep. Ike Skelton, D-Mo., who prepared a similar list in 2003, doesn’t mind if people think so. Skelton, an avid reader, said he feels strongly that officers and senior enlisted members need to read books about military strategy and American history to benefit from lessons of the past and better understand American values. “I really think the officer corps and senior noncoms need to have a deep understanding of history,” Skelton said. The 2009 reading list, which he has been passing out to colleagues in Congress and to military officers who show an interest, is intended to be read in addition to a 50-book list he recommended in 2003, Skelton said. “There are some essential books on the first list,” he said — like the U.S. Constitution, Carl von Clausewitz’s book “On War” and Sun Tzu’s “The Art of War.” In an ideal world, Skelton said, he likes to think people would read the 2003 and 2009 lists, or 100 books in all. But even he admits that some of them are a “hard read,” such as the two books on his new list by Barbara Tuchman — a 1970 book about Army Gen. Joseph Stilwell, a 1904 West Point graduate who went on to serve as commander of U.S. forces in China during World War II, and the 2004 book “Guns of August,” about events leading up to World War I. His new list contains Thomas E. Ricks’ 2006 book “Fiasco,” about Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Ricks’ 2009 book, “The Gamble,” about current military strategy and Army Gen. David Petraeus. That is balanced by a guide to the Peloponnesian War, a two-volume biography of Napoleon and biographies of Daniel Boone — to whom Skelton is related — and Daniel Webster. Although only military or American history buffs may have heard of some of the works, there are a couple of popular books on the list. James Bradley’s 2001 book “Flag of our Fathers,” about Iwo Jima, is there, and so is Tom Brokaw’s 1998 book “The Greatest Generation.” “You can get 2,000, 3,000 years of experience by reading,” Skelton said. ** Chairman Ike Skelton’s Recommended Booklist II 1. Robert B. Strassler. The Landmark Thucydides: A Guide to the Peloponnesian War. Simon & Schuster, 1998. a. Thucydides called his account of two decades of war between Athens and Sparta "a possession for all time," and indeed it is the first and still most famous work in the Western historical tradition … The Landmark Thucydides is a guide to the Peloponnesian War and a mine of military, moral, political, and philosophical wisdom.” – Google Books 2. H. W. Crocker III. Don’t Tread on Me. Crown Forum, 2006. a. “In Don' t Tread on Me, Crocker unfolds four hundred years of American military history, revealing how Americans were born Indian fighters whose military prowess carved out first a continental and then a global empire…. From the seventeenth century on, he argues, Americans have shown a jealous regard for their freedom-- and have backed it up with … a tradition that includes Rogers' Rangers, Merrill's Marauders, and today's Special Forces.” – Google Books 3. John Keegan. Intelligence in War. Vintage Books, 2004. a. In this case-based study of the practicality of intelligence in military campaigns, John Keegan argues that, while certainly important, military intelligence has failed to decisively decide campaigns from Napoleon’s invasion of Egypt to the present day. 4. Brendan Simms. Three Victories and a Defeat. Allen Lane, 2007. a. “This highly original, extremely enjoyable book tells the story of Britain's extraordinary scramble to world power in the 18th century and how, through hubris and incompetence, it lost almost everything it had gained …. Having created a new empire through battle and diplomacy, Britain then spectacularly lost it, this time because of its chaotic failure to maintain its European alliances.” – Google Books 5. Robert Asprey. The Rise and Fall of Napoleon (vols. 1 & 2). Little, Brown and Company, 2000. a. “Despite his stand-alone genius regarding tactical maneuver, Napoleon’s weakness in the field of grand strategy precipitated gross blunders, such as the invasion of Egypt and Russia. Covering the entirety of Napoleon’s life, these two volumes place Bonaparte in his full military context.” – Amazon 6. G. J. Marcus. The Age of Nelson. Viking Press Inc., 1971. a. As Geoffrey Marcus accurately depicts, the Anglo-French war between 1793 and 1815 was a period that abounded in extremely important lessons for the Royal Navy: the right use of intelligence; defense against invasion; the conduct of joint operations; and the various measures of commerce raiding and protection. In this book, Marcus has given the first modern history of the most formidable fighting force on earth and the instrument that forged for England more than 100 years of Empire. – Inside Cover 7. David Hackett Fischer. Washington’s Crossing. Oxford University Press, 2006. a. “Fischer's narrative reveals the crucial role of contingency in Washington’s winter offensive around Trenton, New Jersey … and argues that while British and German forces remained rigid and hierarchical, Americans evolved an open and flexible system that was fundamental to their success.” – Google Books 8. David McCullough. John Adams. Simon & Schuster, 2001. a. “In this powerful, epic biography, David McCullough unfolds the adventurous life-journey of John Adams, the brilliant, fiercely independent, often irascible, always honest Yankee patriot -- "the colossus of independence, " as Thomas Jefferson called him -- who spared nothing in his zeal for the American Revolution; who rose to become the second President of the United States and saved the country from blundering into an unnecessary war.” – Google Books 9. Robert Morgan. Boone. Algonquin Books, 2001. a. “Morgan’s objectivity gives us a completely realized man, the greatest pioneer of the Trans-Appalachian West, who helped open Kentucky to settlement but kept going, settling eventually in Missouri…. Morgan skillfully assesses and often questions the validity of all the tales of good fortune and heroism attached to Boone, especially his friendly relations with Native Americans.” – Publishers Weekly 10. Jon Meacham. American Lion. Random House Inc., 2008. a. “Jackson was, in short, a lot like his country: alternately kind and vicious, brilliant and blind; and a man who fought a lifelong war to keep the republic safe–no matter what it took. Jon Meacham in American Lion has delivered the definitive human portrait of a pivotal president who forever changed the American presidency–and America itself.” – Google Books 11. Robert Remini. Daniel Webster. W.W. Norton and Company, 1997. a. “The life of Daniel Webster, eminent politician and statesman of the four decades preceding the Civil War, is here chronicled by a veteran biographer of the Jacksonian era … Remini's scholarship and style are flawless, and he introduces substantial new information, notably a new medical interpretation of Webster's death.” – Library Journal 12. Martin Dugard. The Training Ground. Little, Brown, and Company, 2008. a. “Few historical figures are as inextricably linked as Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee. But less than two decades before they faced each other as enemies at Appomattox, they had been brothers--both West Point graduates, both wearing blue, and both fighting in the same cadre in the Mexican War…. when a group of young men came together to fight as friends, only years later to fight as enemies.” – Google Books 13. Roger Launius. Alexander William Doniphan. University of Missouri Press, 1997. a. “Alexander William Doniphan (1808-1887) - Missouri attorney, military figure (Mexican War), politician, and businessman - is one of the most significant figures in antebellum Missouri…. however, the key to Doniphan's importance was his persistent moderation on the critical issues of his day.” – Google Books 14. William Elsey Connelly. Quantrill and the Border Wars. Pageant Book Company, 1956. a. An account of the daring Confederate raider, his accomplices, and his action along the Missouri-Kansas border. Connelly also relates the strange circumstances by which Quantrill became a Rebel standard-bearer. 15. John G. Niehardt. Black Elk Speaks. SUNY Press, 2008. a. “This inspirational and unfailingly powerful story reveals the life and visions of the Lakota healer Nicholas Black Elk (1863-1950) and the tragic history of his Sioux people during the epic closing decades of the Old West.” – Google Books 16. Doris Kearns Goodwin. Team of Rivals. Simon & Schuster, 2006. a. “Acclaimed historian Doris Kearns Goodwin illuminates Lincoln's political genius … as the one-term congressman and prairie lawyer rises from obscurity to prevail over three gifted rivals of national reputation to become president.” –Google Books 17. James Robertson. Stonewall Jackson. Macmillan, 1997. a. “A distinguished Civil War historian unravels the complex character of the Confederacy's greatest general. Drawing on previously untapped manuscript sources ... the author capably covers the battles that made Jackson a legend--Sharpsburg, Fredericksburg, etc.—while emphasizing ‘the life story of an extraordinary man.’” – Amazon.com 18. Michael B. Ballard. Vicksburg. UNC Press, 2004. a. “When Confederate troops surrendered Vicksburg on July 4, 1863--the day after the Union victory at Gettysburg--a crucial port and rail depot for the South was lost.… In a thorough yet concise study of the longest single military campaign of the Civil War, Michael B. Ballard brings new depth to our understanding of the Vicksburg campaign by considering its human as well as its military aspects.” – Google Books 19. Brian M. Linn. The Philippine War: 1899-1902. University Press of Kansas, 2000. a. “Focusing purely on the military aspects of the war, Linn argues that previous studies of the war have mischaracterized it as having qualities which can only be ascribed to the final few campaigns … he finds that the American victory was due more to rebel mistakes and American ‘social reform’ than to overwhelming military force.” – Google Books 20. Edmund Morris. Theodore Rex. Random House Inc., 2001. a. “This well written book is a superior account of the presidency of Theodore Roosevelt, backed by first rate research. Above all, Morris finds a rare balance that blends personal story with policy analysis, judiciously sifting the key issues of the Roosevelt administration.” – Foreign Affairs 21. Ronald Spector. At War at Sea: Sailors and Naval Combat. Viking, 2001. a. Beginning with the 1905 Battle of Tsushima and concluding with the missile engagements off the Faulklands and Persian Gulf, Spector chronicles not only the mechanics of battle and the changing technology of war, but also presents these extraordinary stories from the point of view of the participants. – Google Books 22. Barbara Tuchman. Guns of August. Random House Inc., 2004. a. “Barbara Tuchman has brought to life again the people and events that led up to World War I. With attention to fascinating detail, and an intense knowledge of her subject and its characters, Ms. Tuchman reveals, for the first time, just how the war started, why, and why it could have been stopped, but wasn't.” - Amazon 23. Barbara Tuchman. Stilwell and the American Experience in China 1911-1945. Macmillan, 1970. a. Tuchman uses “the life of Joseph Stilwell, the military attaché to China in 1935-39 and commander of United States forces and allied chief of staff to Chiang Kai-shek in 1942-44, to explore the history of China from the revolution of 1911 to the turmoil of World War II, when China's Nationalist government faced attack from Japanese invaders and Communist insurgents.” – Amazon 24. Michael Korda. With Wings Like Eagles. Harper Collins, 2009. a. “This in-depth history of the pivotal air contest, known as the Battle of Britain, draws on the firsthand perspectives of pilots, ground crews, and commanders on both sides, in an account that places the campaign against a backdrop of the political forces that shaped it.” – Google Books 25. Richard G. Davis. Carl A. Spaatz: The Air War in Europe. DIANE Publishing Company, 2004. a. “This is an authoritative study of United States air doctrine from its imaginative theoretical beginnings to its grim implementation and reevalutaion during and after WWII…. This book will be of special interest to air force enthusiasts and military strategists who wish to explore the struggles for limited resources and the problems of managing multinational military coalitions.” – Journal of American History 26. Rick Atkinson. An Army at Dawn. Macmillan, 2003. a. “This book depicts the U.S. Army's introduction to modern war in North Africa. The Tunisian campaign, Atkinson shows, was undertaken by an American army lacking in training and experience alongside a British army whose primary experience had been of defeat…. Yet, after Tunisia, the tide of war rolled one way: toward Berlin.” – Publisher’s Weekly 27. Rick Atkinson. The Day of Battle. Macmillan, 2008. a. “The battles in Sicily and Italy developed the combat effectiveness and the emotional hardness of a U.S. Army increasingly constrained to bear the brunt of the Western allies' war effort, he argues…. Atkinson makes a convincing case that the Mediterranean campaign played a decisive role in breaking German power.” – Publishers Weekly 28. John Wukovits. Pacific Alamo: The Battle for Wake Island. New American Library, 2003. a. “Few know the full story of Wake Island. Now a prominent military historian, breaking new ground on the assault, relates the compelling events of that day and the heroic struggle that followed.… This is the story of that battle from survivors on both sides.” – Google Books 29. James D. Hornfischer. The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors. Bantam Books, 2005. a. “James D. Hornfischer paints an unprecedented portrait of the Battle of Samar, a naval engagement unlike any other in U.S. history—and captures with unforgettable intensity the men, the strategies, and the sacrifices that turned certain defeat into a legendary victory.” – Google Books 30. Maxwell Taylor Kennedy. Danger’s Hour. Simon and Schuster, 2008. a. “In the closing months of World War II, Americans aboard the U.S.S. Bunker Hill found themselves facing a new and terrifying weapon: kamikazes. Drawing on years of research and firsthand interviews with both American and Japanese survivors, Maxwell Taylor Kennedy draws a gripping portrait of men bravely serving their countries and the advent of a terrifying new weapon.” – Google Books 31. Thomas Parrish. Roosevelt and Marshall. William Morrow and Company Inc., 1989. a. “Provides a provocative portrait of two larger-than-life leaders who orchestrated the Allied victory in World War II, changed the role of the American military, and controlled the fate of American politics.” – Google Books 32. James Bradley. Flags of our Fathers. Bantam Books, 2001. a. “The beloved bestseller that honors not only one battle and one achievement, but the stories of six heroes and one indelible image: the photograph of the flag raising at Iwo Jima.” - Google Books 33. Tom Brokaw. The Greatest Generation. Random House Inc., 1998. a. “In this superb book, Tom Brokaw goes out into America, to tell through the stories of individual men and women the story of a generation, America's citizen heroes and heroines who came of age during the Great Depression and the Second World War and went on to build modern America.” – Google Books 34. David Halberstam. The Coldest Winter. Hyperion, 2007. a. “Around Thanksgiving, 1950, units of the Second Infantry Division were virtually annihilated by forces of the People's Republic Army…. In The Coldest Winter, award-winning reporter and historian David Halberstam explodes this moment in time, using it as a jumping off point to delve into the Korean War's particular horrors and triumphs.” – Google Books 35. Tim Castle. At War in the Shadow of Vietnam. Columbia University Press, 1993. a. “The first book to recount the full story of U.S. covert operations in Laos during the Vietnam War. Based on newly declassified materials and interviews with dozens of key American and Lao officials, it examines the structure of the U.S. "secret war" in Laos and the long-term consequences associated with it.” – Amazon 36. Mark Clodfelter. Limits of Airpower. Simon & Schuster, 1989. a. “Analyzes the three major American bombing campaigns against North Vietnam and explains why they proved less effective than expected.” - Google Books 37. Robert Gates. From the Shadows: The Ultimate Insider’s Story. Simon & Schuster, 2007. a. “As the only person to rise from entry-level analyst to Director of the CIA and to serve on the White House staffs of four Presidents, Robert Gates is uniquely qualified to tell the unprecedented inside story of the Cold War. Drawing on his access to classified information and top-level involvement in policy decisions, Gates lays bare the hidden wars and operations the United States waged against communism worldwide.” – Google Books 38. Norman Schwartzkopf. It Doesn’t Take a Hero. Random House Inc., 1993. a. “He set his star by a simple motto: duty, honor, country. Only rarely does history grant a single individual the ability, personal charisma, moral force, and intelligence to command the respect, admiration, and affection of an entire nation. Now, … General Norman Schwarzkopf reviews his remarkable life and career…” – From the Inside Flap 39. George Tenet. At the Center of the Storm. HarperCollins, 2007. a. “At the Center of the Storm recounts George Tenet's time at the Central Intelligence Agency… illuminating the CIA's painstaking attempts to prepare the country against new and deadly threats, disentangling the interlocking events that led to 9/11, and offering explosive new information on the deliberations and strategies that culminated in the U.S. invasion of Iraq.” – Google Books 40. Thomas E. Ricks. Fiasco. Penguin Press, 2006. a. “Provides eye-witness accounts of people, ranging from commanders to intelligence officers, army doctors to ordinary soldiers, that contradict the official stories and figures of the second Iraq War. This book gives an insight into the plight of ordinary soldiers doing nightmarish jobs, and the real nature of the fighting in Iraq.” – Google Books 41. Thomas E. Ricks. The Gamble. Penguin Group Inc., 2009. a. “At the core of this story is General David Petraeus, a military intellectual who has gathered around him an unprecedented number of officers with both combat experience and Ph.D.s…. The Gamble offers news breaking information, revealing behind-the-scenes disagreements between top commanders … and examines the congressional hearings through the eyes of Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker, and their views of the questions posed by the 2008 presidential candidates.” – Google Books 42. Marc Gonsalves et al. Out of Captivity: Surviving 1,967 Days in the Jungle. William Morrow, 2009. a. After crash landing in the midst of the Colombian jungle, five civilian contractors find themselves caught in a struggle for survival that would last over three years. 43. Bob Woodard. The War Within. Simon & Schuster, 2008. a. “As violence in Iraq reaches unnerving levels in 2006, a second front in the war rages at the highest levels of the Bush administration…. With unparalleled intimacy and detail, this gripping account of a president at war describes a period of distress and uncertainty within the U.S. government from 2006 through mid-2008.” – Google Books 44. William G. T. Tuttle Jr. Defense Logistics for the 21st Century. Naval Institute Press, 2005. a. “Since 1959, a revolutionary change in information technology and defense strategy has swept the field of defense logistics and mandated a new understanding of the objectives and principles of military logistics. Renowned defense logistics expert General William Tuttle covers all aspects of the subject including force projection, force sustainment, and minimizing the logistics "footprint" in battle spaces.” – Google Books 45. David Kilcullen. The Accidental Guerilla. Oxford University Press US, 2009. a. “As the former Senior Counterinsurgency Advisor to General David Petraeus in Iraq, his vision of war has dramatically influenced American military policy. Kilcullen sees today's conflicts as a complex combination of two trends: small wars and global confrontations …. and warns that America's actions in the War on Terrorism have tended to conflate these trends, blurring the distinction between local and global struggles and thus enormously complicating our challenges.” – Google Books 46. Malcolm Gladwell. Outliers: The Story of Success. Hachette Book Group USA, 2008. a. “Challenging our cherished belief of the ‘self-made man,’ Gladwell makes the democratic assertion that superstars don't arise out of nowhere…. Examining the lives of outliers from Mozart to Bill Gates, he builds a convincing case for how successful people rise on a tide of advantages, ‘some deserved, some not, some earned, some just plain lucky.’” – Amazon 47. Douglas E. Schoen and Michael Rowan. The Threat Closer to Home. Simon & Schuster, 2009. a. “Drawing on two decades of experience working at the highest level of Venezuelan and American politics, Schoen and Rowan go behind the scenes to examine Chávez's efforts to subvert both the American economy and his own country's stability.” – Google Books 48. Richard A. Clarke. Against All Enemies. Free Press, 2004. a. “Clarke, the U.S.’s former terrorism czar, offers a complex and illuminating look into the successes and failures of the nation’s security apparatus, especially with regards to George Bush’s post-9/11 War on Terror.” – Publisher’s Weekly 49. William Murray and Richard H. Sinnreich (eds). The Past as Prologue. Cambridge University Press, 2006. a. “Exploring the usefulness of the study of history for contemporary military strategists, this volume illustrates the great importance of military history while simultaneously revealing the challenges of applying the past to the present.” – Amazon 50. Gen. David Petraeus and Gen. James Amos. Counterinsurgency: U.S. Army/ Marine Corps FM 3-24. University of Chicago Press, 2007. a. “The result of unprecedented collaboration among top U.S. military experts, scholars, and practitioners in the field, FM 3-24 espouses an approach to combat that emphasizes constant adaptation and learning, the importance of decentralized decision-making, the need to understand local politics and customs, and the key role of intelligence in winning the support of the population.” – Google Books ** Congressman Ike Skelton’s National Security Book List With Reviews 1. Constitution of the United States, Constitutional Convention, 1787. The Constitution is a product of the Constitutional Convention which was held in Philadelphia, PA, in 1776. The original 13 states ratified it and ever since it has been the base of the American government and freedom. 2. Sun Tzu. The Art of War. Samuel B. Griffith (Translator). Oxford University Press,1986. Written in China over two thousand years ago, Sun Tzu's The Art of War provides a basis for the planning and training of military operations. These essays contain principles used by modern day military leaders. This classic work is timeless. 3. Carl von Clausewitz. On War. Ed. and trans. By Peter Paret and Michael Howard.Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1984. Clausewitz’s classic work on war, written at the time of Napoleon's greatest campaigns, is the basis for a thorough discussion of the art of warfare. Clausewitz is best remembered by the assertion that war is a continuation of politics by other means. 4. Michael I. Handel. Masters of War: Classical Strategic Thought. Frank Cass & Company, 2001. Masters of War is a study based on the works on war by Clausewitz, Sun Tzu, Mao Tse-tung, and, to a lesser extent, Jomini and Machiavelli. The author explains that these military leaders had a great deal in common. Handel states the logic of waging war and of strategic thinking are universal and timeless. 5. John Keegan (ed). The Book of War. Viking, 1999. Keegan brings together several writings on war, including first hand accounts of battles. The conflicts waged by Caesar, Wellington, Hemingway, and Ernie Pyle are reflected in this book. 6. Edward Sheperd Creasy. Fifteen Decisive Battles of the World: From Marathon to Waterloo. DaCapo Press, 1994. This book, originally published in 1851, discusses famous battles of the past 2,300 years that changed the course of world history. Conflicts which are discussed include the battle of Marathon down through the battle of Waterloo. 7. Peter Bamm. Alexander the Great. New York, MacGraw-Hill, 1968. Bamm’s writing reflects the brilliant military tactics of Alexander the Great as he fought his way through mountains and deserts of central Asia, all the way to the Himalayas. 8. Sir Gavin De Beer. Hannibal. Viking Press, 1969. Hannibal fought a losing battle in his quest to protect his birthplace, Carthage. Nevertheless, this work highlights his courage and excellent battlefield tactics. 9. John Keegan. The Face of Battle. New York: Vintage Books, 1977. Keegan, an instructor at Sandhurst, speaks for soldiers who were involved in the battles at Agincourt, Waterloo, and the Somme. 10. Fred Anderson. Crucible of War: The Seven Years War and the Fate of Empire in British North America, 1754 - 1766. Vintage Books, 2001. Anderson makes a convincing argument that the American Revolution could not have taken place but for the French and Indian War that was waged in the Americas. The book discusses Washington’s engagements as well as the roles of Pontiac, William Pitt, and Montcalm. 11. John Mack Faragher. Daniel Boone: The Life and Legend of an American Pioneer. Owlet, 1993. Faragher gives an excellent account of the life of America’s legendary pioneer and the early struggle against the Indians as he tried to settle the West. Drawing from records and documentation from Boone's own hand, this is an accurate reflection of young America during times that helped shape our country. 12. Richard Barksdale Harwell and Douglas Southall Freeman. Washington. Collier Books, 1995. An abridgment by Richard Harwell of Freeman’s seven-volume biography of the “Father of our Country” helps to place Washington in a historical context. 13. John Sugden. Tecumseh: A Life. Henry Holt & Company, Inc., 1999. Tecumseh, a Shawnee, endeavored to organize the Native American Confederacy to halt the westward expansion of the American settlers. 14. Stephen Ambrose. Undaunted Courage. Touchstone Books, 1997. Ambrose’s biography of Lewis and Clark is based on their journals, regarding their travels up the Missouri River from St. Louis all the way to the Pacific. Ambrose discusses the military leadership of the explorers as they dealt with Indians and reported to Jefferson. 15. Vincent Cronin. Napoleon Bonaparte: An Intimate Biography. Vergara Editor S.A., 1991. Cronin gives an accurate portrayal of the famous French general and emperor with full explanation of his various battlefield triumphs including his defeat at Waterloo. 16. Napoleon Bonaparte. The Military Maxims of Napoleon: The Principles of Warfare by Napoleon. Trans. by George C. D’Aguilar. Greenhill Books/Lionel Leventhal, 2002. This is a distillation of the knowledge, intuition, and wisdom of history's greatest military commander. Napoleon's success was built upon practical experience combined with his own study of classical warfare and his natural grasp of the key principles of war. His thoughts, theories, and commentaries on the subject are presented in the form of accessible and readable maxims, and these, with explanatory comments, reveal the fundamentals of Napoleon's art of waging war. 17. Christopher Hibbert. Nelson: A Personal History. Perseus Publishing, 1996. Hibbert gives an excellent account of England's best maritime leader. It follows Nelson’s story from his joining the navy at age 12 through his decisive victory over the French and Spanish at Trafalgar in 1805, which resulted in his death. 18. John Keegan. The Price of Admiralty: The Evolution of Naval Warfare. Penguin USA, 1990. Keegan illuminates the history of naval combat by expertly dissecting four landmark sea battles, each featuring a different type of warship: The Battle of Trafalgar, the Battle of Jutland in World War I, the Battle of Midway in World War II, and the long and arduous Battle of the Atlantic. 19. Donald R. Morris. The Washing of the Spears: The Rise and Fall of the Zulu Nation. DaCapo Press, 1998. Morris provides a sixty year history of Africa’s Zulu empire including descriptions of the battles of Isandhlwana and Rorke’s Drift. 20. Douglas Southall Freeman. Lee. Touchstone Books, 1997. Freeman's provides an excellent biography of Confederate war general Robert E. Lee. It captures Lee's military genius and why so many Southerners enthusiastically fought and died under his banner. 21. Ulysses S. Grant. Personal Memoirs: Ulysses S. Grant. Modern Library, 1999. Grant’s memoirs is one of the finest military biographies ever written. It follows Grant’s boyhood through his leadership in the Civil War. This fine work was written as Grant was dying from lung cancer. 22. Richard S. Brownlee. Gray Ghosts of the Confederacy: Guerrilla Warfare in the West, 1861-1865. Louisiana Paperback Ed. 1984. Brownlee’s book, incorrectly named, is an excellent discussion of guerrilla warfare along the Missouri and Kansas border from the years 1861-1865. It includes discussion of Missouri’s guerrilla’s Quantrill and Anderson. 23. James M. McPherson. Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era. Ballantine Books 1989. McPherson provides a one volume full discussion of the Civil War. This book earned McPherson the Pulitzer Prize. He highlights the military aspects of the war and also describes economic, political, and social forces behind the conflict. 24. Evan S. Connell. Son of the Morning Star. North Point Press, 1997. Connell gives a thorough account of George Armstrong Custer's military career and the events that lead up to the Battle of Little Bighorn. 25. Elbert Hubbard. A Message to Garcia. Peter Pauper Press, 1983. This is the famous essay involving the carrying of a message from President McKinley to an insurgent leader in Cuba named Garcia. This is a story of Lieutenant Colonel Rowan, who without question, accepted the mission and fulfilled it. 26. John Eisenhower. Yanks: The Epic Story of the American Army in World War I. Touchstone Books, 2002. This is an excellent discussion of how Gen. John Pershing created a war-winning army in less than 18 months. The book focuses on World War I senior officers Douglas MacArthur, George Patton, and George C. Marshall. 27. Frank Everson, Vandiver. Black Jack: The Life and Times of John J. Pershing. (Two Volumes). Texas A&M University Press, 1977. This is a two-volume work on the military leadership of General John J. Pershing. General Pershing is portrayed as a simple, direct, honest, energetic, efficient, and dedicated man and soldier who rose to the rank of General of the Armies. Vandiver traces Pershing from his youth, his cadet days at West Point through his leadership in World War I. 28. Roy Jenkins. Churchill: A Biography. Plume, 2002. This is one of the best biographies of Churchill, Britain’s most famous member of Parliament in the last century. It traces his life from his unhappy boyhood through his two term service as Prime Minister. 29. Allan R. Millet and Williamson Murray. A War to be Won. Harvard University Press, 2000. This one-volume study of World War II was written by two distinguished military historians. Murray and Millett unapologetically consider the war just and necessary. 30. Douglas MacArthur. Reminiscences. United States Naval Institute, 2001. MacArthur wrote this book in his own hand and finished it only weeks before his death. This revered and admired general was a remarkable leader of many successful military campaigns. 31. William L. Shirer. Rise and Fall of the Third Reich. Touchstone Books, 1990. Shirer’s book published in 1960, is portrayed as the definitive record of Adolph Hitler and how Hitler nearly succeeded in taking over the world. 32. John Prados. Combined Fleet Decoded: The Secret History of American Intelligence and the Japanese Navy in World War II. Random House, 1995. Prados gives an excellent picture of World War II’s Pacific battles and the role of intelligence in defeating Japan. 34. Hampton Sides. Ghost Soldiers: The Forgotten Epic Story of World War II’s Most Dramatic Mission. Doubleday, 2001. Sides describes the rescue of American and British POW’s after three years in a Japanese prison camp near the city of Cabanatuan. The prisoners included the last survivors of the Bataan Death March. 35. Richard Frank. Guadalcanal: The Definitive Account of the Landmark Battle. Penguin USA, 1992. This is an excellent history of the battle at Guadalcanal as well as the Navy battles that surrounded the island. It draws on first-time translations of Japanese first-hand accounts and declassified U.S. radio intelligence. 36. Stephen Ambrose. The Victors: Eisenhower and His Boys: The Men of World War II. Touchstone Books, 1999. The Victors is a compilation of Stephen E. Ambrose's best works, drawing heavily from his biography of General Dwight D. Eisenhower. 37. Lynn M. Homan and Thomas Reilly. Black Knights: The Story of the Tuskegee Airmen. Pelican Publishing Company. Gretna, 2001. Between 1941 and 1948, African American airmen trained at a segregated facility in Tuskegee, Alabama. The Tuskegee airmen secured a significant place in American and African American history for bravery in service on and off the battlefield. 38. Frank Freidel. Franklin D. Roosevelt: A Rendezvous with Destiny. Little Brown & Company, 1991. Freidel details Roosevelt's life before and during his presidency. It focuses on Roosevelt’s service during the Depression and wartime periods. 38. Maj. Gen. Jeanne Holm, USAF, Retired. Women in the Military: An Unfinished Revolution. Presidio, Revised 1993. Updated through Desert Storm, this revision of Holm's comprehensive history of women in the U.S. armed forces exemplifies excellent scholarship. Holm, a retired major general and former director of the WAF, marshals an impressive body of evidence to support her contention that the increasing number of women in uniform since the 1960s has diminished neither the American military's operational readiness nor its combat effectiveness. 39. William Slim. Defeat Into Victory. Cooper Square Press, 2000. An account by Field-Marshall Viscount William Slim who led shattered British forces from Burma to India. 40. David McCullough. Truman. Touchstone Books, 1993. McCullough offers a detailed account of the life of Harry Truman, defining his character and describing his life as a farmer, haberdasher, local official, Senator, Vice President and President. 41. T.R. Fehrenbach. This Kind of War: The Classic Korean War History. Brasseys, Inc., 2000. This is the classic discussion of the Korean War, which began in June 1950. It brings to life the harrowing and bloody battles that were fought up and down the Korean Peninsula. 42. Robert Coram. Boyd: The Fighter Pilot Who Changed the Art of War. Little Brown & Company, 2002. John Boyd (1927-1997) was a brilliant military scholar and strategist. Boyd wrote the first manual on jet aerial combat, was primarily responsible for designing the F-15 and the F-16 jet fighters, was a leading voice in the post-Vietnam War military reform movement and shaped the smashingly successful U.S. military strategy in the Persian Gulf War. 43. Harold G. Moore and Joseph L. Galloway. We Were Soldiers Once...and Young. New York: Random House, 1992. This is a description of the first major battle fought by U.S. troops in Vietnam. It highlights the story of Lieutenant Colonel Moore as he commanded the battalion that initiated the fighting. This work depicts Ia Drang through the eyes of junior officers and enlisted men of the 1st Cavalry Division and their North Vietnamese opponents. 44. Thomas G. Houlahan. Gulf War: The Complete History. Schrenker Military Publishing, 1999. This is a thorough history of the Gulf War covering all aspects of the conflict. 45. Robert D. Kaplan. Warrior Politics: Why Leadership Requires a Pagan Ethos. Vintage Books, 2003. Kaplan explores the wisdom of the ages for answers for today’s leaders. While the modern world may seem more complex and dangerous than ever before, Kaplan writes from a deeper historical perspective to reveal how little things actually change. 46. MG Robert H. Scales Jr. Yellow Smoke: The Future of Land Warfare for America’s Military (Role of American Military Power). Rowman & Littlefield, 2003. This is an excellent book discussing current doctrinal debates and the vision of future war. It argues the U.S. Army should instead prepare for more complex political settings as it continues to try to win wars with the minimum of fighting. 47. Russel Frank Weigley. The American Way of War: A History of United States Military Strategy and Policy. Indiana University Press, 1978. This is an excellent work on the development of American military strategy over the years. It discusses wars from the time of the early republic through post World War II. 48. Eliot Cohen. Supreme Command: Soldiers, Statesmen and Leadership in Wartime. Anchor Books, 2003. An excellent discussion about Abraham Lincoln, Georges Clemenceau, Winston Churchill and David Ben Gurion and what made them great wartime leaders. 49. John P. Murtha with John Plashal. From Vietnam to 9/11: On the Front Lines of National Security. Pennsylvania State University Press, 2003. Congressman John P. "Jack" Murtha is a Vietnam combat veteran who combines personal memoirs with an analysis that provides accounts of the United States military strategy from Vietnam to 9-11. 50. Thomas E. Ricks. Making the Corps. Touchstone Books, 1998. Making the Corps discusses Marine boot camp at Parris Island, South Carolina. Here, old values are stripped away and new, Marine Corps values are forged.
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