Favourite Military Books

[from darkness lite]

What are your favourite military related books.  Non-fiction I love books about LRRPs in Vietnam and Canadian WWII history.  Fiction:  My alltime favourite book is called "When the Buffalo Fight" A book about an Aussie Infantry Bn in Vietnam.  Author was Lex McAulay, ISBN 0-533-26448-6

 

[Limpy]

Favorite military book? Hmmmmm. Let me see..... STAND BY YOUR BEDS and I highly reccomend this one. It's about the Vernon Army Cadet Camp as seen through the eyes of a Douglas Brice back in the early 1950's. When I read the book I couldn't believe the differences now to the Cadets back then. Back then Cadets had Reg Force instructors and staff. At the  time the story takes place some of the staff had just came back from Korea. Back then Cadets fired evering from Lee Enfields to Sten Guns to Bren Guns. You don't see that today. Back then they also took weapons on field exercises! Which to me is remarkable considering that Cadets back then I believe were also still civilians.

 

[Korus]

I'd have to say that "And No Birds Sang" by Farley Mowat  is by far one of my favorites..

I'm reading through "Intelligence in War" by John Keegan right now.  It's an interesting book with several case studies from Nelson chasing Napoleon through the Med to the current war on terror. I'm not quite sure yet, but I think the author has a bias against the int world, though.

 

[LeeYang]

The US and a Rising China : Strategies and Military Implications (MR1082) by Zalmay Khalilzad

This book is a very good book. It talks about how the US will react to China as a future threat, and how China is preparing for new external threats, like the US. It shows the great capabilities of the China army, and shows the possible weakness of the US army.

 

[bossi]

After reading both Sun Tzu's "Art of War" and Von Clausewitz "On War", it's interesting to read studies of battles/campaigns which point to the usage of these seminal books.

For simple entertainment, there's W.E.B. Griffin's "Brotherhood of War", and "The Corps"
(on my summer vacation I usually read the newest book non-stop ... it's like "junk food"!)

Will have to find the title in my library, but another favourite is by Winston Churchill's grandson, and is based on letters from Winnie to his son - a glimpse into side history as it was being made.

So many books ... and so little time (when you've got a five-year-old son ... chuckle!!!)

 

[Lexi]

"Time Out For War" - About a British pilot who crash-lands in France and tries to find his way back to England with a buddy.
"A Real Good War" - Another story about a WWII bomber navigator who writes about his misadventures in the flak-ridden sky.
"Canadian War Stories" - A whole slew of  Canadian war stories, from WWI to Korea.
"Enemy At The Gates" - ... Don't we all know this one?

Those are some of my favouries...

 

[tabernac]

I'm reading through "Intelligence in War" by John Keegan right now.

That seems like an oxymoron to me ;D.
I just finished "War in Peace" by John Keegan(I think, I already returned the book to the library).

 

[ags281]

One I couldn't put down once I started reading was Shake Hands With the Devil. I went to a talk that LGen Dallaire gave in town not too long ago, and was kicking myself when he announced he would be in the lobby signing books afterwards (hadn't brought mine - "there's a few hundred people in the audience here, there's no way he'll sign books" DOH!   :crybaby

 

[casing]

I just finished This Man's Army by Andrew Exum.   This fellow served as a platoon commander with the 10th Mountain Division in Operation Anaconda.   He just released from the US Army a couple of months ago and this book is already out.   Anyway, has some interesting first-hand accounts of Anaconda.   Including several mentions of the PPCLI (and Canadian snipers, for you Ninja Sniper Wannabes) and an US Army officer's perceptions of them.

http://www.amazon.ca/exec/obidos/ASIN/1592400639/qid=1089493615/701-1964462-5133913   Note, in the Editorial Reviews on the Amazon page, Publishers Weekly says that he also served in Iraq after Afghanistan, but that is not accurate.   So don't expect any first-hand accounts of the goings on in Iraq.

 

[Bruce Monkhouse]

Casing,
According to one of our own who was there that book seems to be full of kife as far as Canadians go.
http://www.socnetcentral.com/vb/showthread.php?s=72b537cfe49dd28dbf22731d66bd52df&threadid=39191
Bruce

EDIT: scroll down to Bartock5's answer.

 

[Korus]

I picked up a pocket-sized edition of Sun Tzu's "Art Of War".. I carry it around with me in my breast pocket right whenever I'm in uniform now.. It gives me something to read whenever I'm in a "hurry up and wait" condition. It's also nice to occasionally pull it out and quote random passages to non-applicable situations  ;D

I've been meaning to pick up "Shake Hands With The Devil".. I've been hearing only good things about it...

 

[casing]

According to one of our own who was there that book seems to be full of kife as far as Canadians go.

Yes, well in fact I was extremely disatisfied with his view of the Canadians, as well as several other aspects.  I was actually so annoyed about the author that I returned the book to the bookstore--something almost unheard of for me to do as I have well over 5000 books and tend to keep every scrap I get my hands on.  I just thought he presented some interesting first-hand accounts of Anaconda--something I haven't read much about outside of main-stream media.

Also, thanks for the link as I was going to ask bring some of that stuff up on this forum.

 

[Hawaii Mike]

Read Boyd, The Savage Wars of Peace (Max Boot), The Great Game (Peter Hopkirk), anything by Byron Farnwell but especially Mr Kipling's Army and Queen Victoria's Little Wars .  Great historical background and insight on today's conflicts.  You'll say "AH-HA!"

 

[Freight_Train]

I have always liked the The 13th Valley by John M. Del Vecchio.  I have read it a few times now.

 

[Scott]

A Secret History of the IRA is very good although some here may argue that it is not "military"

Brotherhood of War by Griffin is great for laughs

Making the Corps by Thomas E Ricks is a great look at Marine boot camp including the mentality behind the methods the instructors use (My Dad was an instructor in Cornwallis during the late 70's and says that this book illustrates how close the Marines are today to the CF of the late 70's when it comes to training principles, agree or disagree, he seems to think they are very closely related.

CQB by Mike Curtis was a fantastic read for me about life in the British Paras, the Falklands and the SAS

For those whoa re fans of the Mounties, check out the "Scarlet Tunic" series by Bob Teather, excellent look at Depot and how the "Mountie Makers" do their jobs

Cheers

 

[commando_wolf63]

Through the laughter and tears      a book filled with humorus and not so humorus ancedotes from the Royal Canadian Air Force. During WWII.