Required Reading

[paracowboy]

The Other Side of The Mountain: Mujahideen Tactics in the Soviet-Afghan War by Ali Ahmad Jalali & Lester W. Grau

for anyone who will ever concievably deploy to the land of the Hindu Kush. Find it, read it, memorize it.

That is all. Carry on as if you were normal.

 

[Bartok5]

"The Other Side Of The Mountain" is of course, best read in conjunction with its preceeding companion piece "The Bear Went Over The Mountain" by the same author.  A similarly excellent work concerning the Soviet experience in Afghanistan 1979-89.  Consider it a sobering and instructive primer on how not to do business in that particular country..... or any other nation for that matter.

While we're on the subject of "required reading" for soldiers, I would direct the attention of Army.ca members to yet another book which is directed reading for 3 PPCLI leadership at the Sect Comd level and above.  I refer of course, to U.S. LCol (Ret'd) Dave Grossman's seminal work "On Combat".  Consider this the essential soldier's self-help book for understanding the psychological and physiological effects of close combat and how one can mitigate resultant negative impacts through prior preparation.  Grossman's previous work "On Killing" is also worthwhile, but somewhat more general in nature.   

As an aside, if you ever have an opportunity to hear LCol Grossman speak, make the effort to attend.  I've had the priviledge twice, and both presentations were simply outstanding.   

Edited to add that Lester Grau is currently working on a new book regarding Op ANACONDA / HARPOON, Afghanistan 2002.  He was less than satisfied with "Not A Good Day To Die", and is therefore determined to tell the full story.  I spent five hours being interviewed by Lester in Calgary back in January, along with several other members of the 3 PPCLI Op APOLLO Battlegroup.  Lester's list of personnel interviewed thus far was very impressive.  He has gained full access to all of the major and many of the minor players to obtain first-hand accounts of events in March 02.  It should be an interesting read when it comes out, with plenty of detail concerning Canadian involvement in the operation.  If all goes according to plan, the book will be accompanied by an interactive DVD with never before seen video, still imagery (many personal photos), maps, etc. 

 

[Cloud Cover]

Edited to add that Lester Grau is currently working on a new book regarding Op ANACONDA / HARPOON, Afghanistan 2002.  He was less than satisfied with "Not A Good Day To Die", and is therefore determined to tell the full story.  I spent five hours being interviewed by Lester in Calgary back in January, along with several other members of the 3 PPCLI Op APOLLO Battlegroup.  Lester's list of personnel interviewed thus far was very impressive.  He has gained full access to all of the major and many of the minor players to obtain first-hand accounts of events in March 02.  It should be an interesting read when it comes out, with plenty of detail concerning Canadian involvement in the operation.  If all goes according to plan, the book will be accompanied by an interactive DVD with never before seen video, still imagery (many personal photos), maps, etc.   

Sounds great Mark, thanks for that.

 

[Pte_Martin]

Edited to add that Lester Grau is currently working on a new book regarding Op ANACONDA / HARPOON, Afghanistan 2002.  He was less than satisfied with "Not A Good Day To Die", and is therefore determined to tell the full story.  I spent five hours being interviewed by Lester in Calgary back in January, along with several other members of the 3 PPCLI Op APOLLO Battlegroup.  Lester's list of personnel interviewed thus far was very impressive.  He has gained full access to all of the major and many of the minor players to obtain first-hand accounts of events in March 02.  It should be an interesting read when it comes out, with plenty of detail concerning Canadian involvement in the operation.  If all goes according to plan, the book will be accompanied by an interactive DVD with never before seen video, still imagery (many personal photos), maps, etc.   

Do you know when this book is due out?

 

[paracowboy]

"The Other Side Of The Mountain" is of course, best read in conjunction with its preceeding companion piece "The Bear Went Over The Mountain" by the same author.  A similarly excellent work concerning the Soviet experience in Afghanistan 1979-89.  Consider it a sobering and instructive primer on how not to do business in that particular country..... or any other nation for that matter.

what he said. But with some cusses, and some spittin'.

While we're on the subject of "required reading" for soldiers, I would direct the attention of Army.ca members to yet another book which is directed reading for 3 PPCLI leadership at the Sect Comd level and above.  I refer of course, to U.S. LCol (Ret'd) Dave Grossman's seminal work "On Combat".  Consider this the essential soldier's self-help book for understanding the psychological and physiological effects of close combat and how one can mitigate resultant negative impacts through prior preparation.  Grossman's previous work "On Killing" is also worthwhile, but somewhat more general in nature. 

I beat ya to that by months! Ha!
Seriously, however, I recommend this book not only for soldiers, but for Police Officers, and those who care about either group.

that Lester Grau is currently working on a new book regarding Op ANACONDA / HARPOON, Afghanistan 2002.  He was less than satisfied with "Not A Good Day To Die", and is therefore determined to tell the full story.

  good. I'[m sure you remember my reactions on a different site to that particular piece of drivel. 

 

[Infanteer]

Edited to add that Lester Grau is currently working on a new book regarding Op ANACONDA / HARPOON, Afghanistan 2002.  He was less than satisfied with "Not A Good Day To Die", and is therefore determined to tell the full story.  I spent five hours being interviewed by Lester in Calgary back in January, along with several other members of the 3 PPCLI Op APOLLO Battlegroup.  Lester's list of personnel interviewed thus far was very impressive.  He has gained full access to all of the major and many of the minor players to obtain first-hand accounts of events in March 02.  It should be an interesting read when it comes out, with plenty of detail concerning Canadian involvement in the operation.  If all goes according to plan, the book will be accompanied by an interactive DVD with never before seen video, still imagery (many personal photos), maps, etc.

good. I'[m sure you remember my reactions on a different site to that particular piece of drivel.

I'll add to the relief - I just wasted my time on that book and wasn't at all impressed; basically journalism distilled into a book.  I was disappointed with Canada's appearance in all of 2 sentences (along with the word "belatedly").  He seemed to have run with the opinions of a few officers and left the others to flutter in the breeze.

PS:  This is a trilogy by Grau - the third book is titled The Soviet-Afghan War: How a Superpower Fought and Lost.

 

[paracowboy]

Infy!

 

[Bartok5]

Do you know when this book is due out?

Lester couldn't give a firm publishing date, as the book and companion DVD are still in the early stages.  Interviews are still ongoing, although nearing completion.  After that, Lester will have to transcribe and cross-reference literally hundreds of hours of interviews in order to build the basis of the book's narrative.  Then there are the thousands of photos and hours of video to sort through.  I was given the distinct impression that this will be Mr Grau's most ambitious literary work to date.  Having read two of his three previous works, that bodes very well in terms of positive expectations for an exhaustively detailed account of Op ANACONDA / HARPOON. 

My best guess is that we won't see Lester's latest work for at least another year.  The good news is that he is a established author with an outstanding reputation in the U.S. military history community.  Lester's name preceeds him within U.S. military circles and he enjoys  tremendous official and unofficial support for his work.  There is zero doubt that the book will be completed and published as intended.  Lester Grau's reputation is such that he does not have to "shop" his manuscripts around to publishers......

I am on Lester's list of persons interviewed, and have been assured advance notice of the release date with a signed copy to follow.  I am in contact with Lester (I loaned him a bunch of personal reference material), and will post again in the future when I receive further word regarding the book's progress.  It should be a very good read.

 

[Pte_Martin]

Thanks! Make sure you keep us informed when you get more info.

 

[theoldyoungguy]

books that every canadian soldier i think has to read,

On Killing
On Combat
Ghosts of Medak Pocket(recommended to me by a soldier who fought in medak)


ive just made an order to for

amongst the marines
the last true story ill ever tell
starship troopers
jarhead

anyone got anything bad to say about any of thsoe 4?

 

[Timmy!]

Ghosts of Medak Pocket is a good read. Carol Off wrote the book very well. I could'nt put the book down.

What Paracowboy says on The Other Side of The Mountain sounds to be intresting read. It's on my wish list now.

 

[matty101]

well i just picked up "not a good day to die" and thought maybe i'd check here to see if anyone had read it....i wish i had done that the other way around now.  if i could ask, what was the problems with the book? is it accurate at least?

thanks matt

 

[StevenPeece]

books that every canadian soldier i think has to read,

On Killing
On Combat
Ghosts of Medak Pocket(recommended to me by a soldier who fought in medak)


ive just made an order to for

amongst the marines
the last true story ill ever tell
starship troopers
jarhead

anyone got anything bad to say about any of thsoe 4?

LoyalEddie:  I am the author of Amongst The Marines.  If you have any questions after you have read it please ask.  Also:  The sequal is called "Always A Marine" which concludes my story.

Best Regards


Steve

 

[HItorMiss]

"The Bear went over the Mountain" should go hand in hand with "The other side of the Mountain", Read both!!!!!

"The Bear went over the Mountain" shows you step by step how not to fight these people,, in fact some of the mistakes being made back then are being made now, no not all just some and they are being rectified as they become apparent to be not working. Please read both it makes for a great study and lets you into the mind of the people who may someday want you dead.

 

[3rd Herd]

Found this site it is the full text of The Bear Went Over The Mountain in PDF format for those who do not have access to a book store

http://www.ndu.edu/inss/books/Books%20-%201996/Bear%20Went%20Over%20Mountain%20-%20Aug%2096/BrOrMn.pdf

Also he has several very good articles availible on line such as Ground Combat at High Altitude
by Lieutenant Colonel Lester W. Grau, U.S. Army, Retired, and  Lieutenant Colonel Hernán Vázquez, Argentine Army
http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/archive/index.php/t-18024.html

Cheers

 

[meni0n]

Ghost Wars by Steven Coll

Great book

 

[probum non poenitet]

Above All, Courage by Max Arthur, first published in the 1980s.

Broken up into several short interviews with British personnel in the Falklands War - Navy, Marines, Army, Air Force, etc.
Lots of different trades: chaplains, medics, pilots, sailors, infantry, even some civilians, if I recall? Ranks range from squaddies up to admiral, providing a lot of persepective - very, very good stuff.

It's not Falklands specific knowledge, it's not so much about tactics and strategies, more focued on the personal elements of what happens during a campaign.
Read it 20 years ago, and some quotes stay with me to this day.

I remember the Brit chaplain being asked how he could tell who would fight bravely in combat, and who wouldn't. He said there was no way to tell for sure, but as a general rule, (paraphrase) "Those who thought of and acted on behalf of others in peacetime, did so in combat. Those who thought firstly of themselves in peacetime, also did so in combat."
Best sum up of leadership I've ever read.

Also the responsibilities of commanding a task force, small unit actions, recovering from wounds, getting off a burning ship, running a hospital during a mass cas, calling in artillery danger close, reintegration and 'decompression', homecoming and readjustment, the capture of Stanley, on and on.
GOOD read throughout.

 

[paracowboy]

folks, the thread was started about Required Reading. Not interesting reads. Required Reading. The books brought up by myself and Mark C are books that ARE read by NCOs and Officers in 3 PPCLI, on the directive of the CO.

Let's try to keep that on track, shall we? Books in this thread should be ones that have been "suggested" by military leadership, not some guy you know, or Oprah. Cool?