Sublist Links directly to Amazon Store listing specifically the recommended books! Great Christmas/Birthday/Graduation Gifts for Your Soldier or your professional development.
Sublist 1 - For Cadets, Soldiers, and Junior NCOs
The Constitution of the United States / Available at http://www.house.gov/Constitution/Constitution.html
Centuries of Service: The U.S. Army 1775–2004 / David W. Hogan, Jr.
(CMH Pub. 70–71–1)
An easy-to-read and informative pamphlet that describes the many missions the U.S. Army has performed over the course of its history. The booklet covers America’s wars as well as the Army’s many operations other than war, including occupation, peacekeeping, nation building, exploration, civil administration, scientific research, and disaster relief. This pamphlet is a valuable introduction to American military history for the Soldier and junior leader.
The Face of Battle / John Keegan
One of the classics of modern military history, The Face of Battle brings to life three major battles: Agincourt (1415), Waterloo (1815), and the First Battle of the Somme (1916). The author describes the sights, sounds, and smells of battle, providing a compelling look at what it means to be a Soldier.
For the Common Defense: A Military History of the United States of America / Allan R. Millett and Peter Maslowski
This useful, single-volume study covers the American military experience in peace and war from 1607 to 1975. Millett and Maslowski carefully examine the relationship of the military to American society and discuss in detail the military and its changing roles within political, social, and economic frameworks.
Band of Brothers: E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest / Stephen E. Ambrose
This excellent account of an airborne rifle company at war is based on journals, letters, and interviews with the participants. The author follows one company from rigorous selection and training through battles in Normandy, Holland, Bastogne, and occupation duty in Germany. A classic small-unit study.
We Were Soldiers Once … and Young: Ia Drang—The Battle That Changed the War in Vietnam / LTG (Ret.) Harold G. Moore and Joseph L. Galloway
A gripping, firsthand account of the November 1965 Battle of the Ia Drang by the commander of 1/7 Cavalry. The Ia Drang was the first major combat test of the airmobile concept and the first battle between U.S. forces and the North Vietnamese Army.
If You Survive: From Normandy to the Battle of the Bulge to the End of World War II, One American Officer’s Riveting True Story / George Wilson
George Wilson was a young rifle platoon leader and then an infantry company commander during the costly fighting from Normandy to the German frontier in 1944. He tells his personal story of combat as an ordinary officer during extraordinary times, doing what was required to accomplish the mission and keep his men alive. An inspirational account useful to all junior leaders.
Touched with Fire: The Land War in the South Pacific / Eric M.Bergerud
The land battles of the South Pacific fought between July 1942 and early 1944 on the Solomon Islands and on New Guinea were “a ferocious slugging match between light-infantry armies at extremely close quarters.” Written in a clear and engaging style and drawing upon many insightful interviews with veterans, Touched with Fire offers a vivid and fascinating look at small-unit combat in the South Pacific that will be of great interest to cadets, enlisted men, and junior officers.
Closing with the Enemy: How GIs Fought the War in Europe, 1944–1945 / Michael D. Doubler
During World War II, the U.S. Army had to overcome many tactical problems, from the thick hedgerows of Normandy to the streets of German cities. Some of these challenges had been anticipated, others had not, but all required the American fighting man to adapt in order to survive.
In this book, Michael Doubler explains how and why the U.S. Army was generally successful in overcoming these many challenges. Soldiers and junior leaders will benefit from his incisive study of the battlefield resourcefulness, flexibility, and determination of the American Soldier.
Patton: A Genius for War / Carlo D’Este
Perhaps the most renowned and controversial American general of the twentieth century, George Patton (1885–1945) remains a subject of intense interest. The author provides new information from family archives and other sources to help us understand why the general is regarded as one of the great modern military leaders. Essential reading for all students of command in war.
In the Company of Heroes / Michael J. Durant
Black Hawk pilot Mike Durant was shot down and taken prisoner during military operations in the failed country of Somalia in 1993. Published in the tenth anniversary year of that conflict, this riveting personal account at last tells the world about Durant’s harrowing captivity and the heroic deeds of his comrades.
Sublist 2 - For Company-Grade Officers, WO1-CW3, and Company Cadre NCOs
America’s First Battles: 1776–1965 / Edited by Charles E. Heller and William A. Stofft Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant / Ulysses S. Grant The Philippine War, 1899–1902 / Brian McAllister Linn The War To End All Wars: The American Military Experience in World War I / Edward M.Coffman An Army at Dawn: The War in Africa, 1942–1943, Volume One of the Liberation Trilogy / Rick Atkinson Company Commander / Charles B. MacDonald East of Chosin: Entrapment and Breakout in Korea, 1950 / Roy E. Appleman Leadership: The Warrior’s Art / Christopher Kolenda American Soldiers: Ground Combat in the World Wars, Korea, and Vietnam / Peter S. Kindsvatter The Challenge of Command: Reading for Military Excellence, Art of Command Series / Roger Nye The New Face of War: How War Will Be Fought in the 21st Century / Bruce Berkowitz
This highly useful book is a collection of essays by eleven prominent American military historians assessing the first battles of nine wars in which the U.S. Army has fought. Each essay is written within a similar framework, examining how the U.S. Army prepares during peacetime, mobilizes for war, fights its first battle, and subsequently adapts to the exigencies of the conflict. America’s First Battles shows clearly the price of unpreparedness.
A classic and honest study by one of America’s greatest generals. This memoir is one of the finest autobiographies of a military commander ever written. It has valuable insights into leadership and command that apply at all levels.
Professor Linn provides a definitive treatment of military operations in the Philippines from the early pitched battles to the final campaigns against the guerrillas. He offers a more thorough understanding of the entire war than did earlier works. Essential reading for all junior officers and NCOs trying to understand the complexities inherent in counterinsurgency operations.
Professor Coffman has written an excellent synthesis of the totality of the American military experience in World War I. The book’s principal attraction is Coffman’s use of unpublished diaries, memoirs, and personal interviews to focus on the impact of the conflict on the individual American doughboy as well as on America’s military leaders. The lessons from the “Great War” are still applicable today for all the Army’s junior and senior leaders.
In this first volume of Rick Atkinson’s highly anticipated Liberation Trilogy, he shows why no modern reader can understand the ultimate victory of the Allied powers in May 1945 without a solid understanding of the events that took place in North Africa during 1942 and 1943. Atkinson convincingly demonstrates that the first year of the Allied war effort was a pivotal point in American history, the moment when the United States began to act like a great military power.
This is an autobiographical account of a young officer’s experiences as an American rifle company commander in France during the Second World War. Fresh from the States, MacDonald led Normandy veterans through the Battle of the Bulge and the invasion of Germany. This absorbing story about the development of leadership in combat is worthwhile reading for all company-grade officers and NCOs who are entrusted with the lives of American Soldiers.
East of Chosin tells the harrowing story of the Army’s 31st Regimental Combat Team of the 7th Division under attack by waves of Chinese just east of the Chosin Reservoir in late 1950. Appleman explains why this unit suffered so badly at the hands of the Chinese and then historians, and he convincingly argues that the sacrifices of the 31st RCT contributed heavily to saving the more famous 1st Marine Division. As a story of men in combat, small-unit actions, and leadership, it has few
equals and should be read by all Army leaders.
This wide-ranging anthology brings together noted military minds as they examine the crucial role of leadership in the crucible of combat and relate the lessons learned. They also attempt to apply these principles to the stressful world of business. The book covers both classic and modern concepts of leadership that will serve as an excellent introduction to the study of leadership for junior officers and NCOs.
Kindsvatter, a former soldier himself, uses the letters, memoirs, and novels written by other soldiers, along with official reports and studies, to detail the experience of soldiers from entry into military service through ground combat and its aftermath. Thoughtful discussions of leadership, the physical and emotional stresses of the battlefield, and the various ways soldiers try to cope with these stresses make this a valuable book for all those preparing to lead American soldiers in ground combat.
An insightful combat-arms officer, Colonel Nye has produced a one-of-a-kind tool for the professional officer who intends to master his profession. A handbook for mentors as well as junior officers, this work guides the reader through the major aspects of command: developing a professional vision and being a tactician, warrior, moral arbiter, strategist, and mentor. Each topic includes a thought-provoking essay based on interviews and personal reflection, as well as a sizable bibliography.
Bruce Berkowitz offers a framework for understanding the new face of combat. As Western forces wage war against terrorists and their supporters, The New Face of War explains how we fight and what threats we face. He clearly lays out the four key dynamics to the new warfare: asymmetric
threats, information-technology competition, the race of decision cycles, and network organization. The New Face of War is an important book for all new leaders.
Sublist 3 - For Field-Grade Officers, CW4-CW5, and Senior NCOs
National Security Strategy of the United States of America / Available at http://www.whitehouse.gov/nsc/nss/2006/nss2006.pdf National Strategy for Combating Terrorism / Available at Inside al Qaeda: Global Network of Terror / Rohan Gunaratna Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era / James McPherson Supplying War: Logistics from Wallenstein to Patton / Martin Van Creveld George C. Marshall: Soldier-Statesman of the American Century / Mark A. Stoler The General’s War: The Inside Story of the Conflict in the Gulf / Michael R. Gordon and Bernard E. Trainor On Becoming a Leader / Warren Bennis The Art of War / Sun Tzu, Translated by Samuel Griffith On War / Carl von Clausewitz, Edited and Translated by Michael Howard and Peter Paret Masters of War: Classical Strategic Thought, 3rd Edition / Michael I. Handel The Soldier and the State: The Theory and Politics of Civil-Military Relations / Samuel Huntington The Future of the Army Profession / Don Snider and Gayle Watkins, Project Directors
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/02/counter_terrorism/counter_terrorism_strategy.pdf
Based on over five years of research, Inside al Qaeda provides the definitive story behind the rise of this small, mysterious group to the notorious organization making headlines today. An essential read for senior officers and NCOs in this Global War on Terrorism.
Professor McPherson has written a brilliant account of the American Civil War—the war that made the country what it is today. He discusses the causes of the war, the military operations, the soldiers, the leaders, and the political, economic, and social aspects of life in the Union and the Confederacy before and during the war in clear, incisive detail. Numerous historians have pronounced it the best one-volume book on the Civil War ever written. It is an essential book for senior officers and NCOs to understand this important conflict.
Surveying four centuries of military history, noted historian Martin Van Creveld points out clearly the reasons why “amateurs study tactics; professionals study logistics.” Most battlefield results would not have been possible without the careful organization and allocation of logistical resources. Field-grade officers, warrant officers, and senior NCOs who fail to consider logistics in all their plans and operations will do so at their peril.
General George C. Marshall played a pivotal role in American history between 1939 and 1951. In this fascinating work, Mark Stoler integrates an extensive variety of primary and secondary sources, including Marshall’s private papers, in the story of the frustrations and successes of Marshall’s attempts to forge a workable military policy in World War II consistent with the basic principles of American democracy. Marshall, best remembered for the Marshall Plan, is made comprehensible as a strategist at the center of the most destructive conflict in world history.
Drawing on interviews with senior officials, Gordon and Trainor provide a behind-the-scenes look at the highest levels of military decision making that determined the outcome of the first Gulf War. An excellent primer for all senior leaders about the importance of personality in politics and war.
Management expert Warren Bennis shows how individuals develop leadership traits and how organizations encourage or stifle potential leaders. He profiles dynamic figures from diverse business arenas to demonstrate how all leaders share distinctive characteristics. This provocative examination will encourage all aspiring leaders to take risks, embrace change, and transform their visions into reality.
Written in China over two thousand years ago, Sun Tzu’s The Art of War provides the first known attempt to formulate a rational basis for the planning and conduct of military operations. These wise, aphoristic essays contain timeless principles acted upon by such twentieth-century Chinese generals as Mao Tse Tung.
This edition of On War, the third English version published, is easily the best. In this indexed edition, Howard and Paret have taken care to provide an accurate translation from the original 1832 version. On War represents one of the greatest works on military thought and strategy ever written and contains ideas and concepts that apply at either the operational or the national level. Clausewitz remains essential reading for all senior leaders.
Masters of War is a comparative analysis of the classical works on war and strategic thought by Clausewitz, Sun Tzu, Jomini, and Machiavelli. The book illuminates the many similarities between the works of these authors and highlights the continuity in the logic of war through the ages. As such, it is a valuable compendium of military thought that all senior officers and NCOs should read.
Blending the disciplines of history, sociology, and political science, Huntington’s study is required reading for the Army officer. The author develops a theoretical framework with which to analyze civil- military relations. Particularly noteworthy in this study is the preliminary discussion, “Officership as a Profession.” The arguments that Huntington has set forth in this section have colored the American military’s self-perception for an entire generation.
Who are the future members of the Army profession, and how is their competence to be certified to their client, the American people? This is a contemporary analysis of the Army profession, its knowledge and expertise, with conclusions and policy recommendations. This book is important reading for all senior officers and NCOs who care about their Army
Sublist 4 - For Senior Leaders above Brigade Level
Thinking in Time / Richard E. Neustadt and Ernest May
History is an invaluable tool for decision makers; but if used without careful consideration, it can blind the unwary with false analogies. This classic book offers senior leaders invaluable suggestions on how to use and avoid misusing the valuable experience that history can provide.
The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order / Samuel Huntington
A prescient and controversial analysis of post–Cold War world challenges that sees the poverty and religious extremism of the Third World as the next great threat to world order. In this incisive work, the renowned political scientist explains how “civilizations” have replaced nations and ideologies as the driving force in global politics today. While not all will agree with the author’s main thesis, one cannot afford to ignore this important and persuasive book.
The Lexus and the Olive Tree: Understanding Globalization / Thomas Friedman
Thomas Friedman, the well-traveled New York Times foreign-affairs columnist, peppers The Lexus and the Olive Tree with engaging stories that illustrate his central theme: that globalization, the Lexus, is the central organizing principle of the post–Cold War world, even though many individuals and nations resist by holding on to what has traditionally mattered to them—the olive tree. An important primer on the modern world for all leaders.
War in European History / Michael Howard
In this slim but important volume, one of England’s most distinguished historians brilliantly summarizes the evolution of warfare in Europe from the Roman Empire to the nuclear age. For the American senior leader, Howard’s book offers an excellent and thought-provoking introduction to the broader history of the profession of arms and the role that war has played in the evolution of Western civilization.
Makers of Modern Strategy: From Machiavelli to the Nuclear Age / Edited by Peter Paret
A wonderful anthology on the evolution of strategic thought. Moving from Machiavelli to the present in twenty-eight insightful essays, the authors examine such topics as the role of doctrine, the genius of Napoleon, the limits of air power, and nuclear strategy. A primer for all senior leaders who must think strategically on a variety of issues.
The Making of Strategy: Rulers, States, and War / Edited by Williamson Murray, MacGregor Knox, and Alvin Berstein
Some of the most respected scholars in the field of strategic studies examine the formulation of strategy in all its complexity. Senior leaders will find useful insight into the cultural, social, political, and organizational dimensions of strategic decisions as explored in specific cases ranging from the Peloponnesian Wars of the fifth century BCE to the formulation of twentieth-century U.S. nuclear policy. The seventeen cases display continuities in the principles of strategic thinking and break this 700-page volume into conveniently sized individual readings.
The Peloponnesian War / Donald Kagan
Senior leaders will want to read this valuable account of coalition warfare on land and sea in Ancient Greece. This book focuses on the strategic planning of Athens and Sparta, their shifting alliances, and the impact that individual leadership and civil-military relations had on the implementation of those plans. The lessons of this great war between two powerful city-states in the ancient world are still valid after twenty-four centuries: economic strength does not guarantee victory, nor does military might ensure the ability to make peace.
Dereliction of Duty: Lyndon Johnson, Robert McNamara, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Lies That Led to Vietnam / H. R. McMaster
In this important book, the author argues persuasively that President Johnson wanted to fight the war on poverty, not the war in Vietnam, and that he made decisions he believed would allow him to do both. This was a recipe for disaster, which the Joint Chiefs of Staff exacerbated by failing to provide the president with their best advice. Dereliction of Duty is a cautionary tale about how the military and its civilian leadership failed at the highest levels.
Victory on the Potomac / James R. Locher III
Victory on the Potomac is a fascinating story of how Congress forced the Pentagon to undergo major reform in the mid-1980s. Locher, who was a major participant in the process, tells the inside story of the Goldwater-Nichols reforms of 1986 that set the stage for increased jointness in the services. This is an excellent primer on the creation of public policy and the interface between the Pentagon and Congress.
The Dynamics of Military Revolution, 1300–2050 / Edited by MacGregor Knox and Williamson Murray
The editors provide a conceptual framework and historical context for understanding the patterns of change, innovation, and adaptation that have marked war in the Western world since the fourteenth century. Case studies and a conceptual overview offer to all senior leaders an indispensable introduction to military change.
The Challenge of Change: Military Institutions and New Realities, 1918–1941 / Edited by Harold R. Winton and David R. Mets
The Challenge of Change examines how military institutions attempted to meet the demands of the new strategic, political, and technological realities of the turbulent era between the First and Second World Wars. The contributors chose France, Germany, Great Britain, the Soviet Union, and the United States as focus countries because their military institutions endeavored to develop both the material capacity and the conceptual framework for the conduct of modern industrialized warfare on a continental scale.
Transformation under Fire: Revolutionizing How America Fights / Douglas A. Macgregor
Building on the success of his first work, Breaking the Phalanx, the author lays out a blueprint for revolutionary change in how America’s Army is organized and fights. Macgregor argues that America needs a radically different military force to fight the global joint expeditionary warfare required by the Global War on Terrorism. This book is an interesting, if controversial, prescription that has many followers in today’s Army. Transformation under Fire is important reading for senior Army leaders, providing a starting point for any discussion on transformation
Source: U.S. Army Chief of Staff's Professional Reading List
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