

Military Professional Reading Lists - tcopeland
http://militaryprofessionalreadinglists.com/

======
hangonhn
A few more I would add ( not sure if they are "professional" enough but all
very insightful and similar to the existing ones on that list ).

1\. Boyd ( [http://www.amazon.com/Boyd-Fighter-Pilot-Who-Changed-
ebook/d...](http://www.amazon.com/Boyd-Fighter-Pilot-Who-Changed-
ebook/dp/B000FA5UEG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1413663919&sr=8-1&keywords=boyd) )
- Came up with the EM theory that gave the air force the analytical framework
to analyze dog fighting maneuvers and aircraft. Known for authoring the OODA
loop and leading the infamous Fighter Mafia that gave us the F-16 and F/A-18

2\. Warfight ( [http://www.amazon.com/Warfighting-M-Gray-
ebook/dp/B00DPTK4ZE...](http://www.amazon.com/Warfighting-M-Gray-
ebook/dp/B00DPTK4ZE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1413664039&sr=8-1&keywords=warfighting)
) Boyd' OODA ideas distilled into a book

3\. The American Way of War ( [http://www.amazon.com/The-American-Way-War-
University/dp/B00...](http://www.amazon.com/The-American-Way-War-
University/dp/B006Q2J5U2/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1413664077&sr=8-2&keywords=the+american+way+of+war)
)

4\. Engineers of Victory ( [http://www.amazon.com/Engineers-Victory-Problem-
Solvers-Turn...](http://www.amazon.com/Engineers-Victory-Problem-Solvers-
Turned-
ebook/dp/B004J4WNMG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1413664110&sr=8-1&keywords=engineers+of+victory)
) - a decent account of how middle level officers solve problems that allowed
strategies to be realized

5\. Makers of Modern Strategy ( [http://www.amazon.com/Makers-Modern-Strategy-
Machiavelli-Nuc...](http://www.amazon.com/Makers-Modern-Strategy-Machiavelli-
Nuclear/dp/0691027641/ref=pd_sim_b_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=0H50REC7PKWGTQWQ6HP3) )

6\. The German Army ( [http://www.amazon.com/German-Army-1933-1945-Matthew-
Cooper/d...](http://www.amazon.com/German-Army-1933-1945-Matthew-
Cooper/dp/0812885198/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1413664230&sr=8-1&keywords=the+german+army)
) - A great account of the rise and fall of the German army, including its
innovations caused by the constraints imposed on it and its fall

7\. Panzer Battles ( [http://www.amazon.com/Panzer-Battles-Major-General-von-
Melle...](http://www.amazon.com/Panzer-Battles-Major-General-von-
Mellenthin/dp/1862274592/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1413664290&sr=8-1&keywords=panzer+battles)
) - a great account how the various battles fought by the German army and
where they excelled and where their shortcomings are and vice versa for their
enemies.

8\. The Second World War( [http://www.amazon.com/Second-World-War-Antony-
Beevor-ebook/d...](http://www.amazon.com/Second-World-War-Antony-Beevor-
ebook/dp/B007ME5BUG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1413664362&sr=8-1&keywords=beevor+second+world+war)
) - Great "summary" of the Second World War, including the civilian dimension.

9\. Panzer Leader ( [http://www.amazon.com/Panzer-Leader-Heinz-
Guderian/dp/030681...](http://www.amazon.com/Panzer-Leader-Heinz-
Guderian/dp/0306811014/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1413664476&sr=8-3&keywords=panzer+attack)
) - a history of the development and deployment of the German panzer armies by
the father of tank warfare himself.

10\. Six Days of War ( [http://www.amazon.com/Days-June-Making-Modern-
Middle/dp/B004...](http://www.amazon.com/Days-June-Making-Modern-
Middle/dp/B0042NKD4Y/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1413664552&sr=8-3&keywords=six+days+of+war)
)

11\. The Yom Kippur War ( [http://www.amazon.com/Yom-Kippur-War-Encounter-
Transformed-e...](http://www.amazon.com/Yom-Kippur-War-Encounter-Transformed-
ebook/dp/B000XUBECU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1413664580&sr=8-1&keywords=the+yom+kippur+war)
) - an account of the Yom Kippur War and how the Israelis were blind to the
innovations of the Egyptian army that upended its defense strategy based on
tanks and aircraft and also how a near victory for the Egyptians allowed them
to negotiate a peace with Israel.

~~~
saryant
> 10\. Six Days of War ( [http://www.amazon.com/Days-June-Making-Modern-
> Middle/dp/B004...](http://www.amazon.com/Days-June-Making-Modern-
> Middle/dp/B004..). )

If you're going to read this, the same author (Michael Oren, former Israeli
ambassador to the US) wrote a book called _Power, Faith and Fantasy: America
in the Middle East 1776 to Present_. A fascinating look at America's
involvement in the region since the founding fathers.

The book falls short during the post-WWII period and the author fully
acknowledges that weakness but up to that point the book is fantastic.

~~~
hangonhn
Thanks for the recommendation. That book looks fantastic!

------
616c
What is scary to me is that Michael Scheuer[0] is not mentioned at all [1],
judging from my first obvious search for his groundbreaking Imperial Hubris.

Now, I know he does not count as military professional, but as a 20+ year
counter-terrorism and counter-intel officer who lays out clearly our policy is
fucking us and how we will inevitably lose the so-called GWoT.

He wrote it anonymously, at the time. So if you like Snowden, you will love
him. I would hope a reading list about the most important combat operation of
the 21st century for USG armed forces would read harsh criticism in an attempt
to win something so important.

[0]
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Scheuer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Scheuer)

[1]
[http://militaryprofessionalreadinglists.com/search?keywords=...](http://militaryprofessionalreadinglists.com/search?keywords=hubris)

~~~
uberuberuber
There are many great interviews by Scott Horton with Scheuer.
[http://scotthorton.org/tag/michael-
scheuer/](http://scotthorton.org/tag/michael-scheuer/)

~~~
616c
Cool. I will check those out.

I still want to underline, how can this OP website not mention anything with
him.

(Unforunately, he ended up working at Georgetown, and I could not stand him
after that, haha.)

~~~
tcopeland
The site only contains various military reading lists, so apparently Scheur's
book hasn't been represented on any of those - at least not the ones that I've
managed to collect, that is.

But the "Defense Academy of the UK" list has a book by David Owen (The Hubris
Syndrome: Bush, Blair & the Intoxication of Power) that sounds like it's in
the same ballpark.

------
remarkEon
I'd also have to add the companion to Grossman's book "On Killing," "On
Combat." [0]

[0]
[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0964920549/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_d...](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0964920549/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_1?pf_rd_p=1944579862&pf_rd_s=lpo-
top-
stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=0316040932&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1N78PE5PQC6H1TFB1JQB)

~~~
tcopeland
Yup, "On Combat" is on the Air Force reading list. And "On Killing" has shown
up on four different reading lists.

The only author I can think of who gets more space there is probably John
Keegan; he's everywhere:
[http://militaryprofessionalreadinglists.com/search?keywords=...](http://militaryprofessionalreadinglists.com/search?keywords=keegan)
.

------
shiven
Let's not forget the timeless classic by Major General Smedley Butler: War Is
A Racket[0].

[0][http://www.ratical.org/ratville/CAH/warisaracket.html](http://www.ratical.org/ratville/CAH/warisaracket.html)

------
tristor
So much of how you decide to lead comes down to your philosophy, so I'm
surprised they didn't include

Meditations by Marcus Aurelius:
[http://classics.mit.edu/Antoninus/meditations.html](http://classics.mit.edu/Antoninus/meditations.html)

------
jeffreyrogers
I never know how to approach massive (meta)-lists like this. I'm sure a lot of
those books are worth reading, but I have no idea how to pick the good from
the bad. (And how to prioritize the good).

~~~
krick
I know what you mean, but if you are interested in this stuff at all then
reading not-the-very-best one is still better than reading none, so pick any
that seems interesting to you and start with it immediately. I found forcing
myself to use this approach so much more useful than wasting time on all that
meta-research (making lists of worthy books, asking for recommendations, etc)
I am naturally inclined to do.

------
stfu
Interesting but what are you guys making out of it? Are you trying to get
towards a more strategic mindset? Or what are the main take aways for you
reading military literature?

~~~
adestefan
There are lessons in leadership in many military texts.

~~~
jnazario
same here. i recall once reading that generals aren't born, they're made. and
looking at how an organization builds, screens and develops leaders of
(sometimes exceptional) quality is a worthwhile investment of my time.

------
funkyy
Good collection but your domain is very non imaginative. How you expect anyone
to remember it?

~~~
tcopeland
When I started the site 6 years ago I was on a "four word domain name" kick.
Also, sadly, militaryreadinglists.com was already taken.

