Favorite military novels, fiction or history

[raketenjagdpanzer]

A little too extensive for a poll, so I'll just put this here.

I'd say my list goes something like this...

Fiction:
Flight of the Intruders - Coonts
The Intruders - ibid
Team Yankee - Coyle
Sword Point - ibid
Red Storm Rising - Clancy, Bond
The Third World War - Hackett
The Third World War, The Untold Story - ibid

Nonfiction:
Phantom Over Vietnam - Trotti
Enemy at the Gates - Craig
Tank Sergeant - Zumbro
Fire in the Streets - Hammel
Rise and Fall of the Third Reich - Shrier
Citizen Soldiers - Ambrose
D-Day - ibid
Band of Brothers - ibid
Biggest Brother: The Life of Major Dick Winters, The Man Who Led the Band of Brothers - Winters, Alexander
Generation: Kill - Wright
Black Hawk Down - Bowden
...

There's a host of other types of books I enjoy but I thought it'd be interesting to share. Anyone else?

[StainlessSteelCynic]

Not trying to be picky but it makes finding them easier if you have the author's full name and it really helps if you can include the ISBN

[Abbott Shaull]

Originally Posted by raketenjagdpanzer

A little too extensive for a poll, so I'll just put this here.

I'd say my list goes something like this...

Fiction:
Flight of the Intruders - Coonts
The Intruders - ibid
Team Yankee - Coyle
Sword Point - ibid
Red Storm Rising - Clancy, Bond
The Third World War - Hackett
The Third World War, The Untold Story - ibid

Nonfiction:
Phantom Over Vietnam - Trotti
Enemy at the Gates - Craig
Tank Sergeant - Zumbro
Fire in the Streets - Hammel
Rise and Fall of the Third Reich - Shrier
Citizen Soldiers - Ambrose
D-Day - ibid
Band of Brothers - ibid
Biggest Brother: The Life of Major Dick Winters, The Man Who Led the Band of Brothers - Winters, Alexander
Generation: Kill - Wright
Black Hawk Down - Bowden
...

There's a host of other types of books I enjoy but I thought it'd be interesting to share. Anyone else?

I think it safe to say that for many of us the list would be similar.... Many of these books with the exception of Black Hawk Down I have read or in the process reading.

Coyle and Clancy both had several books that could be added to this list. Coyle I know with Sword Point had the many of the same Officers and some of the Enlisted in several of his following books.

There were couple books by Ralph Peters that I have read and some by Soviet Army Officer who defected to the west who wrote a couple books including one in which he tries to prove that Stalin was just months/weeks/or some say days away from attacking Germany himself that come to mind.

[Targan]

Is there any particular reason why these reading suggestions shouldn't go in the OT - Book (Non Fiction) Review/Recommendations Thread and OT - Book (Fiction) Review/Recommendations Thread? Perhaps they were a bit far down the thread list to be easily seen? We probably should have more threads made sticky.

If you have a look at the Thread Map there is probably an appropriate thread already in existence under Media -> Books.

[raketenjagdpanzer]

Originally Posted by Targan

Is there any particular reason why these reading suggestions shouldn't go in the OT - Book (Non Fiction) Review/Recommendations Thread and OT - Book (Fiction) Review/Recommendations Thread? Perhaps they were a bit far down the thread list to be easily seen? We probably should have more threads made sticky.

If you have a look at the Thread Map there is probably an appropriate thread already in existence under Media -> Books.

Ah! Didn't realize such a beast existed. Merge on, Gridley!

[LVI]

Generation Kill was a fantastic Book. And i only got to read it AFTER i saw the HBO mini series. I also enjoyed Rogue Warrior by Richard Marcinko

[95th Rifleman]

Antony Beevor's WW2 books are very good and easier to read than some history books.

[dragoon500ly]

Into the Storm and its following books, Crusade, Maelstrom, Distant Thunder and Rising Tide are an alternate history with a good read....

Its also one of the very few books that highlight the crews of the flush-deck destroyers.

[James Langham]

I would add in addition to all the usual suspects:

Chieftains by Bob Forrest-West
King's Shilling and the Long Reach by Mike Lunnon-Wood
The Zone - James Roach

All are British based, Chieftains is a Cheiftain squadron in Hackett's WW3, Mike Lunnon-Woods are about evacuating people from Africa and a Guatamalan invasion of Belieze, The Zone series is conventional WW3 with fighting being contained in Germany and Scandinavia.

Added to these :

Last Night a British Soldier - Andy McNab - a quick read series book about PTSD and AFghanistan - excellent for understanding British squaddies.

Dusty Warriors - Richard Holmes - a study of PWRR in the Gulf.

First Clash - Kenneth Macsie - an official study of likely battles between Canadians and Soviets in the Cold War. I believe there us a sequal.

Holding the Zero - Gerald Seymour - one of the best novels I know about sniping.

[Cdnwolf]

2013: World War III
by Carl Berryman .
Authorhouse | November 1, 2004 | Trade Paperback

In 2013: World War III, the Peoples Republic of China explodes out of its borders. It presents China''s political, social and economic rationale, military preparations and grand strategy for such a disaster. It discusses the lack of political and military preparations by the west, the consequences for China''s neighbors, and how the world in general and the United States in particular will respond. Events in today''s world make it all possible

[Fusilier]

Originally Posted by James Langham

First Clash - Kenneth Macsie - an official study of likely battles between Canadians and Soviets in the Cold War. I believe there us a sequal.

I read that. I think it was one of the most professional war books I've read. It was more like a training manual than a reading book. It was no Tom Clancy or Andy McNab.

[Cdnwolf]

Originally Posted by Fusilier

I read that. I think it was one of the most professional war books I've read. It was more like a training manual than a reading book. It was no Tom Clancy or Andy McNab.

I have the book and I agree. It covers everything from both sides including march to contact, the importance of the Russian Recon units, falling back while in still in contact with the enemy. Highly recommended.

[James Langham]

Originally Posted by Fusilier

I read that. I think it was one of the most professional war books I've read. It was more like a training manual than a reading book. It was no Tom Clancy or Andy McNab.

Be fair it WAS a military manual first...

His Battle '44 is good for a similar battle in WW2 with German, American and British troops.

[Fusilier]

Originally Posted by Fusilier

I read that. I think it was one of the most professional war books I've read. It was more like a training manual than a reading book. It was no Tom Clancy or Andy McNab.

Originally Posted by James Langham

Be fair it WAS a military manual first...

Well then...

[Adm.Lee]

Once an eagle, Anton Myrer. A comparative biography of 2 fictional US Army officers, rising thru WWI and WWII. Any resemblances to General MacArthur or any others are purely coincidental.

[James Langham]

Reading Quartered Safe Out Here - A recollection of the War in Burma by George McDonald Fraser

Excellent and completely honest account of the 14th Army's battles in Burma from the point of view of a section. The Flashman author gives some really interesting perspectives when comparing official histories and what was seen on the ground. Highly recommended as are the semi-fictional McAuslin series following the author just after the war.

[HorseSoldier]

Currently listening to the audio version of This Kind of War, TR Fehrenbach's 1963 history of the Korean War. Very good read about the war itself and the disastrous consequences of the gutting of the US military's conventional forces and lessening standards of military discipline in the aftermath of WW2.

[Adm.Lee]

I endorse both the above recommendations.