Historical Military Books - Embedded among the soldiers of 2-16 Infantry as part of President Bush's last-chance "surge" in Iraq, journalist David Finkel captures the grim reality as troops face the chaotic, and often deadly, streets of Baghdad. The book often follows the overly-optimistic Col.
Ralph Kauzlarich (motto: "It's all good"). Building upon the success of his previous works, Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life and Sea Stories: My Life in Special Operations, retired Adm. William McRaven takes the spotlight off himself to highlight others in The Hero Code: Lessons Learned From Lives Well Lived.
Historical Military Books
In this post-Global War On Terror era, finding war memoirs is easier than ever before, yet Admiral McRaven instead removes himself from his own story and turns it onto those who have inspired and educated him throughout his life.
“The Good Soldiers” By David Finkel
The retired Navy SEAL lays out the 10 components that make up his Hero Code as a foundation for developing one's character. Not all heroes wear capes, but they all follow a Code. — Scott Whisler, contributor
Most people have seen the movie, but this is one of those times when you should definitely read the book. This brilliant account by journalist Mark Bowden tells the story of the Oct. 3, 1993 battle of Mogadishu, Somalia, when hundreds of elite U.S.
Army soldiers fought back against thousands of militants when a routine mission went wrong. Let's be real: 2021 wasn't really the year we all wished it had been. As the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic stretched on, many of us spent more time than we would have liked behind closed doors, left to our own devices for fun and entertainment.
Luckily, the Task & Purpose team put some of our downtime to good use: reading some of the best military books of the last few years (and a few older than that) to make the time go by just a little bit faster.
“The Pentagon Wars” By James Burton
You may be stuck at home, or you may just need a new distraction — either way, we've got you covered with some stellar reading material for you to kick off the close of the year the right way.
Former Air Force Col. James Burton gives the inside account of what it's like when the Pentagon wants to develop a new weapons system. Having spent 14 years in weapons acquisition and testing, Burton details his struggle during the development of the Bradley Fighting Vehicle with those above him who were often more interested in supporting defense contractors instead of troops in the field.
There have been many contemporary accounts written of World War II, but "Flyboys" manages to bring to light something that had remained hidden for nearly 60 years. James Bradley tells the story of nine Americans who were shot down in the Pacific off the island of Chichi Jima.
We are so excited with our book cover, cover design and layout. Thank you and the entire Koehler team for your hard work, it is clearly evidenced in the outcome of the book thus far and we love it!!
“Flyboys” By James Bradley
We can't thank you all enough, what a delight this entire process has been, THANK YOU!! Are drones a blessing or a blight on today's battlefields? Anthropology professor Hugh Gusterson writes in this concise book that drones represent something even more profound: a new step in warfare that collapses the geographical boundaries between 'peace' and 'war' and between 'combatant' and 'civilian.' Read it if you want
to understand drone warfare from the perspective of the pilots who fly them; the Afghans who lived beneath them; the activists who protest them; the lawyers who try to understand their legal grounds; and many more.
This book is short, but it packs a punch. —David Roza, reporter Soldiers today are “on more intimate terms with the culture of the video games, reality TV shows and Internet porn than they are with their own families,” Wright told Booklist (One 19-year-old corporal compares driving into an ambush to a Grand
Theft Auto video game: “It was fucking cool.”) At times very personal and unpleasant, Fick's book recounts plenty of combat experiences. But that is not the real draw. His wonderful detailing of the training, mindset, and actions of Marine officers on today's battlefields makes this a must-read.
“The Art Of War” By Sun Tzu
My experience with Koehler Books has been everything a writer ever dreams and hopes for in a publishing company. From the very first book to my most recent third book I have been in awe of how they were able to translate my ideas into form.
The design team created the book covers exactly as I wanted them. All my books are works of art! It has been such a privilege to have John Koehler as my publisher. I highly recommend this publishing house to any author.
Published in 1993, the classic nonfiction book by retired Air Force Col. James Burton tells the fascinating tale of how a small group of reformers known as the “Fighter Pilot Mafia” tried to get the Pentagon to care about how weapons truly performed under combat conditions during testing, lest the frontline troops suffer the consequences. Troops who have
been in the back seat of a Bradley Fighting Vehicle should read this book, since they have Burton and his cohorts to thank for pushing the Army to make a “life-saving redesign.” But many others will benefit from his historical insight into bureaucratic fights over the F-15, F-16, and A-10 aircraft that continue to play out today.
“The Outpost” By Jake Tapper
— Paul Szoldra, editor-in-chief John Koehler had the courage to publish Arc of the Comet despite its length and the pretensions of its author. His care for and nurturing of writers should be the standard for every publisher.
I'm immensely grateful for his faith and encouragement. Joe Coccaro and Elizabeth Marshall McClure buffed and polished a manuscript heavy on words and sometimes lacking precision. They've sharpened the finished product in ways I never could.
I'm fortunate to be in a partnership with a publisher who is thoroughly professional, completely accessible, and, in the end, as much a friend as a colleague. More than 2,000 years old and still relevant today, "The Art of War" is a must-read book on military theory and strategy.
But its maxims can be applied by those far outside the combat arms. Tzu offers advice relevant to everyone from Army generals to CEOs. We here at WATM love putting together lists and rankings, so it makes sense for us to create one for non-fiction books.
Pocket Guide To Publishing Things Authors Should Know
We read quite often, and not surprisingly considering we're a bunch of military veterans, those books often deal with military topics. These are our picks for the best military non-fiction books of all time. (If you'd like to see our picks for fiction, click here.)
A monster of a book at 704 pages, journalist Jake Tapper tells a powerful story of an Afghan outpost that was doomed to fail even before soldiers built it. Beginning with the decision to build a combat outpost in Nuristan in 2006, Tapper reveals a series of bad decisions that would ultimately lead to a battle for survival at that outpost three years later — one that would see multiple soldiers earn the Medal of Honor for their
heroism. I had been meaning to read Joseph Kassabian's 2018 memoir about his experiences fighting in the peak of the Afghanistan War for some time. This year, with everything that happened in Afghanistan, I'm glad I finally did.
True to its title, Kassabian's book puts aside any pretenses of heroics and adventures to show the reader what it was really like on that front — sad, hysterical, hopeless, enraging and terrifying all at the same time.
“Band Of Brothers” By Stephen Ambrose
rnrnKassabian was a member of an Army unit sent to train and advise the Afghan National Police. Upon arriving, they quickly realize what an impossible task this is thanks to bureaucracy, drugs, cultural issues, corruption, and deep dysfunction everywhere.
It’s unapologetic and unflinching, and should be read by anyone who watched the fall of Kabul and wondered how the hell things came to that. —Patrick George, editorial director Found on many military reading lists, Grossman's "On Killing" is a landmark study of how soldiers face the reality of killing other humans in combat, and how military training overcomes their aversion to such an act.
"A clever and candid look under the hood of today's publishing vehicle." —Shari Stauch, CEO and creator of Where Writers Win “I wish Pocket Guide had been available when I started out.” —Betsy Ashton, author of The Mad Max Mysteries, president of the Virginia Writers Club “A real no nonsense guide for authors that cuts to the chase about publishing.”
—William Hazelgrove, bestselling author of The Pitcher and twelve other books Ooh, I need this! Historian Stephen Ambrose's account Easy Co. in "Band of Brothers" is quite simply, an account of ordinary men doing extraordinary things.
“The Forever War” By Dexter Filkins
The book — which later became a 10-part miniseries on HBO — takes readers from the unit's tough training in 1942 all the way to its liberation of Hitler's "Eagles Nest" in 1945. Written in a compelling narrative style, David McCullough's "1776" retells the year of America's birth in wonderful detail.
McCullough is an incredible storyteller who puts you right there, feeling as if you are marching in the Continental Army. Told from the ground level by the only American journalist who reported on all of these events, Filkins does not write a neat history lesson.
Instead, he tells individual stories of people — from ordinary citizens to soldiers — and how they are affected by the incidents that happen around them. He does it using beautiful prose, and with little bias.
In this masterful book, David McCullough tells the intensely human story of those who marched with General George Washington in the year of the Declaration of Independence—when the whole American cause was riding on their success, without which all hope for independence would have been dashed
Welcome To Battle Flag Books
and the noble ideals of the Declaration would have amounted to little more than words on paper. Here is a video to honor the men and women of our Armed Forces who have given their all for the sake of our country.
It was written and produced by author Tom Reilly. Thanks Tom. A former West Point psychology professor, Grossman delves into the psychological costs of war and presents a compelling thesis that human beings have an instinctual aversion to killing.
With this, he also shows how militaries overcome this central trait through conditioning and real-world training. By Task & Purpose | Updated Nov 9, 2021 6:20 PM EST Burton spends much of the book writing about the small band of military reformers who worked hard trying to fix the problems of Pentagon procurement from the 1960s to the 1980s, and he suffered professionally for "rocking the boat" as a result.
For example, after suggesting that the Bradley's armor should be tested against Soviet antitank weaponry, the Army — knowing it would never hold up — tried to get Burton transferred to Alaska. The very serious book also inspired a very funny movie made by HBO:
“The Guns Of August” By Barbara Tuchman
One of the first significant engagements between American and Vietnamese forces in 1965 was also one of the most savage. The Battle of the Ia Drang Valley is told by Lt. Col. Moore and Galloway, a reporter who was there, and it serves as both a testament to the bravery and perseverance of the 450 men who fought back after being surrounded by 2,000 enemy troops.
"This was the last gasp of the Gilded Age, of Kings and Kaisers and Czars, of pointed or plumed hats, colored uniforms, and all the pomp and romance that went along with war," reads the publisher's description.
“How quickly it all changed, and how horrible it became. Tuchman is masterful at portraying this abrupt change from the 19th to the 20th Century.” Known as Combat Outpost Keating, the story of the base is one that is worth reading.
With its bestseller status, rave reviews by critics, and most importantly, the soldiers who fought there, it's safe to say "The Outpost" gets it right. This forum has proven quite helpful to many of our authors.
“Generation Kill” By Evan Wright
It is ONLY for Köehler Books authors, by invitation only. If you are a Köehler Books author and are interested in joining this forum, please contact the publisher. But Finkel excels at capturing everyone up and down the chain-of-command, and tells their stories incredibly well.
His book is less about big-picture surge strategy, and more about the soldiers on the ground who fought it. That is a very good thing. We accept submissions from agents and authors in most genres, including military-based mysteries and thrillers.
One of our specialties is historical fiction based on military events, battles, or combat heroes. We also publish works of nonfiction about military service, memoirs, and books aimed at helping military veterans and their families. Here's a brief list of some of the best books we read here at Task & Purpose in the last year.
Have a recommendation of your own? Leave it in the comments along with an Amazon link. If you want to gain an understanding of America's war with radical Islamists, look no further than "The Forever War" by journalist Dexter Filkins.
“One Bullet Away” By Nathaniel Fick
As a foreign correspondent for The New York Times, Filkins begins his book as the Taliban rises to power in Afghanistan, writes of the aftermath following the Sept. 11th attacks, and then continues through the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
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