Tom’s Recommended Reading Roster
Killing Ground on Okinawa: The Battle for Sugar Loaf Hill by James H. Hallas.
Sugar Loaf Hill was the site of a tenacious seven-day close-quarter battle that inflicted heavy casualties (two thousand) on the attacking Marines (6th Marine Division). The Marines attacked the 50-foot-high, 300-yard-long hill eleven times before their uncommon valor won the day. Soft cover. Photos. Maps. 238 pages. Naval Institute Press. (www.usni.org).
Chief of Staff: Volume 1; Napoleonic Wars to World War I: The Principal Officers Behind History’s Great Commanders edited by Maj. Gen. David T. Zabecki, AUS (Ret.).
The first of two volumes. Fourteen profiles: 5 from the Nineteenth Century (Berthier, von Gneisenau, Marcy, Rawlins, von Moltke); 9 from WWI (Ludendorff, Hoffman, von Seeckt, von Kuhl, von Knobelsdorf, von Lossberg, Weygand, Kiggell & Lawrence, Harbord). Profiles the chiefs of staffs who do the work but get little of the credit. A must read for all those interested in the processes of command. Hardcover. Photos. Chronologies. 242 pages. Naval Institute Press. (www.nip.org).
Chief of Staff: Volume 2; World War II to Korea and Vietnam: The Principal Officers Behind History’s Great Commanders edited by Maj. Gen. David T. Zabecki, AUS (Ret.).
The second of two volumes. Fourteen profiles: 11 from World War II (Bayerlein, Westphal, Speidel, von Mellenthin, Dorman-Smith, de Guingand, Morgan, Bedell Smith, Gay & Gaffey, Antonov, Sokolovsky); 3 from Korea and Vietnam (Landrum, Almond, Kerwin). Focuses exclusively on the role of the operational-level chief of staff. They toiled in the shadows of the great commanders. A must read for all those interested in the processes of command. Hardcover. Photos. Chronologies. 244 pages. Naval Institute Press. (www.nip.org).
Almost A Miracle: The American Victory in the War of Independence by John Ferling.
Comprehensive history of the eight-year conflict from this award-winning historian that chronicles the nearly miraculous victory of a fledgling army over a national power. Hardcover. Photos. Maps. 679 pages. Oxford University Press. (www.oup.com).
Into the Fire: Ploesti, The Most Fateful Mission of WWII by Duane Schultz.
The attack on the oil refineries of Ploesti, Romania, was among the most daring and dangerous missions of WWII. Two hundred B-24 bombers. 1,726 airmen risked all on this doomed mission. Hardcover. Photos. 294 pages. Westholme Publishing. (www.westholmepublishing.com).
The Rescue of Streetcar 304: A Navy Pilot’s Forty Hours on the Run in Laos by Kenny Wayne Fields.
This Fields’ personal story. He flew 139 combat missions in an A-7A during the Vietnam War. Shot down in Laos in May of 1968, 189 sorties were flown in the rescue attempt, resulting in four pilot ejections, seven planes lost or heavily damaged, and one pilot becoming a POW for 5 years. A true tale of inspirational courage and brotherhood on both the battlefield and the home front. Hardcover. Photos. Maps. 311 pages. Naval Institute Press. (www.nip.org).
The First Black United States Marines: The Men of Montford Point, 1942 – 1946 by Ronald K. Culp.
The main focus of this book is the Marine Corps and the fighting experiences of their newest members (the first 400 black Marines who braved the color barrier that had endured for the USMC’s first 144 years)). Additional topics include internal Marine perspectives on the admittance of blacks, initially enforced quotas, and the difficulties of segregation. Hardcover. Photos. Appendices. 264 pages. McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers (www.mcfarlandpub.com).
The Coldest Winter: America and the Korean War by David Halberstam.
This New York Times bestseller by this Pulitzer Prize-winning author does for the Korean War what his The Best and the Brightest did for the Vietnam War. The now-deceased Halberstam considered this his finest work. Hardcover. Maps. 719 pages. Hyperion Books (www.HyperionBooks.com).
To Begin Again: A Novel of Love and War by Terence T. Finn.
This work of fiction blends military history with romance as a university history professor is recalled to the Air Force and sent to Korea where he commands a special detachment of F-86’s that regularly engage Russian MiG-15s over the Yalu River. Hardcover. 283 pages. IVY House Publishing Group (www.ivyhousebooks.com).
The Long War: A New History of U.S. National Security Policy Since World War II edited by Andrew J. Bacevich.
Contains a dozen essays related to national security by a diverse and distinguished group of historians, political scientists, and sociologists. The time period includes the Cold War, the post-Cold War interval of the 1990s, and today’s Global War on Terror. Hardcover. 586 pages. Columbia University Press (www.columbia.edu/cu/cup).
Strange But True Facts of the Civil War by Patrick M. Reynolds.
Illustrated format. Hundreds of little-known facts. Educational. Papercover. 122 pages. Taylor Trade Publishing.
The Sandbox: Dispatches from Troops in Iraq and Afghanistan edited by David Stanford.
Garry Trudeau, creator of Doonesbury launched a military blog in 2006 that allowed servicemen deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan to tell their stories. This book contains nearly 100 of the best posts. Softcover. Photos. Glossary. 309 pages. Andrews McMeel Publishing (www.andrewsmcmeel.com).
The Looming Tower: Al- Qaeda and the Road to 9/11 by Lawrence Wright.
Explains in great detail the growth of Islamic fundamentalism , the rise of al-qaeda, and the intelligence failures that culminated in the attacks on the World Trade Center. National bestseller. National Book Award finalist. Softcover. Photos. 540 pages. Vintage Books (www.vintagebooks.com).
Charlie Wilson’s War by George Crile.
Now a major motion picture. The true story of how a playboy congressman, a rogue CIA agent, and a beautiful Houston socialite joined forces to lead the largest and most successful covert operation in history (in Afghanistan). Paperback. 550 pages. Grove Press (www.groveatlantic.com).
So Becomes A Man by J.F. Cody.
A novel of Marines in Haiti and Nicaragua (during the Banana Wars of the 1920’s), and China. Papercover. 202 pages. Xlibris. (www.Xlibris.com).
Chief of Station, Congo by Larry Devlin.
Inside account of CIA clandestine operations in the Congo in the early 1960s. Papercover. Photos. 289 pages. Public Affairs Books (www.publicaffairsbooks.com).
“I’m staying with my boys…”: The Heroic Life of Sgt. John Basilone, USMC
by Jim Proser.
Sgt. Basilone won the Medal of Honor on Guadalcanal and later died in combat on Iwo Jima. In a re-creation, the book is written in the first person. The true story of one of the greatest Marines who ever lived. Papercover. Photos. 331 pages. Lightbearer Communications Co., PO Box 6778, Hilton Head Island, SC 29938.
WWII…A Navy Nurse Remembers by Elizabeth Kinzer O’Farrell, LT )NC) USN (RET).
Biography of a seven-year Navy nurse whose stateside duties brought her into contact with the fighting men of World War II. Papercover. Photos. 107 pages. CyPress Publications. (http://cypress-starpublications.com.)
The First Marine Captured in Vietnam: A Biography of Donald G. Cook by Donald L. Price
The outstanding story of Colonel Cook who was captured by the Viet Cong in 1964 and died in captivity in 1967. He earned the CMOH while a prisoner for his leadership and adherence to the U. S. Military Code of Conduct. Also covers the 10 other POWs under his command. Softcover. Nearly 70 photos. 326 pages. McFarland & Company. (www.mcfarlandpub.com).
The Ice Diaries: The Untold Story of the Cold War’s Most Daring Mission by Captain William R. Anderson.
A former captain of the submarine USS Nautilus tells the declassified story of his ship’s Cold War underwater adventure. Papercover. Photos. 358 pages. Thomas Nelson, Inc. (www.ThomasNelson.com).
Along the Tigris: The 101st Airborne Division in Operation Iraqi Freedom by Thomas L. Day.
Covers the period February 2003 to March 2004. Tells the story of 16,000 soldiers in combat, from the training grounds of Fort Campbell, through the toughest battles in the blitz of Baghdad to the Nineveh province, where the 101st anchored for eight months after the overthrow of Saddam Hussein. The author was a military journalist for the 101st. Hardcover. Numerous color photos. 320 pages. Schiffer Military History. (www.schifferbooks.com).
House to House: A Soldier’s Memoir by David Bellavia.
A Soldier’s memoir. Staff Sergeant Bellavia spent 6 years in the U.S. Army, including some of the most intense fighting of the Iraq War. He has been awarded the Silver Star and Bronze Star for his actions in Iraq. Softcover. Photos. 347 pages. Free Press. (www.simonsays.com).
A Civilian in Green Clothes by Jerome Doherty.
The author tells his personal story of Marine officer training and service in Vietnam. Hardcover. Photos. Maps. 206 pages. Ivy House Publishing (www.ivyhousebooks.com).
For Love of Life and Country by Dean Hunter.
The author’s personal story before, after, and during his service as a Marine pilot to include boot camp training and combat in Korea and Vietnam. Hardcover. Photos. 402 pages. Vantage Press, 516, West 34th St., New York, N.Y. 10001.
Our Walk with God: A Love Story of God and Country by Tibor and Julia Anne Bierbaum.
The author, born in Hungary, spent his first 17 years of life under Communism. He later earned his American citizenship while serving in the U.S. Army where he made a twenty-one year career. This is both his story and that of his wife and how they came to find each other and God.
Papercover. Photos. 220 pages. Winepress Publishing, P.O. Box 428, Enumclaw, WA 98022.
Building Leaders the West Point Way by Major General Joseph P. Franklin, U.S. Army (Retired).
Ten Principles from the Nation’s Most Powerful Leadership Lab. The author is former commandant of the Corps of Cadets at West Point. For both the seasoned executive and the recent college graduate. Hardcover. 192 pages. Thomas Nelson, Inc. (www.thomasnelson.com).
The War in the Pacific: A Retrospective by Leon Cooper.
The author was a Higgins Boat commander in WWII and an inventor and CEO in civilian life. He has some very strong opinions about the command’s handling of the war and he shares them with the reader. Papercover. Photos. Maps. 108 pages. 90 Day Wonder Publishing. (leoncooper@verizon.net).
A Time to Lead: For Duty, Honor and Country by Wesley k. Clark.
The personal story of a four-star general who served for thirty-four years, including a tour as a Captain in Vietnam. Hardcover. 262 pages. Palgrave MacMilla. (www.palgrave.com).
Stolen Valor: How the Vietnam Generation was Robbed of its Heroes and its History by B.G. Burkett and Glenna Whitley.
The subtitle says it all and it comes highly recommended by James Webb, Guenter Lewy, and Joseph l. Galloway. Hardcover. Photos. 692 pages. Verity Press, Inc. P.O. Box 50366, Dallas, Texas 75250. (www.stolenvalor.com).
Guadalcanal: The U.S. Marines in World War II: A Pictorial Tribute by Eric Hammel.
This historic Marine battle needs no introduction and neither does this author of more than 30 military books. Many never before published official USMC photographs. Hardcover. Coffee table size. 160 pages. Zenith Press. (www.zenithpress.com).
Military Communications: From Ancient Times to the 21st Century edited by Christopher H. Sterling.
An authoritative reference on and comprehensive examination of the communication technologies, techniques, and strategies. Includes: over 300 encyclopedia-style entries covering innovations, people, locations, organizations, and signature battles; contributions from over 40 experts; an annotated bibliography; and a glossary of important acronyms. Hardcover. Photos. 565 pages. ABC-Clio. (www.abc-clio.com).
Take Down: The 3rd Infantry Division’s Twenty-One Day Assault on Baghdad by Jim Lacey.
During the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the author worked for Time magazine as an embedded journalist and was with the 101st Airborne Division during the march to Baghdad. Hardcover. Photos. Maps. 267 pages. Naval Institute Press. (www.usni.org).
Back in Action: The Inspiring True Story of the First Amputee to Return to Active Command in Iraq by Captain David Rozelle.
An astonishing story of courage, determination, heroism, and bedrock patriotism. Captain Rozelle lost his right foot to an anti-tank mine in Iraq and returned as a commander of an armored cavalry troop. Hardcover. Photos. 230 pages. Regnery Publishing, Inc. (www.regnery.com).
Rising Sons: The Japanese American GIs Who Fought for the United States in World War II by Bill Yenne.
Explores the life, times, triumphs, and tribulations of Japanese Americans who fought in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, a unit that earned 21 MOHs and 9,486 Purple Hearts, and 8 PUCs. Hardcover. Photos. 302 pages. Thomas Dunne Books. (www.thomasdunnebooks.com).
Stonewall Jackson: A Biography by Donald A. Davis.
From the Great Generals Series, this book details General Jackson’s strategic and leadership strengths that made him a military legend in a short lifetime. Hardcover. Photos. 204 pages. Palgrave Macmillan. (www.palgrave.com).
Eisenhower: A Biography by John Wukovits.
From the Great Generals Series, this book details the key experiences that prepared him for his role as supreme commander of Allied forces in Europe during WWII. Hardcover. Photos. 204 pages. Palgrave Macmillan. (www.palgrave.com).
Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of Seal Team 10 by Marcus Luttrell.
Leading Petty Officer Luttrell tells of the desperate and ferocious battle in Afghanistan in which three of his comrades were killed by the Taliban. Hardcover. Photos. 390 pages. Little Brown. (www.HachetteBookGroupUSA.com).
Eagles Don’t Die by Ronald L. Chiste.
A novel that brings the reader face to face with terrorism and homeland security. Papercover. 202 pages. Authorhouse. (www.authorhouse.com).
The Best of Times: A Novel of Love and War by Terence T. Finn.
Combat & romance: This story is set in England during the last four months of 1943. The protagonist is a 26-year-old American P-47 Thunderbolt pilot who falls in love with a 43-year-old British married woman. Hardcover. 499 pages. Ivy House Publishing Group. (www.ivyhousebooks.com).
The Last of the Combat B-17 Drivers by Col. Harold D. Weekley, USAF (Ret) and James B. Zazas.
Coffee-table size with loads of photos, tables, charts, and much more, all to do with the Flying Fortress. The reader experiences: training, combat flights, a downed plane, escape and evasion, air shows after the war, and much more. Papercover. 334 pages. Flying Fortress International, LLC. (www.atlasbooks.com).
Soldiering for Glory: The Civil War Letters of Colonel Frank Schaller edited by Mary W. & Martin N. Schaller.
An edited and annotated collection of Civil War correspondence from a German immigrant to his fiancée. They detail their courtship and his service to the Confederacy at Shiloh, Fredericksburg, and Gettysburg. Portrays an ambitious and self-serving officer who cared little for the men in his command. Hardcover. In wrappers. The University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina 29208.
15 Stars: Eisenhower, MacArthur, Marshall: Three Generals Who Saved the American Century by Stanley Weintraub.
This is the story of their interconnected lives over the course of six decades that included two world wars and the Cold war. Hardcover. Photographs. 539 pages. Free Press. (www.simonsays.com).
War on Two Fronts: An Infantry Commander’s War in Iraq and the Pentagon by Col. Christopher P. Hughes.
The author, who commanded 2nd Battalion of the 327th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne, tells two stories: one of a battalion in horrific combat and the other of duty at the Pentagon “fighting the war on the homefront”. Hardcover. Photos. 306 pages. Casemate. (www.casematepublishing.com).
The Road to Safwan: The 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry in the 1991 Persian Gulf War by Stephen A. Bourque and John W. Burdan III.
“Prepared and loyal,” this unit performed most admirably during Operation Desert Storm. Hardcover. In wrappers. UNT Press. (www.unt.edu).
The Most Noble Adventure: The Marshall Plan and the Time When America Helped Save Europe by Greg Behrman.
Tells the story of the re-building of World War II-ravaged Western Europe over 4 years with $13 billion and, more interestingly, the personalities behind the plan. Hardcover. 448 pages. Free Press. (www.simonsays.com).
The Light Side of Damnation by William F. Lee.
The story of Marine Captain Barney Quinn, a battle-tested company commander and aide-de-camp and the special relationship he had with his commanding general Papercover. 408 pages. AuthorHouse. (www.authorhouse.com).
Onward by Faith: A Mother’s Journey to Iraq and Back by Gina Gippner.
A unique perspective: The diary of a mother whose Marine son was sent to fight in Iraq. A terrific gift for the family of any American fighting man. Papercover. 181 pages. Just Mom Publishing. (Go to www.marinemomsonline.net).
Finding the Target: The Transformation of American Military Policy by Frederick W. Kagan.
This military analyst traces the history of U.S. national security policy and makes the case that over-reliance on high tech solutions ignores the basic purpose of war: the use of force to achieve political objectives. Papercover. 444 pages. Encounter Books. (www.encounterbooks.com).
John McCain: An American Odyssey by Robert Timberg.
A reissue of his 199 biography, from childhood to the U.S. Naval Academy to combat pilot and POW in Vietnam to becoming a senator and his run for the American presidency. Papercover. Photos. 240 pages. Free Press. (www.simonsays.com).
90 Day Wonder: Darkness Remembered by Leon Cooper & Don Tait.
Recounts Cooper’s extraordinary experiences as a US Naval officer during WWII and the continuing drama on his return to civilian life, incorporating poer, murder, revenge, love and redemption. Papercover. 320 pages. (www.90daywonder.net).
The Utility of Force: The Art of War in the Modern World by General Rupert Smith.
A work of military analysis by a commander in the Gulf War and in Bosnis, Kosovo, and Northern Island. Papercover. 430 pages. Vintage Books. (www.vintagebooks.com).
West Point: Postcard History Series by Maureen Oehler and Peter E. Carroll.
Outstanding pictorial history by a West Point tour guide and an avid collector of West Point postcards. Papercover. 127 pages. Arcadia Publishing. (www.arcadiapublishing.com).
We Laughed, We Cried by Janet Demy Wilson.
The author’s personal story of U.S. Army Air Corp/U.S Air Force medical service during and after WWII. Papercover. 96 pages. Published by the author (597 Oak Hills Rd., Pipe Creek, TX 78063.
The Changing Face of War: Combat From the Marne to Iraq by Martin Van Creveld
Analyzes the evolution of 20th century warfare. Those who don’t l;earn from history are doomed to repeat it. Papercover. 319 pages. Presidio Press. (www.presidiopress.com).
Accordion War: Korea 1951: Life and Death in a Marine Rifle Company by Charles Hughes.
This is the story of How Company, Third Battalion, Seventh Regiment, First Marine Revision. The author served as a Hospital Corpsman at the Chosin Reservoir. Papercover. Photos. Maps. Illustrations. 419 pages. Trafford Publishing. (www.accordionwar.com).