My Favorite Military Books

Today is Veteran’s day and I wanted to share some of my favorite military books.  I don’t read as much as I used too with my busy schedule now, but these are some of my favorites over the years.  They are in no particular order.  But I hope they may help you fill out your reading list if you are looking for something this holiday season.

  1.  Flags of our Fathers – This is an incredible story made into a movie about the famous flag raising photo of Iwo Jima.  The background story of the men is fascinating.
  2. I have long enjoyed Stephen Ambrose books.  Some of my favorites are:
    1. D-Day
    2. Band of Brothers
    3. Citizen Soldiers
    4. The Wild Blue:The Men and Boys who Flew the B-24s over Germany
  3. Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee – This is a long book, not sure I read it all, but it is an eye opening account about the American Indians in the West.  It is a very sad and touching story.
  4. Team of Rivals:  The Political Genuis of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Goodwin
  5. Unbroken – The subject of a recent movie, this is one incredible book and story.  By Laura Hillenbrand
  6. 1776 by David McCullough
  7. The Killing of Patton – by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard
  8. The Killing of Lincoln – by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard
  9. Tenko!  Ranged Jail by John Boyd with Gary Garth – This book may be tough to get a copy of if you are not located near the Mayfield, KY area.  This was a locally published book by one of the former elders of the congregation I serve.  He recounts his story as a POW in a Japanese prison camp.  It is special in many ways to me, as I knew him personally and preached his funeral.
  10. George Washington by Paul Johnson – A short, but good account of George Washington.
  11. His Excellency:  George Washington by Joseph Ellis
  12. Tiger Force:  A True Story of Men and War – by Michael Sallah and Mitch Weiss – Vietnam war era book.

I believe that reading that choosing to read one of these  books this Veteran’s day will help you have a greater appreciation of our freedoms and the soldiers who have made them possible.

What books would you recommend?

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2 comments

  1. Revolutionary War era is my favorite, so here are some I’ve read recently and enjoyed:

    1. George Washington’s Secret Six (Brian Kilmeade)
    2. The First American Army (Bruce Chadwick)
    3. Washington: A Life (Ron Chernow…loooong, but worth every minute)
    4. Glory, Passion, and Principle: The Story of Eight Remarkable Women at the Core of the American Revolution

    I am a history nut, and I don’t really like “1776” as much as most people do. I just think it moves too slowly, but I’m glad I read it.

      • Josh on November 11, 2015 at 11:32 am
        Author

      Thanks Adam, I have not read any of the ones you mentioned. I like Washington very much so I may have to try to get some of them. Josh

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