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.
- 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.
- I have long enjoyed Stephen Ambrose books. Some of my favorites are:
- D-Day
- Band of Brothers
- Citizen Soldiers
- The Wild Blue:The Men and Boys who Flew the B-24s over Germany
- 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.
- Team of Rivals: The Political Genuis of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Goodwin
- Unbroken – The subject of a recent movie, this is one incredible book and story. By Laura Hillenbrand
- 1776 by David McCullough
- The Killing of Patton – by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard
- The Killing of Lincoln – by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard
- 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.
- George Washington by Paul Johnson – A short, but good account of George Washington.
- His Excellency: George Washington by Joseph Ellis
- 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?
2 comments
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.
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