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Reading list

Books to read.

150 books: military history and memoir, tactics, multi-domain and future war, strategy, decision-making, and civilian leadership. Most relevant first, then newest.

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Showing 150 of 150

Commercial book · 2026Start here
Mastering Chaos: Shaping a Way Ahead for Chaos Management
Robbin Laird
Leadership and organizations (civilian)
Laird's framework for leaders who must keep an organization thinking and acting coherently when crisis is the normal condition. Draws on four decades with the military services and government.
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Publisher or retailer page for Mastering Chaos: Shaping a Way Ahead for Chaos Management (opens in a new tab)
Commercial book · 2024Start here
The War for Ukraine: Strategy and Adaptation Under Fire
Mick Ryan
Multi-domain and future war
How both sides learned and adapted under drones, persistent surveillance, and long-range fires. Read it beside the MWI drone articles.
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Catalog record for The War for Ukraine: Strategy and Adaptation Under Fire (opens in a new tab)
Commercial book · 2022Start here
War Transformed: The Future of Twenty-First-Century Great Power Competition and Conflict
Mick Ryan
Multi-domain and future war
A readable frame for competition, crisis, and conflict across domains; good primer before FM 3-0.
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Commercial book · 2020Start here
The Kill Chain: Defending America in the Future of High-Tech Warfare
Christian Brose
Multi-domain and future war
Sensing, deciding, and acting faster than the adversary. Use it to discuss what your staff must see, decide, and pass.
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Catalog record for The Kill Chain: Defending America in the Future of High-Tech Warfare (opens in a new tab)
Commercial book · 2015Start here
Red Team: How to Succeed by Thinking Like the Enemy
Micah Zenko
Decision-making
How military, intelligence and business red teams work and why they fail; directly supports red-team injects.
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Catalog record for Red Team: How to Succeed by Thinking Like the Enemy (opens in a new tab)
Commercial book · 2015Start here
Team of Teams: New Rules of Engagement for a Complex World
Stanley McChrystal, with Tantum Collins, David Silverman, and Chris Fussell
Mission command and leadership
Shared consciousness and empowered execution. Directly useful for staff battle rhythm and cross-section coordination.
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Catalog record for Team of Teams: New Rules of Engagement for a Complex World (opens in a new tab)
Commercial book · 2011Start here
The Art of Action: How Leaders Close the Gaps between Plans, Actions and Results
Stephen Bungay
Mission command and leadership
The clearest explanation of intent, friction, and mission command, tied to the Prussian roots of Auftragstaktik.
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Catalog record for The Art of Action: How Leaders Close the Gaps between Plans, Actions and Results (opens in a new tab)
Commercial book · 2004Start here
Military Power: Explaining Victory and Defeat in Modern Battle
Stephen Biddle
Tactics and small units
Why force employment, not just numbers or technology, decides battles; directly relevant to COA development.
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Catalog record for Military Power: Explaining Victory and Defeat in Modern Battle (opens in a new tab)
Commercial book · 2004Start here
Washington's Crossing
David Hackett Fischer
Campaign history
Trenton and Princeton as a study in adaptive command, initiative and rehearsed execution under terrible conditions.
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Commercial book · 1999Start here
Psychology of Intelligence Analysis
Richards J. Heuer Jr.
Decision-making
A CIA analyst on cognitive bias and structured analytic techniques; essential for IPB and red teaming.
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Commercial book · 1998Start here
Sources of Power: How People Make Decisions
Gary Klein
Decision-making
How experienced leaders decide under time pressure. Pairs well with the running estimate and wargaming lessons.
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Commercial book · 1997Start here
Dereliction of Duty: Johnson, McNamara, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Lies That Led to Vietnam
H. R. McMaster
Strategy and policy
How senior military advice failed in 1963–1965; essential for anyone who will advise a decision maker.
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Commercial book · 1992Start here
We Were Soldiers Once... and Young
Harold G. Moore and Joseph L. Galloway
Tactics and small units
The Ia Drang battle from the battalion commander and a reporter on the ground; air assault, fires and leadership under pressure.
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Commercial book · 1985Start here
Command in War
Martin van Creveld
Mission command and leadership
How commanders have dealt with uncertainty and information from antiquity to Vietnam; the roots of mission command.
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Commercial book · 1971Start here
Essence of Decision: Explaining the Cuban Missile Crisis
Graham Allison
Decision-making
Three models of how governments decide, tested on the Cuban Missile Crisis; sharpens how staffs read an adversary.
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Commercial book · 1962Start here
The Guns of August
Barbara W. Tuchman
Campaign history
How rigid plans, mobilization timetables and assumptions carried Europe into 1914. A study of plans that could not adapt.
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Commercial book · 1956Start here
Defeat into Victory
William Slim
Mission command and leadership
Slim's own account of rebuilding a beaten army in Burma; one of the best commander memoirs on adaptation and leading tired troops.
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Public-domain book · 1904Start here
The Defence of Duffer's Drift
Ernest D. Swinton
Tactics and small units
A lieutenant relives the same defense six times, learning a lesson each time. The original rehearsal-and-AAR story; short and free.
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Read free (public domain) for The Defence of Duffer's Drift (opens in a new tab)
Public-domain book · 1885Start here
Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
Mission command and leadership
Clear, honest writing about campaign decisions, logistics and orders by one of America's great commanders.
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Read free (public domain) for Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant (opens in a new tab)
Commercial book · 2026
Mastering Chaos: The Leadership Insights Trilogy
Robbin Laird
Leadership and organizations (civilian)
The third book in Laird's Age of Chaos leadership series, gathering his leadership insights on intellectual flexibility and institutional resilience.
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Publisher or retailer page for Mastering Chaos: The Leadership Insights Trilogy (opens in a new tab)
Commercial book · 2024
Our Enemies Will Vanish: The Russian Invasion and Ukraine's War of Independence
Yaroslav Trofimov
Campaign history
A reporter's account of the first year of the invasion, from Kyiv to the front.
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Commercial book · 2023
Four Battlegrounds: Power in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
Paul Scharre
Multi-domain and future war
Data, compute, talent, and institutions as sources of military advantage; useful before using AI tools in planning.
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Commercial book · 2023
The Russo-Ukrainian War: The Return of History
Serhii Plokhy
Campaign history
A historian's account of the origins and first phase of Russia's full-scale invasion.
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Commercial book · 2022
Chip War: The Fight for the World's Most Critical Technology
Chris Miller
Multi-domain and future war
Semiconductors as a strategic resource; supply chains as part of military power.
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Commercial book · 2022
Danger Zone: The Coming Conflict with China
Hal Brands and Michael Beckley
Strategy and policy
An argument that the risk of conflict peaks in the near term.
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Commercial book · 2022
Spies, Lies, and Algorithms: The History and Future of American Intelligence
Amy B. Zegart
Multi-domain and future war
Open-source intelligence, cyber, and the information environment. Good background for intelligence preparation of the battlefield.
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Commercial book · 2022
The Avoidable War: The Dangers of a Catastrophic Conflict between the US and Xi Jinping's China
Kevin Rudd
Strategy and policy
A former Australian prime minister on managing U.S.–China competition.
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Commercial book · 2021
Noise: A Flaw in Human Judgment
Daniel Kahneman, Olivier Sibony and Cass R. Sunstein
Decision-making
Unwanted variability in professional judgment and how to reduce it; relevant to rubric scoring and COA comparison.
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Commercial book · 2021
Risk: A User's Guide
Stanley McChrystal and Anna Butrico
Decision-making
A practical framework for spotting and managing risk in organizations; complements ATP 5-19.
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Commercial book · 2021
The Afghanistan Papers: A Secret History of the War
Craig Whitlock
Strategy and policy
How official assessments diverged from reality over twenty years; a lesson in honest reporting.
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Commercial book · 2021
The Scout Mindset: Why Some People See Things Clearly and Others Don't
Julia Galef
Decision-making
Seeking accuracy instead of defending a position; the attitude red teaming needs.
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Commercial book · 2021
The Strategy of Denial: American Defense in an Age of Great Power Conflict
Elbridge A. Colby
Strategy and policy
A strategy focused on denying a regional hegemon; influential in current defense debates.
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Commercial book · 2020
The Dragons and the Snakes: How the Rest Learned to Fight the West
David Kilcullen
Multi-domain and future war
How state and non-state adversaries adapted to U.S. strengths. Use it to challenge your threat assumptions.
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Commercial book · 2019
Call Sign Chaos: Learning to Lead
Jim Mattis and Bing West
Mission command and leadership
Leadership at direct, executive, and strategic levels, and a strong argument for disciplined professional reading.
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Commercial book · 2019
Sandworm: A New Era of Cyberwar and the Hunt for the Kremlin's Most Dangerous Hackers
Andy Greenberg
Multi-domain and future war
Real cyberattacks on power grids and logistics. Ask which civilian networks your plan quietly depends on.
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Catalog record for Sandworm: A New Era of Cyberwar and the Hunt for the Kremlin's Most Dangerous Hackers (opens in a new tab)
Commercial book · 2018
Fleet Tactics and Naval Operations (3rd edition)
Wayne P. Hughes Jr. and Robert P. Girrier
Multi-domain and future war
The maritime view of scouting, firing first, and attrition. Helps Army planners understand the joint maritime fight.
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Catalog record for Fleet Tactics and Naval Operations (3rd edition) (opens in a new tab)
Commercial book · 2018
Leadership: In Turbulent Times
Doris Kearns Goodwin
Leadership and organizations (civilian)
Lincoln, both Roosevelts and Johnson as leaders shaped by crisis.
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Commercial book · 2018
LikeWar: The Weaponization of Social Media
P. W. Singer and Emerson T. Brooking
Multi-domain and future war
Social media as a battlespace; information operations and their effects on operations.
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Commercial book · 2018
On Grand Strategy
John Lewis Gaddis
Strategy and policy
Aligning ends and means, from Xerxes to Lincoln; a readable guide to strategic judgment.
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Commercial book · 2018
The Perfect Weapon: War, Sabotage, and Fear in the Cyber Age
David E. Sanger
Multi-domain and future war
How states use cyber operations below the threshold of war.
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Commercial book · 2018
Thinking in Bets: Making Smarter Decisions When You Don't Have All the Facts
Annie Duke
Decision-making
Separating decision quality from outcomes; useful for AARs and for decisions under uncertainty.
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Catalog record for Thinking in Bets: Making Smarter Decisions When You Don't Have All the Facts (opens in a new tab)
Commercial book · 2017
Destined for War: Can America and China Escape Thucydides's Trap?
Graham Allison
Strategy and policy
Rising and ruling powers through history, applied to the United States and China.
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Commercial book · 2017
The Future of War: A History
Lawrence Freedman
Multi-domain and future war
How predictions about war were made and why most went wrong; a check on confident forecasts.
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Commercial book · 2015
Black Box Thinking: Why Most People Never Learn from Their Mistakes—But Some Do
Matthew Syed
Decision-making
Aviation versus healthcare on learning from failure; the case for honest AARs.
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Commercial book · 2015
Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win
Jocko Willink and Leif Babin
Mission command and leadership
Combat lessons applied to leading teams; ownership, simple plans and decentralized command.
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Commercial book · 2015
Superforecasting: The Art and Science of Prediction
Philip E. Tetlock and Dan Gardner
Decision-making
How to make, state, and update estimates. Useful for assumptions, CCIR, and the running estimate.
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Commercial book · 2013
Strategy: A History
Lawrence Freedman
Strategy and policy
Strategy in war, politics and business across history; a wide survey for senior leaders.
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Commercial book · 2013
The Guns at Last Light: The War in Western Europe, 1944–1945
Rick Atkinson
Campaign history
The final volume of the Liberation Trilogy; from Normandy to the end of the war in Europe.
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Commercial book · 2012
The Generals: American Military Command from World War II to Today
Thomas E. Ricks
Mission command and leadership
An argument about accountability and relief of commanders since Marshall.
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Commercial book · 2012
The Signal and the Noise: Why So Many Predictions Fail—but Some Don't
Nate Silver
Decision-making
Forecasting, probability and overconfidence across many fields.
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Commercial book · 2012
Turn the Ship Around!
L. David Marquet
Mission command and leadership
A submarine captain moves decisions to the people with the information. Practical habits for building initiative.
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Commercial book · 2011
Great by Choice: Uncertainty, Chaos, and Luck—Why Some Thrive Despite Them All
Jim Collins and Morten T. Hansen
Leadership and organizations (civilian)
How organizations perform in chaotic conditions; discipline, empirical creativity and productive paranoia.
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Catalog record for Great by Choice: Uncertainty, Chaos, and Luck—Why Some Thrive Despite Them All (opens in a new tab)
Commercial book · 2011
Thinking, Fast and Slow
Daniel Kahneman
Decision-making
The biases that creep into course-of-action comparison and wargaming, and how to check for them.
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Catalog record for Thinking, Fast and Slow (opens in a new tab)
Commercial book · 2011
Transforming Command: The Pursuit of Mission Command in the U.S., British, and Israeli Armies
Eitan Shamir
Mission command and leadership
Why armies struggle to practice mission command even when doctrine requires it.
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Novel · 2010
Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War
Karl Marlantes
Tactics and small units
A novel of a Marine company in Vietnam; leadership, bad orders and moral choices.
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Commercial book · 2009
The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right
Atul Gawande
Decision-making
How checklists reduce errors in complex work; directly useful for pre-combat checks and rehearsals.
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Commercial book · 2007
The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable
Nassim Nicholas Taleb
Decision-making
Rare, high-impact events and the limits of prediction; a challenge to confident assumptions.
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Commercial book · 2007
The Day of Battle: The War in Sicily and Italy, 1943–1944
Rick Atkinson
Campaign history
The second volume of the Liberation Trilogy; joint and coalition operations in difficult terrain.
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Commercial book · 2006
Cobra II: The Inside Story of the Invasion and Occupation of Iraq
Michael R. Gordon and Bernard E. Trainor
Campaign history
The 2003 campaign plan and its unexamined assumptions about the post-war phase.
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Commercial book · 2006
Fiasco: The American Military Adventure in Iraq
Thomas E. Ricks
Campaign history
The planning and early conduct of the Iraq war; assumptions, transition planning and their consequences.
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Commercial book · 2005
Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln
Doris Kearns Goodwin
Leadership and organizations (civilian)
How Lincoln led a cabinet of former rivals; leading people who disagree with you.
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Commercial book · 2002
Boyd: The Fighter Pilot Who Changed the Art of War
Robert Coram
Decision-making
The story behind the OODA loop and tempo-based thinking that shapes modern air and maneuver doctrine.
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Commercial book · 2002
Learning to Eat Soup with a Knife: Counterinsurgency Lessons from Malaya and Vietnam
John A. Nagl
Mission command and leadership
How armies learn, or fail to learn, during war; organizational adaptation under pressure.
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Catalog record for Learning to Eat Soup with a Knife: Counterinsurgency Lessons from Malaya and Vietnam (opens in a new tab)
Commercial book · 2002
Supreme Command: Soldiers, Statesmen, and Leadership in Wartime
Eliot A. Cohen
Strategy and policy
Lincoln, Clemenceau, Churchill and Ben-Gurion and their generals; civil-military relations in practice.
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Commercial book · 2001
Managing the Unexpected: Sustained Performance in a Complex World
Karl E. Weick and Kathleen M. Sutcliffe
Decision-making
How high-reliability organizations notice and respond to small failures before they grow.
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Commercial book · 2000
Failure Is Not an Option: Mission Control from Mercury to Apollo 13 and Beyond
Gene Kranz
Mission command and leadership
A flight director's account of building disciplined, rehearsed teams for high-risk operations.
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Commercial book · 1999
Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War
Mark Bowden
Tactics and small units
Mogadishu, 1993, minute by minute; command and control, convoys and coordination when the plan breaks.
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Commercial book · 1999
Unrestricted Warfare
Qiao Liang and Wang Xiangsui
Multi-domain and future war
Two Chinese officers on combining military and non-military means; essential to understanding competition below armed conflict.
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Commercial book · 1997
The Innovator's Dilemma: When New Technologies Cause Great Firms to Fail
Clayton M. Christensen
Leadership and organizations (civilian)
Why successful organizations miss disruptive change; a lens for military innovation.
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Commercial book · 1993
Crusade: The Untold Story of the Persian Gulf War
Rick Atkinson
Campaign history
The Gulf War from the coalition command to the field; coalition planning and execution.
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Commercial book · 1992
Band of Brothers
Stephen E. Ambrose
Tactics and small units
One parachute infantry company from training to the end of the war; small-unit leadership and cohesion.
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Commercial book · 1992
Young Men and Fire
Norman Maclean
Decision-making
The 1949 Mann Gulch fire that killed thirteen smokejumpers; a classic study of leadership and sensemaking in a crisis.
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Commercial book · 1991
Winning the Next War: Innovation and the Modern Military
Stephen Peter Rosen
Multi-domain and future war
How militaries innovate in peace and war; the role of senior leaders and career paths.
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Commercial book · 1990
The Art of Wargaming: A Guide for Professionals and Hobbyists
Peter P. Perla
Decision-making
The standard guide to designing and using wargames for analysis and education.
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Commercial book · 1990
The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization
Peter M. Senge
Leadership and organizations (civilian)
Systems thinking and organizational learning; useful background for AARs and adaptation.
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Commercial book · 1988
A Bright Shining Lie: John Paul Vann and America in Vietnam
Neil Sheehan
Campaign history
Vietnam through one adviser's career; assessment, reporting and self-deception.
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Commercial book · 1988
Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era
James M. McPherson
Campaign history
The standard one-volume history of the Civil War and its causes.
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Commercial book · 1987
The Mask of Command
John Keegan
Mission command and leadership
Alexander, Wellington, Grant and Hitler compared; what commanders must show and do.
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Commercial book · 1986
Makers of Modern Strategy: From Machiavelli to the Nuclear Age
Peter Paret (editor)
Strategy and policy
Essays on the thinkers who shaped strategy; a standard reference for professional military education.
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Commercial book · 1984
The March of Folly: From Troy to Vietnam
Barbara W. Tuchman
Strategy and policy
Why governments pursue policies against their own interests; useful for challenging groupthink in planning.
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Commercial book · 1982
Fighting Power: German and U.S. Army Performance, 1939–1945
Martin van Creveld
Mission command and leadership
Why organization, personnel and command culture made one army more effective than another.
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Commercial book · 1981
With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa
E. B. Sledge
Tactics and small units
A Marine mortarman's memoir of the Pacific; what close combat demands of soldiers and their leaders.
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Commercial book · 1977
Supplying War: Logistics from Wallenstein to Patton
Martin van Creveld
Campaign history
Logistics as the real limit on operations; useful for sustainment planning and feasibility checks.
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Commercial book · 1976
The Face of Battle
John Keegan
Campaign history
Agincourt, Waterloo and the Somme from the soldier's view; how to study what battle is actually like.
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Novel · 1974
The Killer Angels
Michael Shaara
Campaign history
A novel of Gettysburg told through its commanders; a classic for discussing intent, initiative and the cost of decisions.
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Commercial book · 1969
Thirteen Days: A Memoir of the Cuban Missile Crisis
Robert F. Kennedy
Decision-making
A short insider account of crisis decision making, options and deliberate restraint.
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Novel · 1968
Once an Eagle
Anton Myrer
Mission command and leadership
A novel that follows two officers' opposite careers across two world wars; a long-standing Army discussion book on character and command.
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Commercial book · 1964
Counterinsurgency Warfare: Theory and Practice
David Galula
Strategy and policy
A short, practical theory of counterinsurgency by a French officer who practiced it.
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Commercial book · 1959
Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage
Alfred Lansing
Leadership and organizations (civilian)
Shackleton's expedition and how he kept his crew alive; leadership when the plan has failed.
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Commercial book · 1948
Crusade in Europe
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Mission command and leadership
The supreme commander's account of coalition command, planning for Overlord and the campaign in Europe.
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Commercial book · 1937
Infantry Attacks
Erwin Rommel
Tactics and small units
Small-unit lessons from the First World War written by a junior officer; still used to teach initiative and terrain.
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Public-domain book · c. 400 BC
History of the Peloponnesian War
Thucydides
Strategy and policy
The founding text of strategic history; fear, honor and interest in war between great powers.
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Read free (public domain) for History of the Peloponnesian War (opens in a new tab)
Novel · 2021
2034: A Novel of the Next World War
Elliot Ackerman and James Stavridis
Multi-domain and future war
A novel of a U.S.–China war that begins with cyber and space effects.
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Commercial book · 2021
Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know
Adam Grant
Decision-making
Rethinking and updating views; useful for reframing.
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Commercial book · 2019
Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World
David Epstein
Leadership and organizations (civilian)
Why breadth of experience helps in unpredictable, wicked problems.
think
Catalog record for Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World (opens in a new tab)
Commercial book · 2019
Sailing True North: Ten Admirals and the Voyage of Character
James Stavridis
Mission command and leadership
Character and leadership through ten admirals' lives.
think
Catalog record for Sailing True North: Ten Admirals and the Voyage of Character (opens in a new tab)
Commercial book · 2019
The British Are Coming: The War for America, Lexington to Princeton, 1775–1777
Rick Atkinson
Campaign history
The opening of the Revolutionary War, with Washington's learning as a commander.
think
Catalog record for The British Are Coming: The War for America, Lexington to Princeton, 1775–1777 (opens in a new tab)
Commercial book · 2018
Army of None: Autonomous Weapons and the Future of War
Paul Scharre
Multi-domain and future war
Autonomy, human judgment, and risk; a foundation for any discussion of drones and AI in the kill chain.
think
Catalog record for Army of None: Autonomous Weapons and the Future of War (opens in a new tab)
Commercial book · 2018
Churchill: Walking with Destiny
Andrew Roberts
Leadership and organizations (civilian)
A one-volume biography of Churchill as war leader.
think
Catalog record for Churchill: Walking with Destiny (opens in a new tab)
Commercial book · 2018
Leaders: Myth and Reality
Stanley McChrystal, Jeff Eggers and Jason Mangone
Mission command and leadership
Thirteen leaders profiled to test common ideas about leadership.
think
Catalog record for Leaders: Myth and Reality (opens in a new tab)
Novel · 2015
Ghost Fleet: A Novel of the Next World War
P. W. Singer and August Cole
Multi-domain and future war
Fiction that shows what losing space, cyber, and networks feels like. Good for discussing a PACE plan.
think
Catalog record for Ghost Fleet: A Novel of the Next World War (opens in a new tab)
Commercial book · 2014
Countdown to Zero Day: Stuxnet and the Launch of the World's First Digital Weapon
Kim Zetter
Multi-domain and future war
The Stuxnet operation investigated in detail; a cyber effect against physical systems.
think
Catalog record for Countdown to Zero Day: Stuxnet and the Launch of the World's First Digital Weapon (opens in a new tab)
Commercial book · 2013
My Share of the Task: A Memoir
Stanley McChrystal
Mission command and leadership
McChrystal's career, including building the joint special operations task force network.
thinkexecute
Catalog record for My Share of the Task: A Memoir (opens in a new tab)
Commercial book · 2012
Eisenhower in War and Peace
Jean Edward Smith
Mission command and leadership
A biography covering Eisenhower's command and presidency.
think
Catalog record for Eisenhower in War and Peace (opens in a new tab)
Commercial book · 2012
It Worked for Me: In Life and Leadership
Colin Powell and Tony Koltz
Mission command and leadership
Short lessons on leadership and decision making from Powell's career.
think
Catalog record for It Worked for Me: In Life and Leadership (opens in a new tab)
Commercial book · 2011
Command Culture: Officer Education in the U.S. Army and the German Armed Forces, 1901–1940
Jörg Muth
Mission command and leadership
How professional education shapes whether leaders take initiative. Useful for anyone designing training.
think
Catalog record for Command Culture: Officer Education in the U.S. Army and the German Armed Forces, 1901–1940 (opens in a new tab)
Commercial book · 2010
Cyber War: The Next Threat to National Security and What to Do About It
Richard A. Clarke and Robert K. Knake
Multi-domain and future war
An early, readable account of cyber conflict and national vulnerability.
think
Catalog record for Cyber War: The Next Threat to National Security and What to Do About It (opens in a new tab)
Commercial book · 2010
War
Sebastian Junger
Tactics and small units
A year with an infantry platoon in the Korengal valley; cohesion and fear.
execute
Catalog record for War (opens in a new tab)
Commercial book · 2009
The Gamble: General David Petraeus and the American Military Adventure in Iraq, 2006–2008
Thomas E. Ricks
Campaign history
The surge and the change in approach in Iraq.
thinkexecute
Catalog record for The Gamble: General David Petraeus and the American Military Adventure in Iraq, 2006–2008 (opens in a new tab)
Commercial book · 2007
How to Measure Anything: Finding the Value of Intangibles in Business
Douglas W. Hubbard
Decision-making
Practical measurement under uncertainty; useful for assessment plans and measures of effectiveness.
plan
Catalog record for How to Measure Anything: Finding the Value of Intangibles in Business (opens in a new tab)
Commercial book · 2007
Science, Strategy and War: The Strategic Theory of John Boyd
Frans P. B. Osinga
Decision-making
The fullest academic treatment of Boyd's OODA loop and its sources.
think
Catalog record for Science, Strategy and War: The Strategic Theory of John Boyd (opens in a new tab)
Commercial book · 2006
Space Warfare: Strategy, Principles and Policy
John J. Klein
Multi-domain and future war
A maritime-style strategic framework applied to space.
think
Catalog record for Space Warfare: Strategy, Principles and Policy (opens in a new tab)
Commercial book · 2006
The Field Guide to Understanding 'Human Error'
Sidney Dekker
Decision-making
Why blaming individuals hides system causes; better incident and AAR analysis.
execute
Catalog record for The Field Guide to Understanding 'Human Error' (opens in a new tab)
Commercial book · 2004
Masters of Chaos: The Secret History of the Special Forces
Linda Robinson
Tactics and small units
Special Forces operations from the 1990s to Iraq; small teams working with partners.
thinkexecute
Catalog record for Masters of Chaos: The Secret History of the Special Forces (opens in a new tab)
Commercial book · 2004
The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History
John M. Barry
Leadership and organizations (civilian)
The 1918 pandemic and the leaders who responded well or badly; crisis leadership in homeland response.
thinkexecute
Catalog record for The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History (opens in a new tab)
Commercial book · 2002
An Army at Dawn: The War in North Africa, 1942–1943
Rick Atkinson
Campaign history
An unready Army learns large-scale combat the hard way. Read for planning, sustainment, and command lessons.
planprepareexecute
Catalog record for An Army at Dawn: The War in North Africa, 1942–1943 (opens in a new tab)
Commercial book · 2002
Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High
Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan and Al Switzler
Leadership and organizations (civilian)
Practical techniques for difficult conversations; useful for counseling and candid AARs.
prepare
Catalog record for Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High (opens in a new tab)
Commercial book · 2002
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable
Patrick Lencioni
Leadership and organizations (civilian)
A short fable about trust, conflict, commitment, accountability and results in a leadership team.
prepare
Catalog record for The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable (opens in a new tab)
Commercial book · 2001
Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't
Jim Collins
Leadership and organizations (civilian)
Research on organizations that sustained improvement; disciplined people, thought and action.
think
Catalog record for Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't (opens in a new tab)
Commercial book · 1999
A Better War: The Unexamined Victories and Final Tragedy of America's Last Years in Vietnam
Lewis Sorley
Campaign history
The war under Abrams after 1968; a contested but useful argument about changing approach.
think
Catalog record for A Better War: The Unexamined Victories and Final Tragedy of America's Last Years in Vietnam (opens in a new tab)
Commercial book · 1999
Modern Strategy
Colin S. Gray
Strategy and policy
A theory of strategy across land, sea, air, space and cyber; dense but foundational.
think
Catalog record for Modern Strategy (opens in a new tab)
Commercial book · 1997
Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mount Everest Disaster
Jon Krakauer
Decision-making
The 1996 Everest disaster; deadlines, escalation of commitment and leadership failures.
execute
Catalog record for Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mount Everest Disaster (opens in a new tab)
Commercial book · 1997
Rising Tide: The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 and How It Changed America
John M. Barry
Leadership and organizations (civilian)
A disaster that reshaped government response; relevant to Guard domestic operations.
think
Catalog record for Rising Tide: The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 and How It Changed America (opens in a new tab)
Commercial book · 1996
Bombing to Win: Air Power and Coercion in War
Robert A. Pape
Multi-domain and future war
When air power coerces and when it fails; a check on claims for any single domain.
think
Catalog record for Bombing to Win: Air Power and Coercion in War (opens in a new tab)
Commercial book · 1996
Military Innovation in the Interwar Period
Williamson Murray and Allan R. Millett (editors)
Campaign history
Why some armies adapted to new technology between the world wars and others did not. Direct parallels to today.
think
Catalog record for Military Innovation in the Interwar Period (opens in a new tab)
Commercial book · 1995
Patton: A Genius for War
Carlo D'Este
Mission command and leadership
A full biography of a complicated, aggressive commander.
think
Catalog record for Patton: A Genius for War (opens in a new tab)
Commercial book · 1995
The Generals' War: The Inside Story of the Conflict in the Gulf
Michael R. Gordon and Bernard E. Trainor
Campaign history
The Gulf War seen from the planners and commanders, including disagreements.
thinkplan
Catalog record for The Generals' War: The Inside Story of the Conflict in the Gulf (opens in a new tab)
Commercial book · 1994
Achilles in Vietnam: Combat Trauma and the Undoing of Character
Jonathan Shay
Mission command and leadership
A psychiatrist reads the Iliad beside Vietnam veterans' accounts; leadership, betrayal of trust and moral injury.
think
Catalog record for Achilles in Vietnam: Combat Trauma and the Undoing of Character (opens in a new tab)
Commercial book · 1994
Lost Moon: The Perilous Voyage of Apollo 13
Jim Lovell and Jeffrey Kluger
Decision-making
The Apollo 13 crisis; ground and crew problem solving under time pressure.
execute
Catalog record for Lost Moon: The Perilous Voyage of Apollo 13 (opens in a new tab)
Commercial book · 1994
Skunk Works: A Personal Memoir of My Years at Lockheed
Ben R. Rich and Leo Janos
Multi-domain and future war
How small, empowered teams built the U-2, SR-71 and stealth aircraft; innovation under constraint.
think
Catalog record for Skunk Works: A Personal Memoir of My Years at Lockheed (opens in a new tab)
Commercial book · 1993
Certain Victory: The U.S. Army in the Gulf War
Robert H. Scales
Campaign history
The Army's own account of Desert Storm and the reforms that preceded it.
thinkplan
Catalog record for Certain Victory: The U.S. Army in the Gulf War (opens in a new tab)
Commercial book · 1984
Normal Accidents: Living with High-Risk Technologies
Charles Perrow
Decision-making
Why tightly coupled, complex systems fail; background for risk management.
think
Catalog record for Normal Accidents: Living with High-Risk Technologies (opens in a new tab)
Commercial book · 1977
A Genius for War: The German Army and General Staff, 1807–1945
T. N. Dupuy
Mission command and leadership
How the German general staff institutionalized excellence; read with the debates it provoked.
thinkplan
Catalog record for A Genius for War: The German Army and General Staff, 1807–1945 (opens in a new tab)
Commercial book · 1963
George C. Marshall: Education of a General, 1880–1939
Forrest C. Pogue
Mission command and leadership
The first volume of the authorized biography; how Marshall's career prepared him for wartime leadership.
think
Catalog record for George C. Marshall: Education of a General, 1880–1939 (opens in a new tab)
Commercial book · 1963
This Kind of War: A Study in Unpreparedness
T. R. Fehrenbach
Campaign history
Korea, 1950: what happens when training, rehearsal, and readiness are neglected.
preparerehearseexecute
Catalog record for This Kind of War: A Study in Unpreparedness (opens in a new tab)
Commercial book · 1954
Strategy
B. H. Liddell Hart
Strategy and policy
The indirect approach argued through historical campaigns; read beside its critics.
think
Catalog record for Strategy (opens in a new tab)
Commercial book · 1947
Company Commander
Charles B. MacDonald
Tactics and small units
A first-person account of leading a rifle company in 1944–45; decisions under fatigue, cold, and uncertainty.
execute
Catalog record for Company Commander (opens in a new tab)
Commercial book · 1947
Men Against Fire: The Problem of Battle Command
S. L. A. Marshall
Tactics and small units
Influential and contested study of soldiers in combat. Read it with the later critiques of Marshall's methods.
execute
Catalog record for Men Against Fire: The Problem of Battle Command (opens in a new tab)
Commercial book · 1946
Small Unit Actions
U.S. War Department Historical Division
Tactics and small units
Four Second World War company and platoon actions reconstructed from interviews; short, concrete tactical case studies.
planexecute
Catalog record for Small Unit Actions (opens in a new tab)
Commercial book · 1942
Lee's Lieutenants: A Study in Command
Douglas Southall Freeman
Mission command and leadership
A three-volume study of the Army of Northern Virginia's subordinate commanders and their relationships.
think
Catalog record for Lee's Lieutenants: A Study in Command (opens in a new tab)
Commercial book · 1926
Seven Pillars of Wisdom
T. E. Lawrence
Campaign history
Lawrence's account of the Arab Revolt; working with partner forces and irregular war.
think
Catalog record for Seven Pillars of Wisdom (opens in a new tab)
Commercial book · 1921
The Command of the Air
Giulio Douhet
Multi-domain and future war
The early theory of air power and its claims; read with the history that tested them.
think
Catalog record for The Command of the Air (opens in a new tab)
Commercial book · 1920
Storm of Steel
Ernst Jünger
Tactics and small units
A German storm-troop officer's First World War diary; the texture of trench and infiltration warfare.
execute
Catalog record for Storm of Steel (opens in a new tab)
Public-domain book · 1911
Some Principles of Maritime Strategy
Julian S. Corbett
Strategy and policy
Corbett's maritime strategy, with its emphasis on joint action and limited war.
think
Read free (public domain) for Some Principles of Maritime Strategy (opens in a new tab)
Public-domain book · 1910
The Art of War
Sun Tzu (Lionel Giles translation)
Decision-making
Deception, knowing the enemy, and winning before fighting. Short enough for one professional-development session.
thinkplan
Read free (public domain) for The Art of War (opens in a new tab)
Public-domain book · 1890
The Influence of Sea Power upon History, 1660–1783
Alfred Thayer Mahan
Strategy and policy
Mahan's argument for sea power and its influence on national strategy.
think
Read free (public domain) for The Influence of Sea Power upon History, 1660–1783 (opens in a new tab)
Public-domain book · 1838
The Art of War
Antoine-Henri Jomini
Strategy and policy
The nineteenth century's most read theorist of operations, lines of operation and decisive points.
plan
Read free (public domain) for The Art of War (opens in a new tab)
Public-domain book · 1832
On War
Carl von Clausewitz
Decision-making
Friction, chance, and the fog of war. The free copy is the older Graham translation; the Howard and Paret translation is easier to read.
think
Read free (public domain) for On War (opens in a new tab)
Commercial book · 1645
The Book of Five Rings
Miyamoto Musashi
Decision-making
A swordsman's treatise on strategy, timing and adapting to the opponent.
think
Catalog record for The Book of Five Rings (opens in a new tab)
Public-domain book · 1532
The Prince
Niccolò Machiavelli
Strategy and policy
A short, blunt treatise on power and statecraft.
think
Read free (public domain) for The Prince (opens in a new tab)

A supplementary list chosen for this site, not an official Army professional reading list. Each title was checked against its library catalog record (Open Library) or, for new titles not yet catalogued, the publisher or retailer listing. Novels are labeled. Listing a book does not mean the Army, DoD, any National Guard organization or the author endorses this site. Back to the Library