Greatest Military Books of All Time

Some of those who've never experienced the military life want to know what it feels like, how it was, and every aspect of the journey helping our country. Sometimes, not every film or every novel can cover enough of the answers to our questions — there's definitely a lot when it comes to the military. The training, the actual fighting, socialization, and even military traditions are fascinating. Almost every single solider in the military has a different feeling and approach to their experiences. That's why there's so many amazing documentaries and books based on these soldiers and what they went though. Like these Navy SEAL movies.

For us, we can get a feel on how the military is through stories. There are tons of books out there that perfectly describe the situations these soldiers went through, their emotions, the vicious people they dealt with, and the fear and courage of going into battle. If you want a peek into the life of a military soldier, read some the greatest military books of all time and place yourself in their combat boots.

This book tells the powerful story of COP Keating through from its establishment to its total destruction — leading us to a cast of heroic soldiers and their loved ones. Tapper shows readers the journey of a solider through war that had remained distant to most Americans — making it an easy bestseller and one of the greatest military books of all time.

His novel On Killing is a landmark study of the techniques the military uses to conquer the reluctance to kill, how killing can affect a solider, and the societal implications of violence. Grossman recently updated the information from his classic work to dealwith the 21st Century military incidents and conflicts involving trends in crime, suicide bombings, school shootings, and other current tragic events. This book is one of the better military books of all time and can definitely be put to good use.

One Bullet Away tells the story of Fick’s journey as a young marine. He reveals the pressure, stress, and fear during combat. During The Iraq War, Fick led 22 Marines into the deadliest situation since Vietnam, vowing to bring all of his men back home safely. This book shows the process that makes Marine officers heroic and legendary leaders — sharing insights into the differences between military ideals and military practice.

This book is true military history straight from the battlefield. It explains the experience through a solider’s “point of maximum danger,” without any myths, rhetoric, or other false information. Clearly, Keegan has written one of the greatest military books of all time. He describes three battles from three diverse time periods — managing to express each experience from each soldier during combat.

Burton tells a tale from the late 60s to the mid 80s, about a small band of military activists who waged war against the corruption in the Pentagon. They were challenging a system that they believed would completely waste the public’s money and even their trust. His book digs deep into the movement and its advocates, describing how the system reacted to all the criticisms and efforts to change the accepted practices and well established ways of thinking. Read the book to find out all the details on military policy-making, weapon development, and procurement.

The Art of War is based on an ancient Chinese military treatise that is attributed to Tzu, a high-ranking military general. The book reveals his strategies and tactics. While all of the chapters are devoted to one aspect of warfare, it’s thought as one of the definitive works on military strategy and tactics. As one of the greatest military books of all time, it also had influence on the Eastern and Western military thinking, business tactics, legal strategy, and much more.

One of the bestselling military books of all time, Flyboys, tells an amazing true story about young American airmen who were shot down over Chichi Jima. All eight of the young men were then captured by the Japanese and taken in as prisoners. However, what really happened to the eight prisoners has remained a secret for nearly 60 years. Once the war between America and Japan was over, the governments conspired to cover up the shocking truth. The families of those young men weren’t aware of what happened — it all remained a mystery — until now. Read the book to see what else happens.

One of the greatest military books of all time, The Good Soldiers, details the new strategy that President George W. Bush announced for Iraq in January, 2007. It was known as “the surge” and among those listening to Bush were the young, optimistic army infantry solider's of the 2-16. They were headed to a dangerous area of Baghdad where they decided the difference would be them. Then, 15 months later, the soldiers returned home — and everything changed. Read the book to see what happens next.

Shadow Warriors revolves around history, biography, the practice of leadership, and old-fashioned storytelling. Carl Stiner, the second commander of SOCOM, the U.S. Special Operations Command and Tom Clancy bring information on the Special Forces from the outsiders of the 50s through the cauldron of Vietnam to the rebirth of the Special Forces in the late 80s and 90s — leading into the new century and detailing some of the most complex missions military history.

This book shares the story of the First Battalion, Seventh Cavalry, under the command of Lt. Col. Harold Moore. Immediately they were surrounded by 2,000 North Vietnam solider's. Three days later, only two and a half miles away, a sister battalion was brutally slaughtered and together, these actions from landing zones X-Ray and Albany constituted one of the most brutal and significant battles during the Vietnam War — making this book one of the greatest military books of all time.