Best Non-fiction War Books (540 books)

Best Non-fiction War Books

List of most compelling nonfiction books about war.

1	Band of Brothers: E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler's Eagle's Nest by Stephen E. Ambrose 4.4 of 5 stars 4.40 avg rating — 27,547 ratings score: 11,789, and 119 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
2	Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War by Mark Bowden 4.24 of 5 stars 4.24 avg rating — 19,443 ratings score: 10,030, and 102 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
3	Flags of Our Fathers by James Bradley 4.18 of 5 stars 4.18 avg rating — 15,308 ratings score: 6,388, and 66 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
4	With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa by Eugene B. Sledge 4.39 of 5 stars 4.39 avg rating — 6,792 ratings score: 5,489, and 56 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
5	We Were Soldiers Once... and Young: Ia Drang - The Battle That Changed the War in Vietnam by Harold G. Moore 4.23 of 5 stars 4.23 avg rating — 8,026 ratings score: 5,132, and 53 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
6	Longest Day: The Classic Epic of D Day by Cornelius Ryan 4.29 of 5 stars 4.29 avg rating — 5,490 ratings score: 4,805, and 50 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
7	A Bridge Too Far by Cornelius Ryan 4.19 of 5 stars 4.19 avg rating — 6,057 ratings score: 4,729, and 49 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
8	The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany by William L. Shirer 4.12 of 5 stars 4.12 avg rating — 23,487 ratings score: 4,623, and 48 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
9	Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10 by Marcus Luttrell 4.3 of 5 stars 4.30 avg rating — 14,437 ratings score: 4,582, and 47 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
10	The Guns of August by Barbara W. Tuchman 4.22 of 5 stars 4.22 avg rating — 11,523 ratings score: 4,579, and 48 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
11	Stalingrad: The Fateful Siege, 1942-1943 by Antony Beevor 4.29 of 5 stars 4.29 avg rating — 7,679 ratings score: 4,281, and 44 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
12	Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand 4.45 of 5 stars 4.45 avg rating — 131,860 ratings score: 4,136, and 42 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
13	Citizen Soldiers: The U S Army from the Normandy Beaches to the Bulge to the Surrender of Germany by Stephen E. Ambrose 4.14 of 5 stars 4.14 avg rating — 7,968 ratings score: 3,766, and 39 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
14	Generation Kill by Evan Wright (Goodreads Author) 4.21 of 5 stars 4.21 avg rating — 6,274 ratings score: 3,605, and 37 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
15	Ghost Soldiers: The Epic Account of World War II's Greatest Rescue Mission by Hampton Sides 4.2 of 5 stars 4.20 avg rating — 9,641 ratings score: 3,591, and 37 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
16	D-Day, June 6, 1944: The Battle for the Normandy Beaches by Stephen E. Ambrose 4.23 of 5 stars 4.23 avg rating — 9,338 ratings score: 3,587, and 38 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
17	The Fall of Berlin 1945 by Antony Beevor 4.23 of 5 stars 4.23 avg rating — 3,908 ratings score: 3,219, and 34 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
18	Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era by James M. McPherson 4.36 of 5 stars 4.36 avg rating — 8,349 ratings score: 3,173, and 33 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
19	The Art of War by Sun Tzu 3.9 of 5 stars 3.90 avg rating — 68,553 ratings score: 3,046, and 32 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
20	The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank 4.04 of 5 stars 4.04 avg rating — 902,820 ratings score: 2,999, and 32 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
21	The Forgotten Soldier by Guy Sajer 4.34 of 5 stars 4.34 avg rating — 2,246 ratings score: 2,912, and 30 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
22	Dispatches by Michael Herr 4.24 of 5 stars 4.24 avg rating — 4,637 ratings score: 2,854, and 30 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
23	Flyboys: A True Story of Courage by James Bradley 4.09 of 5 stars 4.09 avg rating — 5,886 ratings score: 2,741, and 29 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
24	War by Sebastian Junger (Goodreads Author) 4.18 of 5 stars 4.18 avg rating — 7,215 ratings score: 2,689, and 28 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
25	Jarhead: A Marine's Chronicle of the Gulf War and Other Battles by Anthony Swofford 3.55 of 5 stars 3.55 avg rating — 4,653 ratings score: 2,633, and 28 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
26	1776 by David McCullough 4.06 of 5 stars 4.06 avg rating — 51,229 ratings score: 2,581, and 28 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
27	The First World War by John Keegan 3.95 of 5 stars 3.95 avg rating — 3,856 ratings score: 2,307, and 25 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
28	The Rape of Nanking by Iris Chang 4.03 of 5 stars 4.03 avg rating — 7,316 ratings score: 2,226, and 24 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
29	Enemy at the Gates: The Battle for Stalingrad by William Craig 4.16 of 5 stars 4.16 avg rating — 3,015 ratings score: 2,195, and 23 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
30	A Rumor Of War by Philip Caputo (Goodreads Author) 4.1 of 5 stars 4.10 avg rating — 4,010 ratings score: 2,126, and 23 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
31	Hiroshima by John Hersey 3.85 of 5 stars 3.85 avg rating — 17,640 ratings score: 2,050, and 22 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
32	Undaunted Courage: The Pioneering First Mission to Explore America's Wild Frontier by Stephen E. Ambrose 4.19 of 5 stars 4.19 avg rating — 16,704 ratings score: 2,019, and 22 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
33	Goodbye to All That by Robert Graves 4.07 of 5 stars 4.07 avg rating — 3,188 ratings score: 1,964, and 21 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
34	An Army at Dawn: The War in North Africa, 1942-1943 by Rick Atkinson 4.23 of 5 stars 4.23 avg rating — 4,309 ratings score: 1,897, and 20 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
35	Night (The Night Trilogy, #1) by Elie Wiesel 4.25 of 5 stars 4.25 avg rating — 321,098 ratings score: 1,892, and 20 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
36	The Face of Battle by John Keegan 4.2 of 5 stars 4.20 avg rating — 2,443 ratings score: 1,727, and 19 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
37	Meantime: The Aesthetics of Soldiering by Stephen Paul Register (Goodreads Author) 4.72 of 5 stars 4.72 avg rating — 39 ratings score: 1,700, and 17 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
38	The Civil War: A Narrative by Shelby Foote 4.6 of 5 stars 4.60 avg rating — 3,028 ratings score: 1,615, and 18 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
39	The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors: The Extraordinary World War II Story of the U.S. Navy's Finest Hour by James D. Hornfischer 4.32 of 5 stars 4.32 avg rating — 1,939 ratings score: 1,504, and 16 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
40	Helmet for My Pillow by Robert Leckie 4.04 of 5 stars 4.04 avg rating — 3,184 ratings score: 1,503, and 16 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
41	Marine Sniper: 93 Confirmed Kills by Charles W. Henderson 4.18 of 5 stars 4.18 avg rating — 2,701 ratings score: 1,468, and 16 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
42	On Killing: The Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill in War and Society by Dave Grossman 4.15 of 5 stars 4.15 avg rating — 2,014 ratings score: 1,436, and 16 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
43	Retribution: The Battle for Japan, 1944-45 by Max Hastings 4.21 of 5 stars 4.21 avg rating — 822 ratings score: 1,400, and 15 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
44	Homage to Catalonia by George Orwell 4.14 of 5 stars 4.14 avg rating — 10,245 ratings score: 1,390, and 15 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
45	Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman by Jon Krakauer 3.99 of 5 stars 3.99 avg rating — 11,492 ratings score: 1,368, and 15 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
46	Storm of Steel by Ernst Jünger 3.96 of 5 stars 3.96 avg rating — 1,358 ratings score: 1,313, and 14 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
47	Goodbye, Darkness: A Memoir of the Pacific War by William Raymond Manchester 4.19 of 5 stars 4.19 avg rating — 1,690 ratings score: 1,309, and 15 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
48	In Harm's Way: The Sinking of the U.S.S. Indianapolis and the Extraordinary Story of Its Survivors by Doug Stanton 4.26 of 5 stars 4.26 avg rating — 4,477 ratings score: 1,291, and 14 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
49	The Great Escape by Paul Brickhill 4.18 of 5 stars 4.18 avg rating — 1,982 ratings score: 1,251, and 14 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
50	Chickenhawk by Robert Mason (Goodreads Author) 4.21 of 5 stars 4.21 avg rating — 2,030 ratings score: 1,190, and 13 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
51	The Greatest Generation by Tom Brokaw 3.92 of 5 stars 3.92 avg rating — 6,160 ratings score: 1,165, and 13 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
52	Beyond Band of Brothers: The War Memoirs of Major Dick Winters by Dick Winters 4.16 of 5 stars 4.16 avg rating — 3,752 ratings score: 1,112, and 12 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
53	The Forever War by Dexter Filkins 4.26 of 5 stars 4.26 avg rating — 3,497 ratings score: 1,080, and 12 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
54	Bravo Two Zero by Andy McNab 3.98 of 5 stars 3.98 avg rating — 3,445 ratings score: 1,058, and 11 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
55	The Wild Blue: The Men and Boys Who Flew the B-24s Over Germany 1944-45 by Stephen E. Ambrose 3.82 of 5 stars 3.82 avg rating — 2,710 ratings score: 1,037, and 11 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
56	A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th Century by Barbara W. Tuchman 4.15 of 5 stars 4.15 avg rating — 9,594 ratings score: 1,008, and 12 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
57	The Longest Winter: The Battle of the Bulge and the Epic Story of World War II's Most Decorated Platoon by Alex Kershaw (Goodreads Author) 4.08 of 5 stars 4.08 avg rating — 1,234 ratings score: 996, and 11 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
58	Armageddon: The Battle for Germany, 1944-1945 by Max Hastings 4.21 of 5 stars 4.21 avg rating — 1,713 ratings score: 974, and 11 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
59	Easy Company Soldier: The Endless Combat of a Sergeant from World War II's "Band of Brothers" by Don Malarkey 4.15 of 5 stars 4.15 avg rating — 859 ratings score: 964, and 11 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
60	The Coldest Winter: America and the Korean War by David Halberstam 4.19 of 5 stars 4.19 avg rating — 2,231 ratings score: 960, and 11 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
61	In The Company Of Heroes by Michael J. Durant 4.17 of 5 stars 4.17 avg rating — 1,485 ratings score: 946, and 11 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
62	Seven Pillars of Wisdom: A Triumph by T.E. Lawrence 4.0 of 5 stars 4.00 avg rating — 2,218 ratings score: 898, and 10 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
63	The History of the Peloponnesian War by Thucydides 3.82 of 5 stars 3.82 avg rating — 10,843 ratings score: 884, and 10 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
64	One Bullet Away: The Making of a Marine Officer by Nathaniel Fick 4.11 of 5 stars 4.11 avg rating — 2,888 ratings score: 881, and 9 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
65	The Day of Battle: The War in Sicily and Italy, 1943-1944 by Rick Atkinson 4.3 of 5 stars 4.30 avg rating — 2,485 ratings score: 876, and 10 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
66	To Hell and Back by Audie Murphy 4.12 of 5 stars 4.12 avg rating — 1,324 ratings score: 859, and 10 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
66	The Conquest of Gaul by Julius Caesar 3.87 of 5 stars 3.87 avg rating — 2,587 ratings score: 859, and 10 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
68	Survival in Auschwitz by Primo Levi 4.25 of 5 stars 4.25 avg rating — 13,504 ratings score: 843, and 10 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
69	Tears in the Darkness: The Story of the Bataan Death March and Its Aftermath by Michael Norman 4.18 of 5 stars 4.18 avg rating — 855 ratings score: 787, and 9 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
70	Dreadnought by Robert K. Massie 4.3 of 5 stars 4.30 avg rating — 1,812 ratings score: 780, and 9 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
71	Horse Soldiers: The Extraordinary Story of a Band of US Soldiers Who Rode to Victory in Afghanistan by Doug Stanton 4.03 of 5 stars 4.03 avg rating — 1,863 ratings score: 759, and 8 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
72	The Second World War by John Keegan 4.03 of 5 stars 4.03 avg rating — 1,749 ratings score: 756, and 9 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
73	None of Us Were Like This Before: American Soldiers and Torture by Joshua E.S. Phillips 4.05 of 5 stars 4.05 avg rating — 59 ratings score: 753, and 8 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
74	If I Die in a Combat Zone: Box Me Up and Ship Me Home by Tim O'Brien 3.9 of 5 stars 3.90 avg rating — 3,268 ratings score: 740, and 8 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
75	The Pianist by Władysław Szpilman 4.25 of 5 stars 4.25 avg rating — 13,954 ratings score: 725, and 8 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
76	The Last True Story I'll Ever Tell: An Accidental Soldier's Account of the War in Iraq by John Crawford 3.67 of 5 stars 3.67 avg rating — 997 ratings score: 718, and 8 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
77	Fiasco: The American Military Adventure in Iraq by Thomas E. Ricks 4.08 of 5 stars 4.08 avg rating — 2,673 ratings score: 713, and 9 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
78	Hell In A Very Small Place: The Siege Of Dien Bien Phu by Bernard B. Fall 4.33 of 5 stars 4.33 avg rating — 418 ratings score: 702, and 8 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
79	Memoirs and Selected Letters (Library of America #50) by Ulysses S. Grant 4.29 of 5 stars 4.29 avg rating — 906 ratings score: 695, and 8 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
80	Gallipoli by Alan Moorehead 3.88 of 5 stars 3.88 avg rating — 222 ratings score: 677, and 7 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
81	The Heart and the Fist: The Education of a Humanitarian, the Making of a Navy SEAL by Eric Greitens 4.15 of 5 stars 4.15 avg rating — 2,053 ratings score: 666, and 7 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
82	The Unforgiving Minute: A Soldier's Education by Craig M. Mullaney 4.0 of 5 stars 4.00 avg rating — 1,555 ratings score: 662, and 8 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
83	Washington's Crossing by David Hackett Fischer 4.18 of 5 stars 4.18 avg rating — 3,353 ratings score: 653, and 8 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
84	The Good Soldiers by David Finkel 4.24 of 5 stars 4.24 avg rating — 2,413 ratings score: 647, and 7 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
85	Landscape Turned Red: The Battle of Antietam by Stephen W. Sears 4.19 of 5 stars 4.19 avg rating — 1,105 ratings score: 639, and 7 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
86	Boyd: The Fighter Pilot Who Changed the Art of War by Robert Coram 4.36 of 5 stars 4.36 avg rating — 561 ratings score: 620, and 7 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
87	Shooter: The Autobiography of the Top-Ranked Marine Sniper by Jack Coughlin 3.84 of 5 stars 3.84 avg rating — 1,587 ratings score: 603, and 7 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
88	Ship of Ghosts: The Story of the USS Houston, FDR's Legendary Lost Cruiser, and the Epic Saga of Her Survivors by James D. Hornfischer 4.08 of 5 stars 4.08 avg rating — 453 ratings score: 584, and 7 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
89	The Last Stand of Fox Company: A True Story of U.S. Marines in Combat by Bob Drury 4.24 of 5 stars 4.24 avg rating — 404 ratings score: 583, and 7 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
90	Fighter by Len Deighton 3.88 of 5 stars 3.88 avg rating — 313 ratings score: 579, and 7 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
91	Battle Cry by Leon Uris 4.03 of 5 stars 4.03 avg rating — 3,559 ratings score: 572, and 7 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
92	Soldat: Reflections of a German Soldier, 1936-1949 by Siegfried Knappe 4.0 of 5 stars 4.00 avg rating — 384 ratings score: 540, and 6 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
93	The Price of Glory: Verdun 1916 by Alistair Horne 4.27 of 5 stars 4.27 avg rating — 607 ratings score: 539, and 7 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
94	Terrible Swift Sword by Bruce Catton 4.31 of 5 stars 4.31 avg rating — 605 ratings score: 533, and 6 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
95	The Coming Fury by Bruce Catton 4.26 of 5 stars 4.26 avg rating — 779 ratings score: 528, and 6 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
96	A Stillness at Appomattox: The Army of the Potomac Trilogy by Bruce Catton 4.34 of 5 stars 4.34 avg rating — 1,931 ratings score: 526, and 6 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
97	Chancellorsville by Stephen W. Sears 4.21 of 5 stars 4.21 avg rating — 380 ratings score: 516, and 7 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
98	Eye-Deep In Hell: Trench Warfare In World War I by John Ellis 3.88 of 5 stars 3.88 avg rating — 170 ratings score: 501, and 6 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
99	Escape From Davao: The Forgotten Story of the Most Daring Prison Break of the Pacific War by John D. Lukacs (Goodreads Author) 4.49 of 5 stars 4.49 avg rating — 259 ratings score: 500, and 5 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
100	Outlaw Platoon: Heroes, Renegades, Infidels, and the Brotherhood of War in Afghanistan by Sean Parnell 4.41 of 5 stars 4.41 avg rating — 938 ratings score: 497, and 5 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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540 books · 641 voters · list created September 18th, 2008 by Nostromo (votes) .

Tags: afghanistan, africa, best, book-biography, book-memoirs, cia, counter-insurgency, counter-terrorist, favorite, greenberets, history, iraq, literature, middle-east, military-intelligence, navyseals, non-fiction, nonfiction, nsa, religion, special-operations, teen, u-s-airforce-para-rescue, war, world-war

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People Who Voted On This List (641)

Nostromo
318 books
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2108 books
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Pat
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Comments (showing 1-29 of 29) (29 new)

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message 1: by Dr. Michael (last edited Jan 29, 2009 10:49am) (new)

Jan 29, 2009 10:47am

Goodbye to All That,Band of Brothers E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler's Eagle's Nest,Utah Beach The Amphibious Landing And Airborne Operations On D-Day, June 6, 1944,Omaha Beach D-Day, June 6, 1944,Masters of the Air America's Bomber Boys Who Fought the Air War Against Nazi Germany,Given Up for Dead America's Heroic Stand at Wake Island,Pacific Alamo The Battle for Wake Island,The Day of Battle The War in Sicily and Italy, 1943-1944,Citizen Soldiers The U. S. Army from the Normandy Beaches to the Bulge to the Surrender of Germany

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message 2: by Matt (new)

Feb 04, 2009 11:11pm

How I add a book to this list?

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message 3: by Dr. Michael (new)

Feb 05, 2009 06:29am

I don't know. I didn't start this list. I wanted to add the books in my post but didn't know how to do that either.

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message 4: by Rachel (last edited Mar 30, 2009 06:43pm) (new)

Mar 30, 2009 06:43pm

You add books to the list in the upper right corner.

It says "find/add books to list"

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message 5: by Nostromo (new)

Apr 01, 2009 04:35pm

I started the list to get book ideas. I intially thought it would be a list of books more akin to personal memoirs like Grant's, Caputo's and Grave's. But folks have added more history-type books, which is great. I have started reading and am enjoying McPherson's Battle Cry for Freedom based on reviews above. Many thanks - keep them coming.

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message 6: by Lisa (new)

Feb 22, 2010 01:24pm

both of the Rick Riordan books are fiction and shouldn't be on this list. They are good, but not in the proper category

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message 7: by Lisa (new)

Feb 22, 2010 01:26pm

Battle Cry of Freedom told me more about the Civil War in the Introduction than I learned from any other book.

It stated that prior to the Civil War, Harper's Weekly (THE news magazine of the day) used to refer to this country as "The United States ARE..." plural. But after the war it was always "The United States IS..." singular.

That explains the Civil War in a nutshell.

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message 8: by Lisa (new)

Feb 22, 2010 01:28pm

Maybe we want to divide this list into separate wars...Ancient, WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam,Desert Storm etc. It might be easier to order my choices.

I have a #1 favorite for WWII, but that means another one would have to be #2 even if it is my #1 favorite book about the Vietnam war.

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message 9: by Susanna (new)

Feb 22, 2010 02:17pm

Removed for being fiction:

All Quiet on the Western Front, by Erich Maria Remarque
The Iliad, by Homer
The Lightning Thief, by Rick Riordan
The Sea of Monsters, by Rick Riordan
The Titan's Curse, by Rick Riordan
The Battle of the Labyrinth, by Rick Riordan
The Last Olympian, by Rick Riordan
Fallen Angels, by Walter Dean Myers
Fields of Fire, by James Webb
The Killer Angels, by Michael Shaara

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message 10: by Susanna (new)

Feb 22, 2010 03:43pm

There's plenty of scope there for new lists, if you want to start them, Lisa. It's pretty easy to start a new list.

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message 11: by Nostromo (new)

Feb 22, 2010 05:06pm

To true.

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message 12: by Dr. Michael (new)

Feb 22, 2010 05:42pm

I just added a bunch (2/22/10)

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message 13: by Allan (new)

Mar 14, 2010 10:11am

I believe O'Brien states that The Things They Carried is a work of fiction, although it does feel quite real.

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message 14: by Richard (new)

Jul 21, 2010 04:46pm

New Dawn tells a story you will never forget - New Dawn: The Battles for Fallujah

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message 15: by Susanna (new)

Jul 22, 2010 11:39am

You could vote for it.

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message 16: by [deleted user] (new)

Jul 22, 2011 02:35pm

I tried to add books but there was no 'Save' button or any other means of leaving the page which meant they were not added - a waste of effort

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message 17: by Susanna (last edited Jul 22, 2011 03:27pm) (new)

Jul 22, 2011 03:25pm

Um, you don't hit a "save" button; you can either vote for a book that's already on the list, by clicking "vote for this book" in the information under its title, or go to "add books to this list," where you can perform a general search or choose books from your own bookshelves. If you do the latter, the "vote for this book" button is to the right of the book's title. A list of the books you have voted for will appear to the right of the page.

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message 18: by [deleted user] (new)

Jul 23, 2011 03:18am

Thanks Susanna - no point me having my own nerdy little list .... surely they should be added to the main list?

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message 19: by Susanna (last edited Jul 23, 2011 10:13am) (new)

Jul 23, 2011 10:13am

Uh, "your list" is added to the main list. All votes go to the main list.

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message 20: by [deleted user] (new)

Jul 23, 2011 10:38am

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message 21: by Manray9 (new)

Mar 12, 2012 02:43pm

"Matterhorn" by Karl Marlantes is fiction and shouldn't be on this list.

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message 22: by Susanna (new)

Mar 12, 2012 04:25pm

Indeed it is; I'll remove it.

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message 23: by Dean (new)

Nov 02, 2012 02:14am

#5 - "The Things They Carried" is a great book...And it is fiction. Should not be on this list.

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message 24: by Susanna (new)

Nov 02, 2012 11:37am

Removed for being fiction:

The Things They Carried, by Tim O'Brien

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message 25: by Dean (last edited Nov 02, 2012 07:21pm) (new)

Nov 02, 2012 07:20pm

Thanks, Susanna. Great, helpful list.

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message 26: by Nostromo (new)

Dec 09, 2012 05:05pm

Susanna wrote: "Indeed it is; I'll remove it."

Susanna, thanks. How are you able to remove books? Nostromo (who stated this one)

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message 27: by Susanna (new)

Dec 09, 2012 09:46pm

I'm a GR Librarian. It's a function on the edit page.

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message 28: by Donna (new)

Feb 08, 2013 11:44pm

It doesn't look as if this page has seen much traffic recently, but I like it, and I also found a duplicate (Sherman's Memoirs), which I removed, along with 4 other unnamed duplicates that the system said had been taken out (I asked it to search for duplicates).

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message 29: by Jonathan Brett (new)

Apr 21, 2013 09:55am

Susanna wrote: "Removed for being fiction:

All Quiet on the Western Front, by Erich Maria Remarque
The Iliad, by Homer
The Lightning Thief, by Rick Riordan
The Sea of Monsters, by Rick Riordan
The Titan's Curse,..."

Yes, The Killer Angels is classified as fiction, but it's a great primer for learning about the Civil War.

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