hms_lists’s Comments (group member since Feb 04, 2011)

hms_lists’s comments from the History, Security & Military Lists group.

Ancient History

Adcock, Frank Ezra, Sir. The Greek and Macedonian Art of War. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1974, c1957.

This highly readable short book provides a wealth of knowledge on ancient warfare.

Anderson, John Kinloch. Military Theory and Practice in the Age of Xenophon. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1970.

This volume analyzes the functioning of Greek armies of the fourth century B.C. and assesses Xenophon as a pioneer military theorist. Anderson examines all the characteristics of ancient Greek warfare during Xenophon's time. Also included are excellent photographs of vases that show Greek soldiers as they appeared during this period.

Caesar, Julius. The Civil War: Together With the Alexandrian War, the African War, and the Spanish War by Other Hands. Translated with an introduction by Jane F. Gardner. New York: Penguin Books, c1967.

Both propaganda and a soldier's tale, The Civil War describes Caesar's crossing of the Rubicon, entrance into Rome, installation of Cleopatra on the throne of Egypt, and final battles in Spain in 45 B.C. This work (together with three accounts that were most likely written by Caesar's lieutenants) covers the period of Caesar's final struggle for power and provides considerable tactical detail about his maneuvers.

_______.The Conquest of Gaul. Translated by S. A. Handford. New York: Penguin Books, 1982, c1951.

Caesar's narrative on the Gallic War, the only account actually written by a great general of antiquity about his own campaigns, provides information on Britain and its early inhabitants and also records Caesar's successful campaigns in Britain and Europe between 58 and 50 B.C. Partly written as personal propaganda, this work has much to say about Roman military history.

Engels, Donald W. Alexander the Great and the Logistics of the Macedonian Army. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1978.

Engels presents an ingenious systematic study of logistics in the ancient world and brilliantly assesses how Alexander combined strategic and logistic objectives.

Ferrill, Arther. The Fall of the Roman Empire: The Military Explanation. New York: Thames and Hudson, 1986.

In examining the military reasons for the fall of the Roman Empire, Professor Ferrill shows that generals and their armies were an essential component in the decline and fall.

_______.The Origins of War: From the Stone Age to Alexander the Great. New York: Thames and Hudson, 1985.

Ferrill believes that the developments that led to the tactically integrated army of Alexander the Great laid the foundation of modern warfare to the time of Napoleon. In this work, Ferrill evaluates land and naval warfare in prehistoric times, the Copper-Bronze Age in the Near East, the Iron Age in Assyria and Persia, and classical Greek warfare. Good maps, clear illustrations, and simple prose make this a valuable guide to ancient warfare.

Fuller, J. F. C. The Generalship of Alexander the Great. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1981, c1960.

In this analysis of the military abilities and actions of Alexander the Great, Fuller assesses Alexander's career as a statesman and soldier, and examines his great battles, sieges, and small wars in considerable detail. Fuller believes that, while Alexander was, one of the most audacious generals in history, "the risks he accepted were seldom left to chance; they were carefully weighed and calculated probabilities."

Livy. The War With Hannibal: Books XXI-XXX of the History of Rome From Its Foundation. Translated by Aubrey De Selincourt. New York: Penguin Books, 1965.

Livy (59 B.C.-17 A.D.) vividly describes the Second Punic War (218-202 B.C.) between Rome and Carthage, and examines the Carthaginians' early success, the famous Battle of Cannae, and Rome's victory over Hannibal at Zama. Reading this book offers a classical perspective on timely military questions.

Luttwak, Edward N. The Grand Strategy of the Roman Empire: From the First Century A.D. to the Third. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1976.

Luttwak, an expert on current strategy and a leading defense reformer and critic, explores Roman strategy, tactics, and military organization in this well-written work. It has been required reading in the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College's School of Advanced Military Studies.

Thucydides. The Peloponnesian War. Rev. ed. Translated by Rex Warner. New York: Penguin Books, 1954.

Thucydides, the best Greek historian of classical period, analyzes the wars between Athens and Sparta. The work has appeared in numerous editions. This classic is especially prized for showing the relationship between war and society, assessing war aims, and exploring the human factor in war.

Xenophon. The March Up Country: A Modern Translation of the Anabasis. Translated by W. H. Rouse. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 1958.

If the modern soldier looks to ancient history for knowledge and perspective, Xenophon (431-345 B.C.) is an admirable guide. His immortal story of the march of the Ten Thousand from Babylon through the mountains of Armenia to the Black Sea discloses much about ancient warfare and the timeless nature of military operations and leadership.

Swinton, Ernest Dunlop, Sir. The Defence of Duffer's Drift. Garden City Park, NY: Avery Publishing Group, 1986.

Major General Swinton, a noted English soldier and author, wrote this marvelous tactical primer as a captain shortly after he served in the Boer War. In six dreams, Swinton offers various tactical solutions to Lieutenant Backright Forethought, who is defending an imaginary piece of ground during the Boer War. Originally published in Infantry Journal (now Army) in April 1905 and now available as a reprint from the Combat Studies Institute, U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, this book is great for junior officers to read and discuss.

Vagts, Alfred. A History of Militarism: Civilian and Military. Rev. ed. New York: Free Press, 1959.

Vagt's thesis is that democratic, unmilitaristic societies are better at waging war than autocratic, militaristic ones, and he affirms this by analyzing the history of militarism from feudal times to 1945. Although dated (the first edition appeared in 1937), this work is significant in the historiography of Americans writing military history.

Van Creveld, Martin. Command in War. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1985.

Beginning with an assessment of the "Stone Age" of command and concluding with the helicopter and the computer, Van Creveld investigates the historical evolution of command, control, and communications. He also evaluates how command worked in major battles and argues that armies which allowed their subordinate commanders considerable latitude were most successful.

Weigley, Russell Frank. History of the United States Army. Enlarged ed. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1984, cl967.

This comprehensive history of the U.S. Army from colonial times to the present focuses on institutional history and the historic tension between professional and citizen armies. The author sees the dual American military traditions as a special strength in our democracy. Although very informative, this book is dull reading.

_______.The American Way of War: A History of United States Military Strategy and Policy. New York: Macmillan, 1973; Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1977.

In this history of U.S. military strategy from 1775 to the 1960s, Weigley offers considerable information and analysis. His chapters on World War II particularly show how historical precedent influenced U.S. strategy, and he sees the strategic traditions of A. T. Mahan and U. S. Grant as significant in America's conduct of World War II.

Wright, Quincy. A Study of War. 2d ed. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, 1983.

This systematic, scholarly study of war began as a comprehensive program at the University of Chicago in 1926, and the results were first published in 1942. The study is a pioneering contribution to war studies and peace research in the United States. In assembling information on armaments, the balance of power, technology, law, social organization, and attitudes about military conflict, Wright conveys his belief that war must be studied systematically to be understood.

General Studies

Alger, John I. The Quest for Victory: The History of the Principles of War. Contributions in Military History. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1982.

This unique volume is a history of the principles of war from Jomini to the present. Alger, a U.S. Army officer, provides a useful source for students of modern military thought.

Bidwell, Shelford, and Dominick Graham. Fire-Power: British Army Weapons and Theories of War, 1904-1945. Boston: Allen and Unwin, 1982.

A brilliant study of artillery and British Army organization and doctrine, Bidwell and Graham's clearly written and carefully researched account has earned high praise from scholars and soldiers.

Blumenson, Martin, and James L. Stokesbury. Masters of the Art of Command. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1975.

With emphasis on twentieth-century warfare, this work's excellent biographical chapters show how commanders at different levels functioned.

Carver, Michael, Sir, ed. The War Lords: Military Commanders of the Twentieth Century. Boston: Little, Brown, 1976.

Carver's collection of forty-three essays on leading military land, sea, and air force commanders of World Wars I and II is an excellent source of capsule biographies.

Especially inspiring is Dan Davin's essay on Lieutenant General Lord Bernard Freyberg of New Zealand.

Delbrück, Hans. History of the Art of War Within the Framework of Political History. Translated from the German by Walter J. Renfroe Jr. 4 vols. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1975-85.

In these four volumes, Hans Delbrück (1848-1929), a writer, military historian, and professor of history at Berlin University, discusses the art of war from ancient history to the age of Napoleon. One eminent historian has said that Delbrück's History of the Art of War is a "monument to German scholarship" for applying a new scientific method to the military records of the past. This modern English translation makes Delbrück's work available for the serious student of military history and thought.

English, John A. On Infantry. New York: Praeger, 1984.

The author, a Canadian Army officer, presents an outstanding synthesis of twentieth-century ideas and writings on the role of infantry in war. He focuses on the fundamentals of infantry operations, training, weapons, and tactics. Those interested in the characteristics of successful infantry should read this informative book.

Fuller, J. F. C. A Military History of the Western World. 3 vols. Jersey City, NJ: Da Capo Press, 1987, c1954-56.

The author, who was a British major general, military theorist, and historian, provides a narrative and analysis of warfare from earliest times to the end of World War II. A useful and quite readable reference, the volumes have been reissued in paperback.

Görlitz, Walter. History of the German General Staff, 1657-1945. Translated by Brian Battershaw. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1975, c1953.

Görlitz' study is a thorough history of the German General Staff from its origins in the 1600s to the end of World War II.

Hackett, John Winthrop, Sir. The Profession of Arms. New York: Macmillan, 1983.

General Hackett, a distinguished British soldier and scholar, eloquently explains the evolution of the military profession from ancient times to the present in this work, which was originally presented in 1962 as the Lees-Knowles lectures at Trinity College, Cambridge. His text is important for officers and has been reprinted from the Officers' Call series by the U.S. Army Center of Military History (CMH Pub 70-18).

Hastings, Max, ed. The Oxford Book of Military Anecdotes. New York: Oxford University Press, 1985.

Hastings' collection of 384 military anecdotes covers the span of history from ancient times to the Falkland Islands War of 1982. The editor, a former paratrooper, military historian, and experienced British war correspondent, collected tales that reflect the soldier's experience and emphasize the reality of war - men's efforts to kill each other. The material, some of which is humorous, can be incorporated into military history courses.

Heller, Charles E., and William A. Stofft, comps. America's First Battles, 1776-1965. Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 1986.

Historians and military officers contributed ten battle studies to this work: Long Island (1776), Queenston (1812), Rio Grande (1846), First Bull Run (1861), San Juan (1898), Cantigny (1918), Buna (1942), Kasserine (1943), Task Force Smith (1950), and la Drang (1965). While each study varies in readability, this is an excellent collection of American operational military histories. As Professor John Shy indicates in the surnmary chapter, these studies address recurring questions about first battles.

Howard, Michael Eliot. The Causes of Wars and Other Essays. 2d ed. enlarged. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1984.

This collection of articles by Britain's foremost military historian covers a wide range of subjects. Two articles are classics: "The Forgotten Dimensions of Strategy," which offers a framework for an analysis of strategy based on a study of the development of strategic doctrine and warfare over the past 200 years, and "The Use and Abuse of Military History," which explains how professional officers and academics should study military history. Also of interest are the biographical sketches of Liddell Hart and Montgomery.

_______.Franco-Prussian War: The German Invasion of France, 1870-1871. New York: Metheun, 1981, c1961.

Michael Howard, a distinguished British soldier and eminent military historian, provides a scholarly study of the Franco-Prussian War, 1870-71.

Huston, James A. The Sinews of War: Army Logistics, 1775-1953. Army Historical Series. Washington, DC: Office of the Chief of Military History, United States Army, 1966.

The history of logistics is dull reading, and this book is no exception. However, tactical operations depend on efficient logistics, and Huston provides a comprehensive history of U.S. Army logistics from the American Revolution through the Korean War.

Keegan, John. The Face of Battle.New York: Viking Press, 1976.

What is a battle like? The author of this ingenious book, a former Sandhurst instructor, seeks to answer this question for himself and for soldiers who have not been in combat. He succeeds by analyzing three battles: Agincourt (1415), Waterloo (1815), and the Somme (1916). Already a classic, this book has been required reading for field grade officers at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College.

_______.The Mask of Command. New York: Viking, 1987.

This famous British military writer's latest book analyzes Alexander the Great, Wellington, Grant, and Hitler as military commanders and leaders. Keegan examines these leaders' differing command styles and evaluates the imperatives of leadership necessary for successful command prior to the nuclear age.

Kreidberg, Marvin A., and Merton G. Henry. History of Military Mobilization in the United States Army, 1775-1945. DA Pam 20-212. Washington, DC: Department of the Army, 1955.

The most comprehensive study of American mobilization, this volume is a detailed administrative history. While difficult to read, it is a rich source of information on a vital topic.

McElwee, William. The Art of War: Waterloo to Mons. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1974.

McElwee's study of the development of the art of warfare from the Crimean War in 1855 to World War I emphasizes how technology changed warfare.

MacGregor, Morris J. Integration of the Armed Forces, 1940-1965. Defense Studies Series. Washington, DC: Center of Military History, United States Army, 1981.

This book describes the fall of the legal, administrative, and social barriers to the black American's full participation in the military service of the United States. Beginning with World War II and concluding with the civil rights movement of the 1960s, this thorough study covers all armed services.

Millett, Allan R. Semper Fidelis: The History of the United States Marine Corps. New York: Free Press/Macmillan, 1980.

Millett, a distinguished military historian and Marine Reserve colonel, presents an accurate, scholarly, critical, and complete history of the Marine Corps.

Millett, Allan Reed, and Peter Maslowski. For the Common Defense: A Military History of the United States of America. New York: Free Press, 1984.

By far the best survey of American military history, this work covers the colonial era to the present. The selected bibliographies at the end of each chapter are helpful in providing a comprehensive survey of the literature.

Millis, Walter. Arms and Men: A Study of American Military History. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 1984, cl956.

Although dated, this recently reprinted survey of American military history remains worth reading both for factual information and for the author's assessment of the relationship between civilian and military leaders.

Montross, Lynn. War Through the Ages. New York: Harper, 1960.

This is a lengthy, but easily read, encyclopedic survey of military history from the era of ancient Greece through the Korean War.

Paret, Peter, ed. Makers of Modern Strategy: From Machiavelli to the Nuclear Age. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1986.

Paret's compilation, written by expert historians, contains twenty-eight essays on strategic thought from the Renaissance to the present. These essays confirm that understanding war in history provides perspective for understanding current military thought. This valuable book carries on, but does not completely replace, the Edward Mead Earle edition originally published in 1943.

Preston, Richard Arthur, and Sydney F. Wise. Men in Arms: A History of Warfare and Its Interrelationships With Western Society. 4th ed. New York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 1979.

This is an excellent survey of warfare and its relationship to society from ancient times to the present.

Ropp, Theodore. War in the Modern World. Rev. ed. New York: Macmillan, 1985, c1962.

Ropp's'study of warfare since 1415 is dated but still valuable. Often times, the footnotes are more interesting than the text.

Stallworthy, Jon, ed. The Oxford Book of War Poetry. New York: Oxford University Press, 1984.

This marvelous collection of 259 poems arranged chronologically by conflict begins with poems from the Bible and concludes with a poem offering a dark prophecy of nuclear disaster. In between are poems by John Donne, Walt Whitman, Rudyard Kipling, Siegfried Sassoon, Allen Ginsberg, and James Fenton-writers and soldiers who offer different and differing perspectives on war.

Strachan, Hew. European Armies and the Conduct of War. Winchester, MA: Allen & Unwin, 1983.

Well written, clearly organized, and carefully researched, this first-rate survey of European military history from 1700 to the present covers both military operations and military thought.

The 2009 Chief of Staff reading list
http://www.af.mil/information/csafrea...

http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/...

Mission, Doctrine, Profession

Counterinsurgency Warfare: Theory and Practice - David Galula

Making Twenty-First-Century Strategy: An Introduction to the Modern National Security Processes and Problems - Dennis M. Drew and
Donald M. Snow

Modern Strategy - by Colin S. Gray

Thinking about America's Defense: An Analytical Memoir - Glenn A. Kent



Our Nation and World

Afghanistan: A Short History of its People and Politics - Martin Ewans

Beating Goliath: Why Insurgencies Win - Jeffrey Record

Contemporary Nuclear Debates: Missile Defense, Arms Control, and Arms Races in the Twenty-First Century - Alexander Lennon

Not a Good Day to Die: The Untold Story of Operation Anaconda - Sean Naylor




Military History

American Patriot: The Life and Wars of Colonel Bud Day - Robert Coram

Fast Tanks and Heavy Bombers: Innovation in the U.S. Army, 1917-1945 - David E. Johnson

One Day Too Long: Top Secret Site 85 and the Bombing of North Vietnam - Timothy Castle

The Savage Wars of Peace: Small Wars and the Rise of American Power - Max Boot

The 2008 Chief of Staff reading list provides Airmen of all ranks a guide to further their education and expertise.
http://www.af.mil/information/csafrea...


Our Air Force Heritage

First Light - Geoffrey Wellum

Gods of Tin - James Salter

Jimmy Stewart: Bomber Pilot - Starr Smith



Our Mission, Doctrine and Profession

John Warden and the Renaissance of American Air Power - John A. Olsen

On the Edge of Earth: The Future of American Space Power - Steven Lambakis

Why Air Forces Fail: The Anatomy of Defeat - Robin Higham and Stephen J. Harris



Our Nation and World

The Crisis of Islam: Holy War and Unholy Terror - Bernard Lewis

Forgotten Continent: The Battle for Latin America's Soul - Michael Reid



Our Military Heritage

At Dawn We Slept: The Untold Story of Pearl Harbor - Gordon Prange

Empire by Default: The Spanish-American War and the Dawn of the American Century - Ivan Musicant

Last Chance for Victory: Robert E. Lee and the Gettysburg Campaign - Scott Bowden and Bill Ward

Louis Johnson and the Arming of America: The Roosevelt and Truman Years - Keith D. McFarland and David L. Roll

U.S. Air Force
The 2010 Chief of Staff reading list archive
http://www.af.mil/information/csafrea...

bookshelf: csaf-2010


Mission, Doctrine and Profession


The Accidental Guerrilla: Fighting Small Wars in the Midst of a Big One - by David Kilcullen


Wired for War The Robotics Revolution and Conflict in the 21st Century - by P.W. Singer


Cyberdeterrence and Cyberwar - by Martin C. Libicki


On Nuclear Terrorism - by Michael Levi



Our Nation and the World


In the Graveyard of Empires: America's War in Afghanistan - by Seth Jones


Seven Deadly Scenarios: A Military Futurist Explores War in the 21st Century - by Andrew Krepinevich


Guardians of the Revolution: Iran and the World in the Age of the Ayatollahs - by Ray Takeyh


Rivals: How the Power Struggle between China, India, and Japan will Shape our Next Decade - by Bill Emmott



Military History


A History of Air Warfare - by John A. Olsen


MacArthurs's Airman General George C. Kenney and the War in the Southwest Pacific - by Thomas E. Griffith


A Fiery Peace in a Cold War: Bernard Schriever and the Ultimate Weapon - by Neil Sheehan


Daring Young Men: The Heroism and Triumph of The Berlin Airlift June 1948 - May 1949 - by Richard Reeves


Lemay: The Life and Wars of General Curtis Lemay - by Warren Kozak

http://www.af.mil/information/csafrea...


Our Air Force Heritage


Master of Airpower: General Carl A. Spaatz
- David R. Mets


I Could Never Be So Lucky Again: An Autobiography of General James H. "Jimmy" Doolittle
- Gen. Doolittle with Carrol V. Glines


Beyond Horizons: A Half Century of Air Force Space Leadership
- David N. Spires


Courage and Air Warfare: The Allied Aircrew Experience in the Second World War
- Mark K. Wells


Chennault: Giving Wings to the Tiger
- Martha Byrd


Bury Us Upside Down
- Rich Newman and Don Shepperd


Masters of the Air: America's Bomber Boys Who Fought the Air War against Nazi Germany
- Donald L. Miller


Our Mission, Doctrine and Profession


Learning Large Lessons: The Evolving Roles of Ground Power and Air Power in the Post-Cold War Era - David E. Johnson (RAND)


10 Propositions Regarding Air Power - Phillip S. Meilinger


Sir John Fisher's Naval Revolution - Nicholas A. Lambert


Lean Thinking: Banish Waste and Create Wealth in Your Corporation - James P. Womack and David T. Jones


Leading Change - John P. Kotter


Our Nation and World


From Babel to Dragomans: Interpreting the Middle East – Bernard Lewis


Middle East: A Brief History of the Last 2000 Years – Bernard Lewis


A History of the Arab Peoples – Albert Hourani


The Dream Palace of the Arabs – Fouad Ajami


The Foreigner's Gift – Fouad Ajami


Our Military Heritage


America: The Last Best Hope Vol I, From an Age of Discovery to a World at War - William J. Bennett


America: The Last Best Hope Vol II, From a World at War to the Triumph of Freedom - William J. Bennett


The Philippine War 1899-1902 - Brian McAllister Linn


The Last Days of Innocence: America At War 1917-1918 - Meirion and Susie Harries


The Air War: 1939-1945 - Richard J. Overy


Victory on the Potomac: The Goldwater-Nichols Act Unifies the Pentagon - James R. Locher III

http://www.af.mil/information/csafrea...
review are available on site.

Our Military History


A History of the American People - Paul Johnson


Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era - James M. McPherson


1776 - David McCullough


General George Washington: A Military Life - Edward G. Lengel


The Persian Puzzle: The Conflict Between Iran and America - Ken Pollack


Victory at Yorktown: The Campaign that Won the Revolution - Richard M. Ketchum

Air Force Pioneers


A Question of Loyalty: Gen Billy Mitchell and the Court-Martial that Gripped the Nation - Douglas Waller


Billy Mitchell: Crusader for Air Power - Alfred F. Hurley


Eddie Rickenbacker: An American Hero in the Twentieth Century - W. David Lewis


The First Heroes: The Extraordinary Story of the Doolittle Raid, America's First World War II Victory - Craig Nelson

Our Air Force Heritage


Air Force Roles and Missions: a History - Warren A. Trest Book review


Airpower Against Terror: America's Conduct of Operation Enduring Freedom - Benjamin Lambeth (RAND)


Air Power: The Men, Machines, and Ideas that Revolutionized War, From Kitty Hawk to Gulf War II - Stephen Budiansky


The Influence of Air Power upon History - Walter J. Boyne


Locating Air Force Base Sites: History's Legacy - Edited by Frederick J. Shaw


Winged Defense: The Development and Possibilities of Modern Air Power Economic and Military - William Mitchell

U.S. Army Center of Military History
RECOMMENDED
Professional Reading List

http://www.history.army.mil/reading.html

(bookshelf: army-cmh)

SUBLIST 1
(Cadets, Soldiers, Junior NCOs)

SUBLIST 2
(Company Grade NCOs, WO1-CW 3, and Company Grade Officers)

SUBLIST 3
(Senior NCOs, CW4-CW5, Field Grade Officers)

SUBLIST 4
(Senior Leaders above Brigade Level)

HISTORICAL
BIBLIOGRAPHY No. 8

Military
Classics

by
Dr. Robert H. Berlin

http://www.cgsc.edu/carl/resources/cs...


Bookshelves:

General Studies

Ancient History

War in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance

The Era of Frederick II and Napoleon

Clausewitz

U.S. Civil War

The British Empire

World War I

J. F. C. Fuller and B. H. Liddell Hart

World War II

Korean War

Modern Warfare

Vietnam

Falkland Islands War

Arab-Israeli Wars

The Nuclear Age

The Moral Effect of Combat

Russian and Soviet Military History

East Asian Military History

Sea Power

Air Power

The Press