Best Non-fiction War Books (2123 books)

List of most compelling nonfiction books about war.

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1	Band of Brothers: E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler's Eagle's Nest by Stephen E. Ambrose 4.44 avg rating — 138,297 ratings score: 34,053, and 346 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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 4.30 avg rating — 68,774 ratings score: 27,727, and 282 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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	Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand 4.39 avg rating — 993,620 ratings score: 23,136, and 236 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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	We Were Soldiers Once... and Young: Ia Drang - The Battle that Changed the War in Vietnam by Harold G. Moore 4.34 avg rating — 32,855 ratings score: 16,090, and 167 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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	Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10 by Marcus Luttrell 4.34 avg rating — 100,460 ratings score: 15,954, and 164 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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	Flags of Our Fathers by James D. Bradley 4.22 avg rating — 63,318 ratings score: 15,437, and 160 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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	The Guns of August by Barbara W. Tuchman 4.18 avg rating — 84,237 ratings score: 14,827, and 154 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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 4.22 avg rating — 147,555 ratings score: 13,696, and 143 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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	With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa by Eugene B. Sledge 4.49 avg rating — 47,365 ratings score: 13,160, and 136 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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 Longest Day: June 6, 1944 by Cornelius Ryan 4.34 avg rating — 26,107 ratings score: 12,478, and 132 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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	A Bridge Too Far by Cornelius Ryan 4.28 avg rating — 21,453 ratings score: 11,700, and 124 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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	Hiroshima by John Hersey 4.05 avg rating — 88,873 ratings score: 11,248, and 119 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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	War by Sebastian Junger (Goodreads Author) 4.25 avg rating — 24,062 ratings score: 10,775, and 114 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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	Ghost Soldiers: The Epic Account of World War II's Greatest Rescue Mission by Hampton Sides 4.26 avg rating — 39,413 ratings score: 10,400, and 111 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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	The Forgotten Soldier by Guy Sajer 4.39 avg rating — 12,058 ratings score: 9,607, and 102 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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	Stalingrad: The Fateful Siege, 1942–1943 by Antony Beevor 4.33 avg rating — 41,053 ratings score: 9,390, and 99 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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	Citizen Soldiers: The US Army from the Normandy Beaches to the Bulge to the Surrender of Germany by Stephen E. Ambrose 4.25 avg rating — 24,650 ratings score: 9,223, and 99 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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	Mary Edwards Walker: America's Only Female Medal of Honor Recipient by Ammar Habib (Goodreads Author) 4.37 avg rating — 7,950 ratings score: 9,155, and 92 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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	Shot Down: The True Story of Pilot Howard Snyder and the Crew of the B-17 Susan Ruth by Steve Snyder (Goodreads Author) 4.21 avg rating — 8,578 ratings score: 9,129, and 98 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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	Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era by James M. McPherson 4.40 avg rating — 33,753 ratings score: 8,801, and 93 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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	Dispatches by Michael Herr 4.22 avg rating — 21,617 ratings score: 8,667, and 93 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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	Night by Elie Wiesel 4.38 avg rating — 1,355,503 ratings score: 8,600, and 90 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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	The Art of War by Sun Tzu 3.95 avg rating — 566,474 ratings score: 8,550, and 91 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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	1776 by David McCullough 4.10 avg rating — 247,264 ratings score: 8,528, and 92 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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	An Army at Dawn: The War in North Africa, 1942-1943 (World War II Liberation Trilogy, #1) by Rick Atkinson 4.30 avg rating — 22,738 ratings score: 8,292, and 89 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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	Generation Kill: Devil Dogs, Iceman, Captain America, and the New Face of American War by Evan Wright 4.29 avg rating — 20,469 ratings score: 7,962, and 85 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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	D-Day, June 6, 1944: The Battle for the Normandy Beaches by Stephen E. Ambrose 4.31 avg rating — 31,367 ratings score: 7,574, and 82 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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: The Forgotten Holocaust of World War II by Iris Chang 4.25 avg rating — 53,178 ratings score: 7,172, and 77 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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	On Killing: The Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill in War and Society by Dave Grossman 4.11 avg rating — 12,083 ratings score: 7,022, and 74 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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	The Trigger: Hunting the Assassin Who Brought the World to War by Tim Butcher (Goodreads Author) 3.81 avg rating — 4,069 ratings score: 6,942, and 70 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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	Storm of Steel by Ernst Jünger 4.15 avg rating — 21,418 ratings score: 6,836, and 74 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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	The Fall of Berlin 1945 by Antony Beevor 4.30 avg rating — 18,356 ratings score: 6,514, and 71 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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 3.93 avg rating — 15,523 ratings score: 5,974, and 66 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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	Homage to Catalonia by George Orwell 4.09 avg rating — 70,703 ratings score: 5,743, and 65 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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	In the Company of Heroes: The Personal Story Behind Black Hawk Down by Michael J. Durant 4.27 avg rating — 5,927 ratings score: 5,635, and 62 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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	Helmet for My Pillow: From Parris Island to the Pacific by Robert Leckie 4.23 avg rating — 24,997 ratings score: 5,533, and 63 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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	A Rumor of War: The Classic Vietnam Memoir by Philip Caputo (Goodreads Author) 4.17 avg rating — 15,916 ratings score: 5,221, and 58 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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	Jarhead : A Marine's Chronicle of the Gulf War and Other Battles by Anthony Swofford 3.70 avg rating — 11,902 ratings score: 5,182, and 57 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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	Flyboys: A True Story of Courage by James D. Bradley 4.20 avg rating — 23,083 ratings score: 5,158, and 57 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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	The Coldest Winter: America and the Korean War by David Halberstam 4.22 avg rating — 9,308 ratings score: 5,147, and 58 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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	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 4.36 avg rating — 11,609 ratings score: 5,078, and 55 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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	Red Platoon: A True Story of American Valor by Clinton Romesha 4.59 avg rating — 8,921 ratings score: 5,004, and 54 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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	Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman by Jon Krakauer (Goodreads Author) 4.09 avg rating — 43,475 ratings score: 4,929, and 56 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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	The First World War by John Keegan 4.04 avg rating — 15,815 ratings score: 4,921, and 56 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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	Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West by Dee Brown 4.26 avg rating — 101,789 ratings score: 4,793, and 53 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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	Beyond Band of Brothers: The War Memoirs of Major Dick Winters by Dick Winters 4.33 avg rating — 20,056 ratings score: 4,547, and 50 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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	None of Us Were Like This Before: American Soldiers and Torture by Joshua E.S. Phillips 4.12 avg rating — 547 ratings score: 4,396, and 47 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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	Enemy at the Gates: The Battle for Stalingrad by William Craig 4.23 avg rating — 14,370 ratings score: 4,322, and 47 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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 Civil War: A Narrative by Shelby Foote 4.53 avg rating — 8,072 ratings score: 4,241, and 46 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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	Magenta by John Payton Foden (Goodreads Author) 4.26 avg rating — 5,040 ratings score: 4,215, and 43 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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 Sleepwalkers: How Europe Went to War in 1914 by Christopher Clark 4.23 avg rating — 13,931 ratings score: 4,212, and 47 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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	The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien 4.14 avg rating — 343,367 ratings score: 4,186, and 44 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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	Lions of Kandahar: The Story of a Fight Against All Odds by Rusty Bradley 4.34 avg rating — 5,453 ratings score: 4,085, and 45 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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	The Day of Battle: The War in Sicily and Italy, 1943-1944 (World War II Liberation Trilogy, #2) by Rick Atkinson 4.36 avg rating — 15,822 ratings score: 4,023, and 48 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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 Face of Battle: A Study of Agincourt, Waterloo and the Somme by John Keegan 4.12 avg rating — 8,630 ratings score: 3,978, and 45 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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	Inside Delta Force: The Story of America's Elite Counterterrorist Unit by Eric L. Haney 4.18 avg rating — 11,385 ratings score: 3,976, and 44 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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	One Bullet Away: The Making of a Marine Officer by Nathaniel Fick 4.21 avg rating — 11,736 ratings score: 3,918, and 44 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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	To Hell and Back by Audie Murphy 4.26 avg rating — 8,813 ratings score: 3,918, and 44 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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	A Bright Shining Lie: John Paul Vann and America in Vietnam by Neil Sheehan 4.24 avg rating — 12,519 ratings score: 3,831, and 43 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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 Great Escape by Paul Brickhill 4.22 avg rating — 10,517 ratings score: 3,710, and 43 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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	Fiasco: The American Military Adventure in Iraq by Thomas E. Ricks 4.09 avg rating — 7,879 ratings score: 3,663, and 42 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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	A Gracious Enemy & After the War Volume Two by Michael G. Kramer (Goodreads Author) 4.29 avg rating — 6,043 ratings score: 3,661, and 38 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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	Chickenhawk by Robert Mason (Goodreads Author) 4.27 avg rating — 15,160 ratings score: 3,611, and 41 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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	My War Gone By, I Miss It So by Anthony Loyd 4.20 avg rating — 3,238 ratings score: 3,489, and 39 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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	A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th Century by Barbara W. Tuchman 4.05 avg rating — 43,971 ratings score: 3,473, and 40 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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	Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA by Tim Weiner (Goodreads Author) 3.95 avg rating — 15,129 ratings score: 3,391, and 38 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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
67	In Harm's Way: The Sinking of the USS Indianapolis and the Extraordinary Story of Its Survivors by Doug Stanton 4.33 avg rating — 23,495 ratings score: 3,356, and 38 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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	Marine Sniper: 93 Confirmed Kills by Charles Henderson 4.31 avg rating — 10,693 ratings score: 3,157, and 35 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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	The Forever War by Dexter Filkins 4.13 avg rating — 11,410 ratings score: 3,080, and 37 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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	Outlaw Platoon: Heroes, Renegades, Infidels, and the Brotherhood of War in Afghanistan by Sean Parnell (Goodreads Author) 4.40 avg rating — 13,098 ratings score: 3,076, and 36 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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	The Good Soldiers by David Finkel 4.22 avg rating — 8,649 ratings score: 3,066, and 36 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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	Churchill, Hitler, and "The Unnecessary War": How Britain Lost Its Empire and the West Lost the World by Patrick J. Buchanan 4.20 avg rating — 2,104 ratings score: 3,055, and 32 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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	In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin by Erik Larson (Goodreads Author) 3.89 avg rating — 218,958 ratings score: 2,951, and 32 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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	Matterhorn by Karl Marlantes 4.27 avg rating — 47,354 ratings score: 2,918, and 30 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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	After Dunkirk (After Dunkirk #1) by Lee Jackson (Goodreads Author) 4.36 avg rating — 12,440 ratings score: 2,878, and 30 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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	Retribution: The Battle for Japan, 1944-45 by Max Hastings 4.28 avg rating — 5,169 ratings score: 2,850, and 31 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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	What It is Like to Go to War by Karl Marlantes 4.01 avg rating — 9,790 ratings score: 2,824, and 30 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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	Delta Force: The Army's Elite Counterterrorist Unit by Charlie A. Beckwith 4.12 avg rating — 3,767 ratings score: 2,818, and 33 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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	Shōgun (Asian Saga, #1) by James Clavell 4.41 avg rating — 211,246 ratings score: 2,786, and 29 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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	Seven Pillars of Wisdom: A Triumph by T.E. Lawrence 3.91 avg rating — 12,082 ratings score: 2,758, and 32 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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 Mountains Sing by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai (Goodreads Author) 4.31 avg rating — 61,529 ratings score: 2,743, and 29 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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 Best and the Brightest by David Halberstam 4.27 avg rating — 12,805 ratings score: 2,719, and 30 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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	Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and Bin Laden from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001 by Steve Coll 4.31 avg rating — 18,748 ratings score: 2,719, and 31 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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	American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History by Chris Kyle 4.03 avg rating — 140,521 ratings score: 2,698, and 29 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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	The Histories by Herodotus 4.01 avg rating — 55,404 ratings score: 2,687, and 33 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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	All the Countries: And the Few We Never Got Round To by Stuart Laycock 3.72 avg rating — 734 ratings score: 2,661, and 28 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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	War Is a Racket by Smedley D. Butler 4.27 avg rating — 8,544 ratings score: 2,631, and 29 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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	History of the Peloponnesian War by Thucydides 3.94 avg rating — 40,454 ratings score: 2,614, and 30 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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	Goodbye, Darkness: A Memoir of the Pacific War by William Manchester 4.20 avg rating — 6,475 ratings score: 2,576, and 32 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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	Under the Sabers: The Unwritten Code of Army Wives by Tanya Biank 3.78 avg rating — 1,436 ratings score: 2,517, and 29 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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	Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhhà Lại (Goodreads Author) 4.12 avg rating — 66,667 ratings score: 2,517, and 26 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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	Confederates: A Novel by Thomas Keneally 4.08 avg rating — 1,342 ratings score: 2,515, and 26 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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	Unspoken Abandonment: Sometimes the hardest part of going to war is coming home by Bryan A. Wood 4.20 avg rating — 664 ratings score: 2,506, and 29 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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	Vietnam: A History by Stanley Karnow 4.13 avg rating — 7,859 ratings score: 2,439, and 27 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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	Armageddon: The Battle for Germany, 1944-1945 by Max Hastings 4.28 avg rating — 7,438 ratings score: 2,438, and 29 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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	The Boy From Block 66: A WW2 Jewish Holocaust Survival True Story (Heroic Children of World War II Book 1) by Limor Regev (Goodreads Author) 4.45 avg rating — 7,717 ratings score: 2,383, and 25 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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	Vietnam: An Epic Tragedy, 1945-1975 by Max Hastings 4.32 avg rating — 7,732 ratings score: 2,372, and 25 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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	1939 - The War That Had Many Fathers: The Long Run-Up to the Second World War by Gerd Schultze-Rhonhof 4.57 avg rating — 305 ratings score: 2,358, and 25 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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	A Stillness at Appomattox by Bruce Catton 4.38 avg rating — 6,584 ratings score: 2,329, and 27 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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	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) 4.18 avg rating — 8,440 ratings score: 2,317, and 29 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. 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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2,123 books · 2,356 voters · list created September 19th, 2008 by Nostromo (votes) .

Tags: afghanistan, africa, american-history, autobiographies, autobiography, best, biographies, biography, book-biography, book-memoirs, british-history, cia, colonialism, conflict, counter-insurgency, counter-terrorist, crusades, european-history, favorite, greenberets, history, history-american, imperialism, iraq, literature, memoir, memoirs, middle-east, military-history, military-intelligence, navyseals, non-fiction, nsa, peace, politics, religion, special-operations, u-k-history, u-s-airforce-para-rescue, u-s-history, uk-history, united-states-history, us-history, war, world-war, wwi, wwii

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People Who Voted On This List (2356)

Nostromo 366 books
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Susanna - Censored by GoodReads 3386 books
851 friends

Patrick 1375 books
292 friends

Sara 449 books
65 friends

Sarah 164 books
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Pat 39 books
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Jamie 2203 books
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Joe 1368 books
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Comments Showing 1-50 of 66 (66 new)

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message 1: by Míceál (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 Míceál (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 - Censored by GoodReads (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 - Censored by GoodReads (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 Míceál (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 - Censored by GoodReads (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 - Censored by GoodReads (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 - Censored by GoodReads (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 - Censored by GoodReads (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 - Censored by GoodReads (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 - Censored by GoodReads (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 [deleted user] (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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message 30: by Stuart (new)

Jun 14, 2013 09:56AM

Susanna wrote: "I'm a GR Librarian. It's a function on the edit page."

Hello, can you remove The Regeneration Trilogy by Pat Barker as those are fiction. Currently ranked at 277.

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message 31: by Donna (new)

Jun 14, 2013 11:55AM

I've noticed that listopia, for some reason, is always a place that draws complaints, and often they are not all that valid, i.e., a book is not listed and the person can just put it on, or nonspecific, i.e., "This list sucks", which always makes me wonder what the individual is doing there anyway...and then there's this complaint, which I hadn't planned on turning into one. I just wanted to say I have gotten SO MANY really great ideas for my want-to-read books from this list! Thank you to the many individuals who added thoughtful selections, esp. the Catton series.

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message 32: by [deleted user] (new)

Jun 14, 2013 12:47PM

Donna, there are both valid an invalid complaints on every list. I looked at one yesterday about "Best Book Series" and wondered why the hell The Taming of the Shrew and On the Road were listed.

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message 33: by Donna (new)

Jun 14, 2013 02:59PM

Well, of course there are valid complaints too. I'll see if I can find the link you mentioned and zap those. Obviously they are just misplaced...and I swear that there's a troll out there who puts Twilight on every list, regardless of genre. But my main point was to express my appreciation for the good stuff that people added and that I think did me some good.

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message 34: by [deleted user] (new)

Jun 14, 2013 07:10PM

http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/13...

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message 35: by Donna (new)

Jun 14, 2013 08:02PM

Jonathan Brett wrote: "http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/13..."

Did not find On the Road, but there are 13 pp. & I only had time to go through 5 of them. Removed Taming of the Shrew and The Three Musketeers. Was sorely tempted to remove Little Women, but since there was a Little Men at some point I didn't dare. (Librarians are held strictly accountable, so when in doubt, I leave it alone). It may be someone else has found & removed On the Road. If you see it again, let me know what page it's on & I'll get it. I am not an employee, just one of many volunteers, but I signed on because I really hate seeing misplaced books in listopia. Thanks...it's a nifty list. When I get a minute, I will go back & vote!

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message 36: by [deleted user] (new)

Jun 14, 2013 08:15PM

Three Musketeers is part of a series, though.

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message 37: by Donna (new)

Jun 14, 2013 08:30PM

The only series of which I can find it to be considered a part is the complete works of Dumas, which does not qualify for our purposes.

I will be away from the site for a few days on personal business. If you want other titles removed, I am sure someone can help, or you can apply to be a Goodreads librarian.

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message 38: by [deleted user] (new)

Jun 15, 2013 06:01AM

I'm already a Goodreads librarian, but I don't delete things. As for Three Musketeers, those that I mentioned on the other page are, in fact, part of the Musketeer series. In each one, D'Artagnan, Athos, Porthos, and Aramis. Collectively, the three books are known as The d'Artagnan Romances.

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message 39: by Neil (new)

Sep 15, 2015 12:33PM

Battle Cry is a work of Fiction and should not be on this list.

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message 40: by Ian (new)

Sep 24, 2015 09:45AM

The Yellow Birds, currently ranked at joint 391, is fiction.

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message 41: by Elyse (new)

Oct 17, 2015 05:35PM

Why is Undaunted Courage on this list? Lewis & Clark weren't at war. They were out exploring. It's been awhile since I read this book so maybe I forget - Did President Jefferson declare war on an Indian tribe? If yes, I don't remember that part. I know L & C had to protect themselves and their party but I don't remember any war.

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message 42: by JohnNY (new)

May 29, 2017 01:37PM

GREAT LIST!!

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message 43: by Nostromo (new)

Nov 22, 2017 12:07PM

Thanks JohnNY!

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message 44: by Donna (new)

Sep 02, 2018 04:47PM

The system found and removed 1 duplicate.

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message 45: by Donna (new)

Sep 02, 2018 05:13PM

The system found and removed another duplicate.

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message 46: by Sean (new)

Jul 12, 2019 01:58PM

Dispatches and The Things They Carried are both fiction, both in the top 100.

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message 47: by Donna (new)

Jul 12, 2019 03:47PM

Sean wrote: "Dispatches and The Things They Carried are both fiction, both in the top 100."

Au contraire, Pierre. I mean Sean. Dispatches, by Michael Herr is nonfiction. However, The Things They Carried is indeed fiction, and has been removed from #59:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

The system found and removed 3 duplicates.

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message 48: by Sean (new)

Aug 05, 2019 03:45PM

Hi, I found another one to be removed (I think). Into the Wild, #854 on page 9.

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message 49: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (new)

Aug 07, 2019 02:31PM

Yeah, it's non-fiction, but I haven't read it so can't say as to whether it's a "war" book or not.

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message 50: by Donna (new)

Aug 07, 2019 08:47PM

Sean wrote: "Hi, I found another one to be removed (I think). Into the Wild, #854 on page 9."

It is not a war book, and it is gone now.

I have also removed The Nightingale, by Kirsten Hannah, from the same page; it is fiction.

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