Good military/aviation books

[Guest Pogo]

Have read Task Force Dagger, prefered None Braver by Michael Hirsh, but you'll like TFD M2.

[Gravedigger]

Boyd

Hoorah!

[Murph]

Also read Task Force Dagger; great book. Just finished reading From a Dark Sky by Orr Kelly which explains the story of USAF Special Operations from WW2 through Son Tay raids on up to the first Gulf War.

[PapaJu]

I finished "Generation Kill" about a month ago, still haven't picked up anything else military related though..

[Guest Wxpunk]

Tom Clancy

"The Teeth of the Tiger"

"Wild Card"

"Splinter Cell"

Just started reading "Red Rabbit".

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Wxpunk

[ 03. May 2005, 14:34: Message edited by: Wxpunk ]

[Guest cmdrstask]

Just finished Red Storm Rising, now reading Cardinal of the Kremlin. Not the first time for either.

[Guest croftfam]

None Braver - Michael Hirsch: details the happenings of PJ's in Afghanistan and Iraq

[LJ Driver]

"Boots on the Ground" by Karl Zinzemeister. Details the 82nd AD drive into Iraq, very good.

"Fate is the Hunter" by Ernest Gann. A classic that needs no intro...

"Masters of Death" by Richard Rhodes. One of the best books I have read about the SS-Einsatzgruppen in WWII. VERY detailed accounts of the tragedies in Eastern Europe, not recommended for the faint of heart.

[ 03. May 2005, 16:01: Message edited by: LJ Driver ]

[Guest JoeMama]

American Soldier was a good book. One of the interesting things in it was the fact that the whole presidential aircraft carrier "Mission Accomplished" landing was pretty much Gen Franks' idea.

He wanted to boost morale since we had WON the war (i.e. accomplished the mission of destroying Saddam's regime), but the other reason was to get more help from the UN. A lot of nations wanted no part in the Iraq war, BUT they said if we overthrow Saddam, they would help with the rebuilding AFTER the war. The Mission Accomplished banner was a way of telling them the war is over, now come help.

It's nice to read a book like that and get the inside scoop on what the motivations of the administration are rather than hear all the speculative crap from the media. It's also nice to see how someone with a modest background can rise through the ranks and end up really making a difference in the world.

American Generalship is a good one from Gen. Jumper's reading list. In that book, a few other books are referenced including Killer Angels (about the Battle of Gettysburg), which was very easy to read and did a good job showing the battle from the leadership's perspective.

Of course, you can never go wrong with Clancy. Red Rabbit was one of those interesting "almost true" books, and it's a timely story considering the recent death of the pope and the fact that the Russians basically admitted being behind his assassination attempt.

The Crisis of Islam is a great book to read if you want to know what the Islamic Terrorists are thinking...good info to know for anyone going into battle against them. It's also good info to know for anyone writing our post-9/11 national defense policies (or anyone voting for the people writing the policies).

His Excellency, George Washington, is a biography of our first CINC. Lots of good info, but kinda boring and hard to get through...still amazing to see how important he was in winning the Revolutionary War and in keeping this country together when it was still in its infant stages. If not for Washington, the U.S. probably wouldn't exist as we know it today.

If you're a die hard conservative, you'll love Ann Coulter's "How to talk to a Liberal...if you must." It's pretty amusing...she pulls no punches.

I'm trying to read the 9/11 Commission Report now (don't know how far I'll get though, considering I hit the ENJJPT flight line in less than 2 weeks!)...the first chapter was step by step what happened that morning, and you really get a good idea of the timing of the events (and why it took so long to respond). At one point, the VP actually thought our fighters had shot down one of the planes. He didn't realize that the fighter pilots flying over D.C. hadn't received the shoot down order he and the President had given. Also, in the first plane, there was an Israeli military officer sitting behind 2 of the terrorists. When they stabbed the 2 flight attendants, he stood up to do something, but he didn't realize there was a terrorist sitting behind him...his throat was slashed. Also, it seems like the people in the back of the plane didn't know the plane was hijacked..they thought the plane was going back to the airport due to a medical emergency up front.

[KickChick21]

"Secrets of Inchon" is a really interesting book. In 1950, General MacArthur decided to invade Inchon in an effort to surround the North Korean Army, who had basically cornered the South Koreans and Americans in the most southern part of Korea. A Navy Commander, Eugene Clark, was the man who led the intelligence-gathering mission for the invasion. He is the author of the book, and gives his account of his mission as well as the Inchon landing which was key to winning the Korean War.

It's a pretty interesting and exciting first-hand account of that little-known mission. I highly recommend it!

[Guest BUpilot05]

Just finished None Braver..great book very critical of AF leadership during Anaconda. Great read though.

Anyone interested in TPS(test pilot school) I recomeend "Flying the Edge" not sure the author because I let my friend borrow it.

Great stuff, follows PAX river(navy TPS) but touches on AF as well.

[Guest spar91]

FWIW I just finished a great book chronicling the history of the airlines called Hard Landing by Thomas Petzinger. It was an excellent book! The history lesson covered from post-WWII to 1995 - obviously through deregulation. Rich with details and colorful descriptions of the personalities of the men who founded the airlines, including their politics and antics, I could not put the book down!

I had to read the book for a master's class, but it was so intriguing that I forgot it was "homework".

Highly recommended for anyone interested in the "Airline Story".

Since I finished that I've started The Fountainhead.

[Gas Man]

Bravo Two Zero. Andy McNab (sp?). One of the best books I have ever read. British SAS in GW1 get spotted then run several hundred miles to Syria. Just before crossing all but one gets caught. Then they are POWs and it goes through what they had to deal with. Crazy book.

[Guest twood]

I just picked up "The Right Stuff" by Tom Wolfe. I can't put the damn book down. Its a good read.

[Guest Remy1492]

Charlie Wilsons War is great.

Right now I got Collapse, by Jared Diamond, a follow up to Guns Germs and Steel he put out a few years ago.

About the inevitable fall of civilizations that were going great until they got going TOO great, then collapse like a flan in a cupboard!

long big book, probably will put most people to sleep!

[Guest falcon13]

Flyboys , by James Bradley. I can't say enough about this book. Everyone should read it.

[Guest Sundowner]

Has anyone read "Road Work" by Mark Bowden yet? He is the guy who wrote "Black Hawk Down" and this new book is a collection of short articles, one of which I know is about an F-15 squadron patroling the no fly zone prior to OIF. I've been meaning to pick it up but haven't had the time.

[Guest Raccoon]

Fighter Combat: Tactics and Maneuvering by Robert Shaw

[Guest Absolutlyfly]

Just started 'Red Rabbit'. So far so good.

[craino21]

Beyond Glory by Larry Smith... basically a collection of interviews with surviving medal of honor winners from WWII, Korea and Vietnam. Damn, those guys are awesome... makes you feel like a peice of crap, no matter what you've done with your life. (of course I'm a peice of crap anyways)

[Vetter]

"Once an Eagle" by Anton Myrer

One of the best books ever written about being an officer and warrior. It's 1000 pages of non stop action!

[Guest AfterBurner]

American Generalship- great insight into our General's. Talks alot about the struggle to form the USAF. good read

[farva]

"Life of Pi" by Yann Martel. Not bad. "The First Counsel" by Brad Metzer. Also a page turner.

[Guest jmac2222]

I'm reading the "Persian Puzzle","The Fifty Year Wound" (What cold war associations are costing us today) and "Why Courage Matters" by John McCain (This is my bathroom book...short chapters)

[Guest Rainman A-10]

"My Secret War" by Richard S. Drury

My all time favorite. Absolutely awesome book.