This unofficial suggested military reading list is designed as a resource for all Logisticians -- officer, enlisted, and civilian – My intent is to foster an ongoing interest in professional reading regardless of rank. Note that some books on this list may be out of print and only available from libraries or through interlibrary loan. I have marked those that I know are out of print with an *.
References used for this list were the recommend reading lists for the War College, CGSC, Marine Corps, Air Force Chief of Staff and Combat Studies Institute, fellow officers/NCOs and own personnel experience. I did not attempt to break it down by books for particular ranks or grades. It should have something for both the casual as well as the advanced reader. Your comments and recommendations on this list are welcome. E-mail them to: bornk@lee.army.mil
LOGISTICS
Edwards, John E. Combat Service Support Guide, Harrisburg, Pa, Stackpole Books, 1989. Paperback 2nd edition (February 1993); ISBN: 0811730212
Engels, Donald W. Alexander the Great and the Logistics of the Macedonian Army, University of California Pres, Berkley, 1978. Paperback (Feburary 1981) Traces the journey of Alexander and his army across Asia and explains how he supplied his army with weapons, food and water.
Fuson, Jack C., Transportation and Logistics: One Man’s Story, Washington: Government Printing Office, 1994. CMH Pub 70-62 A first-person chronicle of logistical experience during World War II and the Korean and Vietnam Wars by a former Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics. This analytical account provides insight into effective transportation and logistics management for present and future Army leaders.
Heiser, John M. Logistics Support, Vietnam Studies. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1974. Detailed overview of the many achievements and mistakes of the logistics operations in Vietnam.
Heiser, John M. A Soldier Supporting Soldiers. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1991.CMH Pub 70-40 A personal account of the logistical challenges faced by the U.S. Army based on the author's career beginning as a young Ordnance officer in World War II through service as commander of the 1st Logistical Command in Vietnam, Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, and consultant to several agencies.
*Huston, James A. Guns and Butter, Powder and Rice: U.S. Army Logistics in the Korean War. Cranbury, PA: Susquehanna University Press, 1989. Logistical problems and basic military unpreparedness in the Korean War.
Huston, James A. The Sinews of War: Army Logistics, 1775-1953. Washington, DC: Office of the Chief of Military History, United States Army, 1966, 1988, 1997. CMH Pub 30-4 Commercially reprinted by DIANE Publishing Co; ISBN: 0788145134. June 1997 A classic, history of military logistics. One of the first attempts to trace the historical development of logistics and remains one of the best books to do so.
Magruder, Carter B. Recurring Logistics Problems As I Have Observed Them. Washington: Government Printing Office, Paperback June 1991 CMH Pub 70-39 An analytical study, based on the firsthand experience of a senior Army logistician, of logistical challenges faced by the U.S. Army during World War II, Korea, and Vietnam.
Pagonis, William G. Moving Mountains; Lessons in Leadership and Logistics from the Gulf War. Boston: Harvard Business School Press, 1992. Logistics in the Persian Gulf War, by the general responsible for moving a half million troops and and over seven million tons of supplies.
Risch, Erna. Quartermaster Support of the Army, 1775-1939. Washington, Center of Military History, Dept of the Army, 1989.
Risch, Erna. Supplying Washington’s Army. Washington, DC: Office of the Chief of Military History, United States Army, 1981. Military classic on the first logistics operation in American military history.
Shrader, Charles R. Communist Logistics in Korea Greenwood Publishing Group, 1995 ISBN: 0313295093 Study of how the North Korean and Chinese Communists were able to sustain their forces in the field during the Korean War.
Shrader, Charles R. US Military Logistics 1607-1991, Greenwood Publishing Group, 1992 ISBN: 0313272468 Annotated bibliography of selected published items concentrating on military logistics in America from the colonial era to the present.
Shrader, Charles R. United States Army Logistics, 1775-1992; An Anthology. . Washington, Center of Military History, Dept of the Army, 1997, three volumes.
Thorpe, George C. Pure Logistics: The Science of War Preperation, Washington: National Defense University Press, 1986. Government Printing Office; ISBN: 031820388X
Thompson, Julian. The Lifeblood of War: Logistics in Armed Conflict. NY: Brassey's, 1991. Revised edition (June 1994); ISBN: 0080417760 . Identifies the essential elements in successful supply and how military campaigns over the centuries have suffered as a result of logistic deficiency.
Van Creveld, Martin. Supplying War: Logistics from Wallenstein to Patton. Cambridge and New York: Cambridge University Press, 1977. One of the best works ever written on the history of logistics. Takes an effective look at how armies were or were not supplied, and how logistics determined sound military operations.
Doughty, Robert A. and Gruber, Ira D. American Military History and the Evolution of Warfare in the Western World. Lexington, Mass: D.C. Heath and Company, 1996. ISBN: 0-669-41683-5.
Heller, Charles E., and William A. Stofft. America's First Battles, 1776-1965. Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 1986. Readable collection of essays that portray the human drama inherent in first battles. Excellent discussions of the logistics problems of Kasserine Pass, Task Force Smith, and Ia Drang Valley.
Millett, Allan Reed, and Peter Maslowski. For the Common Defense: A Military History of the United States of America. New York: Free Press/Macmillan, 1984. Revised and expanded edition (September 1994); ISBN: 0029215978 Classic study of American Military History.
Millis, Walter. Arms and Men: A Study in American Military History. New Brunswick NJ: Rutgers University Press, 1994,1981,1956; ISBN: 0813509319
*Blair, Clay. The Forgotten War: America in Korea. 1950-1953. New York: Times Books, 1987. A well written study of America's involvement in Korea War.
Crane, Stephen. The Red Badge of Courage. Tor Books: New York, 1997. Classic novel about cowardice and courage in the Civil War.
Fall, Bernard B. Hell in a Very Small Place: The Siege of Dien Bien Phu. Philadelphia: Lippincott, 1966. Paperback (May 1988) Da Capo Pr; ISBN: 0306802317 Lessons of Dien Bien Phu and France's experience in Indo-China.
Fall, Bernard B. Street Without Joy. 4th ed. New York: Schocken Books, 1972, 1964. Revised edition (March 1994); Stackpole Books; ISBN: 0811717003 Vivid account of the French defeat in Vietnam.
Fehrenbach, T.R. This Kind of War: A Study in Unpreparedness. New York: Macmillan, 1963. 2nd edition (August 1998); Brasseys Inc; ISBN: 1574881612 Acclaimed classic history of the Korean War, written from the perspective of those who fought it. Author commanded in Korea at platoon, company, and battalion levels.
Forester, C.S. The General. Nautical & Aviation Publishing Co., Inc., Baltimore, 1988. ISBN: 1877853399
Henlein, Robert, Starship Troopers, Berkley Publishing Group, 1987. ISBN: 0441783589 Classic 1959 science fiction…the future based on the lessons of WWII. Extols the virtues of rigorous training prior to combat. Better than the movie.
Keegan, John. The Face of Battle. New York: Viking Press, 1983. Reprint edition (July 1995); ISBN: 0140048979 Classic work by a renowned historian. Pivotal battles of Agincourt, Waterloo, and the Somme which each showcased a radical and unique development in warfare.
Lawrence, T. E. (Thomas Edward). Seven Pillars of Wisdom: A Triumph. New York: Penguin Books, 1976, 1935. Reissue edition (July 1991); Anchor Books/Doubleday; ISBN: 0385418957 Autobiography of real Lawrence of Arabia and his efforts to unify the Arabs against the Turks in WWI. Provides a unique insight to the Arab people.
MacDonald, Charles Brown. A Time for Trumpets: The Untold Story of the Battle of the Bulge. New York: Morrow, 1997, 1984; New York: Bantam Books, 1985. ISBN: 0688151574 Detailed account of the WWII Battle of the Bulge at all levels, written by an officer who lived through it.
Marshall, S. L. A. Men Against Fire: The Problem of Battle Command in Future War. Gloucester, MA: Peter Smith, 1978, 1947. ISBN: 0844640573 Classic study of the dynamics of small infantry units and what motivates individuals to fire against an enemy.
Moore, Harold G., and Joseph L. Galloway. We Were Soldiers Once--And Young: Ia Drang, the Battle that Changed the War in Vietnam. New York: Random House, 1992. ISBN: 0060975768 U.S. Army's first major engagement of the Vietnam War, Nov 1965. Powerful story told by the commander of the 1st Battalion 7th Cavalry Regiment, which fought the battle of Ia Drang. Lessons in airmobility as well as primer on leadership and command under fire.
Myrer, Anton. Once an Eagle. US Army War College Foundation Press, Carlisle, PA, 1997 ISBN: 1889927015, Harpercollins, May 2000; ISBN: 0060196963 “Once An Eagle is truly a classic. It causes us to reflect on core values . . . of moral and physical courage for young American warriors."--Gen. Henry H. Shelton, U.S. Army. One of the most important military novels ever written. Traces and contrasts the careers of a caring professional soldier vs a careerist, ticket puncher from before WWI to WWII.
Remarque, Erich Maria. All Quiet on the Western Front. New York: Fawcett, 1987, 1929. pages Reissue edition (June 1995); Fawcett Books (Mm); ISBN: 449213943. Classic German anti-war novel on the carnage of WWI.
Sajer, Guy. The Forgotten Soldier. Translated by Lily Emmet. New York: Harper and Row, 1971. (April 1, 1990) Brasseys Inc; ISBN: 0080374379 Story of a draftee in the WWII German army. Vividly portrays the life of the common soldier in war.
Shaara, Jeff. Gods and Generals. New York: Ballantine Books, 1996. ISBN: 0-345-42247-3. Written by the son of Michael Shaara, “prequel” to The Killer Angels.
Shaara, Michael. The Killer Angels. New York: McKay, 1974; New York: Ballantine, 1980. (November 1993) Ballantine Books (Mm); ISBN: 0345348109 Classic Pulitzer Prize winning historical novel on commanders in the battle of Gettysburg.
Sledge, Eugene. With the Old Breed at Peleliu and Okinawa. New York: Oxford University Press, 1981. Reprint edition (September 1990); ISBN: 0195067142. Powerful memoir of a Marine’s experience fighting in the South Pacific during WWII.
*Webb, James H. Fields of Fire. New York: Bantam Books, 1979. Pocket Books, 1991; ISBN: 0671731386 Classic novel of the Vietnam war.
ART OF WAR/STRATEGY
Much quoted, seldom read, frequently misunderstood…but essential for the bookshelf of every professional soldier.
Clausewitz, Carl von.On War. Edited and translated by Michael Howard and Peter Paret. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1984. Viking Press, 1983; ISBN: 0140444270 Classic study of military strategy first published in 1832.
Machiavelli, Niccolo. The Prince. Translated by Peter E. Bondanella and Mark Musa. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press, 1984. Reissue edition 1984, Bantam Classic and Loveswept; ISBN: 0553212788 Timeless classic study of ruthless pursuit of political power first published during the Italian Renaissance in 1512.
Parent, Peter (editor). Makers of Modern Strategy from Machiavelli to the Nuclear Age, Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1986. ISBN: 0691027641 28 essays that analyze war, its strategic characteristics and its political and social functions over the past five centuries.
*Rommel, Erwin. Attacks. Rev. ed. Vienna, VA: Athena Press, 1979. ISBN: 0960273603 Primer on infantry tactics by the master.
*Summers, Harry G., Jr. On Strategy: A Critical Analysis of the Vietnam War. Novato, CA: Presidio Press, 1982.
Sun Tzu. The Art of War. Translated and with an Introduction by Samuel B. Griffith. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press, 1963. 1984; ISBN: 0195014766 Classic treatise on war by Chinese philosopher Sun Tzu, written 2,500 years ago.
Swinton, Ernest Dunlop. The Defense of Duffer's Drift: A Few Experiences in Field Defense for Detached Posts Which May Prove Useful in Our Next War. London: W. Clowes & Sons, 1929; Ft. Leavenworth, KS: U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, 1974. Avery Pub Group 1986; ISBN: 0895293234 Enduring and imaginative classic on British small unit tactics set at the time of the Boer War.
Weigley, Russell F. The American Way of War. Bloomington IN: Indiana University Press, 1978, ISBN: 025328029X Explores the thesis that what we learned from prior conflicts often governs our personal strategy, even if these lessons have changed due to technology, politics, innovations, etc.
Keegan, John. The Mask of Command. New York: Viking, 1987; Reprint edition (January 1989) Scholastic Paperbacks; ISBN: 0140114068 A study of generalship which includes Alexander the Great, Wellington, Grant, and Hitler. The personal and spiritual challenges a commander confronts when faced with mission accomplishment vs force preservation.
MacDonald, Charles Brown. Company Commander. New York: Bantam Books, 1947, 1978. Burford Books, 1999; ISBN: 1580800386 Classic story of author’s command of an infantry company in WWII. One of the most famous small unit leader's account of battle and the men who fight it.
McDonough, James R. Platoon Leader. Novato, CA: Presidio Press, 1985, 1996; ISBN: 0891416064 Fictional account of an infantry lieutenant in Vietnam discusses the real-life trials of an officer who has to discover what really works in combat.
Newman, Aubrey S. Follow Me: The Human Element in Leadership. Novato, CA: Presidio Press, 1984, 1997. ISBN: 0891416129 The first in a series of three books on leadership lessons by MG Newman in an easy to read story telling format. Based on a long-running series of essays in ARMY Magazine.
Patton, George S., Jr. War as I Knew It. New York: Bantam Books, 1981, 1986. ISBN: 0553259911 Patton's simple and earthly style make the reading of his philosophy of war enjoyable.
Nye, Roger H. The Challenge of Command: Reading for Military Excellence. Wayne, NJ: Avery Publishing Group, 1986. ISBN: 0895292807 An excellent collection of classics combined with authors own study of leadership and short vignettes of successful leaders.
Caputo, Philip. A Rumor of War. New York: Ballatine Books, 1978. Reprint edition (November 1996) Owlet; ISBN: 080504695X "Compelling . . . A thoroughly honest view of what the experience of Vietnam meant to a young college graduate, a 'gung-ho' lieutenant in the marine corps who enlisted for the 'heroic experience' of war . . . It is the most eloquent statement yet on what Vietnam was for the lower echelons who had to do the dirty work." -- Seattle Times
Toner, James H. True Faith and Allegiance: The Burden of Military Ethics. Lexington KY: The University Press of Kentucky, 1995. ISBN: 0813118816
Sorley, Lewis. Honorable Warrior: General Harold K. Johnson and the Ethics of Command. Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 1998. ISBN: 0-7006-0886-9.
Profile of a Bataan Death March survivor and recipient of the Distinguished Service Cross in Korea, was named chief of staff of the US Army in 1964. Presided over the turbulent and controversy-filled period of the US military’s early involvement and buildup in Vietnam.
Bainbridge, William. Top Sergeant: The Life and Times of Sergeant Major of the Army William G. Bainbridge, New York: Ballantine Books, 1995. Ivy Books, 1996; ISBN: 0804107580 Autobiography of SMA Bainbridge, a role model for NCOs.
*Fisher, Ernest F. Jr, Guardians of the Republic: A History of the Noncommissioned Officer Corps of the U.S. Army, New York: Ballantine Books, 1994.
Pendry, James and Spencer, Jimmie, The Three Meter Zone : Common Sense Leadership for NCOs, Presidio Press, 1999. ISBN: 089141679X How NCOs should conduct business on a day to day basis.
The Story of the Noncommissioned Officer Corps, Washington, Center of Military History CMH Pub 70-38, 1989.
OPERATIONS OTHER THAN WAR/UNCONVENTIONAL WARFARE
Adams, Thomas K. US Special Operations Forces in Action: The Challenge of Unconventional Warfare. Portland: Frank Cass, 1998. 360 pages. ISBN: 0-7146-4795-0. One of the best current books available on the subject.
Bowden, Mark. Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War. New York: Atlantic Monthly Press, 1999. 386 pages. ISBN: 0-87113-738-0. Gripping, well researched account of Task Force Ranger in Mogadishu, Somolia and the events of the battle on 2-3 October 1993 that left 18 American soldiers dead. What future OOW may look like.
MacKenzie, Lewis. Peacekeeper: The Road to Sarajevo. Toronto: HarperCollins, 1994. ISBN: 0-00-638049-2. Written by the Canadian General who commanded of the United Nations Protection Force in the former Yugoslavia. Excellent overview of UN Peacekeeping operations and the problems of peackeeping.
Natsios, Andrew S. U.S. Foreign Policy and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse: Humanitarian Relief in Complex Emergencies. Westport: Praeger, 1997. 192 pages. ISBN: 0-275-95921-X. Evolving U.S. polocy on disaster response. Written by the former director of the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance in USAID during the Bush administration Special coordinator of Somalia relief.
Alberts, David S., Defensive Information Warfare, National Defense University Press, August, 1996. (May be Out of Stock)
Brodie, Bernard, and Fawn M. Brodie. From Crossbow to H-Bomb. Bloomington IN: Indiana University Press, 1973. ISBN: 0253201616 . Classic work which thoughtfully examines the application of science to warfare and its effects on military strategy in the last two centuries.
Campen, Alan D.; Dearth, Douglas H.; and Goodden, R. Thomas, eds. Cyberwar: Security, Strategy, and Conflict in the Information Age. Fairfax: AFCEA International Press, 1996. 296 pages. ISBN: 0-916159-26-4. One of the Most Current books covering Information Warfare.
Johnson, David E. Fast Tanks and Heavy Bombers: Innovation in the U.S. Army, 1917-1945. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1998. 288 pages. ISBN: 0-8014-3458-0. Innovations in Armor and Aircraft during and between the two World Wars.
Leonhard, Robert A., with a foreword by Robert G. Scales. The Principles of War for the Information Age. Novato: Presidio Press, 1998. 287 pages. ISBN: 0-89141-647-1. The author examine the nine classical Principles of War and conclude that most of them are out of date in the Information Age. He offers instead three Laws of War, and seven Principles of Information Age warfare.
Murray, Williamson, and Millett, Allan R., eds. Military Innovation in the Interwar Period. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1996. 428 pages. ISBN: 0-521-55241-9.
CONTEMPORARY
Selected books from the Army War College reading list
published from 1993 to the present
Ambrose, Stephen E. Citizen Soldiers: The U.S. Army From the Normandy Beaches to the Bulge to the Surrender of Germany, June 7, 1944-May 7, 1945. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1997. 512 pages. ISBN: 0-684-81525-7.
Atkinson, Rick. Crusade: The Untold Story of the Persian Gulf War. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1993. 575p.
Clancy, Tom, with Franks, Frederick M., Jr. Into the Storm: A Study in Command. New York: Putnam, 1997. 531 pages. ISBN: 0-399-14236-3.
Duncan, Stephen M. Citizen Warriors: America’s National Guard and Reserve Forces & the Politics of National Security. Novato: Presidio Press, 1997. 317 pages. ISBN: 0-89141-609-9.
Head, William P., and Tilford, Earl H., Jr., eds. The Eagle in the Desert: Looking Back on U.S. Involvement in the Persian Gulf War. Westport: Praeger, 1996. 350 pages. ISBN: 0-275-95025-5.
Hillen, John. Blue Helmets: The Strategy of UN Military Operations. Washington: Brassey’s, 1998. 312 pages. ISBN: 1-57488-138-8.
Hoffman, F.G. Decisive Force: The New American Way of War. Westport: Praeger, 1996. 150 pages. ISBN: 0-275-95344-0.
Hynes, Samuel Lynn. The Soldiers’ Tale: Bearing Witness to Modern War. New York: A. Lane, Penguin Press, 1997. 318 pages. ISBN: 0-670-86585-0.
Linderman, Gerald F. The World Within War: America’s Combat Experience in World War II. New York: Free Press, 1997. 408 pages. ISBN: 0-684-82797-2
Macgregor, Douglas A. Breaking the Phalanx: A New Design for Landpower in the 21st Century. Westport: Praeger, 1997. 283 pages. ISBN: 0-275-95794-2. Presents the argument that a new army warfighting organization will be more deployable and effective in joint operations and reorganized information age.
McCormick, David. The Downsized Warrior: America’s Army in Transition. New York: New York University Press, 1998. 267 pages. ISBN: 0-8147-5584-4.
Moskos, Charles C., and Butler, John S. All That We Can Be: Black Leadership and Racial Integration the Army Way. New York: Basic Books, 1996. 198 pages. ISBN: 0-465-00108-4.
Oberdorfer, Don. The Two Koreas: A Contemporary History. Reading: Addison-Wesley, 1997. 472 pages. ISBN: 0-201-40927-5.
Peters, Ralph. Fighting for the Future: Will America Triumph? Mechanicsburg: Stackpole Books, 1999. 210 pages. ISBN: 0-8117-0651-6.
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Record, Jeffrey. The Wrong War: Why We Lost in Vietnam. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 1998. 217 pages. ISBN: 1-55750-699-X.
Sorley, Lewis. A Better War: The Unexamined Victories and Final Tragedy of America’s Last Years in Vietnam. New York: Harcourt Brace, 1999. 507 pages. ISBN: 0-15-100266-5.