Military Books

Jawgap · 12-04-2013 10:19am

Nearly finished this at the moment - it's a good read if you're in to contemplating the nature, relevance and context of combat especially at the level of the small unit.

He mixes in stories from his tours in Afghanistan (and deployments elsewhere) with classical and modern history, and poltical theory to produce a fairly interesting read.

Probably a good read for a junior officer.

The author served in the British Army from 2006-12 as an infantry officer in the Royal Gurkha Rifles. He completed three tours in Southern Afghanistan, and also served in Brunei, Nepal, and the Falkland Islands. He previously read history at Oxford University, and was a visiting defence fellow there in 2011.

Tenger · 12-04-2013 10:42am

Jawgap wrote: »

Nearly finished this at the moment - it's a good read if you're in to contemplating the nature, relevance and context of combat especially at the level of the small unit.......
Probably a good read for a junior officer......

Sounds good, I'll pick it up.
Sounds quite similar to "One Bullet Away" by Nathaniel Fick. A blunt appraisal of his role by a well educated junior officer.
And with all the John Keegan in my back catalogue I would like the references to history and political theory.

F.J. · 18-04-2013 10:59pm

I have read Zero Six Bravo Going to War with today's Damdusters 617.

Zero Six Bravo is about a special forces operation in northern Iraq at the start of the war
in 2003. It waswritten by Damien Lewis and I found it to be an interesting read.

Dambusters was written by Tim Bouquet.If you are interested in how air units
operate in war this gives a overview of it.

Jawgap · 26-05-2013 3:02pm

Carrington served as an infantry officer in WWI but was a self-confessed 'chairborne' soldier in WW2. He served as Army Liaison Officer at Bomber Command and these are his memoirs. He also spent time in France during the battles there trying to arrange and co-ordinate air support (while also trying to organise the withdrawal of the personnel he was directly responsible for).

He went on to help co-author much of the doctrine and manuals used to deliver air support in Normandy and NW Europe and he provides a commentary on the whole process, which is quite neutral in that, despite being an Army officer, he doesn't write from the Army's perspective, but from the liaison officer's perspective.

Good read, if you are interested in inter-service co-operation during WW2 and particularly the detail of RAF / Army Co-operation and how it developed.

The author has a very readable style, very self-deprecating. He wrote a memoir of his time in WWI and followed that up with a novel and worked as a publisher between the wars. He includes an account of his time in the Battle of France, but in keeping with the tone of his writing, it's included as an appendix, in case anyone might be interested!

rossit · 31-05-2013 12:47am

looking for any books about the irish army in cyprus thanks

Hedgemeister · 28-08-2013 9:40pm

rossit wrote: »

looking for any books about the irish army in cyprus thanks

Don't think there was any written specifically about UNFICYP, but the book - 'In Search of the Wadi Monster' includes service at home, in Cyprus (1960s) and Lebanon, from the start of UNIFIL in '78, through to the mid 90s.
Easons sold it about a year ago.

Hope that's some help.

Hedgemeister · 17-09-2013 5:51pm

Just heard about a 'Military book' just released by a chap called Frank Sumner from N.I.
The book is called 'From one end of the Rainbow,' & it promises 'revelations' about the Irish Army O/Seas.
I've not read it, but found a link where some of the book can be read for free.

www.franksumner.com/free

Jawgap · 03-04-2014 10:22am

arrived today.......

beauf · 03-06-2015 2:26pm

I read that last year. be interested to hear your opinion on it when done. First hand so to speak.

beauf · 03-06-2015 2:31pm

I read this recently Bomb Alley: Aboard HMS Antrim at War. The author is a little bit annoying, in that he over sells his own role (open to debate), and its very BRITish. I was a little disappointed with Four Weeks in May: A Captain's Story of War at Sea. (HMS Coventry) But this one (HMS Antrim) was a lot better and interesting than I was expecting.

riffmongous · 18-12-2015 8:27pm

I got an interesting book recently, Fangs of the Lone Wolf: Chechen Tactics in the Russian-Chechen War 1994-2009

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Really interesting book in that it's not telling a story rather it's a collection of engagements recounted by a few chechen fighters, organised by type (Defense of an Urban Area, Breakout of an Encirclement etc.,) and also including a brief analysis accompanied by maps, really fascinating stuff to read and something I would like to see done from a few other viewpoints too. Probably a bit 'academic' for some though and most of the actions described are only 2/3 pages long.

Jawgap · 28-02-2016 2:06pm

Just finished this......

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Excellent book, in my view, that focuses on the Canadians and their contribution - it's basically a reappraisal of their contribution which is often overlooked or denigrated in other accounts of OVERLORD.

beauf · 28-02-2016 2:23pm

Its a pricey book on amazon

Jawgap · 28-02-2016 2:29pm

I had a loan copy, but it doesn't look much cheaper on Abe.

Artur.PL · 04-08-2017 8:45pm

"My thirteen years in Polish Special Missions unit GROM"

"For the first time in GROM's history (it is almost 25 years since the Unit came into existence) ex-soldier of the Unit, not officer or commander but a shooter, decided to write his memories - story of thirteen years of service the Motherland and fight in Global War on Terrorism. A story of life and Brotherhood. Approved by GROM's current Commander."

E-book - http://gromyears.com

Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/Thirteen-352568968252938

Kisiel and Chris Kyle
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Conchir · 02-03-2019 11:02pm

Looking for a recommendation. I want to find a good submarine/U-boat book. I read Chickenhawk recently and really enjoyed it, does anyone know of anything in a similar vein about U-boats/submarine warfare? I'd immediately think of Das Boot, can anyone recommend that or something else?

As a contribution to the thread, Chickenhawk was a very good read. He was remarkably honest about his war experience, I didn't get the impression he left anything out. Also, the descriptions of helicopter flying make it sound like one of the most difficult things you could do, and his accounts of combat flying are gripping. Would definitely recommend it.

beauf · 03-03-2019 2:00am

Das boot I read maybe 25 yrs ago. My memory was it was excellent. I've not re-read it since no longer have it but I must.

There's a few books like chicken hawk. Mason wrote a second book. But it's more like back story about his life and problems after Vietnam. It's a very different kind of book.

I might make a list of my suggestions tomorrow. They are all in a box somewhere.

pegasus1 · 04-03-2019 5:55pm

Conchir wrote: »

Ed Macy, books 'Apache' and 'Hellfire' great reads Obviously both about Apache flying in combat, there are a few other good ones in the same vein..

Tom a. Johnston 'To the Limit' air cav huey pilot

Randy r. Zahn 'Snake Pilot' cobra attack heli in vietnam

Damien Lewis 'Apache Dawn" similar to ed macys books but different

Charlotte Madison "Dressed to Kill' Female Apache pilot in combat

All the above are great reads

beauf · 04-03-2019 6:11pm

I liked Ed Macys books also.

beauf · 04-03-2019 6:31pm

I was trying to think of Naval ones. One lesser known one was

Gunboat 658 by Len Reynolds about MGB and MTBs.

HMS Ulysses by Alistair MacLean its a novel but worth reading.

More Vietnam stuff.
Thud Ridge Jack Broughton is another Vietnam Classic.
Thunder Rolled & Palace Cobra Ed Rasimus
100 Missions North by Ken Bell
Low Level Hell - Hugh-Mills

Smiles35 · 30-09-2019 3:27pm

Interesting book I picked up recently.

Wild Blue by Steven E. Ambrose
It's by the man that did the book Band of Brothers was based on. This time it's about the Air Force bomber command. It's a collection of recollections (sometimes from different people) woven together into readable story passages. The new Speilberg/Hanks TV series (if it ever gets going) will likely lift parts from these pages.

Right now I'm stuck into Andy McNab's - Immediate Action. It's his full autobiography. I wont be putting this down until it's finished.

murf · 24-01-2024 12:51pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/109571124#Comment_109571124

The Sea Wolves by Wolfgang Frank was very good as I recall, read it many years ago. https://uboat.net/books/item/390

Not sure if it's in print anymore though.

Military Books

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