Non fiction books on war

earthpigborn · 06-28-2012, 09:19 AM

I'm looking for good non-fiction books about war. All recommendations are welcome but I'm looking specifically for newer stuff (Gulf war, Iraq/Afghanistan etc.) preferably written by war correspondents who were covering events at the time.

Thanks in advance.

avantman42 · 06-28-2012, 10:29 AM

I've recently read, and can recommend:

Soldier / Geek: An Army Science Advisor's Journal of the War in Afghanistan (Smashwords, Amazon)

Ordinary Heroes: Untold Stories from the Falklands Campaign (Amazon)

Requiem · 07-03-2012, 09:52 PM

War by Sebastian Junger (Correspondent in Afghanistan, tells about the recent medal of honor winner as a side story)
Chasing Ghosts by Paul Rieckhoff (Created the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America - IAVA, quite an eye opening book about the early stages of the war in Iraq)

Both were excellent in POV from the frontline.

SteveEisenberg · 07-03-2012, 10:17 PM

Besides books, there are many fine war correspondent essays you can find on the internet and load onto your eReader. The last one I read:

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2...printable=true

My candidate for best blogger repeatedly visiting and reporting from war zones:

http://www.worldaffairsjournal.org/b...chael-j-totten

Here is a good reported 9/11 book:

Perfect Soldiers

Mike L · 07-04-2012, 09:57 AM

I just finished one of the best non-fiction books I've read for a long time: All Hell Let Loose, by Max Hastings. It's an extremely comprehensive history of World War II, mainly seen from the point of view of ordinary soldiers, sailors, etc as well as civilians caught up in the conflict, rather than generals and politicians.

It's outside your preference for the newer wars, but if you want a serious book about WWII, it should be at the top of your list.

Mike

bfisher · 07-04-2012, 08:02 PM

A little bit older (Vietnam era):

Michael Herr - "Dispatches" - Herr was an "Esquire" correspondent in Vietnam.

Philip Caputo - "A Rumor of War" - Vietnam from the perspective of a combat infantryman. Caputo was a Marine Lt. in the first combat unit sent to Vietnam - the book describes his passage from idealism into darkness

Stanley Karnow - "Vietnam:A History" - Karnow was a correspondent over most of the Vietnam era. This is written more at the U.S. foreign policy level.

stonetools · 07-05-2012, 12:08 PM

Mark Bowden is a great correspondent on modern war, starting with the book "Black Hawk Down." Follow him on Byliner.com.

"Ghost Wars" by Steven Coll is a superb account of the Soviet-Afghan War, focusing the CIA's role.

On the US-Afghan War

"Not a good Day to Die", Steven Naylor

On the Iraq War:

"Generation Kill", Evan Wright
"No True Glory", Bing West

From a Marine Officer who served in both theaters:

"One Bullet Away", Nathaniel Fick

AlexBell · 07-06-2012, 03:04 AM

'War The Lethal Custom' by Gwynne Dyer, Carrol & Graf Publishers, New York.
It has a foreword from William Shakespeare: 'We go to gain a little patch of ground that hath in it no profit but the name.' (Hamlet)

'Vietnam The Australian War' by Paul Ham, Harper Collins Publishers
One of its foreword quotes is 'Better to conquer hearts than citadels' Ngyen Trai, Vietnamese poet, 1426

06-28-2012, 09:19 AM	#1
earthpigborn Enthusiast Posts: 30 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Manila, Philippines Device: FBReader on Android	Non fiction books on war I'm looking for good non-fiction books about war. All recommendations are welcome but I'm looking specifically for newer stuff (Gulf war, Iraq/Afghanistan etc.) preferably written by war correspondents who were covering events at the time. Thanks in advance.

07-03-2012, 10:17 PM	#4
SteveEisenberg Grand Sorcerer Posts: 7,041 Karma: 39379388 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: near Philadelphia USA Device: Kindle Kids Edition, Fire HD 10 (11th generation)	Besides books, there are many fine war correspondent essays you can find on the internet and load onto your eReader. The last one I read: http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2...printable=true My candidate for best blogger repeatedly visiting and reporting from war zones: http://www.worldaffairsjournal.org/b...chael-j-totten Here is a good reported 9/11 book: Perfect Soldiers Last edited by SteveEisenberg; 07-03-2012 at 11:01 PM.

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06-28-2012, 10:29 AM	#2
avantman42 Wizard Posts: 1,090 Karma: 6058305 Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: UK Device: Kindle Paperwhite	I've recently read, and can recommend: Soldier / Geek: An Army Science Advisor's Journal of the War in Afghanistan (Smashwords, Amazon) Ordinary Heroes: Untold Stories from the Falklands Campaign (Amazon)

07-03-2012, 09:52 PM	#3
Requiem Enthusiast Posts: 42 Karma: 490328 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: USA Device: Asus Transformer	War by Sebastian Junger (Correspondent in Afghanistan, tells about the recent medal of honor winner as a side story) Chasing Ghosts by Paul Rieckhoff (Created the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America - IAVA, quite an eye opening book about the early stages of the war in Iraq) Both were excellent in POV from the frontline.

07-04-2012, 09:57 AM	#5
Mike L Wizard Posts: 1,479 Karma: 3846231 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Edinburgh, Scotland Device: Kindle 3, Samsung Galaxy	I just finished one of the best non-fiction books I've read for a long time: All Hell Let Loose, by Max Hastings. It's an extremely comprehensive history of World War II, mainly seen from the point of view of ordinary soldiers, sailors, etc as well as civilians caught up in the conflict, rather than generals and politicians. It's outside your preference for the newer wars, but if you want a serious book about WWII, it should be at the top of your list. Mike

07-04-2012, 08:02 PM	#6
bfisher Wizard Posts: 1,638 Karma: 28483498 Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Ottawa Canada Device: Sony PRS-T3, Galaxy (Aldiko, Kobo app)	A little bit older (Vietnam era): Michael Herr - "Dispatches" - Herr was an "Esquire" correspondent in Vietnam. Philip Caputo - "A Rumor of War" - Vietnam from the perspective of a combat infantryman. Caputo was a Marine Lt. in the first combat unit sent to Vietnam - the book describes his passage from idealism into darkness Stanley Karnow - "Vietnam:A History" - Karnow was a correspondent over most of the Vietnam era. This is written more at the U.S. foreign policy level.

07-05-2012, 12:08 PM	#7
stonetools Wizard Posts: 2,016 Karma: 2838487 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Washington, DC Device: Ipad, IPhone	Mark Bowden is a great correspondent on modern war, starting with the book "Black Hawk Down." Follow him on Byliner.com. "Ghost Wars" by Steven Coll is a superb account of the Soviet-Afghan War, focusing the CIA's role. On the US-Afghan War "Not a good Day to Die", Steven Naylor On the Iraq War: "Generation Kill", Evan Wright "No True Glory", Bing West From a Marine Officer who served in both theaters: "One Bullet Away", Nathaniel Fick

07-06-2012, 03:04 AM	#8
AlexBell Wizard Posts: 3,413 Karma: 13369310 Join Date: May 2008 Location: Launceston, Tasmania Device: Sony PRS T3, Kobo Glo, Kindle Touch, iPad, Samsung SB 2 tablet	'War The Lethal Custom' by Gwynne Dyer, Carrol & Graf Publishers, New York. It has a foreword from William Shakespeare: 'We go to gain a little patch of ground that hath in it no profit but the name.' (Hamlet) 'Vietnam The Australian War' by Paul Ham, Harper Collins Publishers One of its foreword quotes is 'Better to conquer hearts than citadels' Ngyen Trai, Vietnamese poet, 1426

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