Once a Warrior King: Memories of an Officer in Vietnam
Once a Warrior King: Memories of an Officer in Vietnam by David Donovan.
A very insightful book on the dynamics of small unit leadership, especially in the context of a small advisory unit that is isolated from main body U.S. forces. I found the anecdotes on cultural understanding and engagement very helpful as I prepared for my MiTT mission a couple of years ago. While the advisory mission has changed somewhat in the last year, the ideas on building and nuturing relationships with your counterpart without "going native" are still worth a read.
Black's book is good, but...
I think I'd put forward The Past as Prologue as a better examination on the whole of military history and its possible use for making policy. As it's an anthology, you get more than one viewpoint and it does deal with many of the same issues that Black covers without getting bogged down in some of the "pet rocks."
The Age of the Unthinkable
While hardly a great book, it is still worth the small investment of time required to read it. "The Age of the Unthinkable", by Joshua Ramo focuses on complexity, rapid change, and concludes we can't predict or prevent all future threats, so our strategy should be focused on resilience. In other words designing a political/economic/social structure that can survive and continue to thrive in the unavoidable 9/11 like events in the future. Hardly a complete strategy, but resilience should definitely be a component of our national strategy. Especially since the trend enabled by technology is greater centralization of critical infrastructure, because it is cost efficient, but it makes us increasingly vulnerable. One example is our power grid.
I found this book to be a good supplement to the Joint Operational Environment (the JOE) published by JFCOM, and it also sounds like it would nest nicely with the "The American Culture of War", which I haven't read yet (but intend to).
"The Drunkard's Walk, How Ramdomness Rules Our Lives"
"The Drunkard's Walk, How Ramdomness Rules Our Lives"
Quote:
In The Drunkard’s Walk Leonard Mlodinow provides readers with a wonderfully readable guide to how the mathematical laws of randomness affect our lives. With insight he shows how the hallmarks of chance are apparent in the course of events all around us. The understanding of randomness has brought about profound changes in the way we view our surroundings, and our universe. I am pleased that Leonard has skillfully explained this important branch of mathematics.
From Stephen Hawking.
Yes, from his formatible intellect, Dr. Hawking has a accurate description, but has not explained the value of this book for Soldiers, Marines, and other warriors. This book illuminates some of the causes of the the "fog of war" and is a helpful tool for reducing Clausewitze like "friction".
Article for Infantry Magazine excerpt
Dave,
Hello. Scott Shaw and myself wrote an article soon to be published in Infantry magazine inregards to a Platoon Leader Six pack of books: Here is the excerpt of the article:
The PL Six-Pack
We selected books that appealed to us and others on both personal and professional levels. These books are constantly revisited on the website, commented on, and discussed. They are perennial favorites of ours and many others. They are combat focused. They are listed in no certain order.
The Killing Zone: My Life in the Vietnam War – Frederick Downs (ISBN-10: 0393310892)
The Killing Zone is the story of a platoon leader in Company D, 1st Battalion, 14th Infantry as part of 3rd Bde, 4th Infantry Division during 1967. Downs goes through a growing period from green lieutenant to seasoned platoon leader. This book enables you to put lieutenants into a situation that they are comfortable with – a tactical situation not unlike something that they did in ROTC or at West Point. It presents ethical, moral, and tactical challenges such as asking what they might do in certain situations. Several company commanders have used it as a primer for deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.
Stalking the Vietcong: Inside Operation Phoenix: A Personal Account – Stuart Herrington (ISBN-10: 0345472519)
This book is a look inside both the intelligence world and the world of tactical advising. It shows how one man was able to break into the Vietcong at the local level. Herrington’s description of the “usual methods” and then his later use of cultural knowledge, language, and charm are brilliant and something that a platoon leader on the streets could emulate. This book shows why the step “Understand” was added to the battle command process.
The Defense of Jisr al-Doreaa: With E. D. Swinton's "The Defence of Duffer's Drift" - Michael L. Burgoyne, Albert J. Marckwardt (ISBN-10: 0226080935)
This book, by two amazing captains of cavalry, presents a modern day look at countering insurgency. It is “The Defense of Duffer’s Drift” using Iraq as a backdrop and includes that book as well – one of our favorite books. This short read takes LT Phil Connors (of Groundhog Day fame) from the receipt of his first mission – control the town of Jisr al-Doreaa – and follows his actions through the six times that it takes to get it right. The book by itself is an excellent discussion primer, and the accompanying website (http://www.defenseofjad.com) includes the dreams in a series of vignettes that leaders can use, free of charge, before or after reading what LT Connors did. It can be an, “I can do better” or a “Here’s what this guy did” for your officers.
Platoon Leader: A Memoir of Command in Combat – James McDonough (ISBN-10: 0891418008)
Platoon Leader, the story of 2LT James McDonough and his platoon in the 173rd Airborne Brigade in Vietnam, is the narrative of a platoon leader assuming command in combat. It is an intimate look at complacency in units and the aftermath of that complacency. McDonough’s book is open and honest to the point of him freely admitting the mistakes he made that would be natural to any platoon leader.
Band of Brothers: E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler's Eagle's Nest – Stephen Ambrose (ISBN-10: 074322454X)
This book is a classic study of one unit from its inception to end and illustrates how much leadership matters. Band of Brothers (and the corresponding HBO series) follows one American airborne infantry company from its formation at the beginning of World War II to its deactivation at the end of the war while the books Beyond Band of Brothers: The War Memoirs of Major Dick Winters, by Dick Winters and Cole C. Kingseed ISBN-10: 0425213757, and others written by Don Malarkey, Buck Compton, David Keynon Webster, and Bill Guarnere serve as material to understand other viewpoints on how Soldiers view their leaders at all levels within a company.
On Combat: The Psychology and Physiology of Deadly Conflict in War and Peace– Dave Grossman, Loren W. Christensen (ISBN-10: 0964920514)
On Combat is an “examination of what it takes to perform, cope and survive in the toxicity of deadly combat.” This book offers a look at PTSD from how to survive and cope with its symptoms to helping others who may be suffering. As a book, it is particularly valuable to understanding what is happening to both the leader and those being led in combat.
An Added Bonus Shot - Once an Eagle Anton Meyer (ISBN-10 0060084359)
Hailed as the book that re-defined our values as an Army after Vietnam, Once an Eagle is the story of Sam Damon from his enlistment in the Army prior to the Punitive Expedition into Mexico through two World Wars, Korea, and Vietnam. This book provides a look at the hard ethical choices that our leaders must make in and out of combat and is a good primer for discussion within a company. It’s a little long, but the read is worth it.
Hope this helps out.
VR
Kelly Jones and Scott Shaw
War Stories by junior officers
US Army's Reading List Published
US Army's Reading List Published
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Another Reading List, And How We Do Love Them...
Another Reading List, And How We Do Love Them...
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The 2012 Warlord Loop Reading List
The 2012 Warlord Loop Reading List
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UK's top soldier recommends
Thanks to a "lurker" I have found the UK Chief of Defence Staff, Sir David Richards, has a created a list, broken down into: Context, Strategy, Warfare, Partners, People, Organisation, plus Links and is on:http://www.da.mod.uk/sites/da/recommended-reading
His opening statement:
Quote:
I cannot predict the future. But I can predict that it will test our intellectual mettle. We will have to deal with uncertainty and ambiguity, to decide how best to achieve the necessary outcomes, and to persuade others of the need to act in a timely and effective fashion. We will have to do this in ways that reflect and advance our national interest and make best use of the resources that we are provided with.
This will increasingly require a breadth and depth of contextual understanding, an ability to interpret the lessons of history, agile and creative thinking, and a dedicated professional approach to all that we do, be that on operations or in the office. This web page is designed to tempt readers into developing such attributes. It contains lists of books and articles that will provide intellectual stimulus for those who work in or with Defence, be they military or civilian.
Sir David has now retired handing over to a General.
Moderator's Note: There are a number of reading lists on SWC and some on SWBlog so I can see some merging one day! Some have now been merged, but there are a number on COIN, which should stay separate, but another day to consider merging:wry: