Call for Professional Reading Lists

[EmmetM]

Very interesting...As I posted in Hails and Farewells today my PhD research is on the use, utility etc of self-directed reading programmes in PME (title is "Autonomous, self-directed professional reading and the education of leaders"). I was intending to open a thread on this topic soon so will signal this here. I have now collected details of some reading programmes and lists from militaries accross the globe and will, over time, share some insights, thoughts etc on them. To weigh into the topic though, my favourite list in many ways comes from LtGen John Kiszkely, Director of the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom. In his words, "reading is an essential contributor to the development of sound judgement, intuition, and wisdom in military decision-making". He goes on to list "the ten books which I consider contribute more than any others to that understanding and development". His title are

Carl von Clausewitz, On War (Howard & Paret edition)
Martin van Creveld, Command in War
Alex Danchev & Daniel Todman (eds), War Diaries 1939-1945. Field Marshal Lord Alanbrooke
David Fraser, Knight's Cross: A Life of Field Marshal Erwin Rommel
Andrew Gordon, The Rules of the Game: Jutland and British Naval Command
Alastair Horne, A Savage War of Peace: Algeria 1954-1962
Michael Howard, The Franco-Prussian War
HR McMaster, Dereliction of Duty
William Slim, Defeat into Victory
Robert S Strassler (ed), The Landmark Thucydides

The list and commentary is available from http://www.defac.ac.uk/publications/reading-list

From a Kiwi perspective, our best contribution to the canon is probably Howard Kippenberger, Infantry Brigadier, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1949. "Kip" as he was/is affectionately known was once of our greatest commanders. A vet of WWI & II he rose to the rank of Major General until his command was tragically cut short when he lost both feet at Casino in '44. He went on to be a veterins advocate and official government historian. If you can get hold of a copy (unfortunately out of print) of Infantry Brigadier you'll get a no-BS account of the Kiwi way of war and leadership.

Link broken, id'd June 2015. A copy of my research into Kip is available from http://www.victoria.ac.nz/css/pages/...iscussion.aspx