Call for Professional Reading Lists

[SWCAdmin]

Tom, yes, thanks.

Selil, good question, two clarifications....(what was obvious to me was clearly not so obvious)

1. Interest transcends "just military", but should be Small Wars appropriate -- culture, anthropology, geopolitics, etc., if there's a tie-in, it's welcome. Just not trying to de-throne Oprah.

2. This call-for is specifically targeted to lists linked to some sort of significant organization. Examples of the targets I had in mind when I wrote this are:

- Institutional lists... CMC, Army CGSC, etc. (have those two, but not, e.g. ICAF, School of Americas)
- Unit lists, e.g. 4th ID, I MEF, Brave Rifles, etc.
- Reading list from Dr. So and So's course on XYZ, particularly if there's a name brand in there or if the list just really rocks (tell us).

For now, am focused here on data collection for organized lists.

FYI, member commentary on individual books is a part of the package we have planned, and I would just ask all to hold off on the one-off recommendations until you see the pages. For those member-recommended books that are not on ANY of the lists, we'll have a utility for submission of new titles (maybe not on Day 1, but pretty damn soon).

If you have your own list (e.g. Billy Bob's Top 10 on <your topic>) that you think is particularly good, send it along. Will also list our own SWJ Top Picks. And insights always welcome through comment.

[Jimbo]

I have some syllabi for some classes I recently took, I will dig them up. I will also share what I have when I start my next block in a month.

[marct]

Here are a few that may be useful.

Lewis Coser, "The function of social conflict". Free Press, 1956
Summary Conclusions Amazon

Max Gluckman, "Custom and Conflict in Africa", Blackwell, 1956
Amazon (personally, I have always grabbed my copies for a couple of bucks at second hand stores).

Marc

[PhilR]

I posted this previously in the "What are you reading" thread. I just ran across this on the Australia Land Warfare Studies website: http://www.defence.gov.au/Army/lwsc/ (its under Study Papers)
Its a pretty good reading list. Many titles are familiar, but many are "out of the mainstream" for military reading lists (and I'm not just talking about Australia-specific titles). There's a healthy dose of fiction and I was intrigued by logic of its matching of book titles to ranks (the idea of mathing is common, but there are some interesting choices here). Also, there seems to be a logic to the list in that the books are presented in a manner to suggest that some should be read close together--to gain differing perspectives on a subject.
The intro article on reading military history, originally published in 1965, is also well worth the time.