Listmania!
Books for junior army officers
The Bear Went Over the Mountain: Soviet Combat Tactics in Afghanistan (Soviet (Russian) Study of War)The Bear Went Over the Mountain: Soviet Combat Tactics in Afghanistan (Soviet (Russian) Study of War)
Buy new: £19.55 / Used from: £27.55
Experiences of Soviet Junior Officers in Afghanistan. Very relevent to current operations in Afghanistan.
We Were Soldiers Once...and Young: Ia Drang - The Battle That Changed the War in VietnamWe Were Soldiers Once...and Young: Ia Drang - The Battle That Changed the War in Vietnam by Harold G. Moore
Buy used from: £2.16
The chaos of pitched battle, the difficulties of C2 and mobility and the importance of intelligence
By Tank into Normandy (Cassell Military Paperbacks)By Tank into Normandy (Cassell Military Paperbacks) by Stuart Hills
Buy new: £2.00 / Used from: £1.25
Detailed portrayal of armoured troop leading in combat
Fighting Fit: Complete SAS Fitness Training HandbookFighting Fit: Complete SAS Fitness Training Handbook by Adrian Weale
Buy new: £3.05 / Used from: £3.00
Excellent guide to improving personal fitness with military aims in mind
Jane's Chem-bio Handbook: International (Janes)Jane's Chem-bio Handbook: International (Janes)
Buy new: £14.74 / Used from: £14.74
Vital reference guide for CBRN and TIC issues in contemporary operating environment and UK Ops, should be in every CBRN cell battle-box
18 Platoon18 Platoon by Sydney Jary
On the Sandhurst reading list and with good reason
The Arab MindThe Arab Mind by Raphael Patai
Buy new: £37.98 / Used from: £6.21
The best book I could find to help me (as a westerner) understand Iraqi thinking
Islam for Dummies (For Dummies)Islam for Dummies (For Dummies) by Malcolm Clark
Buy new: £7.33 / Used from: £4.72
Good for understanding the basics of Islam and the various traditions within
Jarhead: A Solder's Story of Modern WarJarhead: A Solder's Story of Modern War by Anthony Swofford
Buy new: £2.96 / Used from: £0.01
Personal view of operations from a soldiers point of view, warts and all
Achtung-Panzer!: The Development of Tank Warfare (Cassell Military Paperbacks)Achtung-Panzer!: The Development of Tank Warfare (Cassell Military Paperbacks) by Heinz Guderian
Buy new: £2.27 / Used from: £0.01
Great guide to manouevrist thinking and the conceptual component
Knight's Cross: Life of Field Marshal Erwin RommelKnight's Cross: Life of Field Marshal Erwin Rommel by Sir David Fraser
Buy used from: £12.64
Interesting guide to leadership and readable history, Beware of the long screw-driver!
Flashman (The Flashman Papers)Flashman (The Flashman Papers) by George MacDonald Fraser
Buy new: £4.94 / Used from: £0.75
Soldiering in a more civilised era, whole Flashman series is required reading for any self respecting young army officer!
Secret Soldiers: Special Forces in the War Against Terrorism (Cassell Military Paperbacks)Secret Soldiers: Special Forces in the War Against Terrorism (Cassell Military Paperbacks) by Peter Harclerode
Buy used from: £0.44
This is a fantastic history of the evolution of international terrorism since 1970 and the fight against it
Brixmis: The Untold Exploits of Britain's Most Daring Cold War Spy MissionBrixmis: The Untold Exploits of Britain's Most Daring Cold War Spy Mission by Tony Geraghty
Buy used from: £4.50
Although not particularly useful from a professional point of view, fascinating
The Operators: On the Streets with Britain's Most Secret Service (Pen & Sword Military Classics)The Operators: On the Streets with Britain's Most Secret Service (Pen & Sword Military Classics) by James Rennie
Buy new: £6.59 / Used from: £4.72
No idea how much truth there is in this book, but a great story none the less
Devil's GuardDevil's Guard by George Robert Elford
Buy used from: £60.00
Fascinating story which raises interesting questions relating to moral thresholds in the fight against insurgents. Not necessarily ideal reading for soldiers and NCOs.
Learning to Eat Soup with a Knife: Counterinsurgency Lessons from Malaya and VietnamLearning to Eat Soup with a Knife: Counterinsurgency Lessons from Malaya and Vietnam by John A. Nagl
Buy new: £5.27 / Used from: £9.62
Superb reading on COIN and asymetric warfare
The Utility of Force: The Art of War in the Modern WorldThe Utility of Force: The Art of War in the Modern World by Rupert Smith
Buy new: £6.99 / Used from: £4.90
Vital reading for any aspiring staff officer
Dusty Warriors: Modern Soldiers at WarDusty Warriors: Modern Soldiers at War by Richard Holmes
Buy new: £6.99 / Used from: £2.54
A good illustration of contemporary operations, the Bn is shown in an unfairly favourable light (the author was Regimental Colonel), impression of: "we missed the war (TELIC 1) so we'll have our own"