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Thinking About War
On War (Oxford World's Classics)On War (Oxford World's Classics) by Carl von Clausewitz
Buy used from: £69.93
Classic text on warfare still being studied. Timeless but difficult.
Clausewitz: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions)Clausewitz: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions) by Michael Howard
Buy new: £4.77 / Used from: £2.43
The great military historian Michael Howard gives a short introduction to Clausewitz for students and newcomers.
The Art of War/The Book of Lord Shang (Wordsworth Classics of World Literature)The Art of War/The Book of Lord Shang (Wordsworth Classics of World Literature) by Tzu Sun
Buy new: £2.93 / Used from: £0.01
Classic work of military strategy
Carnage and Culture: Landmark Battles in the Rise to Western PowerCarnage and Culture: Landmark Battles in the Rise to Western Power by Victor Davis Hanson
Buy new: £8.73 / Used from: £5.98
A heavyweight defense of Western civilization and its values.
Ripples of Battle: How Wars of the Past Still Determine How We Fight, How We Live, and How We ThinkRipples of Battle: How Wars of the Past Still Determine How We Fight, How We Live, and How We Think by Victor Davis Hanson
Buy new: £8.76 / Used from: £2.29
Three main battles which continue to shape and effect us today. Another terrific Hanson book.
A War Like No Other: How the Athenians and Spartans Fought the Peloponnesian WarA War Like No Other: How the Athenians and Spartans Fought the Peloponnesian War by Victor Davis Hanson
Greece v Sparta......The lessons are still relevant. Essential reading with Kagan and Thucydides.
The Peloponnesian War: Athens and Sparta in Savage Conflict 431-404 BCThe Peloponnesian War: Athens and Sparta in Savage Conflict 431-404 BC by Donald Kagan
Buy new: £6.97 / Used from: £4.35
A classic for expert or general reader alike. A neoconservative favourite.
The Peloponnesian War (Classics)The Peloponnesian War (Classics) by Thucydides
Buy new: £7.66 / Used from: £0.78
The classical masterpiece. Read it along with Kagan and Hanson. Weakness invites aggression.
The Culture of WarThe Culture of War by Martin Van Creveld
Buy used from: £12.99
Another classic by Van Creveld. A realistic and accurate review of human nature, and a scholarly and insighful study.
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: £9.18 / Used from: £7.48
Essential reading for all US (and British) soldiers. Transforming the US Military in the new war of the 21st century.
The U.S. Army/Marine Corps Counterinsurgency Field ManualThe U.S. Army/Marine Corps Counterinsurgency Field Manual by United States
Buy new: £8.68 / Used from: £9.20
Re-written by General David Petraeus. Will be studied and used for decades to come in this new war.
Counterinsurgency Warfare: Theory and Practice (PSI Classics in the Counterinsurgency Era)Counterinsurgency Warfare: Theory and Practice (PSI Classics in the Counterinsurgency Era) by David Galula
Buy new: £16.95 / Used from: £22.10
New addition of classic counterinsurgency manual.
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: £7.66 / Used from: £4.31
Important book by a former British General.
Pacification in Algeria: 1956-1958Pacification in Algeria: 1956-1958 by David Galula
Buy new: £19.94 / Used from: £19.35
Counterinsurgency. Another must-read.
The Arab MindThe Arab Mind by Raphael Patai
Buy used from: £26.80
Republished classic. It is being used by US military academies and soldiers. Should have been required reading in 2003.
Seven Pillars of Wisdom: A Triumph (Penguin Modern Classics)Seven Pillars of Wisdom: A Triumph (Penguin Modern Classics) by T.E. Lawrence
Buy new: £7.69 / Used from: £2.16
Study the culture, history and people.
The Savage Wars of Peace: Small Wars and the Rise of American PowerThe Savage Wars of Peace: Small Wars and the Rise of American Power by Max Boot
Buy new: £9.99 / Used from: £4.80
The case for interventionism and a defense of US policy. Opposes the Powell doctrine. Controversial and much debated.
War Made New: Weapons, Warriors, and the Making of the Modern WorldWar Made New: Weapons, Warriors, and the Making of the Modern World by Max Boot
Buy new: £9.91 / Used from: £3.98
One of the best books I have ever read. Boot is a great intellectual and military specialist.
Finding the Target: The Transformation of American Military PolicyFinding the Target: The Transformation of American Military Policy by Frederick Kagan
Buy new: £9.89 / Used from: £3.91
Kagan is military expert and co-author of Petraeus "surge" strategy called "Choosing Victory". A seminal book on change and future of the US Military.
Acts of War: The Behaviour of Men in Battle (Cassell Military Paperbacks)Acts of War: The Behaviour of Men in Battle (Cassell Military Paperbacks) by Richard Holmes
Buy new: £6.74 / Used from: £0.04
The human condition of being a soldier. Holmes is a great historian and empathetic writer.
On Killing: Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill: The Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill in War and SocietyOn Killing: Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill: The Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill in War and Society by Dave Grossman
Buy used from: £2.95
One of the most powerful books I have ever read,
Warrior PoliticsWarrior Politics by Robert Kaplan
Buy new: £8.09 / Used from: £1.23
Why leadership demands a pagan ethos. Another classic by the author of "Imperial Grunts"
On the Origins of War: And the Preservation of PeaceOn the Origins of War: And the Preservation of Peace by Donald Kagan
Buy used from: £7.18
The great classics scholar gives us two ancient wars, two modern wars and the Cuban Missile Crisis to ponder over. Brilliant.
Supreme Command: Soldiers, Statesmen and Leadership in WartimeSupreme Command: Soldiers, Statesmen and Leadership in Wartime by Eliot A. Cohen
Buy used from: £3.60
A modern masterpiece written by a brilliant neoconservative scholar, and former military officer. The relationship between civilian leaders and military leaders -- studying four great examples.
The Soldier and the State (Belknap Press)The Soldier and the State (Belknap Press) by SP Huntington
Buy new: £20.85 / Used from: £12.50
Samuel Huntington's classic and much debated study on the dynamic between the military leadership and the civilian leadership. Differs from Cohen in two main respects, but remains indispensible.