Okay guys and girls, I'm not a scholar by any measure, but I do enjoy a good book.

Here are a few titles I've enjoyed that maybe you have too or would find some interest in.

1. Sun Tzu: Art of War - .Txt site: http://www.chinapage.com/sunzi-e.html
2. On Killing : The Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill in War and Society. David Grossman
3. On Combat, David Grossman
4. Understanding Terror Networks, Marc Sageman* Outstanding read!
5. Human Factors Considerations of Undergrounds in Insurgencies
6. Counterinsurgency Warfare : Theory and Practice, David Galula
7. Marine Corps Small Wars Manual
8. On War, Clausewitz
   
9. Seven Pillars of Wisdom: A Triumph, T.E. Lawrence

That's all for now.

The Lesser Evil by Michael Ignatieff

An Enduring Love by Her Majesty Farah Pahlavi

While Canada Slept by Andrew Cohen

Iran-Iraq War in the Air 1980-1988 by Tom Cooper

Love, Poverty, and War by Christopher Hitchens

The War Against the Terror Masters by Michael A. Ledeen

well i can only suggest one but its Shooter by Gunnery Sgt Jack Coughlin its his autobiography and its pretty good goes into some more detail about Iraq and some stuff about that i still havent finished it but its a good read so far.

Originally Posted by armlesscadet

well i can only suggest one but its Shooter by Gunnery Sgt Jack Coughlin its his autobiography and its pretty good goes into some more detail about Iraq and some stuff about that i still havent finished it but its a good read so far.

Careful with that book and take it with a grain of salt. Jack Coughlin was not an 8541 (S/S MOS), nor are the majority of his claims accurate and true.

He was removed from 1/7 (I will not go into the "why's")

There is no such animal as a "Chief Scout Sniper Billet."

His claimed "confirmed kills" in Iraq are a complete fabrication.

He has been awarded one bronze star, not two.

While his service was honorable, his book is full of half-truths, exaggerations and outright lies.

not that i dont trust you, but is there a page or a site that debunks his clams?

Don't be intimidated by the 1100+ pages of "The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich." It reads more like a novel than a dry historical narrative and -- trust me on this -- this book is awesome.As a reporter for CBS, William Shirer lived and worked in Germany during much of the Nazi movement. Until he left in 1940, he saw firsthand Hitler's rise to power, the consolidation of that power, and the use of that power. As a fallible human being, his prejudices may show through at times, but this is not necessarily a weakness. In today's climate of political correctness, works by historical revisionists -- that purport to show that Hitler and the Nazis weren't so bad -- are not only published, but they're even taken seriously. Perhaps our modern view of Hitler has been distorted by allied propaganda and Hitler and Goerring were fun loving and lovable guys, they say. At the extreme, some revisionists even claim that the Auschwitz death camp didn't even have gas chambers - they were added later as a tourist attraction! Yeah right.
In that sense, Shirer's book, published in 1959 is refreshing. He doesn't hold back one bit with his opinions.
Hence, Quisling is "pig-eyed", Rohm is a "pervert", Goebles is "dwarfish", Goering is "corpulent", Ribbentrop is "vain as a peacock", Brauchitsch is "unintelligent", Eva Braun has the "brain of a bird", and so forth. Such epithets may offend the sensibilities of some modern day readers, but they certainly spice up the telling of what could otherwise be a boring tale. (If you don't know who these people are, buy the book. Believe me, if you read it all the way through, you will become a formidable expert in Nazi trivia).
Because "The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich" was finished a mere 14 years after the fall of Nazi Germany, some facts that have come to light after its publication are necessarily missing. The premier example of this would be the breaking of the secret Nazi military codes by the British. But writing this book in 1959 also had its advantages. Many of the participants were still alive when William Shirer was doing his research. Hence, when encountering a slight inconsistency in General Franz Halder's war diary [The Chief of Staff of the High Command (the OKH)], William Shirer wrote to the old General and received "a prompt and courteous reply."
Perhaps Shirer's most vivid firsthand account of all is the several page description of the French surrender in the rail car at the forest at Compiegne:
"I look for the expression in Hitler's face. I am but fifty yards from him and see him though my glasses as though he were directly in front of me... He glances slowly around the clearing, and now, as his eyes meet ours, you grasp the depth of his hatred."
Amazing stuff.
But these personal accounts only take up a very small portion of this absolutely fantastic book. Particularly well covered was Hitler's rise to power -- a story that is not often told. The Hitler that Shirer paints during these early years is a very astute political observer who shrewdly plays the German people like a violin. He promises the people what they want, plays on their fears, and is extremely ruthless to anyone who dares to oppose him.
In later years, Shirer's Hitler's political savvy falls apart. At one point Shirer calls his inner circle a "lunatic asylum". Except for very occasional bursts of brilliance, Hitler has no idea what the heck he is doing politically much less militarily and yet his fanatical followers still go along with him. Hitler's megalomania goes on overdrive until, like a Viking in a Wagner opera his body is burned in a last stand against the Russian army just blocks away from his bunker.
While making my way through "The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich", I can't tell you how many times I would read about a pivotal event and wonder "WHAT THE HECK WAS GOING THROUGH THESE GUYS MINDS?" I always knew the Nazi's were nuts as well as scary. This book provided all of the details I needed.

Originally Posted by phoenix80

Iran-Iraq War in the Air 1980-1988 by Tom Cooper

Tom Cooper?? an Englishman who works in some university in the History dep. that is in his 30's ??
or am I thinking of the wrong person??

any help here!?!

Spot on KC72. I know several people that should be made to read this book before they speak about the subject again.

As an aside, there was a movie made called "The nightmare years" about Shirer's time in Germany, and his eventual "escape" as it were. The movie isn't what one would call "great" but it does touch on some of the things he writes about in "Rise and Fall", and provides some interesting background.

wow...topic took an interesting turn...anyways like armlesscadet i can only suggest one really really good book but its worth it. Prayers For The Assassin by Robert Ferrigno. Fiction. Talks about what would happen if the terrorists win....http://prayersfortheassassin.com

You have to take time out to read this book, by the time Cassino was being fought the campaign in Italy had become more or less secondary, yet this battle was one of the most ferocious battles in the whole war, on a par even with Stalingrade. The sheer horror of what happened here defies belief, when the author talks of a battalion of some 250 men in which only a handful are left after 1 night you start to understand the tragedy that unfolds. You also understand the mutual respect that seems to grow between the 2 sides as on top of everything else the conditions were beyond comprehension. Parker's thorough research ensures you can read this book taking in all the facts while at the same time experiencing the feeling of utter, eyes closing & head bent, sadness.
Delicately tied into this are stories, some related after the event, others more or less as an obituary. All relay the same message of complete despair and fear that at moments transcend to levels of unparalleled courage, ( the experiences of Spike Milligan makes you nod your heard with understanding at his nervous disposition that became world famous ) such moments in history should not be forgotten.