31 Best Military Books
We analyzed 5+ expert sources, curated book lists, and recommendations from successful people to find the 31 best military books according to the internet — not just one person's opinion. Each book on this list was mentioned by at least two independent sources, and the ranking is based on how frequently each title appears across all sources studied. This consensus-based approach ensures you get recommendations backed by multiple experts, not a single reviewer's bias.
Goal: Find the best Military books according to the internet (not just one person's opinion).
Method:
- Search for "best military books" and study the top 5+ pages.
- Add only the books mentioned 2+ times.
- Rank the results neatly here.
31 Best Military Books
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The Guns of August
The Pulitzer Prize-Winning Classic About the Outbreak of World War I
Also recommended by
1 person
Doris Kearns Goodwin recommended this bookDoris Kearns Goodwin
"So beautifully written. But more importantly, for me, she was writing about battles and military stuff and things that you don’t imagine that sometimes a woman might be so adept at." - Doris Kearns Goodwin
Doris Kearns Goodwin's recommendation of this book
Band of Brothers
E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler's Eagle's Nest
Black Hawk Down
A Story of Modern War
The Art Of War
Also recommended by
12 people
Jocko Willink recommended this bookJocko Willink
Jocko Willink covered this book in "Jocko Podcast" Ep. 23
Jocko Willink's recommendation of this book 
Neil deGrasse Tyson recommended this bookNeil deGrasse Tyson
"To learn that the act of killing fellow humans can be raised to an art." - Neil deGrasse Tyson
Neil deGrasse Tyson's recommendation of this book 
Marc Benioff recommended this bookMarc Benioff
"Served me well. [...] Advocates keeping one’s cool at all times." - Marc Benioff
Marc Benioff's recommendation of this book 
Evan Spiegel recommended this bookEvan Spiegel
"After meeting Mark Zuckerberg, [Evan Spiegel] immediately bought every [Snapchat] employee a copy of 'The Art Of War'." - Business Insider
Evan Spiegel's recommendation of this book 
Dave Camarillo recommended this bookDave Camarillo
"Another [book] I have to mention." - Dave Camarillo
Dave Camarillo's recommendation of this book 
Ryan Petersen recommended this bookRyan Petersen
Ryan Petersen mentioned this book on Twitter.
Ryan Petersen's recommendation of this book +6
More recommendations
- Travis Kalanick
"It became [Travis Kalanick's bible]." - Mike Isaac
- Vlad Tenev
"I like the classics such as The Republic by Plato and The Art of War by Sun Tzu." - Vlad Tenev
- Fred Wilson
"Has to get onto my list." - Fred Wilson
- Lex Fridman
Lex Fridman mentioned this book on Instagram.
- Elon Musk
"I've read [this book] many times." - Elon Musk
- Patrick Bet-David
Patrick Bet-David recommended this book on his website.
- Travis Kalanick
One Bullet Away
The Making of a Marine Officer
Also recommended by
1 person
Peter Attia recommended this bookPeter Attia
One of Peter Attia's answers to "is there a book that you’ve read more than once?"
Peter Attia's recommendation of this book
With the Old Breed
At Peleliu and Okinawa
Also recommended by
3 people- Jocko Willink recommended this book
Jocko Willink
Jocko Willink covered this book in "Jocko Podcast" Ep. 10
Jocko Willink's recommendation of this book 
Paul Graham recommended this bookPaul Graham
"Read this book." - Paul Graham
Paul Graham's recommendation of this book 
Howard Stern recommended this bookHoward Stern
"I didn’t understand the full impact of what these guys did at Okinawa fighting the Japanese. That had a big impact on me." - Howard Stern
Howard Stern's recommendation of this book
We Were Soldiers Once . . . and Young
Ia Drang—The Battle That Changed the War in Vietnam
Also recommended by
1 person- Jocko Willink recommended this book
Jocko Willink
Jocko Willink covered this book in "Jocko Podcast" Ep. 105
Jocko Willink's recommendation of this book
A Higher Call
An Incredible True Story of Combat and Chivalry in the War-Torn Skies of World War II
Dispatches
Flyboys
A True Story of Courage
Six Frigates
The Epic History of the Founding of the U.S. Navy
Lone Survivor
Also recommended by
2 people
Larry Ellison recommended this bookLarry Ellison
"[Larry Ellison picked up] his Kindle so he could finish reading [this book]. Larry had noted a page: 'The real battle is won in the mind.'" - Julian Guthrie
Larry Ellison's recommendation of this book 
Marc Andreessen recommended this bookMarc Andreessen
"The film was fine but the book is unreal; incredibly vivid story of superlative American heroes." - Marc Andreessen
Marc Andreessen's recommendation of this book
The Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant
Also recommended by
2 people
Jamie Dimon recommended this bookJamie Dimon
On Jamie Dimon's list of favorite books.
Jamie Dimon's recommendation of this book 
Mark Twain recommended this bookMark Twain
Mark Twain recommended this book in a letter.
Mark Twain's recommendation of this book
No Easy Day
The Firsthand Account of the Mission that Killed Osama Bin Laden
Also recommended by
1 person- Paul Graham recommended this book
Paul Graham
"Simultaneously reading Rousseau's Confessions and [this book]. Triangulating..." - Paul Graham
Paul Graham's recommendation of this book
On Killing
The Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill in War and Society
Also recommended by
1 person
Noah Kagan recommended this bookNoah Kagan
"I really enjoy military books. This is a fascinating book about if military people kill as much as you think." - Noah Kagan
Noah Kagan's recommendation of this book
1776
A Narrative of a Revolutionary Soldier
Some Adventures, Dangers, and Sufferings of Joseph Plumb Martin
America's War for the Greater Middle East
A Military History
American Sniper
The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History
Blood on the Risers
An Airborne Soldier's Thirty-five Months in Vietnam
Call Sign Chaos
Learning to Lead
Flags of Our Fathers
Generation Kill
If You Survive
From Normandy to the Battle of the Bulge to the End of World War II, One American Officer's Riveting True Story
The Forever War
The Good Soldiers
The Liberator
One World War II Soldier's 500-Day Odyssey from the Beaches of Sicily to the Gates of Dachau
The Longest Day
The Outpost
An Untold Story of American Valor
The Pentagon Wars
Reformers Challenge the Old Guard
Unbroken
A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption
Sources
- 1
Best military non-fiction books of all-time - We Are The Mighty
wearethemighty.com
- 2
19 of the Best Military Non-Fiction Books Everyone Should Read
mybaseguide.com
- 3
Best military books
pennbookcenter.com
- 4
100 Best Military History Books of All Time (Updated for 2021)
shortform.com
- 5
Storylifebooks20190523unbroken american sniper lone survivor top military books1122852001
usatoday.com
Edited by
Software engineer whose passion for tracking book recommendations from podcasts inspired the creation of MRB.
Lead investor at 3one4 Capital whose startup expertise and love for books helped shaped MRB and its growth.
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