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31 Best Military Books of All Time


Our goal: Find the best Military books according to the internet (not just one random person's opinion).

    Here's what we did:
  1. Type "best military books" into our search engine and study the top 5+ pages.
  2. Add only the books mentioned 2+ times.
  3. Rank the results neatly for you here! 馃槉
    (It was a lot of work. But hey! That's why we're here, right?)

(Updated 2024)

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Last Updated: Monday 1 Jan, 2024

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  1. 1
    The Guns of August

    The Guns of August

    The Pulitzer Prize-Winning Classic About the Outbreak of World War I

    Barbara W. Tuchman

    Appears in 5 articles
    1recommender
  2. 2
    Band of Brothers

    Band of Brothers

    E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler's Eagle's Nest

    Stephen E. Ambrose

    Appears in 5 articles
  3. 3
    Black Hawk Down

    Black Hawk Down

    A Story of Modern War

    Mark Bowden

    Appears in 5 articles
  4. MOST RECOMMENDED!
    4
    The Art Of War

    The Art Of War

    Sun Tzu

    Appears in 4 articles
    12recommenders
  5. 5
    One Bullet Away

    One Bullet Away

    The Making of a Marine Officer

    Nathaniel C. Fick

    Appears in 4 articles
    1recommender
  6. 6
    With the Old Breed

    With the Old Breed

    At Peleliu and Okinawa

    E. B. Sledge

    Appears in 3 articles
    3recommenders
  7. 7
    We Were Soldiers Once . . . and Young

    We Were Soldiers Once . . . and Young

    Ia Drang鈥擳he Battle That Changed the War in Vietnam

    Harold G. Moore

    Appears in 3 articles
    1recommender
  8. 8
    A Higher Call

    A Higher Call

    An Incredible True Story of Combat and Chivalry in the War-Torn Skies of World War II

    Adam Makos

    Appears in 3 articles
  9. 9
    Six Frigates

    Six Frigates

    The Epic History of the Founding of the U.S. Navy

    Ian W. Toll

    Appears in 3 articles
  10. 10
    Flyboys

    Flyboys

    A True Story of Courage

    James Bradley

    Appears in 3 articles
  11. 11
    Dispatches

    Dispatches

    Michael Herr

    Appears in 3 articles
  12. 12
    Lone Survivor

    Lone Survivor

    The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10

    Marcus Luttrell

    Appears in 2 articles
    2recommenders
  13. 13
    The Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant

    The Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant

    Ulysses S. Grant

    Appears in 2 articles
    2recommenders
  14. 14
    No Easy Day

    No Easy Day

    The Firsthand Account of the Mission that Killed Osama Bin Laden

    Mark Owen

    Appears in 2 articles
    1recommender
  15. 15
    On Killing

    On Killing

    The Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill in War and Society

    Dave Grossman

    Appears in 2 articles
    1recommender
  16. 16
    Unbroken
    i

    Unbroken

    A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption

    Laura Hillenbrand

    Appears in 2 articles
  17. 17
    American Sniper

    American Sniper

    The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History

    Chris Kyle

    Appears in 2 articles
  18. 18
    Call Sign Chaos

    Call Sign Chaos

    Learning to Lead

    Jim Mattis

    Appears in 2 articles
  19. 19
    1776

    1776

    David McCullough

    Appears in 2 articles
  20. 20
    The Outpost

    The Outpost

    An Untold Story of American Valor

    Jake Tapper

    Appears in 2 articles
  21. 21
    The Liberator

    The Liberator

    One World War II Soldier's 500-Day Odyssey from the Beaches of Sicily to the Gates of Dachau

    Alex Kershaw

    Appears in 2 articles
  22. 22
    If You Survive

    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

    George Wilson

    Appears in 2 articles
  23. 23
    Flags of Our Fathers

    Flags of Our Fathers

    James Bradley

    Appears in 2 articles
  24. 24
    Generation Kill

    Generation Kill

    Evan Wright

    Appears in 2 articles
  25. 25
    The Longest Day

    The Longest Day

    Cornelius Ryan

    Appears in 2 articles
  26. 26
    The Good Soldiers

    The Good Soldiers

    David Finkel

    Appears in 2 articles
  27. 27
    The Forever War

    The Forever War

    Dexter Filkins

    Appears in 2 articles
  28. 28
    A Narrative of a Revolutionary Soldier

    A Narrative of a Revolutionary Soldier

    Some Adventures, Dangers, and Sufferings of Joseph Plumb Martin

    Joseph Plumb Martin

    Appears in 2 articles
  29. 29
    America's War for the Greater Middle East

    America's War for the Greater Middle East

    A Military History

    Andrew J. Bacevich

    Appears in 2 articles
  30. 30
    Blood on the Risers

    Blood on the Risers

    An Airborne Soldier's Thirty-five Months in Vietnam

    John Leppelman

    Appears in 2 articles
  31. 31
    The Pentagon Wars

    The Pentagon Wars

    Reformers Challenge the Old Guard

    James G. Burton

    Appears in 2 articles

Sources

  1. Storylifebooks20190523unbroken american sniper lone survivor top military books1122852001www.usatoday.com
  2. 100 Best Military History Books of All Time (Updated for 2021)www.shortform.com
  3. 19 of the Best Military Non-Fiction Books Everyone Should Readmybaseguide.com
  4. Best military non-fiction books of all-time - We Are The Mightywww.wearethemighty.com
  5. Best military bookspennbookcenter.com

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