The Best Military History Books 2024

1. The Codebreakers : The Comprehensive History of Secret Communication from Ancient Times to the Internet (Hardcover)

The magnificent, unrivaled history of codes and ciphers--how they're made, how they're broken, and the many and fascinating roles they've played since the dawn of civilization in war, business, diplomacy, and espionage--updated with a new chapter on computer cryptography and the Ultra secret. Man has created codes to keep secrets and has broken codes to learn those secrets since the time of the Pharaohs. For 4,000 years, fierce battles have been waged between codemakers and codebreakers, and the story of these battles is civilization's secret history, the hidden account of how wars were won and lost, diplomatic intrigues foiled, business secrets stolen, governments ruined, computers hacked. From the XYZ Affair to the Dreyfus Affair, from the Gallic War to the Persian Gulf, from Druidic runes and the kaballah to outer space, from the Zimmermann telegram to Enigma to the Manhattan Project, codebreaking has shaped the course of human events to an extent beyond any easy reckoning. Once a government monopoly, cryptology today touches everybody. It secures the Internet, keeps e-mail private, maintains the integrity of cash machine transactions, and scrambles TV signals on unpaid-for channels. David Kahn's The Codebreakers takes the measure of what codes and codebreaking have meant in human history in a single comprehensive account, astonishing in its scope and enthralling in its execution. Hailed upon first publication as a book likely to become the definitive work of its kind, The Codebreakers has more than lived up to that prediction: it remains unsurpassed. With a brilliant new chapter that makes use of previously classified documents to bring the book thoroughly up to date, and to explore the myriad ways computer codes and their hackers are changing all of our lives, The Codebreakers is the skeleton key to a thousand thrilling true stories of intrigue, mystery, and adventure. It is a masterpiece of the historian's art.

The magnificent, unrivaled history of codes and ciphers—how they're made, how they're broken, and the many and fascinating roles they've played since the dawn of civilization in war, business, diplomacy, and espionage—updated with a new chapter on computer cryptography and the Ultra secret. Man has created codes to keep secrets and has broken codes to learn those secrets since the time of the Pharaohs. For 4,000 years, fierce battles have been waged between codemakers and codebreakers, and the story of these battles is civilization's secret history, the hidden account of how wars were won and lost, diplomatic intrigues foiled, business secrets stolen, governments ruined, computers hacked. From the XYZ Affair to the Dreyfus Affair, from the Gallic War to the Persian Gulf, from Druidic runes and the kaballah to outer space, from the Zimmermann telegram to Enigma to the Manhattan Project, codebreaking has shaped the course of human events to an extent beyond any easy reckoning. Once a government monopoly, cryptology today touches everybody. It secures the Internet, keeps e-mail private, maintains the integrity of cash machine transactions, and scrambles TV signals on unpaid-for channels. David Kahn's The Codebreakers takes the measure of what codes and codebreaking have meant in human history in a single comprehensive account, astonishing in its scope and enthralling in its execution. Hailed upon first publication as a book likely to become the definitive work of its kind, The Codebreakers has more than lived up to that prediction: it remains unsurpassed. With a brilliant new chapter that makes use of previously classified documents to bring the book thoroughly up to date, and to explore the myriad ways computer codes and their hackers are changing all of our lives, The Codebreakers is the skeleton key to a thousand thrilling true stories of intrigue, mystery, and adventure. It is a masterpiece of the historian's art.

2. Frontsoldaten: The German Soldier in World War II (Paperback)

"Alois Dwenger, writing from the front in May of 1942, complained that people forgot "the actions of simple soldiers....I believe that true heroism lies in bearing this dreadful everyday life." In exploring the reality of the Landser, the average German soldier in World War II, through letters, diaries, memoirs, and oral histories, Stephen G. Fritz provides the definitive account of the everyday war of the German front soldier. The personal documents of these soldiers, most from the Russian fron

Frontsoldaten: The German Soldier in World War II (Paperback)

3. Inside the Third Reich (Paperback)

Speer, the Minister of Armaments and War Production under Hitler, the man who had kept Germany armed and the war machine running even after Hitler's mystique had faded, takes a brutally honest look at his role in the war effort, giving readers a complete view of the inside of the Nazi state. Speer, the Minister of Armaments and War Production under Hitler, the man who had kept Germany armed and the war machine running even after Hitler's mystique had faded, takes a brutally honest look at his role in the war effort, giving readers a complete view of the inside of the Nazi state.

Speer, the Minister of Armaments and War Production under Hitler, the man who had kept Germany armed and the war machine running even after Hitler's mystique had faded, takes a brutally honest look at his role in the war effort, giving readers a complete view of the inside of the Nazi state. Speer, the Minister of Armaments and War Production under Hitler, the man who had kept Germany armed and the war machine running even after Hitler's mystique had faded, takes a brutally honest look at his role in the war effort, giving readers a complete view of the inside of the Nazi state.

4. Vintage International The Soccer War, (Paperback)

Part diary and part reportage, The Soccer War is a remarkable chronicle of war in the late twentieth century. Between 1958 and 1980, working primarily for the Polish Press Agency, Kapuscinski covered twenty-seven revolutions and coups in Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East. Here, with characteristic cogency and emotional immediacy, he recounts the stories behind his official press dispatches--searing firsthand accounts of the frightening, grotesque, and comically absurd aspects of life during war. The Soccer War is a singular work of journalism.

Vintage International The Soccer War, (Paperback) Author: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group ISBN: 9780679738053 Format: Paperback Publication Date: 1992-02-04 Page Count: 240

5. A Rumor of War

"In March of 1965, Marine Lieutenant Philip J. Caputo landed at Danang with the first ground combat unit committed to fight in Vietnam. Sixteen months later, having served on the line in one of modern history's ugliest wars, he returned home--physically whole, emotionally wasted, his youthful idealism shattered."--P. [4] of cover. The classic Vietnam memoir, as relevant today as it was almost thirty years ago. In March of 1965, Marine Lieutenent Philip J. Caputo landed at Da Nang with the first ground combat unit deployed to Vietnam. Sixteen months later, having served on the line in one of modern history's ugliest wars, he returned home--physically whole but emotionally wasted, his youthful idealism forever gone. A Rumor of War is more than one soldier's story. Upon its publication in 1977, it shattered America's indifference to the fate of the men sent to fight in the jungles of Vietnam. In the years since then, it has become not only a basic text on the Vietnam War but also a renowned classic in the literature of wars throughout history and, as Caputo explains, of "the things men do in war and the things war does to men." "A singular and marvelous work." --The New York Times

The classic Vietnam memoir, as relevant today as it was almost thirty years ago. In March of 1965, Marine Lieutenent Philip J. Caputo landed at Da Nang with the first ground combat unit deployed to Vietnam. Sixteen months later, having served on the line in one of modern history's ugliest wars, he returned home—physically whole but emotionally wasted, his youthful idealism forever gone. A Rumor of War is more than one soldier's story. Upon its publication in 1977, it shattered America's indifference to the fate of the men sent to fight in the jungles of Vietnam. In the years since then, it has become not only a basic text on the Vietnam War but also a renowned classic in the literature of wars throughout history and, as Caputo explains, of "the things men do in war and the things war does to men." "A singular and marvelous work." —The New York Times

6. Eisenhower Center Studies on War and Pea Andrew Jackson Higgins and the Boats That Won World War II (Revised), (Paperback)

Andrew Jackson Higgins is perhaps the most forgotten hero of the Allied victory. He designed the LCVP (landing craft vehicle, personnel) that played such a vital role in the invasion of Normandy as well as the first effective tank landing craft. During the war, New Orleans-based Higgins Industries produced over twenty thousand boats, including lightning-fast PT boats and the twenty-seven-foot airborne lifeboat. Higgins dedicated himself to providing Allied soldiers with the finest landing craft in the world, and he fought the Bureau of Ships, the Washington bureaucracy, and the powerful eastern shipyards to succeed. Jerry Strahan's biography of Higgins reveals a colorful, controversial character-hard fisted, hard swearing, and hard drinking-who was an outsider to New Orleans' elite social circles. He was also, however, a hardworking boatbuilder who became a major industrialist with a worldwide reputation-even Hitler was aware of Higgins, calling him "the new Noah."

Eisenhower Center Studies on War and Pea Andrew Jackson Higgins and the Boats That Won World War II (Revised), (Paperback) Author: LSU Press ISBN: 9780807123393 Format: Paperback Publication Date: 1998-10-01 Page Count: 400

7. The Causes of Wars (Paperback)

Public consciousness of the threat of nuclear war is rising steadily. Responses to the nuclear dilemma are conflicting and often confusing. Never have we been more in need of information and perspective, for if we wish to avoid war we must understand it. Michael Howard offers an analysis of our present predicament by discussing those issues that cause war and make peace. His book includes an examination of nuclear strategy today, views of the past about the conduct of international relations, ethics, modes of defense, and studies of military thinkers and leaders. The Causes of Wars illuminates the interrelationship between men and ideas, between war and other social forces, and between our present situation and its roots in the past.

The Causes of Wars (Paperback)

8. Acceptable Loss: An Infantry Soldier's Perspective (Paperback)

In just ten months in Vietnam, he was overrun, shot up, but not underworked--he survived fifty-four missions as point man. He has one hell of a story to tell. You didn't get into the Rangers without volunteering, and you didn't stay on point unless you liked it. But after watching most of his buddies die in a firefight when his LRRP team was overrun by the NVA, Kregg Jorgenson volunteered to serve on a Blue Team in the Air Cavalry, racing to the aid of soldiers who faced the same dangers he had barely survived. Whether enduring NVA sapper attacks, surviving "friendly" fire, or landing in hot LZs, Jorgenson discovered that in Vietnam you never knew whether you were paranoid or just painfully aware of the possibilities.

In just ten months in Vietnam, he was overrun, shot up, but not underworked—he survived fifty-four missions as point man. He has one hell of a story to tell. You didn't get into the Rangers without volunteering, and you didn't stay on point unless you liked it. But after watching most of his buddies die in a firefight when his LRRP team was overrun by the NVA, Kregg Jorgenson volunteered to serve on a Blue Team in the Air Cavalry, racing to the aid of soldiers who faced the same dangers he had barely survived. Whether enduring NVA sapper attacks, surviving “friendly” fire, or landing in hot LZs, Jorgenson discovered that in Vietnam you never knew whether you were paranoid or just painfully aware of the possibilities.

9. Patton's One-Minute Messages : Tactical Leadership Skills of Business Managers (Paperback)

A brief biography and photos of General Patton helps readers visualize one of the great military leaders of all time. The inspirational content will make this book an indispensable compaion for busy executives everywhere. This collection of George S. Patton's pithy one-liners shows how business managers can succeed by applying the combat-tested principles of one of America's most famous battlefield leaders. General Patton was a professional soldier who spent his life inspiring people to accomplish the seemingly impossible. Now managers can use his secrets to motivate their employees. The author takes brief quotations from Patton's writings and draws the deep inner philosophy from them. This way, managers can easily grasp the principles involved and make practical use of them to get great performance and productivity from their employees. The book also presents the work of W. Edwards Deming and Walter A. Shewhart, two pioneers in quality control who have influenced management practice for over fifty years. Their philosophy is very similar to Patton's--which is not surprising, since the fundamental principles of both military leadership and business management are universal.

A brief biography and photos of General Patton helps readers visualize one of the great military leaders of all time. The inspirational content will make this book an indispensable compaion for busy executives everywhere. This collection of George S. Patton’s pithy one-liners shows how business managers can succeed by applying the combat-tested principles of one of America's most famous battlefield leaders. General Patton was a professional soldier who spent his life inspiring people to accomplish the seemingly impossible. Now managers can use his secrets to motivate their employees. The author takes brief quotations from Patton’s writings and draws the deep inner philosophy from them. This way, managers can easily grasp the principles involved and make practical use of them to get great performance and productivity from their employees. The book also presents the work of W. Edwards Deming and Walter A. Shewhart, two pioneers in quality control who have influenced management practice for over fifty years. Their philosophy is very similar to Patton’s—which is not surprising, since the fundamental principles of both military leadership and business management are universal.

10. Dover Military History, Weapons, Armor: The Influence of Sea Power Upon History, 1660-1783 (Paperback)

Influential classic of naval history and tactics still used as text in war colleges. Read by Kaiser Wilhelm, both Roosevelts, and other leaders. First paperback edition. 4 maps. 24 battle plans.

First published almost a century ago, this classic text on the history and tactics of naval warfare had a profound effect on the imperial policies of all the major powers. Kaiser Wilhelm is said to have "devoured" this book, and it was avidly read by presidents (including both Roosevelts), kings, prime ministers, admirals, and chancellors. This book was the work of noted U.S. naval officer and historian Alfred Mahan (1840–1914), who argued that despite great changes and scientific advances in naval weaponry, certain principle of naval strategy remain constant, and nations ignore them at their peril. Credited with stimulating the growth of modern navies in leading countries of the world, the text remains a basic authority on the strategy of naval warfare and is still used in the war colleges. Demonstrating through historical examples that the rise and fall of seapower (and of nations) has always been linked with commercial and military command of the seas, Mahan describes successful naval strategies employed in the past — from Greek and Roman times through the Napoleonic wars. Focusing primarily on England's rise as a sea power in the 18th century, the book provides not only an overview of naval tactics, but a lucid exposition of geographical, economic, and social factors governing the maintenance of sea power. The work is carefully written and exceptionally well-documented; moreover, the author's clear, well-thought-out text avoids technical language, making it accessible to a nonprofessional audience. In addition, four maps and a profusion of plans of naval battles help the reader grasp the strategy and tactics involved in some of the history's greatest maritime conflicts. In this inexpensive edition, the book represents an indispensable sourcebook for statesmen, diplomats, strategists, and naval commanders as well as students of history and international affairs. Although ships, weapons, and the global balance of power have altered greatly since 1890, the lessons taught here so vividly and compellingly are still applicable today. Includes 4 maps, 24 battle plans.