I read The First World War by Hew Strachan mostly because it was recommended by the Army Chief of Staff. I also realized that my knowledge of WWI is woefully inept considering I have a history degree. I took a class on World War II and the US Civil War. There are dozens of movies about WWII and the Civil War. We joke about the days in which the History Channel showed only profiles of Hitler, as opposed to Ancient Aliens, as a sign of […]
Army Chief of Staff Reading List #2
Matterhorn reminds me a little of The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead in I had to look up to see if the books were fiction or non-fiction. I found Marlantes’ depiction of war that believable and visceral. While not an expert in any way, I have deployed twice so I understand some of what that means. Unlike the characters from Bravo Company in this novel, I never spent time “in the bush” and if I am being completely honest, they would look down on me […]
Army Chief of Staff Reading List #1
I read this book because it entered the Army Chief of Staff reading list last year. The author, David Kilcullen, begins by discussing his qualifications and more importantly, declares his biases or specifically, the lack thereof. Kilcullen is an Australian and acknowledges that he is not registered to vote in the United States nor does he affiliate with any particular party’s politics. Books like this often seem politicized so it was refreshing for the author to be so candid. In Blood Year, he is highly […]
Needs more sandworms
Did you know Frank Herbert wrote non-science fiction stuff? I had never read anything of his except Dune, so when I found this at the library book sale, I was intrigued. Unfortunately, it reads like a less-interesting and not-quite-as-cohesive Alistair MacLean. There’s some kind of war on, against the Eastern Powers. It seems to maybe be in the future (keeping it sci-fi adjacent?). However, none of what’s going on in the outside world is really addressed. Ninety percent of the story takes place in a […]
It was “Untold”, don’t let it be unheard.
The recommendation of a friend spurred the timing of my reading of The Outpost but I intended to read it for some time. It’s written by CNN anchor Jake Tapper and made me a fan of his for life. This is why it was originally a part of my to-read list: In 2009, I was deployed to Iraq. I’d been in the Army almost three years and I spent the majority of my deployment on a staff in Baghdad. I worked the night shift that […]
Ocean of Testosterone
I bought this book for the title. What I got was an insightful look at the human condition as seen through the eyes of a fellow service member. I joined the Navy at a young age and it’s very different from the Army. Yet many of the experiences William’s describes are similar to those I’ve encountered in my career. Reading this book felt like I was both watching the early years of my career and learning about a whole new world that is the Army. […]
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