Military Book Buzz

Buy Into the Valley:

About the Author:  Jim Miles is a seasoned battlefield explorer, author, historian, and teacher who has written more than one hundred articles and several books on Southern history, archaeology, and the Civil War. The author of the best-selling Weird Georgia, Miles lives in Warner Robbins, Georgia.  

Book Description:  During the four years of the Civil War, what was once an amazing geological attraction became a vital strategic asset.  Possession of the Shennandoah Valley by the Confederacy meant an invasion route into the heart of Maryland and Pennsylvania and to the backdoor of Washington, D.C. In Union hands, the Confederacy would lose a valuable railroad, the agricultural produce of the Valley, and protection from attack via the many gaps through the mountains of Virginia.

Great generals, including Stonewall Jackson, Philip H. Sheridan, John C. Breckinridge, George A. Custer, and Jubal Early, fought desperate battles to control the Shenandoah. Armies marched rapidly and maneuvered brilliantly between green mountains and along the sparkling waters of the Shenandoah River, called Daughter of the Stars by Native Americans. The area was devastated by total war-hundreds of farms and tons of food were wantonly torched.

 Into the Valley is the first book to offer a comprehensive history of every campaign that occurred in the Valley during four years of combat. The tour guides explore every battle, road, and mountain gap used by the armies and examines the charming, historic attractions of the Shenandoah, its towns and villages, mansions and mills, churches and cemeteries, monuments and museums.

The book contains hundreds of period photographs and drawings. It also is filled with modern photographs that richly illustrate the driving tours, original battle maps, fascinating sidebar articles, a chronology of key events, sources for additional travel information, a bibliography, and an index.

Buy Special Operations Forces in Afghanistan: Afganistan 2001-2007 (Elite)

About the Author:  Leigh Neville is an Australian intelligence specialist who is currently studying for a degree in International Security. He has published a number of articles on the subject and has excellent contacts in the US, UK and Australian special forces. The author lives in New South Wales, Australia.

Book Description:  Intelligence specialist Leigh Neville identifies, describes and illustrates the Special Operations Forces (SOF) of the US and other Allied (Coalition) forces committed to the ‘War on Terror’ in Afghanistan since 2001, providing a fascinating insight into specific operations detailing weapons, equipment and experiences in combat. With a surprising amount of recently unclassified material from government departments that are yet to be published in the mass media, this is a ground-breaking analysis of the largest mobilization of Special Forces in recent history.

Extensive first-hand accounts provide an eyewitness perspective of the fighting including a description of the assault on Tora Bora, all illustrated with an array of unpublished photos and full color artwork. Containing detailed information on the US Delta Force, the British SAS, Australian and Canadian Special Forces as well as CIA and MI6 operational units this book provides a crucial study of their skills and success amidst Afghan mountains.

Buy What Happens After Mugabe?

The U.N. Security Council has unanimously condemned the Zimbabwean government because of violence that has marred the campaign leading up to a scheduled presidential election run-off, which forced the withdrawal of the opposition candidate Morgan Tsvangirai from the race.  Tsvangirai on Monday also called for the United Nations to investigate incumbent Robert Mugabe. Because the longtime president has said only God can remove him, Tsvangirai said, “my fear is that the people of Zimbabwe will become more desperate.”  He dropped out of Friday’s runoff after youth militias loyal to Mugabe attacked a political rally at a stadium in Harare. Tsvangirai said vote rigging and violence made a fair election impossible. 

Book Description:  After 25 years in power, Robert Mugabe is under increasing pressure to step down and allow democratic reform in Zimbabwe. Amnesty International rates the country among the worst for torture and abuse of human rights, the Commonwealth has suspended Zimbabwes membership, and even in Africa there is growing outrage at what some see as a rogue state. In the past five years, millions of words have been written about the tragedy — including more than a dozen books — but few have focused on what might happen when freedom comes.
As things stand, schools and hospitals have collapsed, a third of the population lives in exile and 3 000 people die of AIDS every week. Once Africas second-biggest exporter of food, 70 per cent of the country lives under conditions of famine in the wake of violent land reform.What will it take to rebuild Zimbabwe? This gripping, incisive book discusses many relevant issues and asks serious questions, including:
- Will 4 million exiles go home to a country with 80 per cent unemployment?
- Should there be war-crimes trials?
- Can the economy be revived?
-Where will the billions of dollars come from that are needed to put things right?What Happens After Mugabe is meticulously researched, with material drawn from hundreds of interviews inside Zimbabwe and among exile communities in Britain, the US and South Africa.

Buy American Heroes: In the Fight Against Radical Islam (War Stories)

Book Description: What is a Hero? New York Times best-selling author Oliver North says, “Real heroes are selfless. Those who serve America in harm’s way in the war against radical Islam have that quality in abundance. And so do their families and loved ones at home. Yet, they rarely get the attention or coverage they deserve.  “Despite the way they are presented by too many in the press and politics, the men and women in uniform today are overwhelmingly good. I never cease to be amazed at the self-discipline of these brave young Americans. They can endure the adrenaline-pumping violence of an enemy engagement, and then, just minutes later, help school children get safely to their classes . . . No nation—ours included—has ever had a military force better than the one we have today. I’m proud of them. You should be too.”  In American Heroes (a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post best seller), North offers an inspiring, first-hand account of the extraordinary men and women defending America against radical Islamic terror from his perspective as a forty year member of the United States military, a member of the National Security Council staff and serving as the U.S. government’s counter-terrorism coordinator from 1983-1986. This patriotic book also pulls in new reports and exclusive full-color photographs from War Stories, the award-winning FOX News Channel series hosted by North.

About the Author: Oliver North is a Vietnam veteran awarded the Silver Star, Bronze Star, and two Purple Hearts during his twenty-two years of service as a United States Marine. Later, he was assigned to the National Security Council staff by former President Ronald Reagan, who called North “an American hero.” Today, he is a New York Times best-selling author, syndicated columnist, and host of the award-winning War Stories documentary series on the FOX News Channel. North has four children, eleven grandchildren, and lives with his wife in Virginia.

Buy Burma: The State of Myanmar
 

Author: David, I. Steinberg

Book Description:  Long isolated by rigid military rule, Burma, or Myanmar, is one of the least known, significantly sized states in the world. Author David Steinberg sheds new light on this reclusive state by exploring issues of authority and legitimacy in its politics, economics, social structure, and culture since the popular uprising and military coup of 1988. Exploring the origins of that year’s tumultuous events, Steinberg analyzes a generation of preceding military governments and their attempts to address the nation’s problems. This paperback edition includes a postscript that reveals the most current and critical issues facing Burmasince the publications of the original hardvoer in March 2001. Steinberg brings readers up to date on the recent release of political prisoners, economic and military conditions, United Nations actions, and the complex, ever-changing relationship between Thailand and Myanmar.  Now with the cyclone aftermath it has pushed Myanmar’s normally secretive ruling military junta to ask for aid and release details of the devastation. However, the U.N. said its aid workers were still waiting for visas to enter the country. It, the Red Cross and other aid organizations have been gathering supplies to ship to the country. The U.N. World Food Program said it has managed to begin distributing food in areas of Yangon and is preparing to send emergency supplies from across Asia. Preliminary WFP assessment reports confirmed tremendous storm damage to homes and shelters, and they said flooding and road damage means some areas are still cut off. Spokeswoman Bettina Luescher said, “Many areas are accessible only by boat, but many of the boats have been destroyed.” President Bush called on the military junta Tuesday to allow the U.S. to help with disaster assistance. This disaster will require a huge world humanitarian effort by government and military organizations requiring the normally secluded Myanmar military junta to open it’s doors to the world.

Buy Afghanistan: A Military History From Alexander The Great To The Fall Of The Taliban  

About the Author: Stephen Tanner is a New York-based writer who specializes in military history.

Book Description: This book is an excellent introduction to the “big” history of modern-day Afghanistan, providing an overview of empire building and collapsing (either Afghans pushing outward or others pushing inwards), succeeding waves of tribes and armies moving through the region, etc.  Very well researched and written. Even if you have very little knowledge of Afghanistan, you can understand and easily read this book. It is full of interesting history, along with it’s excellent explanation of the military information.  This book covers the regional peoples and ancient tribes who have made indelible contributions to modern Afghan society to the first years of U.S. intervention in the “War on Terror.”  The early chapters of the book are an interesting brief on Afghan history condensed. Featuring an exhaustive list of regions, tribes, villains and personalities that would otherwise require too much additional background to cover in-depth. Tanner’s modern-day material draws on British, or at least mostly Occidental sources, and covers the British and Russian experience in Afghanistan noticeably more in-depth. The connections Tanner makes between Afghanistan and Switzerland are brilliant and set the stage for his conclusion.  This book is filled with remarkable information, covering nearly 2,500 years and drawing from a vast number of sources and I highly recommend it.

 

Buy The Tibet-China Conflict: History and Polemics

About the Author:  Elliot Sperling is Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Central Eurasian Studies at Indiana University, Bloomington.

Book Description: The status of Tibet has been at the core of the Tibet-China conflict for all parties drawn into it over the past century. China maintains that Tibet is an integral part of China, while Tibetans maintain that Tibet has historically been an independent country. In reality the conflict over Tibet’s status has been conflict over history. When Chinese writers and political figures assert that Tibet is a part of China, they do so on the basis of history. The People’s Republic of China has pointedly accused the Dalai Lama of duplicity, stating that his unwillingness to recognize that Tibet has been an integral part of China for centuries renders his attempts to compromise on the Tibet issue unacceptable. The centrality of history in the question of Tibet’s status could not be made clearer. This paper is a guide to the historical arguments made by the primary parties to the Tibet-China conflict. It draws on the key assertions about the issue as they have been framed in ! Chinese and Tibetan to examine the extent to which positions on the Tibet issue that are thought to reflect centuries of popular consensus are actually very recent constructions, often at variance with the history on which they claim to be based.

Buy The Art of War by Sun Tzu - Special Edition

Book Description:  This Special Edition of The Art of War by Sun Tzu presents this timeless classic in two forms: Section I contains the complete thirteen chapters of Sun Tzu’s masterpiece in Chinese together with the English translation of Lionel Giles without notes or commentary. This presentation avoids the objection that commentary tends to clutter and obscure the clarity of thought of the ancient military genius. Section II contains the complete translation by Lionel Giles including his extensive introduction and the fully annotated text with explanatory notes and critical commentary. His Introduction includes an historical account of Sun Tzu’s work, evaluations by and of early Chinese commentators, an essay examining the traditional Chinese attitudes toward war and a bibliography that details Giles’ source materials. The text in this section includes critical commentary and notes by both the Chinese historians as well as by Giles himself. Having two copies of the translation in one volume makes this edition a real treasure. The explanations and details, like the story of training the concubines and several other tales, are not available in the plain translations and they add immeasurably to the richness of the book. By the same token, having a plain, unadorned version in hand so you can just follow Sun Tzu’s logical progression is a great plus. Having it all together in one volume is what makes this particular edition remarkable. Lionel Giles, as the Keeper of the Department of Oriental printed Books and Manuscripts of the British Museum, was uniquely qualified to translate and explain this great classic Chinese work to Western readers. First published in 1910, Giles’ translation is widely considered to be the definitive English version. If you are looking for the best version of Sun Tzu’s “The Art of War”, then look no further. This is it.

Buy The Seven Military Classics of Ancient China, including The Art of War

About the Author:
Ralph D. Sawyer, one of America’s leading scholars in Chinese warfare, has worked extensively with major intelligence and defense agencies. After studying at MIT and Harvard and a brief stint of university teaching, Sawyer has spent the past thirty years lecturing and doing international consulting work focused on China.

 Book Description:
One of the most profound studies of warfare ever written, The Seven Military Classics of Ancient China presents us with an Eastern tradition of strategic thought that emphasizes outwitting one’s opponent through speed, stealth, flexibility, and a minimum of force–an approach very different from that stressed in the West, where the advantages of brute strength have overshadowed more subtle methods. Safeguarded for centuries by the ruling elites of imperial China, even in modern times these writings have been known to only a handful of Western specialists. In this volume are seven separate essays, written between 500 B.C. and A.D. 700, that preserve the essential tenets of strategy distilled from the experience of the most brilliant warriors of ancient China. This accurate translation remedies a serious gap in Western knowledge of Asian thought. Based on the best available classical Chinese manuscripts, some only recently discovered by archaeologists, The Seven Military Classics of Ancient China is a uniquely important contribution to the world’s military literature and is essential reading for anyone interested in China’s rich cultural heritage or in the timeless principles of successful warfare strategy. 

Buy Out of Nowhere: A history of the Military Sniper (General Military)

Author: Martin Pegler 

Book Description:  From the American Revolution to World War Two, the history of the military combat marksman is one of indifference, unpreparedness and cost cutting. Despite the proven effectiveness of the rifleman in battle, the sniper in the 20th century has been regarded as little more than a paid assassin, whose life if captured was forfeit. However, since the Vietnam War the undeniably effective use of such men in combat means that the value of the sniper has gradually become more appreciated by the military, and their prominence on the modern battlefield has increased significantly. In the 21st century they are now regarded as one of the most vital battlefield specialists. Illustrated throughout with color and black and white photographs, this is a chronological study of snipers, detailing their evolution, training, weaponry and actions. There are also unique contributions from the men and women whose skill and extraordinary courage have made them the most greatly feared specialist in warfare. This comprehensive history of the military sniper traces the development of the sniper from 1500, the American Civil War and European wars, WWI and WWII (in both the European and Pacific Wars), limited wars from 1945-85, the Vietnam Conflict, and the present. It is filled with anecdotes of snipers, B & W and color photos, and a brief description of the weapons used. What fascinated me the most were chapter 6 (Russian snipers from 1936 - 1945), chapter 7 (German Snipers in the Eastern front from 1941-45), chapter 8 (the American sniper in the War against Japan in WWII), and chapter 9 (the American sniper in the European front in WWII). In each of these chapters, the author describes the training, the rifles / ammunition used, and the combat performance of the snipers. What fascinated me was the development of the American sniper in WWII, since these American forces had to start completely from scratch in developing the skill of sniping. The author Martin Pegler does a great job of blending technical information with anecdotes and descriptions of the combat performance / training of the snipers. This is an excellent introduction of the history of the military sniper for any military historian or enthusiast.