A number of experts offer their favourite books on military history and war. The historians Hew Strachan and Michael Howard and the journalist Peter Snow offer very different choices on the general topic, while Jeremy Black focuses on the contribution made by China, the Ottomans and other Asian nations to military history and strategy. Antulio Echevarria chooses his favourite books on military strategy.
Turning to particular wars, Andrew Exum chooses his best books on understanding the war in Afghanistan, and Julia Lovell looks at China and the Opium Wars in the 19th century. Jonathan Boff chooses the best books on World War I and Antony Beevor his on World War II. Simon Ball focuses exclusively on the battle of El Alamein. Former SAS soldier Peter Winner chooses the best books on the special forces unit of the British army, the SAS (Special Air Service).
On themes related to military history, Joseph Corn chooses his best books on Aviation history. Stephen Glain chooses the best books on US militarism and Peter Paret discusses the cultural context of war with his best books on war and intellect. Chris Walsh chooses his best books on cowardice.
Other interviews covering military history—particularly more recent conflicts—can be found in our sections on the Vietnam War, the Iraq War, Conflict & War, Foreign Policy & International Relations, Terrorism and Naval History.
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Stalingrad
by Antony Beevor -
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The Longest Day
by Cornelius Ryan -
3
Reach for the Sky: The Story of Douglas Bader, Hero of the Battle of Britain
by Paul Brickhill -
4
To Hell and Back: The Classic Memoir of World War II by America's Most Decorated Soldier
by Audie Murphy -
5
The War: A Memoir
by Marguerite Duras
The best books on World War II Battles, recommended by Alex Kershaw
The best books on World War II Battles, recommended by Alex Kershaw
In World War II human beings were tested over and over again, and that is part of what explains its enduring fascination, says bestselling historian Alex Kershaw. He recommends five books of great storytelling that immerse you in the drama, the heroism and the tragedy of World War II and also have the benefit of being relatively short.
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On War
by Carl von Clausewitz -
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Yorck and the Era of Prussian Reform 1807
by Peter Paret -
3
L'or et le sang: Les buts de guerre économiques de la Première Guerre mondiale
by Georges-Henri Soutou -
4
Vessel of Sadness
by William Woodruff -
5
The Accidental Guerrilla: Fighting Small Wars in the Midst of a Big One
by David Kilcullen
The Best Military History Books, recommended by Hew Strachan
The Best Military History Books, recommended by Hew Strachan
It’s no longer enough for military history to be just about battles told from the the winning side. One of the great military historians of our time, Sir Hew Strachan, talks us through what makes a great military history.
The best books on Military Strategy, recommended by Antulio Echevarria II
Texts about military strategy take us back into the mists of time but what it is, and what the nature of war is, remains hotly debated. Antulio Echevarria II of the US Army War College talks us through key books, both old and new, on military strategy.
The best books on World War II, recommended by Antony Beevor
The popular military historian Antony Beevor recommends some of his own favourite books about the Second World War.
The best books on Military History, recommended by Peter Snow
The veteran British journalist and broadcaster on his history reading list. Says Stalingrad was touch and go. Wellington was feared, respected and admired by his men, but he wasn’t loved.
The best books on The History of War, recommended by Jeremy Black
In military terms, the traditional view is that the rest of the world is struggling to catch up with the West, says Professor Jeremy Black. But, as some of his book choices reveal, this is historically inaccurate
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The Campaigns of Napoleon
by David G Chandler -
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Talleyrand
by Duff Cooper -
3
With Eagles to Glory: Napoleon and His German Allies in the 1809 Campaign
by John H Gill -
4
Private Memoirs Of The Court Of Napoleon
by Louis François Joseph Bausset-Roquefort -
5
With Napoleon in Russia: Memoirs of General de Caulaincourt, Duke of Vicenza
by Armand de Caulaincourt
The best books on Napoleon, recommended by Andrew Roberts
The best books on Napoleon, recommended by Andrew Roberts
How did Napoleon Bonaparte, an upstart Corsican, go on to conquer half of Europe in the 16 years of his rule? Was he a military genius? And was he really that short? Historian Andrew Roberts, author of a bestselling biography of Napoleon, introduces us to the books that shaped how he sees l’Empereur—including little-known sources from those who knew Napoleon personally.
The best books on War, recommended by Michael Howard
Fear is a great examiner of one’s character, argues the World War II veteran and eminent historian of war, Sir Michael Howard. He recommends the best books on war, two on strategy and three on what it’s actually like for soldiers and commanding officers.
Novels and Memoirs of World War II, recommended by James Holland
Historian and novelist James Holland talks us through some of his favourite memoirs and novels about the Second World War and explains his lifelong fascination with the global conflict.
The best books on US Militarism, recommended by Stephen Glain
American presidents may not want to send troops into battle or militarise foreign policy but, in the end, most of them do. The author and journalist explains how this happens, and why it’s not even the military that’s to blame. He picks the best books on American militarism.
The best books on World War I, recommended by Jonathan Boff
It’s been 100 years since World War I ended, but there is still very little consensus about what caused it, or what its consequences were. Historian Jonathan Boff talks us through the latest books and best modern interpretations of World War I.
The best books on Thucydides, recommended by Johanna Hanink
The Greek historian and general Thucydides wanted his History of the Peloponnesian War “to be a possession for all time.” In that, he’s been remarkably successful, with his name still echoing in the corridors of power. But what lessons should we take away from his great work? Translator and classicist Johanna Hanink talks us through books to better understand Thucydides and the mythical Athens he lived in and wrote about.
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Performing the Great Peace: Political Space and Open Secrets in Tokugawa Japan
by Luke Roberts -
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The Taming of the Samurai: Honorific Individualism and the Making of Modern Japan
by Eiko Ikegami -
3
Tour of Duty: Samurai, Military Service in Edo, and the Culture of Early Modern Japan
by Constantine Vaporis -
4
Musui's Story: The Autobiography of a Tokugawa Samurai
by Teruko Craig (editor and translator) -
5
Lust, Commerce, and Corruption: An Account of What I Have Seen and Heard, by an Edo Samurai
Mark Teeuwen and Kate Wildman Nakai (eds)
The best books on Samurai, recommended by Michael Wert
The best books on Samurai, recommended by Michael Wert
The samurai, Japan’s warrior caste, have been embraced by popular culture and made their way into films, comic books and video games. But who were they really? Michael Wert, professor of East Asian History at Marquette University and author of Samurai: A Concise History, recommends the best books to learn more about samurai, literally ‘one who serves.’
The best books on Aviation History, recommended by Joseph Corn
The historian and author pilots us through a century of aviation, from the excitement that greeted the first airplanes to the transformative role of World War II.
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Westphalia: the Last Christian Peace 1643-48
by Derek Croxton -
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Monro, His expedition with the worthy Scots regiment (called Mac-Keyes-regiment) levied in August 1626
by Robert Monro -
3
Wallenstein: His Life Narrated
by Golo Mann -
4
European Weapons and Warfare 1618–1648
by Eduard Wagner -
5
Tagebuch Eines Soldners Aus Dem Dreissigjahrigen Krieg
Peter Hagendorf (ed. Jan Peters)
The best books on The Thirty Years War, recommended by Peter Wilson
The best books on The Thirty Years War, recommended by Peter Wilson
It was a war that devastated Europe and left more than one-fifth of the German population dead. The complex peace agreement that ended it, the Treaty of Westphalia, is still credited with establishing our modern state system. Peter Wilson, Chichele Professor of the History of War at Oxford University and author of the most recent general history of the war, Europe’s Tragedy: A New History of the Thirty Years War, recommends books to read for a nuanced picture of Europe’s cataclysmic 17th-century conflict.
The best books on The Opium War, recommended by Julia Lovell
The 19th century opium war marked the clash of the world’s great empires of the age – Britain and China. Historian Julia Lovell says its legacy of Chinese humiliation is still felt keenly in Beijing.
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Pendulum Of War: Three Battles at El Alamein
by Niall Barr -
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The Desert War: The Classic Trilogy on the North African Campaign 1940-43
by Alan Moorehead -
3
Rommel
by Desmond Young -
4
Montgomery and the Eighth Army
by Bernard Montgomery and Stephen Brooks (ed) -
5
The Most Dangerous Enemy: A History of the Battle of Britain
by Stephen Bungay
The best books on El Alamein, recommended by Simon Ball
The best books on El Alamein, recommended by Simon Ball
Churchill hailed the Allied victory at the Battle of El Alamein as “the end of the beginning” for Hitler in World War II. But in that very same speech, he downplayed its significance. Historian Simon Ball separates clichés from facts and chooses the best of the vast number of books written about El Alamein, the Desert War and World War II in general.
The best books on Reportage and War, recommended by Martin Bell
The former BBC war reporter picks out essential reading on the Bosnia and Vietnam wars and explains why a book of poetry speaks more to him about the reality of conflict than any other writing
Andrew Exum recommends the best books for Understanding the War in Afghanistan
The US has repeatedly misdiagnosed the war in Afghanistan. Former soldier, Andrew Exum, tells us about flawed policy, unhappy outcomes and what could and should have been different.
The best books on US Intervention, recommended by Lawrence Kaplan
The foreign affairs commentator explains why US presidents have less room to manoeuvre on foreign policy than they think, and why President Obama had to set aside his “minimalist” inclinations.
The best books on War and Intellect, recommended by Peter Paret
Professor at the Institute of Advanced Study views art, literature, politics and war as intimately interconnected and says cultural attitudes directly affect military doctrine. He chooses five books on war & intellect
The best books on The SAS, recommended by Pete Winner
Pete Winner spent 18 years in the SAS, the special forces unit of the British Army that has a reputation for being only for the toughest of the tough. Here he recommends some of the best books that give a feel for what it’s like to be in the SAS or ‘Special Air Service.’
The best books on Myths of War, recommended by Thom and Beth Atkinson
Photographers Beth and Thom Atkinson, authors of the acclaimed photobook Missing Buildings, discuss five books that explore the mythology of war.