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Military Book Reviews

DODReads hosts military book reviews on topics of interest to a professional military audience and to readers of military and military-related books. We focus on subjects such as leadership, philosophy, history, biography, military conflict, and personal development. Our reviews follow DODReads guidelines to ensure only authoritative and professionally written opinions appear on our website, in our social media, and in our newsletter.

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Military Book Reviews
Jessica 0 Comments , , , , , ,

White Sun War: The Campaign for Taiwan

Ryan ensures the readers do not lose the human factors. Friction, uncertainty, fear, and exhaustion beguile the characters on the ground throughout the campaign. The taxes these characteristics impose on each of the military actors are ever present in the text. Perhaps more critically, Ryan pulls on his voluminous knowledge of military history to offer compelling notional instances by which the miscalculation of senior leaders can lead rational actors to make decisions that, in hindsight, are anything but rational.

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Military Book Reviews
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The Wingmen: The Unlikely, Unusual, Unbreakable Friendship Between John Glenn and Ted Williams

The Wingmen is a captivating story about the friendship between two iconic figures – astronaut John Glenn and baseball legend Ted Williams. The book sheds light on their unique camaraderie but falls short in delivering its impact. Lazarus delves into the lives of Glenn and Williams, providing readers with a compelling account of their friendship. He juxtaposes their different backgrounds and highlights the curious circumstances that brought them together.

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Military Book Reviews
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Gavin at War: The World War II Diary of Lieutenant General James M. Gavin

Much of the history of World War II has already been written and analyzed, but researchers and historians continue to find new angles for readers. Previously classified documents continue to surface, providing new insights into the events that shaped the Greatest Generation. One such document is the recently published diary of Lieutenant General James M. “Jumpin Jim” Gavin. Gavin wrote his diary without thought of being published, which some enthusiasts will find interesting since Gavin wrote five books between 1947 and 1976.

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Military Book Reviews
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Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men

In Invisible Women, Perez weaves a powerful narrative that reveals how the gender data gap affects every part of a woman’s life. The gender data gaps, Perez argues, develop not from deliberate or malicious action, but from centuries of one way of thinking (and not thinking). Its impact is far more than simply silencing the interests of one group. The gap comes from historical tendencies to prefer men in society, from treating data about men as equally representative of women, and from not collecting data on women. As Perez bluntly states, “these silences, these gaps, they have consequences.”

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Military Book Reviews
Jessica 0 Comments , ,

Tales from the Cold War

His memoir speaks of sage leadership advice from mentors and commanders, the tough and spartan living conditions he and his family often had to occupy, and the unique challenges that came with command in an overseas billet during the Cold War. Another interesting aspect of this book are the abundant stories about training while in Europe and the challenges faced by his fellow soldiers. Some of these challenges involved training areas littered with hidden remnants from past wars, making for dangerous conditions that compounded the nature of the threat they were training against.

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Military Book Reviews
Stephen Lepper 0 Comments , , , ,

Britain’s Secret Defences: Civilian Saboteurs, Spies and Assassins During the Second World War

Britain’s Secret Defences: Civilian Saboteurs, Spies and Assassins During the Second World War by Andrew Chatterton is an intriguing foray into super-secret guerrilla warfare plans developed by the British during World War II in anticipation of a German invasion. Early in the war, it became apparent that German forces intended to invade Britain. Several factions within the British government and military believed this invasion was inevitable. While leadership made plans to repel the Germans, others prepared for the worst.

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Military Book Reviews
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Show the Value of What You Do: Measuring and Achieving Success in Any Endeavor

The authors explain the importance of collecting and analyzing the right data based on a measure of success. There is a need for both hard and soft data. These measures only highlight what matters to success—converting intangibles and soft data to monetary impact. People must score their projects by using fully loaded, conservative, believable, money quantities only. The bottom line is the only thing that is convincing and universally understood. This fully loaded concept requires accounting for everything that goes in and everything that goes out. If one is going to spend time, money, blood, sweat, or tears, it is essential to count the cost, know what success means, and what the true result is. In the end, it is imperative to show the value of key contributors and decision makers.

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Military Book Reviews
Stephen Lepper 0 Comments , , , , ,

Commanding Petty Despots: The American Navy in the New Republic

Commanding Petty Despots: The American Navy in the New Republic is a superbly researched volume by Dr. Thomas Sheppard, assistant professor of military history at the U.S. Marine Corps University Command and Staff College. Dr. Sheppard examines the early days of the American navy, focusing on the complex relationship between the first naval captains and the civilian leadership of the new republic.

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Military Book Reviews
Jessica 0 Comments , , ,

Our Best War Stories

We’ve all heard it: the blustering War Story that starts with “So there I was…” and invokes a mental eye-roll, an internal response that is partly “Here we go again” and mostly “I really wish I had topped off my beer.” The anthology Our Best War Stories is the opposite of that. It is a riveting collection of short stories and poetry written by brave people who have clearly grappled with the highs and lows of the human condition. 

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Military Book Reviews
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From CO to CEO: A Practical Guide for Transitioning from Military to Industry Leadership

From CO to CEO is a treasure trove of wisdom for those suffering from the “unknown unknowns” of the transition process or those who seek to clarify their knowledge from someone who has been there before. This book provides the unvarnished truths that will answer most questions and then help veterans ask better questions in light of their new knowledge. From CO to CEO should be assigned reading for all service members and especially those within two years of transitioning.

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