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.

If you are looking for a specific book, type the title or author in the search bar to the right, or scroll through the archive of book reviews here. Looking for a book synopsis instead? Check out our Back Page Notes section for time-saving, to-the-point readers’ notes.

If you would like to publish a book review on DODReads or are curious about building your reputation as a writer, please review our submission guidelines and send any questions to reviews@dodreads.com.

Military Book Reviews 

Developing the Naval Mind

Jessica 74 Views 0 Comments , , , 4 min read

The authors’ overall theme is understanding how naval professionals think and how they should learn. More than that, the authors operationalize each of these essays for military educators. Each selection includes discussion questions crafted by the authors, equipping a seminar leader both with reading material and a path to guide a dialogue in seminar. Readers can use it as a template to develop syllabi tailored to the educational objectives of their own organizations

Read more
Military Book Reviews 

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

Jessica 69 Views 0 Comments , , 5 min read

Capt. Toti addresses the million-dollar question for service members–when is the right time to leave the military and start a civilian career? Using relatable examples from his navy career, he methodically guides the reader through common mistakes, attributes needed to succeed, and the defense contractor landscape most veterans transition into. He relates how private industry functions, the potential opportunities for veterans, resumes, targeting jobs, interviewing, and tricky subjects like defining one’s compensation. Capt. Toti is candid as he comments on poor practices, not sugar-coating his words as other civilian self-help books might do.

Read more
Military Book Reviews 

Dodgebomb: Outside the Wire in the Second Iraq War

Jessica 69 Views 0 Comments , , , 5 min read

The author’s detailed description of the Iraq landscape plus the care and attention he gives to the development of his characters are both prime points of this quick read. He does an excellent job of providing a familiar environment to those who have served while simultaneously bringing along the uninitiated reader. The reader will identify with 2LT Fitz as he navigates the early days of his army career in the most inhospitable of environments.

Read more
Military Book Reviews 

War Transformed: The Future of Twenty-First Century Great Power Competition and Conflict

Jessica 86 Views 0 Comments , , 4 min read

Ryan packages his ideas about people, ideas, and technology as a force to better understand the enduring nature of, and changing character of, war. In doing so, he posits that globalization and the forces that drive it have led, and will continue to lead, to increased competition and conflict not only between militaries but the nation states that fund and support them. What will distinguish the leaders in these competitions will be how people who are professionally and self-educated take existing ideas and technologies, new technologies, and evolve them into new war-fighting strategies and concepts.

Read more
Military Book Reviews 

West Point Admiral: Leadership Lessons from Four Decades of Military Service

Jessica 121 Views 0 Comments , , 4 min read

West Point Admiral has something to offer everyone. At one level, it provides a tremendous insight into what it means to be a leader, to treat others with respect, and how to evaluate a new situation and make positive changes. Shelton focuses on the fundamentals of leadership, such as setting expectations up front, holding people accountable for their actions, while always taking care of them. 

Read more
Military Book Reviews 

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

Jessica 105 Views 0 Comments , , , 5 min read

Everyone gets out of the military at some point. It’s a realization that comes for all service members, regardless of career trajectory. Most of us will tell ourselves we’re prepared to tackle a second career, despite the uncertainty, because we’ve been tested and have demonstrated leadership. Less than a page into Chapter 1 of From CO to CEO, Bill Toti throws much-needed cold water on that notion.

Read more
Military Book Reviews 

Washington: A Life

Jessica 139 Views 0 Comments , 5 min read

George Washington remains, to this day, one of the most admired figures in the annals of American history. The hero of the Revolutionary War and the first President of the United States, he is often sanctified in historical discussions. In truth, he was a “sensitive, complex figure, full of pent-up passion,” who had many fallible traits and shortcomings. Ron Chernow’s Pulitzer Prize winning expansive biography is a “one volume, cradle to grave narrative” of this fascinating individual.

Read more
Military Book Reviews 

Man’s Search for Meaning

Jessica 125 Views 0 Comments , 6 min read

In Viktor Frankl’s world renown book Man’s Search for Meaning, the steady underlying beat of the emotionally grounding drum comes as a Nietzsche quote explaining that “He who has a Why to live for can bear almost any How.” Numerous accounts of the world wars have depicted the gruesome accounts humankind has enacted on his likeness in the name of ideals and values, the aftermath giving way to deep-dives and analytics in search of answering the “why”.

Read more
Military Book Reviews 

Marine Maxims

Jessica 173 Views 0 Comments , 3 min read

Colonel Gordon informs us that “Leadership is easy. Being a leader is hard”, a comment that sets the tone for the book. Marine Maxims uses common sense rules and principles based on personal experiences to deliver a vicarious education. It is a very personal book the author uses to share success and shortcomings in equal measure to guide leaders of all ranks using fifty practical maxims that teach the art of enlightened and informed leadership. 

Read more
Military Book Reviews 

Saltwater Leadership Second Edition

Jessica 155 Views 0 Comments , , 4 min read

In a slim, pocket-sized book authored by Rear admiral (RADM) Robert O. Wray Jr. USN (Ret), Vice admiral (VADM) John B. Mustin USN, RADM Theodore P. S. LeClair USN, and Commander (CDR) Andrew K. Ledford USN, PhD, Saltwater Leadership captures the collective wisdom of their 100-plus years of successful naval service concisely. It is based on their surveys of 380 other senior leaders and their review of thousands of pages of leadership books. True to the aim of the U.S. Naval Institute’s Blue & Gold Professional Library, the book is an inside job for naval leaders by naval leaders.

Read more
Military Book Reviews 

A Gathering of Men

Jessica 149 Views 0 Comments , , 3 min read

This book chronicles the exploits and trauma along with the remarkable success of the 8th AF 100th Bomb Group pilots, mechanics, and aircrew’s heroic, invaluable demonstrations of strategic airpower. The author tells us intimate details of what can only be personal family history, and indeed from her own father-in-law’s memory. It is a gripping, immersive narrative that I finished quickly. I didn’t want to put it down.

Read more
Military Book Reviews 

Our Robots, Ourselves: Robotics and the Myths of Autonomy

Jessica 139 Views 0 Comments , 4 min read

Our Robots, Ourselves: Robotics and the Myths of Autonomy, by David Mindell, frames autonomy from a different perspective. Autonomy isn’t necessarily the incorporation of advanced electronics and artificial intelligence. Mindell writes, autonomy is “human action removed by time.” A human performs the task by physical presence or by program in the laboratory. Despite the distance or number of intermediary steps (between the programmer, operator, or physical action), the human is still present; albeit remotely. Once one thinks of autonomy this way, many of the dilemmas it presents fall away. Automation of a task does not alter its nature fundamentally, though it may alter the way it’s perceived

Read more