War Books For Journalists
Whiskey Mike's Highest Recommendations
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29 February 2024 (Thursday)
War Books For Journalists
Whiskey Mike's Highest Recommendations
By Wendell Minnick (Whiskey Mike) 顏文德
TAIPEI - For those who are still young and still want to try journalism as a boots-on-the ground writer covering the macabre side of human nature, these are my top recommendations.
The media needs to understand the very basics of warfare. And why we kill each other. There are tooooo many "peace studies" programs in US colleges and virtually no military studies besides ROTC classes (restricted to those going into the military).
What you end up with are policy specialists vs kinetic warfare folks by 1000:1.
In terms of being a great non-fiction narrative writer, I can recommend these men as the grand masters: Mark Bowden, Victor Davis Hanson, Robert D. Kaplan, John Keegan, Michael Walsh (see far below); I do recommend the audio versions of these particular narratives.
Most are older books, but still unsurpassed by anything new.
My bible for most of my career was War Stories: The Culture of Foreign Correspondents by Mark Pedelty (1995). I have read and re-read this book so many times, I have had to replace them every few years after being brutalized by bookworms, humidity, and yellow highlighter ink.
They say human nature does not change, this can also be said of foreign correspondents. Go to any Foreign Correspondents Club anywhere in the world and you will find the same archetypes, behavior, culture, that Pedelty identifies.
The World’s Most Dangerous Places by Robert Young Pelton (there were numerous editions, so try to procure the 5th Edition). This is basically a survival guide to hell.
What Every Person Should Know About War by Chris Hedges (2003). I am not a fan of any of Hedges lefty books, but his coverage of the civil wars in Central America in the 1980s has my respect.
There are too many errors made by the media on military issues, particularly weapons, ranks, order of battle, etc.
So I do recommend the following books for those who do not know the difference between a tank and a turtle.
Perhaps the best book ever written, and still my quick reference guide, How To Make War: A Comprehensive Guide to Modern Warfare in the 21st Century (2003).
The following works are attributed to Tom Clancy, though I personally doubt they are of his penmanship. However, these are great guide books for understanding U.S. military service groups active in live combat. Though dated, nothing much has changed beyond the introduction of new weapons and platforms (vessels, vehicles, aircraft).
Tom Clancy:
Airborne: A Guided Tour of an Airborne Task Force (1997)
Armoured Warfare: A Guided Tour of an Armored Cavalry Regiment (1994)
Carrier: A Guided Tour of an Aircraft Carrier (1999)
Fighter Wing: A Guided Tour of an Air Force Combat Wing (1995)
Marine: A Guided Tour of a Marine Expeditionary Unit (1996)
Special Forces: A Guided Tour of U.S. Army Special Forces (2001)
Submarine: A Guided Tour of a Nuclear Warship (2003)
I would also like to recommend all military-related video interviews with Victor Davis Hanson.
His books are required reading, but I suggest focusing on the following (particularly his audio books):
A War Like No Other: How the Athenians and Spartans Fought the Peloponnesian War
Carnage and Culture Landmark Battles in the Rise to Western Power
The next great historical writer is without doubt Michael Walsh. His book Last Stands: Why Men Fight When All Is Lost (best via audio). Buckets of testosterone:
AND last but not least, a great writer to emulate as a field journalist covering the dark side is Robert D. Kaplan who blends travel writing, war reporting, and the world as it actually exists. He is basically Indiana Jones on crystal meth.
Hog Pilots, Blue Water Grunts: The American Military in the Air, at Sea, and on the Ground
The Revenge of Geography: What the Map Tells Us About Coming Conflicts and the Battle Against Fate
MARK BOWDEN:
Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War
Hue 1968: A Turning Point of the American War in Vietnam
Killing Pablo: The Hunt for the World's Greatest Outlaw
One great book on World War II: The Old Breed: A History of the First Marine Division in World War II by E.B. Sledge.
One great book on Vietnam: The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien (Vietnam Veteran).
Not mentioning John Keegan would be like no mentioning God in a Church. Keegan has written so many books on warfare that his bookshelf of insightful military tactics and strategy using historical, technical, and procedural, research methodology that has made him a legend.
Start with Masks of Command and Intelligence in War: Knowledge of the Enemy from Napoleon to Al-Qaeda.
great list of war-related books
thanks