Best vietnam war biographies according to redditors

We found 152 Reddit comments discussing the best vietnam war biographies. We ranked the 81 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.

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Top Reddit comments about Vietnam War Biographies:

u/orairwolf · 103 pointsr/Damnthatsinteresting

https://smile.amazon.com/Delta-Force-Militarys-Secretive-Special-Operations/dp/006224969X

This book is the memoirs written by the founder of Delta Force, Charlie Beckwith. He goes over the mission and it's unfortunate failure in fine detail. The book is a good read if you are interested in such things.

u/Knubinator · 79 pointsr/CombatFootage

Some helo gunners didn't use a mount so they would have a larger field of fire. He's holding it sideways because it's easier to manage the recoil when you have to push to the side, rather than pull down.

Source 1 Source 2 Source 3

If you're interested in more, I would recommend those books highly.

u/catface0 · 71 pointsr/nosleep

If you really wanna hear about the horrors of tunnel warfare from both sides of the fence you might read this.


https://www.amazon.com/Tunnels-Chi-Harrowing-Underground-Battlefields/dp/0891418695/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1484241637&sr=1-1&keywords=the+tunnels+of+cu+chi

But you won't find anything in there about the horrors Benoit and I saw.

u/Omnitank_3 · 60 pointsr/OldSchoolCool

The Battle is famous for the extreme difference in results for the Marine and Army participants, both on different sides of the reservoir.

The marine commander Chesty Puller had saw they were overextended and prepared, creating multiple stockpile temporary bases. When the Chinese attacked, they were able to create an ordered withdrawal with multiple defense points.

The army was not as fortunate and less prepared, and suffered horrendous losses. It's really a textbook example on preparing for all situations. I learned all about this from the book The Generals

EDIT As u/Dis_mah_mobile_one pointed out, the majority of credit for the Marine's success in the battle goes to Oliver P. Smith, who commanded the 1st Marine's at Chosin

u/ValorousBob · 56 pointsr/whowouldwin

Hello, International Relations major here. I've been lurking this sub for a while but I know nothing about comics so I usually have nothing to contribute. This on the other hand, is basically what I spend all my time studying. I'm late to the thread so not sure anyone will see this but oh well.

R1: If we're really generous and ignore tons of realities about modern warfare like logistics and alliance systems, the strongest country they could overpower would be a large but weak nation like Congo, or a very small rich country like Denmark.

If you wanted to try and base this on reality and just assumed the various militias started in their present locations, agreed to merge, and then picked a country to attempt to invade, they would utterly fail.

Bonus: Probably none

Suggested reading:

Paths to Victory: Lessons from Modern Insurgencies

A Bright Shining Lie: John Paul Vann and America in Vietnam

The Road Not Taken: Edward Lansdale and the American Tragedy in Vietnam

All the upvoted comments in this thread are massively over-hyping the criminal faction. The set up of the question pretty much nullifies all advantages these groups normally have. When the OP says "illegal faction" he's essentially referring to what we call non-state actors. A state is a sovereign government, so an NSA refers to a group that has no legal sovereignty and therefore no legal monopoly on violence in any given geographical space.

The perceived success of NSA's is due to the fact that they almost literally always fight with homefield advantage and against grossly incompetent states. Most (militant) NSA's exist in the power vacuums created by failed states such as Somalia, Syria, Yemen, parts of Africa, etc. Additionally, many of the NSA's that people here seem to perceive as successful are actually funded by states. The Houthis are only able to exist in Yemen because Iran funds them. The Viet Cong were only able to persist in Vietnam with the support of North Vietnam, Russia, and China. As soon as all violent NSAs worldwide united into some Extremist Supergroup and tried to invade a state, the other states who were previously supporting some of these NSAs would pull their support. Pakistan only supports the Afghani Taliban because it gives them influence in Afghanistan. If the Taliban merged with ISIS and fucked off to invade Brazil or some shit, the Pakistanis would have zero reason to keep supporting them.

1) The NSAs (criminal/terrorist supergroup faction) would lose a huge chunk of their funding immediately upon uniting

This brings us to the next fatal flaw. NSAs heavily depend on fighting irregular (guerrilla) warfare on their home turf. They are virtually always defending rough terrain that they are better adapted to then the invading force, and often hiding among civilians that support them. The Taliban can't fight effectively in the terrain that the Colombian drug cartels or FARC can, and same with ISIS, Boko Haram, Al-Shabaab, Hezbollah, AQ, etc. None of those groups are particularly experienced at urban warfare either. The Mahdi Army was but Sadr disbanded them. As soon as the NSAs united and tried to invade some third country they would not only lose the terrain advantage, the defending conventional military would have a terrain advantage. The NSAs would also lose the ability to hide among civilians and the ability to avoid direct combat. Some special forces groups can wage irregular warfare in terrain they don't live in, but the NSA's don't have SF.

2) NSAs trying to attack a random third country would lose all of the tactical advantages that make them viable in the first place.

So now let's consider what would actually happen if this NSA military tried to invade a random country. This is basically impossible. Moving your military from your home to attack a foreign country requires what we call power projection. A country that can project power regionally is called a "regional power". A country that can project power to other regions but not necessarily globally is called a "great power". A country that can project power across the entire globe at will is called the United States of America. Ok sorry, it's called a superpower, but seriously there's only one right now and in the entire history of humanity there has been a MAXIMUM of three. The USSR during the Cold War, and arguably the British Empire before de-colonization. Currently, Russia is arguably only a regional power, and yet they're one of the strongest countries in the world. When France, Italy, and the UK intervened in Libya a few years ago, they essentially ran out of missiles and the US had to bail them out. These are three of the richest countries in the world with professional military forces that have existed for centuries.

So... could a blob of every NSA in the world supply an invasion force in a foreign country? Fuck no. Some of the drug cartels certainly have impressive logistics networks, but those took ages to set up, exist mostly in friendly territory, and can't supply enough material for a massive invasion force. Smuggling tons of cocaine into Miami or New York by dissolving it into paint and then separating it out afterwards (or whatever the fuck Escobar did) is indeed impressive... but you can't smuggle a tank like that.

3) The NSAs don't have the infrastructure for the insane complexity of a modern war in a foreign country. Even if they tried to merely occupy one of the countries a militia currently exists in, this would in practice still be a foreign country for all the other groups who have to get there in the first place AND remain supplied.

Also they don't have an air force

Also they don't have a navy

Also they don't have significant amounts of armor (tanks, APCs, etc)

Also they don't have a global communication network

Also they don't have a skilled intelligence service

Also they don't have consistent military training

etc.

When Saddam's army retreated from Kuwait while lacking air support in 1991, the allied air force bombed them into the ground so ruthlessly it became known as The Highway of Death. It was so brutal some people thought it was a war crime. In Afghanistan in 2001 (maybe early 2002), some US SF had a similar experience annihilating a convoy of supposedly 1000 Taliban fighters in pickup trucks just by using laser designated bombs.

In any scenario based on reality, the "illegal" groups (aka Non-State Actors) wouldn't even be able to group up and invade a single country, and even if they did they'd get fucking obliterated by the first moderately competent standing army they encountered.

u/MoreWhiskeyPls · 52 pointsr/AdviceAnimals

The book is worth it, We Were Soldiers Once and Young written by Lt. Gen. Moore.


The movie is hollywood's version. The book is so much better, and much more brutal.

u/BurtGummer938 · 35 pointsr/todayilearned

>Political Climate around how badly we were losing in Vietnam ended the Vietnam war.

The urgency of withdraw had everything to do with war weariness and public perception, and absolutely nothing to do with how the war was actually going.

The US wasn't "badly losing" as you put it, in fact the opposite was true. Tet shattered the northern army. At the same time Westmoreland and his costly/ineffective search & destroy was out, while Abrams and his extremely effective clear & hold strategy was in. The metrics illustrating the loss of control the North had between 1966 and 1970 are staggering. You can find them in The Generals by Thomas E. Ricks.

u/BlueFalconNation · 22 pointsr/todayilearned

I recommend anyone interested more about Carlos Hathcock read:

Marine Sniper

Silent Warrior

Marine Sniper is probably one of the greatest accounts of the Vietnam war. Carlos Hathcock is a sniper and long range shooting legend. He is pretty much responsible concepts like the M107 SASR, Hathcock bolted a fixed 8x optic to a M2 and set the record for the longest confirmed kill at something like 2500 yards.

I can't think of any figure who influenced my decision to enlist more than Hathcock, not to be a scout/sniper or anything, but just his examples of selflessness and courage. I read Marine Sniper when I was pretty young, and I swear every year in school when they made us do a book report I would just re-examine it and write something a bit different about it.

As for "embellishment", that is 100% unfounded. The man never bragged about anything in his life.

u/walrusincorporated · 15 pointsr/pics

I read it in this book..."The Tunnels of Cu-Chi".
From what I remember reading, it was rarely used and not really worth it, but they still did it here or there. It was extremely time-intensive to train them, but basically they would be used to the way the Vietnamese smelled or something, and they would be kept in an upside down jar...a "Tunnel Rat" would trip it or bump it and the lid would fall. Then you are stuck underground, on your stomach with hornets attacking you. I would rather get stung by a bunch of hornets than one of their poisonous snake traps.


http://www.amazon.com/The-Tunnels-Chi-Underground-Battlefields/dp/0891418695

This is the only article I could quickly find online.
https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1243&dat=19661128&id=Sv5XAAAAIBAJ&sjid=A_cDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5188,1531543&hl=en

u/Kill825 · 11 pointsr/Military

Reading a bunch of books like Across the Fence, special forces weren't the guys who can run triathlons in a plate carrier and live at the range like they are today. They were tough as hell and insane enough to volunteer for the most dangerous shit MACV could devise.

That book I mentioned, the dude only describes one aimed shot he took with his CAR-15. The rest is getting contact and just going cyclic with 20 round magazines until they could call in air and get the hell out.

Wouldn't be surprised if most of those guys weren't expert pistol shots.

That being said, I think Hopper was probably just a regular grunt.

u/badbrutus · 10 pointsr/CombatFootage

We were Soldiers once... and Young it's about the first major battle of the vietnam war. probably the most intense media of any form that i've ever consumed.

u/FeastOfChildren · 10 pointsr/army

May I suggest the following two books on the subject by Maj John Plaster:

  1. SOG: The Secret Wars of America's Commandos in Vietnam
  2. Secret Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines with the Elite Warriors of SOG


    These two books are part of my military-boner trifecta (the third is of course SSgt Bellavia's book House to House).

    I haven't read the one you screenshotted, so I can't speak to its quality. Though Maj Plaster's book not only discusses the gun battles (when appropriate) but also goes into detail on the greater organizational and operational history of MACV-SOG (e.g. SOG wasn't exclusively 5th SF, or the contributions of the Montagnard tribespeople).

    About the only negative thing I can say about is that it can get depressing as Plaster repeatedly introduces someone in the book and by the end of the page, they're either dead or never seen again. A large part of this can be attributed to the amount of time that MACV-SOG spent in places like Laos and Cambodia.
u/Damen500 · 10 pointsr/PKA

I'm currently reading What It Is Like To Go To War, and the authors sentiment towards the matter almost perfectly matches what Woody said. The author served in the Marine Corp. during the Vietnam war, and during his R&R he went to Australia. He decided to steal a car because, well, he could. He would give it back anyway.

It sounds like the IDF is very disciplined, and maybe that reflects how the United States military is now, but it isn't always like that.

u/roguevirus · 7 pointsr/WarCollege

I highly recommend The Generals by Thomas Ricks.

The book compares the performance American general officers in WWII to later conflicts, mostly Vietnam and the War on Terror. It may give you some insights to how quality and competence were measured in WWII vs. the later conflicts.

To summarize:

In WWII, generals had a short period to prove that they were competent commanders; if they didn't perform well, they were either relieved of command or they died in combat. Importantly, many commanders were given a 2nd chance at command later to correct their deficiencies.

In the Vietnam / Post-Vietnam US Army, generals were often only relieved for reasons of morality; breaking the law, fraternizing with subordinates, etc. Nobody wanted to ruin someone's career just because they were a bad commander.

This video shows the author giving a summary of the book, and he also goes into his research methods and answers questions from the audience. It's an hour long, but worth the watch.

u/Dis_mah_mobile_one · 7 pointsr/kotakuinaction2
u/VacationAwayFromWork · 7 pointsr/politics

Thank you, and from my knowledge of Pershing (mostly from the book The Generals) I very much agree it sounds out of character.

If asked again I'll cite that argument.

u/Tally_Fox3close · 5 pointsr/aviation

Agreed 100%. Check out Robin Olds memoir if you haven't already - there's a whole few chapters dedicated to the P-38 dog fighting around Europe.

​

Fighter Pilot: Memoirs of Legendary Ace Robin Olds

u/cazzipropri · 5 pointsr/italy

Ti consiglio di leggere https://www.amazon.com/What-Like-War-Karl-Marlantes/dp/B0071UEX8W

È scritto bene, e spiega i fattori in gioco, alcuni dei quali noi civili non possiamo immaginare.

u/scisslizz · 5 pointsr/The_Donald

Having read the book twice... jesus christ, people are stupid.

u/just_foo · 4 pointsr/MilitaryStories

You consistently capture the essence of something within our shared experience and express it beautifully. According to RES, I upvote you more often than anyone else.

Please tell me you are compiling these stories into a book. During OCS, I remember being assigned Platoon Leader, by James McDonough. It was a good book that distilled many good lessons for small-unit command and gave a good feel for what military experience entails. It worked reasonably well. Your stuff is better. Aspiring junior officers should be reading your material and incorporating it into their own sense of leadership.

If you aren't already thinking about this please do so. If you do - I'm happy to volunteer to help you with editing/typesetting, etc because I think the things you have to say are worth being heard by a wider audience.

EDIT: I think the General is mean-mugging your cowlick. I can just hear the inner monologue: "God dammit! It starts small with a wild hair or two, but next thing you know there'll be hippies with long hair all over the place!"

u/jnobel · 4 pointsr/bestof

Spot on, ViolatedChimp.

There seems to be a lack of understanding here about how people rise in the chain of command in the military. Many points have been made about a lack of job feed-back, no evaluation of job performance, etc. But the reality is that you don't get to that rank in the military unless you are extremely qualified for the job and execute it extremely well. Essentially the job title itself is it's own authority. Or at least, you don't get to evaluate a general's unless you are as qualified as he is. There is a reason military officials are not elected. :)

The last 80 years of history of how American military officials are hired and fired is detailed very well in the book The Generals by Thomas E. Ricks. I recommend it highly.

http://www.amazon.ca/The-Generals-American-Military-Command/dp/0143124099

u/Under_the_Volcano · 4 pointsr/AskHistorians

Karl Marlantes also covers this in considerable depth in his What It Is Like to Go to War. He focuses especially on the homecoming aspect. WW2 soldiers often (not always) returned from combat as part of a whole unit: in returning home, they had a pre-made support network of other men that they trusted and who had shared their experiences in combat. The ability to talk to and commiserate with those other soldiers probably (in Marlantes's view) helped to ameliorate the various psychological symptoms of exposure to combat. In contrast, the soldier returning from Viet Nam came home alone while his unit remained in-country. He didn't necessarily have the same sort of people around to talk to about what had happened. The people who would best understand what he went through were still overseas and even when they returned he might (for the personnel reasons you mention above) never have known or trusted his fellow unit members all that well to begin with.

u/BirdpersonInBishkek · 4 pointsr/army

A good book on this phenomena (The Marshall System) is "The Generals" by Tom Ricks
https://www.amazon.com/Generals-American-Military-Command-World/dp/0143124099

u/Syncdata · 4 pointsr/MURICA

For more information about the Korean War, give "Colder then hell" a read.

u/NobodyByChoice · 3 pointsr/USMC

What it is Like to Go to War by Karl Marlantes is a great read.

u/MakingTrax · 3 pointsr/Military
u/brynm · 3 pointsr/pics

Looked at this one, might have to pick it up.

Low Level Hell

Is another great read written by a scout pilot from a hunter/killer squadron (?) Basically his job was to fly around in a Loach / Cayuse low and slow and look for signs of enemy, usually by getting shot at. Then they'd have the Cobra attack helicopter come in to attack it.


http://www.flickr.com/photos/24636312@N07/4723028104

u/crafty_miner · 3 pointsr/MilitaryPorn

Seriously recommend:
https://www.amazon.com/Low-Level-Hell-Hugh-Mills/dp/0891417192

What those guys did in Vietnam was intense, restecpa

u/FoodBeerBikesMusic · 3 pointsr/AskOldPeople


Name: David Optional

Age: 55

Current location: Upstate NY

Where were you living in 1969?: Same friggin' place.

What did you think about the war in 1969?

Didn't know much about it, apart from the fact that it was going on, and it was bad because "peace & love and stuff". I was a bit into WWII history, so at one point, had a map of Vietnam with push pins of the battles, trying to make sense of it (which, of course, there was no doing.)

Why did you have this opinion?

Too young to have really formed opinions of my own.

What did you think of President Nixon in 1969? Why did you have this opinion?

Didn't have much opinion of him apart from the negatives I heard from those around me.

What is your opinion of the Vietnam War today?

Horrible waste of lives and money, in the name of hubris.

Have you changed your opinion since then?

No, my opinion has only deepened.

Why or why not?

I read this and a good bit of history since.


What were some things or events going on in your life during that time?

Bikes, frisbee, books.

Has the Vietnam War affected you in any way?

Unlike our leadership since, I learned the folly of getting involved in the internal affairs of other countries - especially without a clear picture of what's really going on

Did you have children during the war?

No, girls were still "icky".

u/Silidistani · 3 pointsr/Military

According to several great books from SEALs of the era that I've read, and according to my father who was a SUPPO for a unit that supplied some SEALs (he was stationed ashore that tour - he got requests for shit the Navy didn't even stock and had to order it from Sears Roebuck and the like since tactical supply companies pretty much didn't exist)... after a few trips through the mud those jeans weren't ever going to be blue again anyway.

u/V1VrV2 · 3 pointsr/flying

I'm currently listening to Fighter Pilot: The Memoirs of Legendary Ace Robin Olds. Holy crap, he was a badass!

u/feasor · 3 pointsr/history

We Were Soldiers Once, and Young

the movie was entertaining, the book is gut wrenching.

u/drooj78 · 3 pointsr/todayilearned

If this interests you, consider reading the book, The Tunnels of Cu Chi. I found it a rather interesting read.

u/lowspeedlowdrag · 3 pointsr/USMC

Check out the Commandant's Reading list recommendations for Officer Candidates. I'd add One Bullet Away and What it's Like to go to War to that list as well.

How is your general knowledge? Do you know all of your Troop Leading Steps, Leadership Traits, General Orders, and Operational Order sub-paragraphs?

u/John-Browning · 3 pointsr/army
u/PrimusPilus · 3 pointsr/books

If I had to choose one single book to recommend about Vietnam it would be Neil Sheehan's superb A Bright Shining Lie: John Paul Vann and America in Vietnam

Also essential:

u/shobble · 3 pointsr/AskHistorians

I remember reading The Tunnels of Cu Chi: A Harrowing Account of America's Tunnel Rats in the Underground Battlefields of Vietnam which was fascinating. I'm not qualified to comment on its accuracy though.

u/Doctor-Awesome · 3 pointsr/Military

Platoon Leader by James McDonough is about the author as he's placed in charge of a platoon in Vietnam when, if I remember correctly, they were trying the Strategic Hamlet Program. It was one of my favorite books when I was younger, and one of the few I've read multiple times. Come to think of it, it's about time for me to dig up my old copy and read it yet again...

If you're looking for something more contemporary, you might check out This Man's Army by Andrew Exum. I haven't gotten around to reading it yet, but I liked his blog back when he was writing one.

u/GALACTICA-Actual · 2 pointsr/MilitaryPorn

If you want to read first hand accounts from both TRs and the VC of what it was like, this is the book to read.

u/Orlando1701 · 2 pointsr/AirForce

This isn't anything new, in fact there is an excellent book about how post WWII General officer ranks have been bloated at the expense of the people who actually do work.

u/Porkbut · 2 pointsr/HistoryPorn

If you like news articles and primary sources, Reporting Vietnam by Milton J. Bates is a good start. It is basically a collection of newspaper and magazine articles throughout different points of the war.

For a broader portrayal mixed in with some very strong emotional sentiments, I'd recommend "A Bright and Shining Lie" by Niel Sheehan.

If you like documentaries there's "Hearts and Minds" (1974) which is seminal work in and of itself as a documentary but there's lots of others, "Fog of War" was mentioned earlier and that's really good too and covers a lot more than just Vietnam. Recently I saw "Oh Saigon" which follows how the war tore apart a Vietnamese family.

Hope that gives you some ideas.

u/iyaerP · 2 pointsr/worldnews

The Things They Carried is the standard high school lit teacher response for the cultural touchstones of the war.




For a nonfiction breakdown of the actual military experience and what the warfighting looked like on the ground, I recommend Platoon Leader

u/rez9 · 2 pointsr/AskReddit

I read A Rumor of War in high school, it was pretty good. Check it out if you're into Vietnam-era books. Caputo was both a Marine and a journalist.

u/Praesentius · 2 pointsr/news

Dead on accurate. If anyone follows this thread and wants to learn more about this aspect of Delta, they can read Charlie Beckwith's book.

He founded Delta after lobbying within the Army for years to create an American version of the SAS after serving in an officer exchange program.

u/hawkinsst7 · 2 pointsr/worldnews

I'm not disagreeing with you, I just want to point out that the founder of Delta wrote a book.

u/Lhassa · 2 pointsr/movies

http://www.amazon.com/Rumor-War-Philip-Caputo/dp/080504695X

It's one of the best books I have ever read.

u/schueaj · 2 pointsr/history

Duiker's Ho Chi Mihn gives pretty good insight into the North's stragegy and power structure. A Bright Shining Lie talks about why the South with all its apparent advantages lost the war.

u/Jeeeeesh · 2 pointsr/videos

Is this the book?

u/A_giant_bag_of_dicks · 2 pointsr/IAmA

I just read What It's Like to go to War by Karl Marlantes, the guy who wrote Matterhorn. It made me feel the same way.

u/[deleted] · 2 pointsr/books

My favorite, being a history buff. Not so much a bio as a commentary, but it does offer at least part of this man's life.

A Rumor of War by Philip Caputo

u/DrMarianus · 2 pointsr/ProjectMilSim

After loads of reading on the bus to work every day, here follows my reading list for military aviation:


Modern

  • Viper Pilot - memoir of an F-16 Wild Weasel pilot who flew in both Iraq Wars
  • A Nightmare's Prayer - memoir of a Marine Harrier Pilot flying out of Bagram.
  • Warthog - Story of the A-10C pilots and their many varied missions in Desert Storm
  • Hornets over Kuwait - Memoir of a Marine F/A-18 pilot during Desert Storm
  • Strike Eagle - Story of the brand new F-15C Strike Eagle pilots and their time in Desert Storm

    Vietnam

  • The Hunter Killers - look at the very first Wild Weasels, their inception, early development, successes, and failures
  • Low Level Hell - memoir of an OH-6 Air Cav pilot

    WWII

  • Unsung Eagles - various snapshots of the less well-known but arguably more impactful pilots and their missions during WWII (pilot who flew channel rescue in a P-47, morale demonstration pilot, etc.)
  • Stuka Pilot - memoir of the most prolific aviator of Nazi Germany (and an unapologetic Nazi) who killed hundreds of tanks with his cannon-armed Stuka
  • The First Team - more academic historical look at the first US Naval Aviators in WWII


    Overall/Other

  • Skunk Works - memoir of Ben Rich, head of Lockeed's top secret internal firm and his time working on the U-2, SR-71, and F-117 including anecdotes from pilots of all 3 and accounts of these remarkable planes' exploits.
  • Lords of the Sky - ambitious attempt to chronicle the rise and evolution of the "fighter pilot" from WWI to the modern day
  • Red Eagles: America's Secret MiGs - the story of the long-top secret group of pilots who evaluated and flew captured Soviet aircraft against US pilots to train them against these unknown foes.
  • Blind Man's Bluff: The Untold Story of American Submarine Espionage - story of the US submarine fleet starting at the outbreak of the Cold War and their exploits



    Bonus non-military aviation

    I highly second the recommendations of Snow Crash, Cryptonomicon, and Diamond Age. I would also recommend:

  • Neuromancer - defined the cyberpunk genre
  • Ghost in the Wires - memoir of prolific hacker Kevin Mitnick
  • Starship Troopers - nothing like the movie
  • The Martian - fantastic read
  • Heir to the Empire - first of the Star Wars Thrawn Trilogy and the book that arguably sparked the growth of the Extended Universe of Star Wars
  • Devil in the White City - semi-fictional (mostly non-fiction) account of a serial killer who created an entire palace to capture and kill his prey during the Chicago World's Fair
  • Good Omens - dark comedy story of a demon and an angel trying to stop the end of the world because they like us too much
  • American Gods - fantastic story about how the old gods still walk among us
  • Dune - just read it
u/walt_ua · 2 pointsr/ukraina

http://www.amazon.com/What-It-Is-Like-War/dp/0802145922

Крім того, щоб звертатись за кваліфікованою допомогою, ще обов'язково слід читати цю книгу.

Залишається мріяти, що її колись буде додано до обов'язкових навчальних програм, як шкільних, так і військової(!) підготовки.

u/FireShots · 1 pointr/IAmA

A book called the Tunnels of Cu Chi can shed some light for you.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Tunnels-Chi-Underground-Battlefields/dp/0891418695

u/Myownghost · 1 pointr/videos

Low Level Hell by Hugh Mills is a godamn amazing read: http://www.amazon.com/Low-Level-Hell-Hugh-Mills/dp/0891417192

u/Team_Realtree · 1 pointr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

31 days for Augustus

August is a good month all around. School starts, and Autumn is starting. The leaves are the most beautiful, and the weather is nice. Hunting season also begins.

Thanks for the contest!

Item 1

Item 2

Item 3

Item 4

u/n3roman · 1 pointr/wargame

They path helicopters around artillery firing during Vietnam and you can only assume they still do it now for a reason...

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001QAP3JQ?btkr=1

u/_aut0mata · 1 pointr/suggestmeabook

Gotta be honest. Can't Hurt Me was a really good and different type of self-development book. That said, Delta Force: A Memoir by the Founder of the U.S. Military's Most Secretive Special-Operations Unit was an enthralling read. Not really self-development; nonetheless, motivating in the genre of special operations.

If you're familiar, Delta/CAG are the best to ever do it, IMO.

u/DukeOfGeek · 1 pointr/comics
u/Seth0351 · 1 pointr/hoggit

They could easily make an OH-6 to match early huey, I'd love to reenact some moments from Low Level Hell.

But as much as I would love a littlebird, DCS would have to improve much more to actually have it play a role in the game, better inf. AI, animations etc

I just want the AH-64 :/

u/omfg_the_lings · 1 pointr/HistoryPorn

Fair enough. I can concede to that. Poor choice of wording on my point.

There is a great book by Karl Marlantes, author of Matterhorn, called What It Is Like To Go To War where in one chapter he talks about different types of war crimes. I don't have it on hand but I believe he classifies them into three separate categories - White, Blue, and Red depending on whether they were done because the orders came down the chain of command to do so, whether they were done in a cold calculated manner on the whim of the individuals involved, or whether they were done as a result of outrage and hate due to losing a comrade in arms, e.t.c. He fought two tours in Vietnam and it is a really great read. I highly recommend it.

u/FWT · 1 pointr/AskReddit
u/dhpye · 1 pointr/history

I wouldn't recommend another survey book like Bryson's (as good as that is).
Vietnam: A Bright Shining Lie This biography on John Paul Vann is especially relevant in light of the current crop of wars.

WW2: William Shirer's Rise and Fall of the Third Reich is the seminal read. I'd also highly recommend his Berlin Diary, which he wrote as the war was unfolding. It's rare to find a book written from this kind of perspective, written so candidly and well.

I don't know of any exemplary non-fiction history of WW1: MacMillan's Versailles 1919 is certainly a rich vein if you're deeply familiar with the terrain, but it can be tough plodding otherwise.

Prior to WW1, some good studies are Rockefeller (Chernow's Titan: the Life of John D Rockefeller is excellent) and Teddy Roosevelt certainly straddles the new epoch in a phenomenal way.

u/stevo3883 · 1 pointr/MilitaryHistory

OK- Here is the crash course for learning what SOG was, what they did, and how they did it, written by the few men who actually survived!

There is a FANTASTIC new book called wE few just came out and is fantastic. Manages to intertwine constant humor with suicidal missions. author is legit hilarious at the right times, and somber when things went wrong, 100% top recommend.

And you can never go wrong with Secret Commandos, and

Across the Fence

on the ground

SOG

The Dying Place

By Honor Bound: Two Navy SEALs, the Medal of Honor, and a Story of Extraordinary Courage The SEAL Tom Norris was a part of MacvSOG, and his feats are the most amazing from the entire war

whiskey tango foxtrot) RT Alabama had 12 men facing off against over 3000 NVA for an entire day

SOG Chronicles: Volume One

Stryker, Black, Plaster, and Norris have been active in telling the story of SOG for a few decades after it was all declassified in the 90's.

u/catherinecc · 1 pointr/CombatFootage

If you're interested in the topic, http://www.amazon.com/What-Like-War-Karl-Marlantes/dp/B0071UEX8W is an interesting read.

u/mikepixie · 1 pointr/worldnews

There were definitely boots on the ground in Cambodia. This is quite a good memoir that describes what happened on the ground. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Across-Fence-John-Stryker-Meyer-ebook/dp/B004XMOISG/ref

u/lintacious · 1 pointr/books

I loved A Rumor of War by Philip Caputo.

u/SpaceMallard · 1 pointr/Libertarian

Karl Marlantes' book is also an excellent read for those who may or have found themselves in combat. Should be required reading for anyone in Washington about to order soldiers into war as well. He's also a decorated former Marine.

u/rAtheismSelfPostOnly · 1 pointr/INTPBookmarks

Things to Buy
http://www.amazon.com/Miracle-Years-Hanna-Schissler/dp/0691058202

http://www.amazon.com/Redneck-Manifesto-Hillbillies-Americas-Scapegoats/dp/0684838648

http://www.amazon.com/review/product/039332169X/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?%5Fencoding=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

http://www.amazon.com/Evolution-Everyone-Darwins-Theory-Change/dp/0385340214

http://www.amazon.com/Andromeda-Strain-Michael-Crichton/dp/006170315X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1225932164&sr=1-1

http://www.amazon.com/Primates-Classroom-Evolutionary-Perspective-Childrens/dp/0870236113/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1261589323&sr=1-1

http://www.amazon.com/Paleolithic-Prescription-Program-Exercise-Design/dp/0060916354/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1261589224&sr=1-1

http://www.amazon.com/Exiles-Eden-Psychotherapy-Evolutionary-Perspective/dp/0393700739/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1261589294&sr=1-2

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http://www.amazon.com/Omnivores-Dilemma-Natural-History-Meals/dp/0143038583/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1297305420&sr=8-2

http://www.amazon.com/Skinny-Bastard-Kick-Ass-Getting/product-reviews/0762435402/ref=cm_cr_dp_all_helpful?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1&sortBy=bySubmissionDateDescending

http://www.amazon.com/Evolution-Everyone-Darwins-Theory-Change/dp/0385340214

http://www.amazon.com/Food-Rules-Eaters-Michael-Pollan/dp/014311638X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1297305420&sr=8-1

http://www.amazon.com/Primates-Classroom-Evolutionary-Perspective-Childrens/dp/0870236113/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1261589323&sr=1-1

http://www.amazon.com/Exiles-Eden-Psychotherapy-Evolutionary-Perspective/dp/0393700739/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1261589294&sr=1-2

http://www.amazon.com/Paleolithic-Prescription-Program-Exercise-Design/dp/0060916354/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1261589224&sr=1-1

http://www.amazon.com/Chimpanzee-Politics-Power-among-Apes/dp/0801886562/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1261589183&sr=8-1

http://www.amazon.com/Stranger-Strange-Land-Robert-Heinlein/dp/0441788386/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1258348123&sr=8-1

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http://www.amazon.com/Full-Plate-Diet-Great-Healthy/dp/1885167717/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1266199288&sr=1-13

http://www.amazon.com/Blindsight-Peter-Watts/dp/0765319640/

http://www.amazon.com/Miracle-Years-Hanna-Schissler/dp/0691058202

http://www.amazon.com/Redneck-Manifesto-Hillbillies-Americas-Scapegoats/dp/0684838648

http://www.amazon.com/review/product/039332169X/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?%5Fencoding=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

http://www.amazon.com/Andromeda-Strain-Michael-Crichton/dp/006170315X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1225932164&sr=1-1

http://www.amazon.com/Atheist-Manifesto-Against-Christianity-Judaism/dp/1559708204

http://www.amazon.com/Mayo-Clinic-Family-Health-Book/dp/1603200770/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1267299889&sr=1-1

http://www.amazon.com/Body-Sculpting-Bible-Men-Revised/dp/1578262380/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1298573232&sr=8-1

http://www.amazon.com/Mens-Health-Big-Book-Exercises/dp/1605295507
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1594866279/ref=asc_df_15948662791442125?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&tag=pg-1583-01-20&linkCode=asn&creative=395093&creativeASIN=1594866279

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0345498461/ref=asc_df_03454984611442018?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&tag=pg-1583-01-20&linkCode=asn&creative=395093&creativeASIN=0345498461

http://www.amazon.com/Beginning-Runners-Handbook-13-Week-Walk-Run/dp/1553650875/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1298575384&sr=8-1
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703558004574581891694514228.html

http://www.amazon.com/Edible-Wild-Plants-Foods-Adventure/dp/1423601505

http://www.amazon.com/Shoppers-Guide-Organic-Food/dp/1857028406/ref=sr_1_16?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1308213453&sr=1-16

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Portrait_of_the_Artist_as_a_Young_Man

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stream_of_consciousness_writing

http://entertainment.time.com/2011/08/30/all-time-100-best-nonfiction-books/#fast-food-nation-by-eric-schlosser

http://www.amazon.com/Stranger-Strange-Land-Robert-Heinlein/dp/0441788386/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1258348123&sr=8-1

http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/sleep-apnea/continuous-positive-airway-pressure-cpap-for-obstructive-sleep-apnea

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Catcher_in_the_Rye

http://www.amazon.com/Catch-22-Joseph-Heller/dp/0684833395

http://www.amazon.com/Starting-Strength-2nd-Mark-Rippetoe/dp/0976805421/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1253993543&sr=8-1

http://www.amazon.com/Aero-Speed-Hyperformance-Jump-Rope/dp/B00017XHO8

http://www.invisibleshoe.com/#ecwid:category=135066&mode=product&product=278983

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http://www.amazon.com/Element-Surprise-Navy-Seals-Vietnam/dp/0804105812/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1304634342&sr=8-1

http://www.amazon.com/Lone-Survivor-Eyewitness-Account-Operation/dp/0316067598

http://www.amazon.com/Diving-Bell-Butterfly-Memoir-Death/dp/0375701214/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1312848167&sr=8-1

Political
Iraq Research

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Tawhid_Wal-Jihad

http://www.ontheissues.org/Drugs.htm#Barack_Obama

Congress Related

http://thomas.loc.gov/home/r110query.html

http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/vote_menu_110_1.htm

http://www.usdoj.gov/

http://www.issuedictionary.com/Barack_Obama.cgi

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?r110:75:./temp/~r110y7HfAa::

http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists
/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=107&session=2&vote=00237

http://allafrica.com/

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/??

Health & Exercise
Green Tea

http://www.teatrekker.com/store/tea/green/green+-+japan.php

http://www.o-cha.com/brew.htm

http://www.ehow.com/how_2080066_steep-loose-leaf-tea.html

http://cooksshophere.com/products/tea/green_tea.htm

http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=146

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_effects_of_tea

http://blackdragonteabar.blogspot.com/2008_09_01_archive.html

http://blackdragonteabar.blogspot.com/

https://www.itoen.com/leaf/index.cfm

http://www.maiko.ne.jp/english/

http://www.mellowmonk.com/buyGreenTea.htm
http://www.o-cha.com/home.php

http://www.denstea.com/

http://www.theteaavenue.com/chgrtea.html

http://www.teafrog.com/teas/finum-tea-brewing-basket.html

u/PresDonaldDuck · 1 pointr/worldnews

For spec ops Inside Delta Force is fascinating. What really struck me was his claim that Vietnam absolutely had American POWs well into the 1980s - yeah, lots of people say shit like that, but the striking thing in this case was the source: a verified former Delta operative.

Inside Delta Force is excellent as well and the author is actually the friggin' founder of Delta Force, Colonel Charlie Beckwith.

Special ops within intel agencies? Ehhh...good luck. I just looked and turned up precisely buttkiss on Amazon for "cia sog".

u/Mookie262 · 1 pointr/todayilearned

If anyone is interested I've read two books by Charles Henderson about Carlos Hathcock. They were both great reads and I would recommend them to anyone who's interested in his story.

http://www.amazon.com/Marine-Sniper-93-Confirmed-Kills/dp/0425181650/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_b

http://www.amazon.com/Silent-Warrior-Snipers-Vietnam-Continues/dp/0425188647/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_b

u/loimprevisto · 1 pointr/nosleep

Thanks for sharing your grandfather's story. Those tunnel rats were hard-core and I have tremendous respect for their service. If you're interested in more stories about exploring tunnels in Vietnam, check out this book, it's one of my favorite on the topic.

u/thebrandedman · 1 pointr/history

This one is a good one if you're looking for a semi-political perspective of military men.

Stephen Hook also has a great textbook on Post WW2 political theory.