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Just like last year, 2024 was a banner year for military books. From untold stories of heroism from the ranks of America’s most elite special operations forces to a visceral assessment of the Iraq War to a fictional imagining of the next big global conflict on the horizon, the best military books of all captured our attention. Who knows: They may just do the same for you.
Check out our selections for the best military books of 2024:
“Expectation of Valor: Planning for the Iraq War” by Col (ret.) Kevin Benson
One of the most common narratives surrounding the Iraq War is that the U.S. Army didn’t actually plan on what would come next after removing Saddam Hussein from power. It’s a tale so persistent that the term “no exit strategy” has become closely linked to the war, even 13 years after it ended. Army Col. (ret.) Kevin Benson’s book, “Expectation of Valor,” is about refuting that notion while reminding us of another common term: “The enemy gets a vote.”
Benson served in the Third Army and directed the development of the United States’ plan to invade Iraq. In “Expectation of Valor,” he assures readers the Army did indeed have an exit strategy — primarily because he helped craft it. Problems with intelligence, the unforeseen amount of resistance in post-war Iraq and difficulties dealing with the Office of the Secretary of Defense all contributed to the perception that there was no exit strategy. — B.S.
“I Will Tell No War Stories: What Our Fathers Left Unsaid About World War II” by Howard Mansfield
After coming home from World War II, Pincus Mansfield refused to tell anyone about his time as a waist gunner aboard a B-17 Liberator bomber. His sons knew nothing about what their father did during the war until he was moved into a veterans home toward the end of his life. It was when they started cleaning out his house that his son Howard stumbled upon his father’s wartime diary.
“I Will Tell No War Stories” is Howard Mansfield’s recreation of his dad’s service story. Using the diary as his guide, the younger Mansfield filled in the missing details and context using historical documents and military records. Pincus Mansfield’s story could have been any American’s WWII story (which is fascinating in its own right), but it’s an engrossing memoir lovingly written by his son. — B.S.
“Send Me: The True Story of a Mother at War” by Joe Kent and Marty Skovlund Jr.
“Send Me” is a deeply personal account of the life of Shannon Kent, the U.S. Navy cryptologist, combat veteran and mother who defied expectations on and off the battlefield. Told through the eyes of her husband Joe Kent and journalist Marty Skovlund Jr., the book explores Shannon’s relentless drive, her groundbreaking contributions to special operations and her ultimate sacrifice during a 2019 mission in Syria.
More than a story of heroism, “Send Me” explores the complexities of balancing motherhood, marriage and military service at the highest levels through intimate and vivid storytelling, beautifully capturing the profound resilience, love and courage of a woman who lived — and fought — on her own terms. — J.K.
“‘Tis Not Our War: Avoiding Military Service in the Civil War North” by Paul Taylor
Author Paul Taylor is known for his deep dives on the effects of the Civil War in places many Americans might forget about because they were far from the fighting. His previous books have explored the Civil War and the Great Lakes, Hawaii and American politics. In “‘Tis Not Our War,” he looks at the white men of the North who wanted nothing to do with the war and dodged the draft or deserted their units.
“‘Tis Not Our War” is, in many ways, a cultural history of Americans’ relationships with the federal government. Many at the time questioned if that government had the authority to impress individual citizens to fight wars for it at a time when the Union was fighting for its survival. Through deep research and masterful storytelling, Taylor’s history interrogates the romantic notion of fighting for a cause with lessons that are still relevant today. — B.S.
“The Unit: My Life Fighting Terrorists as One of America’s Most Secret Military Operatives” by Adam Gamal and Kelly Kennedy
Forget SEAL Team 6: “The Unit” takes readers inside the shadowy world of the United States’ most elite counterterrorism force, a team of special operators so secretive that the name of their unit is classified. Adam Gamal, a former covert operative and one of the only Muslim Arab Americans to serve inside “the Unit,” shares his firsthand experiences as part of a highly classified military unit tasked with hunting the world’s most dangerous terrorists. From perilous missions in war-torn regions to split-second decisions that meant the difference between life or death, Gamal recounts the mental and physical toll of a life spent in the shadows.
Co-written with journalist Kelly Kennedy, this gripping memoir unveils the extraordinary sacrifices and relentless determination required to protect the United States. Through vivid storytelling, “The Unit” goes beyond the battlefield, delving into the personal struggles of balancing a clandestine career with the demands of family and identity in an unflinching account of courage, loyalty and the unseen heroes who confront global threats in silence. — J.K.
“2054” by Adm. (ret.) James Stavridis and Elliot Ackerman
In Adm. James Stavridis and Elliot Ackerman’s second book in their series, the United States and China have just fought a great power conflict, complete with a nuclear exchange. The U.S.’s civil and political institutions remain largely intact until its controversial president dies of a very sudden, very public heart attack. The recent rise of seemingly miraculous technology leaves Americans wondering what’s real and what’s not — and threatens humanity as a whole.
Just as the authors’ previous book, “2034,” was a warning about how easy the road to a great power conflict between China and the U.S. could be, “2054” is a warning about the unchecked growth of technological development and how machine intelligence can outpace human intelligence. — B.S.
“Fat Leonard: How One Man Bribed, Bilked, and Seduced the U.S. Navy” by Craig Whitlock
This is the story of one of the largest corruption scandals in U.S. military history. “Fat Leonard” examines how charismatic Malaysian businessman Leonard Glenn Francis masterminded a decades-long scheme to bribe high-ranking Navy officials, defrauding the service of millions while gaining unprecedented access to classified operations. Through meticulous reporting, Craig Whitlock uncovers how Francis used lavish gifts, extravagant parties and even sex workers to manipulate officers into steering lucrative contracts to his firm, Glenn Defense Marine Asia, in a scandal that ensnared dozens of Navy personnel and shook the institution to its core.
Blending investigative journalism with compelling storytelling, “Fat Leonard” is a shocking tale of greed, betrayal and the vulnerabilities of even the most disciplined organizations. And while the fallout from Francis’ scheming continues to unfold to this day, Whitlock’s account masterfully reveals the staggering scope of the corruption while highlighting the ethical failures that allowed it to flourish unchecked for years. — J.K.
“The Last Commander: The Once and Future Battle for Afghanistan” by Sami Sadat
These days, Sami Sadat is the leader of the Afghan United Front, lending his expertise as an operational commander to those who still resist Taliban rule. In the last days of the American war in Afghanistan, however, he was Lt. Gen. Sami Sadat, leading the Afghan National Army against the Taliban — until President Ashraf Ghani fled and the Afghan government faded away into nothingness.
After Ghani’s departure, other ministers fled, along with Afghan air forces, special operations forces and other units. For those like Sadat who wanted to stay and fight, there was simply no hope for victory. “The Last Commander” provides readers with an insight into what happened in the ANA in the days leading to the American withdrawal from Afghanistan. — B.S.
“Drafted: An Illustrated Memoir of a Veteran’s Service During the War in Vietnam” by Rick Parker
The idea of being forced to join the military and fight in a faraway war is probably incomprehensible to most people today. It was just as incomprehensible to Rick Parker in 1966, when he was drafted into the Army. A thin, wiry kid with an interest in becoming a cartoonist was not at all the Army ideal, but Parker didn’t try to get out of it. Instead, he joined optimistically and enthusiastically.
Decades later, Parker did indeed become a storied cartoonist, and “Drafted” is a graphic novel that hilariously illustrates what it was like to get drafted into the Army during the Vietnam War. In writing and illustrating his own “fish out of water” story, Parker makes it easy for readers to connect with his personal experience. He also makes it easy for veterans of future wars to understand his own, very relatable story of service. — B.S.
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