Tear along perforated lines 

for the CSA Professional 

Reading List bookmark
“This Professional Reading List is intended for all Army Soldiers, 

leaders and civilians. I’ve found these books to be thought-provoking 

about leadership, our Army and our history. Soldiers and civilians with 

a thirst for learning should consider using this list as a springboard for 

additional reading and study. I’d suggest you not limit yourselves to 

this or any other reading list you’ve been issued in the past. I just ask 

that you read and broaden your perspectives and develop your own 

passionate curiosity through reading and study.”

 

—Martin E. Dempsey, 37th Chief of Staff, Army

THE u.S. Army CHIEF OF STAFF’S 

PROFESSIONAL READING 

LIST
CMH Pub 105–5–1
ABOUT THE PROGRAM

The new U.S. Army Chief of Staff’s Professional Reading List is 

divided into three sub-lists—history and heritage (including novels 

with a historical setting), leadership, and critical analysis and the 

global context—for a total of twenty-six recommended books. 

The readings provide a useful course of independent study in the 

origin of the profession of arms, valuable leadership techniques, 

and the use of our critical-thinking abilities to understand the 

world around us. Taken together, these readings will help Soldiers 

or Army civilians sharpen their intellects while preparing for their 

next level of responsibility. The books also complement materials 

currently used in the Army educational system and can help bridge 

the intervals between periods of formal instruction at Army schools. 

While intended for independent study, one could also use the list as 

the basis for establishing book clubs, discussion groups, and other 

professional development activities.

John M. Schofield and the Politics of Generalship

Donald B. Connelly // Chapel Hill: University of North 

Carolina Press, 2006

John McAllister Schofield (1831–1906) rose in the course of a 46-

year career from West Point cadet to Commanding General of the 

Army. Donald Connelly’s carefully argued biography includes several 

campaign and battle studies arising from Schofield’s Civil War 

experiences. The major theme of the book, however, is the interaction 

between the intensely partisan nineteenth-century American political 

environment and the efforts of the U.S. Army’s officer corps to develop 

a professional identity that included both expertise and a measure of 

autonomy. Some officers argued for a complete divorce of the military 

from politics. Based on his own experiences, Schofield understood 

that politics determined policy and urged Army officers to execute 

policy in a nonpartisan, disinterested, and even-handed manner. His 

approach to civil-military relations became the model for most Army 

officers from the early twentieth century to the present. 

The Red Badge of Courage

Stephen Crane // New York: Tor Classics, 1990 

A classic of American literature, this Civil War novel depicts a Union 

Soldier’s terrifying baptism of fire and his ensuing transformation from 

coward to hero. Originally published in 1895, its vivid evocation of 

battle remains unsurpassed.

This Kind of War: A Study in Unpreparedness

T. R. Fehrenbach // Washington, D.C.: Potomac 

Books, 2001

Regarded by many as one of the best books on the Korean War, This 

Kind of War captures the intensity and ferocity of combat at the platoon 

and company level. The book is written in a flowing, journalistic style 

that carries the reader along without having to pause to read footnotes 

or to check references. As his title implies, Fehrenbach emphasizes 

the lack of preparedness of those U.S. forces committed early in the 

war. He calls to account the Army, U.S. politicians, and the nature of 

HISTORY AND HERITAGE
American society itself for the setbacks suffered by U.S. troops in 

their initial engagements with the North Koreans and the Chinese. He 

contrasts those shortcomings with the Army’s later successes as the 

force gained experience and professionalism. His overriding lesson 

throughout the book is the disastrous consequences that a lack of 

training and readiness can have for Soldiers on the battlefield.

America’s First Battles: 1776–1965

Charles E. Heller and William A. Stofft, eds. // 

Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 1986

Eleven prominent American military historians assess the first 

battles of nine wars in which the U.S. Army has fought. Each essay 

is written within a similar framework, examining how the U.S. Army 

prepares during peacetime, mobilizes for war, fights its first battle, 

and subsequently adapts to the exigencies of the conflict. America’s 

First Battles shows clearly the price of unpreparedness and the harsh 

adjustments that are often necessary when preconceived plans and 

doctrines meet reality on the ground. 

We Were Soldiers Once . . . and Young: Ia Drang—the 

Battle That Changed the War in Vietnam

Harold G. Moore and Joseph L. Galloway // New 

York: Presidio Press, 2004 

This is a gripping firsthand account of the November 1965 Battle of 

the Ia Drang by the commander of the 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry, 1st 

Cavalry Division. The Ia Drang was the first major combat test of the 

airmobile concept and the first major battle between U.S. forces and 

the North Vietnamese Army.

Between War and Peace: How America Ends Its Wars

Matthew Moten, ed. // New York: Simon and Schuster, 

2011

Fifteen prominent military historians offer in this book thoughtful new 

interpretations of the goals sought, strategies pursued, and outcomes 

achieved by the United States in a dozen major and less well-known 

conflicts from the American Revolution to the Iraq war. Roger J. Spiller 

states early on in the book that American military doctrine today lacks “any 

definition of victory.” The subsequent essays illustrate that, throughout 

U.S. history, not only was the pursuit of military victory challenging but 

the results were often different and less decisive than initially anticipated.
Once an Eagle

Anton Myrer // New York: HarperTorch, 2001

An exciting historical novel, Once an Eagle traces the career of a 

fictitious Soldier from World War I to Vietnam. The book realistically 

portrays the confusion of combat, the bonds that form between 

fighting men, the tensions between line and staff officers, and the 

heavy responsibility of command. A great book for young leaders 

contemplating a career in the profession of arms and looking for a 

deeper understanding of Army culture.

The Last Stand: Custer, Sitting Bull, and the Battle of 

the Little Bighorn

Nathaniel Philbrick // New York: Viking Adult, 2010

Philbrick’s account offers insight into the celebrated 1876 clash 

between Indian warriors and elements of the U.S. 7th Cavalry led by 

Lt. Col. George A. Custer. The author’s recounting of personalities, 

leadership, tactics, weapons, and culture provides instructive 

examples of how the decisions of a company or battalion commander, 

even in defeat, can leave an indelible mark on U.S. national policy and 

history itself. 

Gates of Fire: An Epic Novel of Thermopylae

Steven Pressfield // New York: Bantam Books, 1999 

In the battle of Thermopylae (480 BC), a small group of Spartan 

soldiers with a few Greek allies confronted a vastly superior Persian 

invasion force. Due to better training, discipline, and good use of 

terrain, the Greeks held off the Persians for seven days. Told through 

the eyes of the (fictitious) lone Greek survivor Xeones, Gates of Fire

brings to life this epic battle while providing readers with insight into 

Spartan society and its military. Pressfield’s focus on, and sympathy 

with, the ordeal of the common infantryman makes Gates of Fire a tale 

of timeless relevance to all Soldiers.

The Killer Angels

Michael Shaara // New York: Modern Library, 2004

This fictional account of the battle of Gettysburg accurately depicts 

not only the events of this particular battle, but the nature of war itself. 

Readers of this Pulitzer Prize–winning book will come to appreciate 

that war is a kaleidoscope of planning and confusion, fear and 

gallantry, all seasoned with a good deal of luck. 
The Art of War

Sun Tzu // Boston: Shambhala, 2005

Written in China over two thousand years ago, Sun Tzu’s The Art of 

War provides the first known attempt to formulate a rational basis for 

the planning and conduct of military operations. These wise, aphoristic 

essays contain timeless principles acted on by many twentieth-century 

commanders.

April 1865: The Month That Saved America

Jay Winik // New York: Harper Perennial, 2006

Written by a former government official with firsthand knowledge of 

several twentieth-century civil wars, this book recounts the pivotal 

events that occurred during the final month of the American Civil 

War and explains their significance. The momentous events included 

the fall of Richmond and the flight of the Confederate government, 

Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s surrender to Union General in 

Chief Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House, and President 

Abraham Lincoln’s assassination at Ford’s Theater. Winik argues 

that Lee’s stoic dignity at Appomattox, combined with Grant’s quiet 

magnanimity, set in motion the healing process that reunified North 

and South and made the United States a stronger nation than it had 

been before the war.
Click: The Forces Behind How We Fully Engage with 

People, Work, and Everything We Do

Ori and Rom Brafman // New York: Crown, 2010

Interpersonal relationships lie at the core of most human endeavors. 

In this interesting and easy-to-read book, the authors use social 

psychology research to explain how and why people sometimes make 

instant connections with each other. Whether you are commanding a 

company, working on a staff, or trying to build rapport with indigenous 

leaders during a stability operation, you will find something in this study 

that will enhance your ability to accomplish your mission by building 

better personal relationships. 

The Starfish and the Spider: The Unstoppable Power 

of Leaderless Organizations

Ori and Rom Brafman // New York: Penguin Books, 2006

This succinct study explores how institutions react to change driven by 

the external environment. Written from the perspective of contemporary 

business, it offers examples of decentralized organizations, with their 

subordinate elements operating and growing independently, adapting 

faster than more centralized ones. Despite its focus on the civilian 

world, this model offers important insights for military leaders at the 

operational and tactical levels. The challenge that the authors extend 

is how to make decentralization work in today’s military.

Outliers: The Story of Success

Malcolm Gladwell // New York: Little, Brown, 2011

In his work on success, the author examines why some people 

succeed, living remarkably productive and impactful lives, while so 

many more never reach their potential. He questions the belief of the 

self-made man, asserting that successful people do not arise from 

nowhere, propelled by genius and talent. “They are invariably the 

beneficiaries of hidden advantages and extraordinary opportunities 

and cultural legacies that allow them to learn and work hard and make 

sense of the world in ways others cannot.” Examining the lives of 

outliers from Mozart to Bill Gates, Gladwell builds a convincing case 

for how successful people rise to the top on a tide of advantages, 

education, and hard work. 

LEADERSHIP
Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard

Chip and Dan Heath // New York: Random House, 2010

In a compelling, story-driven narrative, the Heaths assemble decades 

of counterintuitive research in psychology, sociology, and other fields to 

shed new light on how individuals can achieve transformative change. 

Using the model of the rational versus the emotional, Switch shows 

that successful change follows a pattern that leaders can use to inspire 

reform, whether in a staff, a unit, or even one’s own personal habits.

War

Sebastian Junger // New York: Twelve, 2010

Between 2007 and 2008, the Korengal Valley in northeastern 

Afghanistan, a rugged mountainous region that skirts the border with 

Pakistan, was one of the most contested battlefronts in the North Atlantic 

Treaty Organization–led effort to dislodge the Taliban and stabilize the 

country. The men of Company B, 2d Battalion, 503d Infantry Regiment 

(Airborne), of the U.S. Army’s storied 173d Airborne Brigade, held the 

valley for coalition forces, all while clinging to rugged mountainsides with 

little food, little sleep, the loss of numerous comrades, and little contact 

with the outside world. The valley, according to Sebastian Junger, 

was “the Afghanistan of Afghanistan: too remote to conquer, too poor 

to intimidate, [and] too autonomous to buy off.” Instead of a strategic 

or geopolitical analysis, he focuses on chronicling the lives of the men 

of the 2d Platoon, with whom he was embedded during most of their 

two-year tours. The result is an intimate, provocative, and enlightening 

portrait of Soldiers under extremely difficult combat conditions and a 

deliberation on Soldiers’ responses to the adversity of warfare.

The Defence of Duffer’s Drift

E. D. Swinton // United States Infantry Association, 1916

First published in 1907, this essay in small-unit tactics was written 

by a veteran British officer whose service in the Boer War inspired 

the work. The book is organized into six “dreams” based on one 

scenario in which the protagonist, a young lieutenant in command of a 

detachment of fifty regulars, learns a total of twenty-two lessons about 

defending his position against a much larger guerrilla force. Related 

with humor and insight, this volume remains as instructive today as 

when it first appeared over a century ago.
Managing the Unexpected: Resilient Performance in 

an Age of Uncertainty

Karl E. Weick and Kathleen M. Sutcliffe // San 

Francisco, Calif.: Jossey-Bass, 2007

This book offers principles and practices to manage the unexpected. 

The authors use examples from organizations or groups that deal with 

life or death situations, such as the flight deck crew of an aircraft carrier 

or firefighting teams, where there is a strong possibility of failure, 

unforeseen incidents are a regular occurrence, small things make a 

difference, and lives are on the line. Whether the unexpected comes to 

you at a forward operating base or in a staff meeting at headquarters, 

Managing the Unexpected provides a valuable template for dealing 

with unpredictable events and developing a resilient, highly reliable 

organization.

On War

Carl von Clausewitz // Ed. and trans. by Michael 

Howard and Peter Paret // 1832; repr. Princeton, New 

Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1989

This edition of On War, the third English version published, is easily 

the best. It is indexed and care has been taken to provide an accurate 

translation from the original 1832 edition. On War represents one of 

the greatest works on military thought and strategy ever written and 

contains ideas and concepts that apply at either the operational or 

national levels.

The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-first 

Century

Thomas Friedman // New York: Farrar, Straus and 

Giroux, 2005

Friedman, a New York Times foreign-affairs columnist and pundit, sees 

the globalization process entering an entirely new phase. Advances 

in information technologies, an intensified world division of labor, 

stepped-up competition, and economic practices such as outsourcing 

have joined with the political opening of the world following the 

collapse of communism to produce a progressive “flattening” of the 

world. Friedman believes that states and individuals have no option 

but to accept this dynamic and develop the skills to survive the 

flattened world. 

The Lexus and the Olive Tree: Understanding 

Globalization

Thomas Friedman // New York: Anchor Books, 2000

One day in 1992, Thomas Friedman toured a Lexus factory in Japan 

and marveled at the robots that put the luxury cars together. That 

evening, as he ate sushi on a Japanese bullet train, he read a story 

about yet another Middle East squabble between Palestinians and 

Israelis. And it hit him: half the world was lusting after those luxury cars 

or at least the brilliant technology that made them possible, and the 

other half was fighting over who owned which olive tree. Friedman, the 

CRITICAL ANALYSIS AND THE 

GLOBAL CONTEXT
well-traveled New York Times foreign-affairs columnist, peppers The 

Lexus and the Olive Tree with stories that illustrate his central theme: 

that globalization—the Lexus—is the central organizing principle of 

the post–Cold War world, even though many individuals and nations 

resist by holding onto what has traditionally mattered to them—the 

olive tree.

Monsoon: The Indian Ocean and the Future of 

American Power

Robert D. Kaplan // New York: Random House, 2010

In a book that knits together history, journalism, travel anecdotes, and 

strategic analysis, Robert Kaplan looks at the greater Indian Ocean 

region stretching from East Africa to Indonesia and argues that it will 

be the center of world geopolitics in the twenty-first century. Here, 

in particular, the interests of the United States, an energy-hungry 

China, and a rising India are increasingly converging. Kaplan’s work 

illuminates factors American policymakers will need to take into 

account in evaluating and advancing the strategic interests of the 

United States in the years ahead.

The Age of the Unthinkable: Why the New World 

Disorder Constantly Surprises Us and What We 

Can Do About It

Joshua C. Ramo // New York: Little, Brown, 2009

The key metaphor in this book is of a towering sand pile, built up one 

grain at a time that suddenly collapses. The author argues that the 

world is an unstable collection of political, economic, and ecological 

sand piles. Stability, he says, is impossible. Therefore, America should 

strengthen its own internal resilience—improving its systems of 

transport, health, and education—rather than attempting to eradicate 

every discrete threat. 

Soldier’s Heart: Reading Literature Through Peace 

and War at West Point

Elizabeth D. Samet // New York: Farrar, Straus and 

Giroux, 2007

The book chronicles Samet’s decade as an English professor at 

the United States Military Academy. It suggests that an exposure to 

literature and poetry provides Soldiers, regardless of rank, with the 

mental flexibility to think deeply and critically about issues such as 

morality, duty, and ethics that are vital elements of a well-rounded 

military professional. 
The Global Achievement Gap: Why Even Our Best 

Schools Don’t Teach the New Survival Skills Our 

Children Need—and What We Can Do About It

Tony Wagner // New York: Basic Books, 2008

American schools are not doing their jobs, contends higher-education 

advocate Tony Wagner in a story-driven and thought-provoking 

book. The Global Achievement Gap argues that secondary schools 

rely on multiple-choice tests and memorization while failing to 

produce students with the critical-thinking skills required in today’s 

world. The book is highly recommended to Army leaders seeking a 

better understanding of their Soldiers’ educational backgrounds and 

consequent challenges. 

Tear along perforated lines 

for the CSA Professional 

Reading List bookmark