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THE U.S. ARMY CHIEF OF STAFF’SPROFESSIONALREADING LIST

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THE U.S. ARMY CHIEF OF STAFF’S

PROFESSIONAL

READING LIST

“The Professional Reading List is a way for leaders

at all levels to increase their understanding of our

Army’s history, the global strategic context, and the

enduring lessons of war. The topics and time periods

included in the books on this list are expansive and

are intended to broaden each leader’s knowledge and

confidence. I challenge all leaders to make a focused,

personal commitment to read, reflect, and learn

about our profession and our world. Through the

exercise of our minds, our Army will grow stronger.”

—Peter J. Schoomaker, Chief of Staff, Army
CMH Pub 105–5–1
ABOUT THE PROGRAM

s a Soldier in the United States Army, you

have chosen a highly challenging profession,

one that takes a lifetime to master. While

practical experience, realistic training, and

formal education are indispensable for the development

of first-class military leaders, so too is independent

study. A program of independent reading keeps the

mind fresh and enhances professionalism. Achieving a

greater appreciation for our heritage also reinforces our

efforts to transform the Army for the twenty-first century, for by deepening our understanding of the past we

become better equipped to address the future. The

Chief of Staff’s Professional Reading List is designed to

assist you in this quest by stimulating critical thinking

about the profession of soldiering and the continuing

role of land power.

We have divided the list into four sublists, each targeted to a particular level of experience and responsibility, from cadet and enlisted Soldier to general officer.

The readings provide a progressive course of study that

will help prepare you for your next level of responsibility and the next set of readings. The books complement

materials used in the Army educational system and will

help bridge the intervals between formal studies at

Army schools. While we intended the list for independent study, you can also use it as the basis for establishing book clubs, discussion groups, and other professional development activities.

A
All the books on the list are currently in print and available through commercial sources. Many of them are carried

by the Army and Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES) and

can also be found in post libraries. Three documents on the

list, The Constitution of the United States, National Security

Strategy of the United States of America, and National Strategy

for Combating Terrorism, are available on the Internet.

Hogan’s Centuries of Service: The U.S. Army 1775–2004, a

Center of Military History publication, can be purchased

from the Government Printing Office (GPO). Army publication account holders can also requisition this title by

accessing the Army Publishing Directorate’s web site,

http://www.apd.army.mil, and using the Publications

Ordering Subscription System.

The books on the Chief of Staff’s Professional Reading

List are not the only worthwhile books about Army heritage,

military history, and world affairs. Their selection also does

not imply that the U.S. Army endorses the authors’ views or

interpretations. The Chief of Staff is convinced that these

books contain thought-provoking ideas, and for this reason

he has made them a central part of his leadership development program. He hopes that you will use the list as a

springboard for additional reading, study, and contemplation. If each Soldier makes it a habit to read and thoughtfully reflect upon a few good books every year, the Chief of

Staff’s intent will have been achieved.

Although crafted with Soldiers in mind, this list should

be equally valuable to Army civilians in their professional

development. The story of the U.S. Army and of the importance of land power in our nation’s history is one that all in

the Army community can read profitably. 
Sublist 1 

For Cadets, Soldiers, and Junior NCOs

The Constitution of the United States / Available at http://

www.house.gov/Constitution/Constitution.html

Centuries of Service: The U.S. Army 1775–2004 / David W. Hogan,

Jr. (CMH Pub. 70–71–1)

An easy-to-read and informative pamphlet that describes the many

missions the U.S. Army has performed over the course of its history. The

booklet covers America’s wars as well as the Army’s many operations other

than war, including occupation, peacekeeping, nation building, exploration, civil administration, scientific research, and disaster relief. This

pamphlet is a valuable introduction to American military history for the

Soldier and junior leader.

The Face of Battle / John Keegan

One of the classics of modern military history, The Face of Battle

brings to life three major battles: Agincourt (1415), Waterloo (1815), and

the First Battle of the Somme (1916). The author describes the sights,

sounds, and smells of battle, providing a compelling look at what it means

to be a Soldier. 

For the Common Defense: A Military History of the United States of

America / Allan R. Millett and Peter Maslowski

This useful, single-volume study covers the American military experience in peace and war from 1607 to 1975. Millett and Maslowski carefully examine the relationship of the military to American society and discuss in detail the military and its changing roles within political, social,

and economic frameworks.

Band of Brothers: E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne from

Normandy to Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest / Stephen E. Ambrose

This excellent account of an airborne rifle company at war is based

on journals, letters, and interviews with the participants. The author follows one company from rigorous selection and training through battles in

Normandy, Holland, Bastogne, and occupation duty in Germany. A classic small-unit study.

We Were Soldiers Once ... and Young: Ia Drang—The Battle That

Changed the War in Vietnam / LTG (Ret.) Harold G. Moore and

Joseph L. Galloway

A gripping, firsthand account of the November 1965 Battle of the Ia

Drang by the commander of 1/7 Cavalry. The Ia Drang was the first

major combat test of the airmobile concept and the first battle between

U.S. forces and the North Vietnamese Army. 

The Books
If You Survive: From Normandy to the Battle of the Bulge to the End of

World War II, One American Officer’s Riveting True Story / George

Wilson

George Wilson was a young rifle platoon leader and then an infantry

company commander during the costly fighting from Normandy to the

German frontier in 1944. He tells his personal story of combat as an ordinary officer during extraordinary times, doing what was required to

accomplish the mission and keep his men alive. An inspirational account

useful to all junior leaders.

Touched with Fire: The Land War in the South Pacific / Eric M.

Bergerud

The land battles of the South Pacific fought between July 1942 and

early 1944 on the Solomon Islands and on New Guinea were “a ferocious

slugging match between light-infantry armies at extremely close quarters.”

Written in a clear and engaging style and drawing upon many insightful

interviews with veterans, Touched with Fire offers a vivid and fascinating

look at small-unit combat in the South Pacific that will be of great interest to cadets, enlisted men, and junior officers.

Closing with the Enemy: How GIs Fought the War in Europe,

1944–1945 / Michael D. Doubler

During World War II, the U.S. Army had to overcome many tactical problems, from the thick hedgerows of Normandy to the streets of

German cities. Some of these challenges had been anticipated, others had

not, but all required the American fighting man to adapt in order to survive. In this book, Michael Doubler explains how and why the U.S. Army

was generally successful in overcoming these many challenges. Soldiers

and junior leaders will benefit from his incisive study of the battlefield

resourcefulness, flexibility, and determination of the American Soldier. 

Patton: A Genius for War / Carlo D’Este

Perhaps the most renowned and controversial American general of

the twentieth century, George Patton (1885–1945) remains a subject of

intense interest. The author provides new information from family

archives and other sources to help us understand why the general is

regarded as one of the great modern military leaders. Essential reading for

all students of command in war. 

In the Company of Heroes / Michael J. Durant

Black Hawk pilot Mike Durant was shot down and taken prisoner

during military operations in the failed country of Somalia in 1993.

Published in the tenth anniversary year of that conflict, this riveting personal account at last tells the world about Durant’s harrowing captivity

and the heroic deeds of his comrades. 
Sublist 2

For Company-Grade Officers, WO1–CW3, and Company Cadre NCOs

America’s First Battles: 1776–1965 / Edited by Charles E. Heller and

William A. Stofft

This highly useful book is a collection of essays by eleven prominent

American military historians assessing 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. 

Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant / Ulysses S. Grant

A classic and honest study by one of America’s greatest generals. This

memoir is one of the finest autobiographies of a military commander ever

written. It has valuable insights into leadership and command that apply

at all levels.

The Philippine War, 1899–1902 / Brian McAllister Linn

Professor Linn provides a definitive treatment of military operations

in the Philippines from the early pitched battles to the final campaigns

against the guerrillas. He offers a more thorough understanding of the

entire war than did earlier works. Essential reading for all junior officers

and NCOs trying to understand the complexities inherent in counterinsurgency operations. 
The War To End All Wars: The American Military Experience in

World War I / Edward M. Coffman

Professor Coffman has written an excellent synthesis of the totality

of the American military experience in World War I. The book’s principal

attraction is Coffman’s use of unpublished diaries, memoirs, and personal

interviews to focus on the impact of the conflict on the individual

American doughboy as well as on America’s military leaders. The lessons

from the “Great War” are still applicable today for all the Army’s junior

and senior leaders.

An Army at Dawn: The War in Africa, 1942–1943, Volume One of

the Liberation Trilogy / Rick Atkinson

In this first volume of Rick Atkinson’s highly anticipated Liberation

Trilogy, he shows why no modern reader can understand the ultimate victory of the Allied powers in May 1945 without a solid understanding of

the events that took place in North Africa during 1942 and 1943.

Atkinson convincingly demonstrates that the first year of the Allied war

effort was a pivotal point in American history, the moment when the

United States began to act like a great military power.

Company Commander / Charles B. MacDonald

This is an autobiographical account of a young officer’s experiences

as an American rifle company commander in France during the Second

World War. Fresh from the States, MacDonald led Normandy veterans

through the Battle of the Bulge and the invasion of Germany. This

absorbing story about the development of leadership in combat is worthwhile reading for all company-grade officers and NCOs who are entrusted

with the lives of American Soldiers.

East of Chosin: Entrapment and Breakout in Korea, 1950 / Roy E.

Appleman

East of Chosin tells the harrowing story of the Army’s 31st

Regimental Combat Team of the 7th Division under attack by waves of

Chinese just east of the Chosin Reservoir in late 1950. Appleman explains

why this unit suffered so badly at the hands of the Chinese and then historians, and he convincingly argues that the sacrifices of the 31st RCT

contributed heavily to saving the more famous 1st Marine Division. As a

story of men in combat, small-unit actions, and leadership, it has few

equals and should be read by all Army leaders.

Leadership: The Warrior’s Art / Christopher Kolenda

This wide-ranging anthology brings together noted military minds as

they examine the crucial role of leadership in the crucible of combat and

relate the lessons learned. They also attempt to apply these principles to

the stressful world of business. The book covers both classic and modern

concepts of leadership that will serve as an excellent introduction to the

study of leadership for junior officers and NCOs. 
American Soldiers: Ground Combat in the World Wars, Korea, and

Vietnam / Peter S. Kindsvatter

Kindsvatter, a former soldier himself, uses the letters, memoirs, and

novels written by other soldiers, along with official reports and studies, to

detail the experience of soldiers from entry into military service through

ground combat and its aftermath. Thoughtful discussions of leadership,

the physical and emotional stresses of the battlefield, and the various ways

soldiers try to cope with these stresses make this a valuable book for all

those preparing to lead American soldiers in ground combat.

The Challenge of Command: Reading for Military Excellence, Art of

Command Series / Roger Nye

An insightful combat-arms officer, Colonel Nye has produced a oneof-a-kind tool for the professional officer who intends to master his profession. A handbook for mentors as well as junior officers, this work

guides the reader through the major aspects of command: developing a

professional vision and being a tactician, warrior, moral arbiter, strategist,

and mentor. Each topic includes a thought-provoking essay based on

interviews and personal reflection, as well as a sizable bibliography.

The New Face of War: How War Will Be Fought in the 21st Century /

Bruce Berkowitz

Bruce Berkowitz offers a framework for understanding the new face

of combat. As Western forces wage war against terrorists and their supporters, The New Face of War explains how we fight and what threats we

face. He clearly lays out the four key dynamics to the new warfare: asymmetric threats, information-technology competition, the race of decision

cycles, and network organization. The New Face of War is an important

book for all new leaders.
Sublist 3

For Field-Grade Officers, CW4–CW5, and Senior NCOs

National Security Strategy of the United States of America /

Available at http://www.whitehouse.gov/nsc/nss.pdf

National Strategy for Combating Terrorism / Available at http://

usinfo.state.gov/topical/pol/terror/strategy

Inside al Qaeda: Global Network of Terror / Rohan Gunaratna

Based on over five years of research, Inside al Qaeda provides the

definitive story behind the rise of this small, mysterious group to the

notorious organization making headlines today. An essential read for senior officers and NCOs in this Global War on Terrorism.

Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era / James McPherson

Professor McPherson has written a brilliant account of the American

Civil War—the war that made the country what it is today. He discusses

the causes of the war, the military operations, the soldiers, the leaders, and

the political, economic, and social aspects of life in the Union and the

Confederacy before and during the war in clear, incisive detail. Numerous

historians have pronounced it the best one-volume book on the Civil War

ever written. It is an essential book for senior officers and NCOs to

understand this important conflict. 

Supplying War: Logistics from Wallenstein to Patton / Martin Van

Creveld

Surveying four centuries of military history, noted historian Martin

Van Creveld points out clearly the reasons why “amateurs study tactics;

professionals study logistics.” Most battlefield results would not have been

possible without the careful organization and allocation of logistical

resources. Field-grade officers, warrant officers, and senior NCOs who fail

to consider logistics in all their plans and operations will do so at their

peril. 

George C. Marshall: Soldier-Statesman of the American Century /

Mark A. Stoler

General George C. Marshall played a pivotal role in American history between 1939 and 1951. In this fascinating work, Mark Stoler integrates an extensive variety of primary and secondary sources, including

Marshall’s private papers, in the story of the frustrations and successes of

Marshall’s attempts to forge a workable military policy in World War II

consistent with the basic principles of American democracy. Marshall,

best remembered for the Marshall Plan, is made comprehensible as a

strategist at the center of the most destructive conflict in world history.
The General’s War: The Inside Story of the Conflict in the Gulf /

Michael R. Gordon and Bernard E. Trainor

Drawing on interviews with senior officials, Gordon and Trainor

provide a behind-the-scenes look at the highest levels of military decision

making that determined the outcome of the first Gulf War. An excellent

primer for all senior leaders about the importance of personality in politics and war.

On Becoming a Leader / Warren Bennis

Management expert Warren Bennis shows how individuals develop

leadership traits and how organizations encourage or stifle potential leaders. He profiles dynamic figures from diverse business arenas to demonstrate how all leaders share distinctive characteristics. This provocative

examination will encourage all aspiring leaders to take risks, embrace

change, and transform their visions into reality.
The Art of War / Sun Tzu, Translated by Samuel Griffith

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 upon by such twentieth-century Chinese

generals as Mao Tse Tung.

On War / Carl von Clausewitz, Edited and Translated by Michael

Howard and Peter Paret

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

the best. In this indexed edition, Howard and Paret have taken care to

provide an accurate translation from the original 1832 version. 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 the national level. Clausewitz remains essential reading for all

senior leaders.

Masters of War: Classical Strategic Thought, 3rd Edition / Michael I.

Handel

Masters of War is a comparative analysis of the classical works on war

and strategic thought by Clausewitz, Sun Tzu, Jomini, and Machiavelli.

The book illuminates the many similarities between the works of these

authors and highlights the continuity in the logic of war through the ages.

As such, it is a valuable compendium of military thought that all senior

officers and NCOs should read.

The Soldier and the State: The Theory and Politics of Civil-Military

Relations / Samuel Huntington

Blending the disciplines of history, sociology, and political science,

Huntington’s study is required reading for the Army officer. The author

develops a theoretical framework with which to analyze civil-military relations. Particularly noteworthy in this study is the preliminary discussion,

“Officership as a Profession.” The arguments that Huntington has set

forth in this section have colored the American military’s self-perception

for an entire generation.

The Future of the Army Profession / Don Snider and Gayle Watkins,

Project Directors

Who are the future members of the Army profession, and how is

their competence to be certified to their client, the American people? This

is a contemporary analysis of the Army profession, its knowledge and

expertise, with conclusions and policy recommendations. This book is

important reading for all senior officers and NCOs who care about their

Army. 
Sublist 4

For Senior Leaders above Brigade Level

Thinking in Time / Richard E. Neustadt and Ernest May

History is an invaluable tool for decision makers; but if used without

careful consideration, it can blind the unwary with false analogies. This

classic book offers senior leaders invaluable suggestions on how to use and

avoid misusing the valuable experience that history can provide. 

The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order /

Samuel Huntington

A prescient and controversial analysis of post–Cold War world challenges that sees the poverty and religious extremism of the Third World as

the next great threat to world order. In this incisive work, the renowned

political scientist explains how “civilizations” have replaced nations and

ideologies as the driving force in global politics today. While not all will

agree with the author’s main thesis, one cannot afford to ignore this

important and persuasive book. 

The Lexus and the Olive Tree: Understanding Globalization /

Thomas Friedman

Thomas Friedman, the well-traveled New York Times foreign-affairs

columnist, peppers The Lexus and the Olive Tree with engaging 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 on to what has traditionally mattered to them—the olive tree. An important primer on the modern world

for all leaders.

War in European History / Michael Howard

In this slim but important volume, one of England’s most distinguished historians brilliantly summarizes the evolution of warfare in

Europe from the Roman Empire to the nuclear age. For the American

senior leader, Howard’s book offers an excellent and thought-provoking

introduction to the broader history of the profession of arms and the role

that war has played in the evolution of Western civilization.

Makers of Modern Strategy: From Machiavelli to the Nuclear Age /

Edited by Peter Paret

A wonderful anthology on the evolution of strategic thought.

Moving from Machiavelli to the present in twenty-eight insightful essays,

the authors examine such topics as the role of doctrine, the genius of

Napoleon, the limits of air power, and nuclear strategy. A primer for all

senior leaders who must think strategically on a variety of issues. 
The Making of Strategy: Rulers, States, and War / Edited by

Williamson Murray, MacGregor Knox, and Alvin Berstein

Some of the most respected scholars in the field of strategic studies

examine the formulation of strategy in all its complexity. Senior leaders

will find useful insight into the cultural, social, political, and organizational dimensions of strategic decisions as explored in specific cases

ranging from the Peloponnesian Wars of the fifth century BCE to the

formulation of twentieth-century U.S. nuclear policy. The seventeen

cases display continuities in the principles of strategic thinking and

break this 700-page volume into conveniently sized individual readings.

The Peloponnesian War / Donald Kagan

Senior leaders will want to read this valuable account of coalition

warfare on land and sea in Ancient Greece. This book focuses on the

strategic planning of Athens and Sparta, their shifting alliances, and the

impact that individual leadership and civil-military relations had on the

implementation of those plans. The lessons of this great war between two

powerful city-states in the ancient world are still valid after twenty-four

centuries: economic strength does not guarantee victory, nor does military

might ensure the ability to make peace. 
Dereliction of Duty: Lyndon Johnson, Robert McNamara, the Joint

Chiefs of Staff, and the Lies That Led to Vietnam / H. R. McMaster

In this important book, the author argues persuasively that President

Johnson wanted to fight the war on poverty, not the war in Vietnam, and

that he made decisions he believed would allow him to do both. This was

a recipe for disaster, which the Joint Chiefs of Staff exacerbated by failing

to provide the president with their best advice. Dereliction of Duty is a

cautionary tale about how the military and its civilian leadership failed at

the highest levels.

Victory on the Potomac / James R. Locher III

Victory on the Potomac is a fascinating story of how Congress forced

the Pentagon to undergo major reform in the mid-1980s. Locher, who

was a major participant in the process, tells the inside story of the

Goldwater-Nichols reforms of 1986 that set the stage for increased jointness in the services. This is an excellent primer on the creation of public

policy and the interface between the Pentagon and Congress.

The Dynamics of Military Revolution, 1300–2050 / Edited by

MacGregor Knox and Williamson Murray

The editors provide a conceptual framework and historical context

for understanding the patterns of change, innovation, and adaptation that

have marked war in the Western world since the fourteenth century. Case

studies and a conceptual overview offer to all senior leaders an indispensable introduction to military change.

The Challenge of Change: Military Institutions and New Realities,

1918–1941 / Edited by Harold R. Winton and David R. Mets

The Challenge of Change examines how military institutions attempted to meet the demands of the new strategic, political, and technological

realities of the turbulent era between the First and Second World Wars.

The contributors chose France, Germany, Great Britain, the Soviet

Union, and the United States as focus countries because their military

institutions endeavored to develop both the material capacity and the

conceptual framework for the conduct of modern industrialized warfare

on a continental scale. 

Transformation under Fire: Revolutionizing How America Fights /

Douglas A. Macgregor

Building on the success of his first work, Breaking the Phalanx, the

author lays out a blueprint for revolutionary change in how America’s

Army is organized and fights. Macgregor argues that America needs a radically different military force to fight the global joint expeditionary warfare required by the Global War on Terrorism. This book is an interesting, if controversial, prescription that has many followers in today’s Army.

Transformation under Fire is important reading for senior Army leaders,

providing a starting point for any discussion on transformation.
Tear along perforated lines

for the CSA Professional

Reading List bookmark

THE U.S. ARMY CHIEF OF STAFF’SPROFESSIONALREADING LIST

Center of Military History / www.army.mil/cmh-pg
Tear along perforated lines

for the CSA Professional

Reading List bookmark

THE U.S. ARMY CHIEF OF STAFF’SPROFESSIONALREADING LIST

Center of Military History / www.army.mil/cmh-pg