The Year’s Best New Releases in Military History

Killing Patton, by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard
General George Patton was one of the most brilliant generals in U.S. history, but he died under what some believe were suspicious circumstances, just a few months after World War II ended. O’Reilly explores the possibility that Patton’s resistance to post-war politics caused his death, and brings to light several well-researched incidents and encounters in support of his theory.

No Hero, by Mark Owen with Kevin Maurer
This must-read book humanizes the Navy SEALs and other elite soldiers who are often deified in the media as superhuman success machines. Owen lays bare the doubts and insecurities he experienced during his training and service as a SEAL. He also explains some of the principles and thought processes that go into missions like the one that ended with the death of Osama bin Laden. No other book brings you deeper into the mindset of the modern soldier.

Rebel Yell, by S. C. Gwynne
Stonewall Jackson’s name still resonates to this day, 150 years after his Civil War generalship. Rendered in clear, concise prose that makes tactics and troop movements understandable, Rebel Yell is more than just a military history; it’s a glimpse into a brilliant and sometimes bizarre mind.

Embattled Rebel, by James M. McPherson
McPherson takes an objective look at Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederacy during the Civil War, in this thoughtful, absorbing book. Reading about Davis, and the sincere beliefs that guided him, will give you a better understanding of the war and the people who fought it.

Wars of the Roses: The Fall of the Plantagenets and the Rise of the Tudors, by Dan Jones
Anyone who enjoys Game of Thrones should pick up this in-depth examination of one of the most tumultuous periods of English history. George R. R. Martin has said that the battle for the throne between the Plantagenets and the Tudors served as the original inspiration for his fantasy masterpiece, and Jones brings all his skills as a historian to bear in a work that shakes off the dust of ages to imbue history with a sense of immediacy.

Unbroken, by Laura Hillenbrand
Every now and then you come across a story that is so incredible, it’s hard to believe—even when you know it’s all true. The life of Louis Zamperini is filled with such stories. From Olympic champion, to fighter pilot, to a survivor adrift on the ocean for more than a month, to prisoner of war in Japanese custody, his journey is an astounding and inspiring one.

Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy, by Karen Abbott
Women’s roles in the Civil War are often reduced to cliché: the Southern belle, the quietly desperate war widow, the noble nurse. Abbott explodes those tired tropes by telling the truly amazing stories of four women who played active roles in the war. Some were spies. One impersonated a man so she could enlist in the Union Army. All were heroic figures during a period when women did not even have the right to vote.

13 Soldiers: A Personal History of Americans at War, by John McCain
Senator John McCain, a Vietnam veteran and former prisoner of war, assembles a history of American warfare by telling the stories of 13 soldiers fighting on the front lines. From a teenager taking up arms in the American Revolution, to a medic ducking insurgent attacks to treat wounded soldiers in Afghanistan, these stories translate the unimaginable scope of battle into precise, all-too-intimate reflections on the sacrifices and bravery of those who risk everything for their country.

Navy SEALs: Their Untold Story, by Dick Couch and William Doyle
Former SEAL Dick Couch and award-winning writer William Doyle offer an eye-opening history of the U.S. military’s most elite fighting force. Drawing on hundreds of interviews with combat veterans and thousands of pages of newly declassified documents, this book provides a thorough account of the unit’s origins during World War II, its evolution into a covert squad during the Cold War, and its role in the ongoing war on terror. 

Level Zero Heroes, by Michael Golembesky and John R. Bruning
Assembled largely from personal journals kept by former Marine Michael Golembesky during his service in the conflict in Afghanistan, this is an account of a routine mission to eliminate a Taliban stronghold that spun out of control after two paratroopers drowned while trying to retrieve supplies from a river. It’s a gripping portrait of the hardships faced by grunts on the ground, who daily risk everything on behalf of the mission. It is also a testament to the bonds of brotherhood that hold them together, even when they’re in hostile territory, pinned down by enemy gunfire.
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