Throughout history, tales of military valor and heroism have always captured the imagination of the public. These stories about battle-hardened soldiers, who braved the perils of war to fight for their country, instill a sense of patriotism and gratitude in all of us.
And yet, there is much more to these tales than just valor or heroism. They tell us about the grit, determination, and resilience that our veterans showed in the face of adversity.
Remembering these stories of courage and sacrifice can help us understand our history better, appreciate the immense sacrifices made by our brave soldiers and inspire us to be more empathetic towards our veterans, many of whom continue to struggle with physical and psychological wounds long after the conflicts are over.
The stories of heroism and valor in these books remind us that freedom is not a given but something that has been earned, often at great personal cost. The men and women who fought and died for our country did so, not for personal gain or glory, but for greater ideals such as justice, democracy, and liberty. Their legacies remind us of our responsibility to honor their sacrifices by upholding the values they stood for and defending them in our daily lives.
So here’s a list of the top 10 military-based books on Amazon:
(please note that we may earn a commission if you chose to purchase through these links–there is no additional cost to you to do so):
1.
Leave No Man Behind
The Untold Story of the Rangers’ Unrelenting Search for Marcus Luttrell, the Navy SEAL Lone Survivor in Afghanistan
On June 28, 2005, a four-man Navy SEAL reconnaissance team under Operation Red Wings was ambushed in Northeastern Afghanistan – as depicted in the book and film Lone Survivor. A quick reaction force was dispatched to assist them. Turbine 33, carrying eight Navy SEALs and eight members of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment was struck by a rocket-propelled grenade, bringing the dual-rotor chinook careening toward the rugged peak of Sawtalo Sar.
The result was the deadliest single incident in Afghanistan Special Operations at the time.
2.
The Forgotten 500
The Untold Story of the Men Who Risked All For the GreatestRescue Mission of World War II
During a bombing campaign over Romanian oil fields, hundreds of American airmen were shot down in Nazi-occupied Yugoslavia. Local Serbian farmers and peasants risked their own lives to give refuge to the soldiers while they waited for rescue, and in 1944, Operation Halyard was born. The risks were incredible. The starving Americans in Yugoslavia had to construct a landing strip large enough for C-47 cargo planes—without tools, without alerting the Germans, and without endangering the villagers. And the cargo planes had to make it through enemy airspace and back—without getting shot down themselves.
3.
The Spy and the Traitor
The Greatest Espionage Story of the Cold War
Unfolding the delicious three-way gamesmanship between America, Britain, and the Soviet Union, and culminating in the gripping cinematic beat-by-beat of Gordievsky’s nail-biting escape from Moscow in 1985, Ben Macintyre’s latest may be his best yet. Like the greatest novels of John le Carré, it brings listeners deep into a world of treachery and betrayal, where the lines bleed between the personal and the professional, and one man’s hatred of communism had the power to change the future of nations.
4.
Against All Odds
A True Story of Ultimate Courage and Survival in World War II
The untold story of four of the most decorated soldiers of World War II—all Medal of Honor recipients—from the beaches of French Morocco to Hitler’s own mountaintop fortress, by the national bestselling author of The First Wave.
5.
Black Ops
The Life of a CIA Shadow Warrior
A harrowing memoir of life in the shadowy world of assassins, terrorists, spies and revolutionaries, Black Ops is a testament to the courage, creativity and dedication of the Agency’s Special Activities Group and its elite shadow warriors.
6.
Red Platoon
A True Story of American Valor
The only comprehensive, firsthand account of the fourteen-hour firefight at the Battle of Keating in Afghanistan by Medal of Honor recipient Clinton Romesha, for readers of Black Hawk Down by Mark Bowden and Lone Survivor by Marcus Luttrell.
“‘It doesn’t get better.’ To us, that phrase nailed one of the essential truths, maybe even the essential truth, about being stuck at an outpost whose strategic and tactical vulnerabilities were so glaringly obvious to every soldier who had ever set foot in that place that the name itself—Keating—had become a kind of backhanded joke.”
7.
No Ordinary Dog
My Partner from the SEAL Teams to the Bin Laden Raid
No Ordinary Dog is the powerful true story of a SEAL Team Operator and military dog handler, and the dog that saved his life.
Two dozen Navy SEALs descended on Osama bin Laden’s compound in May 2011. After the mission, only one name was made public: Cairo, a Belgian Malinois and military working dog. This is Cairo’s story, and that of his handler, Will Chesney, a SEAL Team Operator whose life would be irrevocably tied to Cairo’s.
8.
No Easy Day
The Autobiography of a Navy Seal: The Firsthand Account of the Mission That Killed Osama Bin Laden
From the streets of Iraq to the rescue of Captain Richard Phillips in the Indian Ocean, and from the mountaintops of Afghanistan to the third floor of Osama Bin Laden’s compound, operator Mark Owen of the U.S. Naval Special Warfare Development Group—known as SEAL Team Six—has been a part of some of the most memorable special operations in history, as well as countless missions that never made headlines.
No Easy Day puts readers alongside Owen and his fellow SEAL team members as they train for the biggest mission of their lives. The blow-by-blow narrative of the assault, beginning with the helicopter crash that could have ended Owen’s life straight through to the radio call confirming Bin Laden’s death, is an essential piece of modern history.
9.
Walk in My Combat Boots
True Stories from America’s Bravest Warriors
Discover “the stories America needs to hear” (Admiral William H. McRaven, US Navy (Ret.)) with these moving and powerful recollections of war, told by the men and women who lived them.
Walk in my Combat Boots is a powerful collection crafted from hundreds of original interviews by James Patterson, the world’s #1 bestselling writer, and First Sergeant US Army (Ret.) Matt Eversmann, part of the Ranger unit portrayed in the movie Black Hawk Down.
These are the brutally honest stories usually only shared amongst comrades in arms. Here, in the voices of the men and women who’ve fought overseas from Vietnam to Iraq and Afghanistan, is a rare eye-opening look into what wearing the uniform, fighting in combat, losing friends and coming home is really like. Readers who next thank a military member for their service will finally have a true understanding of what that thanks is for.
10.
War Story
A Memoir
Every soldier has a war story.
Steven Elliott’s opens with the death of American hero Pat Tillman by “friendly fire” in Afghanistan―when Army Ranger Elliott pulled the trigger, believing he and his fellow soldiers were firing on the enemy.
Tormented by remorse and PTSD in the aftermath of Tillman’s death, Elliott descended into the depths of guilt, alcoholism, and depression; lost his marriage and his faith; and struggled to stay alive. The war that began on foreign soil had followed him home.
A must-read for veterans and their loved ones, War Story is an explosive look at the chaos of war―and the battle for life in its aftermath. It confronts some of life’s biggest questions: Why do we choose to fight for a country or a cause? What happens when the cost of that fight overwhelms and destroys? Can we forgive and be forgiven? How do we find hope? At its core, War Story is a dramatic personal encounter with war and faith, love and tragedy, and ultimate renewal.
All of the author’s proceeds from the writing of this book will be donated to organizations serving the mental health needs of the active duty and veteran community.
