Well, I will be heading off to my Army schooling soon. As I recall from the last time, there will be a bit of time where you sit around and do absolutely nothing for several hours each day.

With that in mind, I'm looking for some book recommendations.

I just picked up LeCarre's "Absolute Friends" for $6 on clearance, so that will get me started.

Any other suggestions? Genre isn't critical, I'm willing to try something different.

LKS- if you are looking for easy reading and a pleasant escape, I suggest books from the "Prey" series by Minnesota author John Sanford.

They are cops and cloak and dagger affairs with complelling plots. Easy to read as time permits, and if you have to put the book down, it's pretty easy to get back into the story at a later time.

I will be thinking of you as you continue on your current path. I have a lot of admiration for what you are attempting to acheive with a return to the military.

Remember, you are representing us "middle-aged" guys, so dont' screw it up!

Hello LKS from a former USMC GRUNT. I have a few good books in mind and not all of the are from the Commandant's reading list. I'll give a bunch from different catagories.
1. The Shinning (or anything by Steven King really)

2. Gates of Fire by Steven Pressfeld (fictional story of the 300 Spartans, not the same as movie)

3. Black Hawk Down by Mark Bowden (what military man hasn't read this?)

4. Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein (give it a chance, the movie was way off of the book like the Bourne series)

5. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card (very good and the series from it is ok too)

Well that is the top ones I can think of. I am sure I can scrape a few more out if I really think it up so let me know if you need any more. Semper Fidelis and Godspeed.

Thanks guys. I found out today that my start date has been pushed back to April, so I still have time to collect some reading material.

I have the Ian Fleming collection, all the 007 novels. When I have a span of time that isn't really filled with a lot of junk I'll sit and start reading through them again. They are quite enjoyable, and usually available at the public library.

Also Gates of Fire, and Starship Troopers are excellent reads.

O43

Hey O43, good to see you here again.

I came across a pretty good list - THE U.S. ARMY CHIEF OF STAFF'S PROFESSIONAL READING LIST on the Army Web Portal. Here's just the last part of the first sublist (for Jr NCOs and below):

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.

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.