5 Must Read Books for Military History Students

In the time that you are attending college, there is going to be a wealth of resources available to you to learn from. Of course, with the rise of the internet and all of the information that you can find there, having a book to read seems old school. However, reading books is still fun and in many cases is more comfortable than staring at a computer or tablet screen the entire night. Here I would like to discuss the five books that you must read while earning your military history degree.

1. Washington’s Crossing
After looking through many lists that I could find online, there is at least one book that was on all of them and that is Washington’s Crossing about the American Revolution by David Hackett Fischer. Hackett Fischer has written more than one book about military historical events and he is widely considered to be one of the best historians of our time. One event that he has yet to write about is the Civil War.

2. Band of Brothers
If you are studying anything related to the Second World War, then it would be in your best interest to read Band of Brothers by Stephen Ambrose. This book goes right along with the war series that was filmed for HBO a few years ago and will grip you until the end. This book is highly recommended by military history buffs around the world.

3. Son of the Morning Star
Study any specific military general or popular name while in school and you are going to find that Son of the Morning Star is a great book about Custer and his move to conquer the West. The book goes into great detail about how the American soldiers lived and survived while taking on the West.

4. Battle Cry of Freedom
This book is written by James M. McPherson and moves you through the history of the Civil War. According to online reviews, it is a lively, sweeping history of one of the most remembered wars in the history of the United States.

5. The Forever War
There might even be a reason for you to learn about the war that America is fighting with radicals from around the world. The Forever War helps you to understand what was behind the attacks on September 11th in New York City and then moves through the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. This book is written by a journalist that reported on all of the events from the ground level and should be one that you read while earning your military history degree.

This list is just five of the books that history experts say should be read if you want to learn about military history. A quick online search will garner many more to choose from and then you can make the decision on your own. This list will hopefully get you started on your research needed to compliment what you will learn while attending college.

Image: Washington Crossing the Delaware by Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze (1851).

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