By Col. William D. Bushnell, USMC (Ret)

The new year brings new perspectives on multiple eras of history: From maps of the ancient world to fresh looks at World War II and Vietnam strategies and personalities to the effects of technology on the modern warrior.

You can order the books through the links in the titles below; MOAA is an Amazon Associate and earns money from qualifying purchases, with the revenue supporting The MOAA Foundation.  

[RELATED: MOAA’s Professional Reading List]

The Debilitating Tools of War

By Lt. Col. H. John Poole, USMC (Ret). Posterity Press, 2024. ISBN 978-1-7354-5304-0.

This is Poole's 25th book on modern warfare, beginning with his excellent The Last Hundred Yards: The NCO’s Contribution to Warfare. Here, Poole focuses on how technology has actually reduced the effectiveness of infantry through reliance on gizmos rather than sound, proven infantry tactics.

Poole smartly describes the tech infantrymen carry and use – from surveillance devices, targeting equipment, land navigation aids, and enemy countermeasures – all at the expense of mobility, stealth, speed, and surprise on the battlefield.

The Sniper: The Untold Story of the Marine Corps' Greatest Marksman of All Time

By Jim Lindsay. St. Martin's Press, 2023. ISBN 978-1-250-28242-2.

Narrative nonfiction author Lindsay tells the remarkable story of Chuck Mawhinney, the Oregon Marine who logged 103 confirmed kills as a sniper in just 16 months in Vietnam (1967-68), a Marine Corps record "and the second most of any U.S. service member in history." 

Lindsay tells of Mawhinney's training and combat experiences as well as the postwar effects on his quiet notoriety.

History of the World Map by Map

Edited by Rob Houston. DK Penguin Random House, 2023. ISBN 978-1-465-47585-5.

This beautifully illustrated book is the perfect companion to Smithsonian Battles Map by Map. This edition uses multicolor maps to cover world history from the ancient world, the Middle Ages, and early modern history, through revolution, industry, empire, and the modern world.

Sidebars and timelines feature unique historical facts and events. Fans of maps and colorful history will find this a marvelous addition to their library.

Brothers in Arms: Churchill's Special Forces During World War II's Darkest Hour

By Damien Lewis. Citadel Press, 2022. ISBN 978-0-806-54267-6.

This is Lewis's sixth book about British special operations during World War II. He tells 25 true stories of Britain's Special Air Service (the SAS, also known as Special Service and Special Raiding Squadron) in North Africa, the Mediterranean, Syria, and Italy in the war's early years (1940-1942).

Made up of volunteer soldiers, commandos, and Royal Marines, the SAS performed reconnaissance, sabotage, ambushes, and their favorite, the "butcher and bolt" raids that terrorized the enemy. Exciting reading.

Courageous Dissent: The History Behind the Vietnam War Fighting Strategy and the Five Marine Generals Who Advocated Alternatives, 1965-1969

By A.S. Kyle, G.M. Davis, Robert Packard, and John Cochenour. Self-published, 2023. ISBN 979-8-98836-100-8.

The authors are four Marine lieutenants who served together in combat in Vietnam in the 9th Marine Regiment (1968-1969). Fifty years later, driven by their wartime experience, comradeship, and desire the clarify the Vietnam War, they examine, explore, and define the strategic thoughts, motivations, and decisions of those who fought there.

Generals Greene, Krulak, Kyle, English, and Davis are Marine legends who all thought the war could be won if fought differently. And the authors explain why.

Col. William D. Bushnell, USMC (Ret), is a regular contributor to MOAA.org and Military Officer magazine.