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

These classics cover the centuries: From more than 2,000 years of war in Britain to Civil War battlefields to World War II strategy ... plus key inventions (and major mistakes) along the way.

You can purchase the books at the links in the titles below – note that some links may point to updated versions/reprints. MOAA is an Amazon Associate and earns money from qualifying purchases, with the revenue supporting The MOAA Foundation.

Visit MOAA’s Professional Reading List for more great reads.

Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time

By Dava Sobel. Walker and Company, 1995. ISBN 978-0-8027-1312-2.

An award-winning science writer for the New York Times, Sobel tells how English scientist John Harrison (1693-1776) spent 40 years perfecting the world’s first reliable, precise mechanical timepiece – the chronometer. Completed in 1761, his invention revolutionized marine navigation, allowing mariners to accurately calculate their location at sea (think latitude and longitude). 

Sobel also describes the scientific rivalries, petty jealousies, and huge cash prize that motivated Harrison and others to be the first to achieve such success. 

Battlefields of Britain: The Complete Illustrated Guide

By David Smurthwaite. Webb & Bower, 1984. ISBN 978-0-312-92039-5.

All the major battles fought in Britain from the Roman invasion in 55 B.C. to the Battle of Britain in 1940 are presented with narrative of political, cultural, and military background, graphic battle descriptions and results --supplemented with detailed maps and photographs.

Battles during the Wars of the Roses and the English Civil War are well covered, as are battles with the Scots, Celts, and Vikings. An excellent reference work.

The Civil War Battlefield Guide

Edited by Frances H. Kennedy. Houghton Mifflin Company, 1990. ISBN 978-0-898-7929-0-4.

This outstanding guide is a must for anyone planning a Civil War battlefield tour. Vivid descriptions cover 61 battlefields, augmented with colorful maps and photographs. Forty-eight prominent historians provide the dramatic narrative of battlefield actions – before, during, and after.

Handy appendices cover a list of battlefields including “lost” battlefields, as well as combat strengths and casualties, war statistics, and a useful glossary. Perfect for Civil War history fans.

Air Force Blunders

By Geoffrey Regan. Carlton Books, 2002. ISBN 978-1-8422-2902-8.

Since Regan has written books about military blunders and naval blunders, it seems fitting that he offer up Air Force blunders, revealing silly, stupid, incompetent, and weird aerial goofs from the era of early aviation, both world wars, and post-1945.

From vulnerable air defenses, technology screw-ups, and oddball aircraft failures to tactical mishaps and the laughable “Battle of Barking Creek.”  Regan’s approach is instructional, cautionary, and entertaining.

Strategy and Tactics of the Great Commanders of World War II

Edited by John Westwood. Gallery Books, 1990. ISBN 978-0-8317-8040-1.

Well-illustrated with photos and maps, this is a compact, single-volume history of 17 World War II commanders, from Guderian, Yamamoto, and Halsey to Zhukov, Cunningham, and Eisenhower.

Ground, air, and naval campaigns are presented with each commander’s history, background, successes, failures, skills, decision-making, and leadership styles. Excellent narratives make this a valuable contribution to the study of command leadership.