Military History Books PDF – American War History

Military History Books PDF – Collection

Military history books free pdf at the Internet Archive. Some books: Magill’s Guide to Military History, American Military History, Military History of India, Military History of Canada, Encyclopedia of Military History, Dictionary of British Military History, The Military History of World War II (many volumes), The American Civil War: a military history, A Military History of Ireland, A People’s History of the U.S. Military, many more.

United States Military History – Collection

United States military history books free pdf from the Internet Archive. Some books: Encyclopedia of American Military History, Oxford Guide to American Military History, A History of American Secret Intelligence, The American Civil War, Source Book in American History to 1787, The Civilian in the Military, The U.S. Marines: a combat history from Iwo Jima to Iraq, The History of American Wars from Colonial Times to World War I, Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates, Atlas of American Wars, Vietnam: an American ordeal, Sniper: a history of the U.S. marksman, The American Combat Soldier in Vietnam, Fiasco: the American military adventure in Iraq, many more.

Military Campaigns Books – Collection

Military campaigns books free pdf. Some books: Civil War Road Trip Guide, Battles of the American Civil War, Rebels at the Gate: Lee and McClellan on the Front, Stories of D-Day, Guadalcanal: the turning point, The Battle for Europe 1918, Great Campaigns of World War II, Countdown to Cassino, To the Marianas: war in the Central Pacific 1944, Battle for the Hue: Tet 1968, The Road to Yorktown, The Battle for the Rhineland, Greatest Battles of World War II, The Guns of August, Battle of Normandy 1944, The Fall of Crete, Vicksburg: the battle that won the Civil War, Battles of World War I, War in the Pacific, Strategy and Tactics of the Great Commanders of World War II, World War II in Photographs, Gallipoli, Battles of the Spanish-American War, many more.

American Revolution Campaigns 1775-1783 – Collection

American Revolution campaigns books free pdf. Some books: A People’s History of the American Revolution, Surrender at Yorktown, A Military History of the American Revolution, The American Revolution through British Eyes, Biggest Battles of the Revolutionary War, The Winter at Valley Forge, The War for Independence: a military history, Burgoyne’s Invasion of 1777, Early Battles of the American Revolution, Frontier Defense on the Upper Ohio 1777-1778, Land Battles of the Revolutionary War, The First Salute by Barbara Tuchman, Southern Campaigns of the American Revolution, many more.

War of 1812 – Collection

Free pdf War of 1812 online books. Some books: The British Blockade of the U.S. 1812-1815, 1812: the war nobody won, The War of 1812: heroes of a great Canadian victory, The British Invasion of Maryland 1812-1815, The Star-Spangled Banner, Famous People of the War of 1812, The Naval War of 1812, The Causes of the War of 1812, The Patuxent Naval Campaign in the War of 1812, The Invasion of Canada: battles of the War of 1812, many more.

Mexican War 1845-1848 – Collection

Free pdf books on the Mexican War. Some books: The United States in the Mexican War, The U.S. and Mexico at War, Texas and the War with Mexico, The Mexican War 1846-1848, Mr. Polk’s War, To the Halls of the Montezumas, The U.S. Army in the Mexican War, Hispanic America Texas and the Mexican War, The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, many more.

U.S. Civil War Campaigns (1861-1865) – Collection

Free online Civil War campaigns books pdf at the Internet Archive, resulting from a search for books on “U.S. Civil War Campaigns (1861-1865)”. Some books: The Naval History of the Civil War, The American Civil War, Civil War: battles and leaders, The Military Genius of Stonewall Jackson, Personal Memoirs of U.S. Grant, Great Battles of the Civil War, Photographic History of the Civil War, The Civil War in North Carolina, Battle of Antietam, Combat Leadership in the Civil War, Battlefields of the Civil War, many more.

World War I Campaigns – Collection

World War I campaigns books pdf free. Some books: World War I, America in World War I, Campaigns of World War I, Weapons of World War I, Aircraft of World War I, Technology of World War I, America’s Entry into World War I, Warplanes of World War I, the War to End all Wars, Battles of World War I, The Western Front, Tanks & Weapons of World War I, Canada in World War I, Origins of World War I, World War One German Army, The First World War in Photographs, Doughboy Journalism in World War I, many more.

World War Two Campaigns Books – Collection

World War Two campaigns free online pdf books. Some books: Heroes of WWII, History of American Mechanized Cavalry in World War II, History of World War II, The Third Reich Day by Day, France under the Germans, African American Troops in WWII, Pearl Harbor: the way it was, World War II Quiz & Fact Book, Jane’s Fighting Ships of World War II, A Codemaker’s War 1941-1945, D-Day and the Battle for Normandy, Inside the Third Reich, many more.

Korean War Books Free – Collection

Korean War books pdf free online. Some books: The Korean War, Korea: Canada’s Forgotten War, Living through the Korean War, The Day the Chinese Attacked, MASH, The Forgotten War, War in Korea, Korea: the first war we lost, The Bloody Road to Panmunjom, America in Korea 1950-1953, History of the Korean War, many more.

War in Vietnam History – Collection

Vietnam War free online pdf books. Some books: The Vietnam War, An Oral History of the U.S. Navy Seals in Vietnam, Vietnam: there and here, Healing from the War, In Vietnam, The Secret Search for Peace in Vietnam, North Vietnam: a documentary, Vietnam: anatomy of a conflict, The U.S. in Vietnam, Vietnam: search and destroy, The Unheard Voices of Vietnam, The Naval Air War in Vietnam, The Draft the War and the Vietnam Generation, many more.

Persian Gulf War 1991 – Collection

Persian Gulf War 1991 pdf books at the Internet Archive. Some books: The Untold Story of the Persian Gulf War, Lessons in Leadership and Logistics from the Gulf War, A marine’s Chronicle of the Gulf War and other Battles, The Gulf War Reader, The Inside Story of the Conflict in the Gulf, The Secret History of Saddam’s War, Desert Shield to Desert Storm: the 2nd Gulf War, Schwarzkopf in his own Words, many more.

Iraq War 2003-2011 – Collection

About 1,000 Iraq War free online books at the Internet Archive. Some books: The Iraq War: causes and consequences, The People of the Iraq War One Sketch at a Time, The Battle for Iraq, War Politics and the Endgame in Iraq, Why the War on Iraq Changed Nothing, The Iraqi Prisoner Abuse Scandal, A Chaplain’s Ministry in the Middle East, An Epic Memoir of War, Why America and Britain Lost Iraq, many more.

Afghan War 2001- Free Books – Collection

Afghan War free online pdf books at the Internet Archive. Some books: A Choice of Enemies, The Taliban: opposing viewpoints, A Woman Among Warlords, Afghanistan, Obama’s Wars, An Insider’s Account of How the CIA Spearheaded the War on Terror in Afghanistan, In the Graveyard of Empires, The Wild and Terrifying Inside Story of America’s War on Afghanistan, many more.

Military History Books from the Publisher Squadron/Signal – Collection

About 45 books on military weapons or other military history topics from the publisher Squadron/Signal. Some titles: Tank Warfare on Iwo Jima, M42 Duster, Fairey Swordfish in Action, Thunderbolt, B-24 Liberator, War in Laos 1954-1975, F-82 Twin Mustang, Armor in Korea.

Jungle of Snakes: A Century of Counterinsurgency Warfare, from the Philippines to Iraq

Arnold, James R.

Bloomsbury 2009 Dewey Dec. 355

The end of the cold war promised a new era of international peace. Instead, violence has proliferated across the globe. What does history tell us about how this conflict will play out? Noted military historian James R. Arnold delivers an engrossing narrative history of a century of counterinsurgent warfare. Analyzing past campaigns—the United States in the Philippines, the British in Malaya, the French in Algeria, and the United States in Vietnam—Arnold traces patterns of victory and defeat. Patience, determination, and adaptability are needed—an epilogue examines the occupation of Iraq, where America, to its cost, ignored the lessons of history.

The First War of Physics: The Secret History of the Atom Bomb, 1939-1949

Baggott, Jim

Norton 2010 Dewey Dec. 355.8

The first fully realized popular account of the race to build humankind’s most destructive weapon. The book draws on declassified material, such as MI6’s Farm Hall transcripts, coded soviet messages cracked by American cryptographers in the Venona project, and interpretations by Russian scholars of documents from the soviet archives. Jim Baggott weaves these threads into a dramatic narrative that spans ten historic years, from the discovery of nuclear fission in 1939 to the aftermath of ‘Joe-1,’ August 1949’s first Soviet atomic bomb test.

The Hutchinson Dictionary of Ancient & Medieval Warfare

Bennett, Matthew

Fitzroy Dearborn 1998 Dewey Dec. 355

“provides a comprehensive guide to the battles and wars, commanders, tactics, formations, fortifications, and weapons of war in Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, India, China, and Japan from the beginning of recorded history to the 16th century. More than 3,000 entries, written by expert military historians, cover all aspects of warfare from the emergence of the earliest walled cities in the Ancient Near East up to and including the period of European discovery of the New World.” -Publisher.

The Seventy Great Battles in History

Black, Jeremy

Thames & Hudson 2005 Dewey Dec. 355.4

Cannae and Agincourt, Waterloo and Gettysburg, Stalingrad and Midway, the Tet Offensive. The latest book in the popular Seventies series assesses the great battles and conflicts in history from the past twenty-five centuries, and discusses the effects they have had on the development of states and civilizations. The reader is presented with a masterly overview of advances in military technology, and of the changing tactics and strategy of battlefield commanders from Hannibal to Napoleon, Montgomery, and Eisenhower.

War Made New: Technology, Warfare, and the Course of History

Boot, Max

Gotham 2006 Dewey Dec. 355

Max Boot traces the impact of military revolutions on the course of politics and history over the past 500 years. In doing so, he shows that changes in military technology are limited not to warfighting alone, but play a decisive role in shaping our world. Sweeping and erudite, while entirely accessible to the lay reader, this work is key for anyone interested in where military revolutions have taken us, and where they might lead in the future.

Facts about the American Wars: A Fact-Filled Compendium of American Military Conflicts from the Colonial Era to the Present

Bowman, John S.

H.W. Wilson 1998 Dewey Dec. 355

Brings together in one handy reference volume the details of every major war in which Americans have been involved, from the Franco-Spanish War in Florida in 1565 to the Persian Gulf War in 1991.

Beyond the Wild Blue: A History of the U.S. Air Force 1947-1997

Boyne, Walter J.

St. Martin’s 1997 Dewey Dec. 358.4

Beyond the Wild Blue is a fascinating look at fifty turbulent years of Air Force history. From the prop-driven armada of World War II to the most advanced Stealth weaponry, from pioneers like General Henry “Hap” Arnold to glorious conquests in the Gulf War, Beyond the Wild Blue is a high-flying study of the triumphs (and failures) of leadership and technology.

American Patriots: The Story of Blacks in the Military from the Revolution to Desert Storm –

Buckley, Gail and Bolden, Tonya

Crown 2003 Dewey Dec. 355

A dramatic and moving tribute to the military’s unsung heroes, American Patriots tells the story of the black servicemen and women who defended American ideals on the battlefield, even as they faced racism in the ranks and segregation on the home front. Through hundreds of original interviews with veterans of every war since World War I, historic accounts, and photographs, Gail Buckley brings these heroes and their struggles to life. /span>

House of War: The Pentagon and the Disastrous Rise of American Power

Carroll, James

Houghton Mifflin 2006 Dewey Dec. 355

This landmark, myth-shattering work chronicles the most powerful institution in America, the people who created it, and the pathologies it has spawned. James Carroll proves a controversial thesis: the Pentagon has, since its founding, operated beyond the control of any force in government or society. It is the biggest, loosest cannon in American history, and no institution has changed this country more. To argue his case, he marshals a trove of often chilling evidence.

Chariot: From Chariot to Tank, the Astounding Rise and Fall of the World’s First War Machine –

Cotterell, Arthur

Overlook 2005 Dewey Dec. 357

From 1286 B.C. at Kadesh in the Eastern Mediterranean – where the troops of Ramses II overwhelmed the Hittites with 5,000 chariots – to Rome in 67 A.D., when the Emperor Nero drove his own ten-horse chariot in the Olympic Games (he fell out but still won the prize) – to Constantinople in 352 A.D., when a three-day riot, ignited by a chariot race, left more than 30,000 people dead after the Emperor Justinian had to send in troops to restore order, the story of the chariot provides a key to understanding the pivotal scenes and personalities that have left their marks on history.”

100 Decisive Battles: From Ancient Times to the Present

Davis, Paul K.

Oxford University 2001

In this fully illustrated book, one hundred of the world’s most important military confrontations are described in detail. 100 Decisive Battles gives us the facts about the battle and also explains where it fits in to the scope of world history. An account of the battle plan and the military action are strategically discussed, and each description closes with a valuable consideration of how history was affected by the outcome of the conflict. Important battles in history.

Hidden Heroism

Edgerton, Robert B.

Westview 2001 Dewey Dec. 355

The author argues that blacks in American society have long-suffered from a “natural coward” stereotype that is implicit in the racism propagated from America’s earliest days, and often intensified as blacks slowly received freedom in American society. Edgerton provides an accessible and well-informed tour through this little-known, but significant aspect of race in American military history.

The West Point Atlas of American Wars Vol 1

Esposito, Vincent J., ed.

Praeger 1959

Vol 1 covers 1689-1900. Vol 2 was not found online. A book of text with maps designed primarily for teaching cadets at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, but also intended for civilian students of military history.

Battle: A Visual Journey through 5,000 Years of Combat

Grant, R. G.

DK 2009 Dewey Dec. 355

“Organized chronologically, Battle provides a detailed overview of the conduct of warfare through the centuries, from the first recorded battle at Megiddo between the massed ranks of Hittites and Egyptians, to the war of the missing Weapons of Mass Destruction. In each era, the technology that transformed the battlefield and the tactics that won the day are explored and explained. Battle is an indispensable reference to this most fundamental part of the human story.” -Publisher.

Biological weapons: From the Invention of State-sponsored Programs to Contemporary Bioterrorism –

Guillemin, Jeanne

Columbia Univ. 2005 Dewey Dec. 358

In Biological Weapons, Jeanne Guillemin provides a highly accessible and compelling account of the circumstances under which scientists, soldiers, and statesmen were able to mobilize resources for extensive biological weapons programs and also analyzes why such weapons, targeted against civilians, were never used in a major conflict.

The Soul of Battle: From Ancient Times to the Present Day, How Three Great Liberators Vanquished Tyranny

Hanson, Victor Davis

Anchor 2001 Dewey Dec. 355

Why do men fight? What motivates an ordinary citizen to burn and kill? What, in the end, motivates an army to win? In The Soul of Battle, Victor Davis Hanson, bestselling author of The Western Way of War, answers these questions in a new and startling way. Hanson offers three incredible stories — the sagas of history’s greatest marches — that coalesce into a single powerful theory of men and war.

Cambridge Illustrated Atlas, Warfare: the Middle Ages, 768-1487

Hooper, Nicholas

Cambridge University 1996 Dewey Dec. 355

?Authors Hooper and Bennett debunk many of the myths surrounding medieval warfare to present a picture of a military culture as sophisticated as our modern one, with well organized armies and a high degree of tactical intelligence. The authors make their case by masterful use of high-quality maps, battle plans, and pictorial essays that explore such topics as siege warfare, the use of cavalry, the development of naval warfare, medieval science and warfare, and the legacy of the Middle Ages in modern military warfare.

The Soldier’s Handbook

Infantry Journal

NY: T.Y. Crowell 1941

This was the 2nd edition of the handbook in use in the U.S. Army and National Guard, published in the same year that the U.S. went to war against Germany and Japan in World War 2. Among other things, it contains instructions for training and drilling new infantrymen.

The Book of War: 25 Centuries of Great War Writing

Keegan, John

Viking 1999 Dewey Dec. 355

In The Book of War, John Keegan marshals a formidable host of war writings to chronicle the evolution of Western warfare through the voice of the most eloquent participants—from Thucydides’ classic account of ancient Greek phalanx warfare to a blow-by-blow description of ground fighting against the Iraqi troops in Kuwait during the Gulf War. Keegan gathers more than eighty selections, including Caesar’s Commentaries on the Roman invasion of Britain; the French Knight Jehan de Wavrin at the battle of Agincourt; Davy Crockett in the war against the Creek; Wellington’s dispatch on Waterloo; Hemingway after Caporetto; and Ernie Pyle at Normandy.

American Soldiers: Ground Combat in the World Wars, Korea, & Vietnam

Kindsvatter, Peter S.

Univ. of Kansas 2003 Dewey Dec. 355

A sobering chronicle of war as well as a tribute to soldiers’ perseverance in the face of its horrors that draws upon soldiers’ memoirs, psychological studies, and oral histories to show that-regardless of the enemy, terrain, training, or weaponry-combat soldiers’ wartime experiences remain fundamentally the same.

Military History of the United States: An Annotated Bibliography

Kinnell, Susan K., ed.

ABC-CLIO 1986

Contains sources about United States military history from the 16th century to the Vietnam War.

Jane’s Fighting Ships of World War II

McCurtie, Francis E.

Crown 1989 Dewey Dec. 359

A comprehensive encyclopedia of the ships of World War II, with more than 1000 illustrations.
Reproduced from the 1946/47 edition of Jane’s fighting ships. With new sections for the Axis navies compiled from previous editions.

Germs: Biological Weapons and America’s Secret War

Miller, Judith, Engelberg, Stephen, Broad, William J.

Hall 2002 Dewey Dec. 358

Three veteran reporters draw on top sources inside and outside the U.S. government to reveal Washington’s secret strategies for combating germ warfare and the deadly threat of biological and chemical weapons. With clear scientific explanations and harrowing insights, Germs is a vivid, masterfully written—and timely—work of investigative journalism.

The Submarine: A History

Parrish, Thomas

Viking 2004 Dewey Dec. 359.9

Military historian Thomas Parrish tells the story of those who first dreamed of underwater ships; of the practical and ingenious inventors and engineers who created and developed the submarine; of visionary naval strategists; of famous skippers on all sides who wielded this weapon; of the famous and infamous deeds of boats like the U-20, the Wahoo, and the nuclear-powered Nautilus and George Washington; and of the tragedies that befell boats like the American Thresher and the Russian Kursk.

Before the Fallout: from Marie Curie to Hiroshima

Preston, Diana

Walker 2005 Dewey Dec. 355.8

On December 26, 1898, Marie Curie announced the discovery of radium and observed that “radioactivity seems to be an atomic property.” A mere 47 years later, “Little Boy”exploded over Hiroshima. Before the Fallout is the epic story of the intervening half century, during which an exhilarating quest to unravel the secrets of the material world revealed how to destroy it, and an open, international, scientific adventure transmuted overnight into a wartime sprint for the bomb.

Military Equipment Catalog

Sears, Roebuck & Co.

Chicago: Sears, Roebuck & Co. 1917

This short World War I catalog from the American catalog retailer Sears, Roebuck contains a wide variety of uniforms and accessories, as well as weapons, camp equipment, and sports paraphernalia. Included are clothing items for nurses, aviators, and firemen.

Ancient Warfare : A Very Short Introduction

Sidebottom, Harry

Oxford University 2004

Greek and Roman warfare differed from other cultures and was unlike any other forms of warfare before and after. The key difference is often held to be that the Greeks and Romans practised a ‘Western Way of War’, where the aim is an open, decisive battle, won by courage instilled in part by discipline. Harry Sidebottom looks at how and why this ‘Western Way of War’ was constructed and maintained by the Greeks and Romans, why this concept is so popular and prevalent today, and at whether or not this is an accurate interpretation. All aspects of ancient warfare are thoroughly examined.

A Handbook of American Military History: from the Revolutionary War to the Present

Sweeney, Jerry K. and Byrne, Kevin B.

Westview 1996 Dewey Dec. 355

“This unique reference work covers the military history of the United States from the Revolution to the Gulf War. Comprehensive and easy to use, it supplies essential information on the social, technological, political, tactical, and strategic developments that have affected the evolution of the U.S. armed forces. Invaluable as a reference tool and reader’s guide, the Handbook of American Military History will prove essential for scholars, students, and history buffs alike. -Publisher.

Six Frigates: The Epic History of the Founding of the U.S. Navy

Toll, Ian W.

Norton 2006 Dewey Dec. 359

The Battle of Trafalgar crowned the Royal Navy as undisputed sovereign of the world’s oceans. Yet just seven years after Nelson’s final victory, British ships were at war with a challenger from the new world – the United States of America. This is the story of the formation of the most formidable fighting force in the world.
“This wonderfully atmospheric account, brilliantly researched, full of stirring action and rich with the scent of the sea, surely establishes Ian Toll among the great naval historians writing today.” -Simon Winchester.

The Oxford History of Modern War

Townshend, Charles, ed.

Oxford Univ. 2000 Dewey Dec. 355

This highly informative and engaging work investigates the techniques, technology, and theory of warfare. From the military revolution of the seventeenth century to the present day battalion of high-tech weaponry and satellite technology, expert contributors explore major developments and themes, including air and sea warfare, combat experience, technology, and opposition to war.

Encyclopedia of the Vietnam War: A Political, Social, and Military History

Tucker, Spencer, ed.

Oxford University 2001

Written to provide multidimensional perspectives into the conflict, it covers not only the American experience in Vietnam, but also the entire scope of Vietnamese history, including the French experience and the Indochina War, as well as the origins of the conflict, how the United States became involved, and the extensive aftermath of this prolonged war. It also provides the most complete and accurate order of battle ever published, based upon data compiled from Vietnamese sources.

VINTAGE BOOKS – War History of America

Selected Articles on National Defense

Bacon, Corinne, comp.

H. W. Wilson 1915

In the first decades of the 20th century publisher H.W. Wilson produced many volumes in its Debaters’ Handbook Series on social and political issues that were under discussion at the time. Each book contains the full text of selected articles and documents representing opposing views on the issue, along with a substantial bibliography of books and articles.

Most of the books mentioned in these guides are likely to be freely available online. Search by title; first at the Internet Archive (archive.org), then at HathiTrust.org. Referenced magazine articles may also be available online at the same sites, with HathiTrust the preferred site for magazines.

Selected Articles on Military Training

Bacon, Corinne, comp.

H. W. Wilson 1915

In the first decades of the 20th century publisher H.W. Wilson produced many volumes in its Debaters’ Handbook Series on social and political issues that were under discussion at the time. Each book contains the full text of selected articles and documents representing opposing views on the issue, along with a substantial bibliography of books and articles.

Most of the books mentioned in these guides are likely to be freely available online. Search by title; first at the Internet Archive (archive.org), then at HathiTrust.org. Referenced magazine articles may also be available online at the same sites, with HathiTrust the preferred site for magazines.

See our Newsweek Archives 1940s

Selected Articles on Enlargement of the United States Navy

Fanning, C. E., comp.

H. W. Wilson 1910

In the first decades of the 20th century publisher H.W. Wilson produced many volumes in its Debaters’ Handbook Series on social and political issues that were under discussion at the time. Each book contains the full text of selected articles and documents representing opposing views on the issue, along with a substantial bibliography of books and articles.

Most of the books mentioned in these guides are likely to be freely available online. Search by title; first at the Internet Archive (archive.org), then at HathiTrust.org. Referenced magazine articles may also be available online at the same sites, with HathiTrust the preferred site for magazines.

See our Medieval Warfare PDF books

Selected Articles on National Defense Volume 3

Johnsen, Julia E., comp.

H. W. Wilson 1920

See the note at the first volume of this title, above.

Selected Articles on Military Training in Schools and Colleges, including Military Camps

Van Valkenburgh, Agnes, comp.

H. W. Wilson 1917

In the first decades of the 20th century publisher H.W. Wilson produced many volumes in its Debaters’ Handbook Series on social and political issues that were under discussion at the time. Each book contains the full text of selected articles and documents representing opposing views on the issue, along with a substantial bibliography of books and articles. Military history of America.

Most of the books mentioned in these guides are likely to be freely available online. Search by title; first at the Internet Archive (archive.org), then at HathiTrust.org. Referenced magazine articles may also be available online at the same sites, with HathiTrust the preferred site for magazines.

Selected Articles on National Defense including Compulsory Military Service; Volume 2

Van Valkenburgh, Agnes, comp.

H. W. Wilson 1917

See the note at the first volume of this title, above.