Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Book Year 2008 In Review

Anyone who knows me at all knows that I always have a book (or five), that I'm reading. I read almost 100% nonfiction with history, mostly of the military variety, predominating. In 2008 I read 79 books which is down from 83 in 2007 and well below the 163 books read in 2004. There were a couple of really long books in 2008 which kept the total down somewhat. It has to be a really good or important book for me to read something that is more than, say, 200 pages. I find that most really long books are books that could be cut down by a few hundred pages and not lose any value. However, in 2008 there were a number of really good long books.

Here are favorite books of 2008

Reviews for these books are posted on my Virtual Bookshelf in Facebook or Myspace or at Livingsocial.com under spqr2755:

Book of Five Rings, A

Caesar's Gallic Campaigns (Military Classics)
Decisive Warfare: A Study in Military Theory
Evolution of a Revolt, The
Japan's Battle of Okinawa, April - June 1945
On Strategy: A Critical Analysis of the Vietnam War
Sun Tzu: Manual for War
Warfighting: The Marine Corps Book of Strategy
Caesar: Life of a Colossus
Fred Janes Naval Wargame, The (1906)
Imperial Russian Navy, The
Richard S Ewell: A Soldier's Life
Stonewall Jackson: The Man, The Soldier, The Legend
Great Triumvirate, The

And here's the full list:

Military Strategy and Tactics


100 Unorthodox Strategies
33 Strategies of War, The
Art of Strategy, The
Art of War, The
Art of War, The: Complete Texts and Commentaries
Book of Five Rings, A
Caesar's Gallic Campaigns (Military Classics)
Decisive Warfare: A Study in Military Theory
Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why
Defending the Driniumor: Covering Force Operations in New Guinea, 1944
Dynamics of Doctrine, The: The Changes in German Tactical Doctrine During the First World War
Essence Of War: Leadership And Strategy From The Chinese Military Classics, The
Evolution of a Revolt, The
Evolution of US Army Tactical Doctrine, 1946 - 76
Japanese Art of War, The
Japan's Battle of Okinawa, April - June 1945
Lost Art of War, The
Military Methods of the Art of War
More Than 36 Stratagems: A Systematic Classification Based on Basic Behaviors
Napoleon and Modern War, His Military Maxims
On Strategy: A Critical Analysis of the Vietnam War
Polyaenus: Stratagems of War Volume I (Books I - V)
Polyaenus: Stratagems of War Volume II (Books VI - VIII, Excerpts and Leo the Emperor)
Principles And Maxims Of The Art Of War: Outpost Service General Instructions For Battles Reviews
Samurai Strategies: 42 Martial Arts Secrets from Musashai's Book of Five Rings
Seven Military Classics of Ancient China
Soviet Night Operations in World War II
Sun Tzu: Manual for War
Sun Tzu's Art of War: The Modern Chinese Interpretation
Tao of War, The
Understanding the "Victory Disease", From the Little Bighorn to Mogadishu and Beyond
Warfighting: The Marine Corps Book of Strategy
What Clients Love: A Field Guide to Growing Your Business


Ancient History


Caesar Completely Parsed: Completely Parsed Caesar's Gallic War Book I
Caesar: Life of a Colossus
Life of Belisarius, The: The Last Great General of Rome


Naval Warfare




Fred Janes Naval Wargame, The (1906)
Guide to the Soviet Navy
Imperial Japanese Navy, The
Imperial Russian Navy, The


20th Century Military History


9th Australian Division Versus the Africa Corps: An Infantry Division Against Tanks - Tobruk, Libya, 1941
Busting the Bocage: American Combined Arms Operations in France, 6 June - 31 July 1944
Desert Warfare: German Experiences in World War II
Nomonham: Japan Against Russia, 1939
Pastel: Deception in the Invasion of Japan
Soviet Operational Deception: The Red Cloak
Staff Ride Handbook for the Attack on Pearl Harbor, 7 December 1941: A Study in Defending America
Unconditional Surrender, Demobilization, and the Atomic Bomb


Military Biography




Apostle of Liberty: The World Changing Leadership of George Washington
Generals of Gettysburg, The
For God's Sake, Forward! Gen. John F Reynolds, USA
Jefferson Davis; The Essential Writings
Richard S Ewell: A Soldier's Life
Stonewall Jackson: The Man, The Soldier, The Legend


War Between the States




1862 Army Officer's Pocket Companion, The
Army of the Confederate States Army Regulations
Battle of Chancellorsville, The
Battle of Fredericksburg, The
Battle of Shiloh, The
Battles of Wilderness & Spotsylvania, The
Campaign For Pea Ridge, The
Civil War in the Western Territories, The
Confederacy as a Revolutionary Experience, The
Confederate Cherokees: John Drew's Regiment of Mounted Rifles
Confederate Regular Army, The
First Battle of Manassas, The
Flags of Civil War South Carolina, The
In the Footsteps of J.E.B. Stuart
Second Battle of Manassas, The
Stonewall Brigade, The
They Fought Like Demons: Women Soldiers in the Cvil War


General American History




Great Triumvirate, The
Revolutionary Characters: What Made the Founders Different
What's So Great About America?


Political and Governmental Theory



Redeeming American Democracy
Disquisition on Government, A
Confederate Constitution of 1861, The: An Inquiry into American Constitutionalism
Two Treatises of Government and A Letter Concerning Toleration
What the Anti-Federalists Were FOR

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