Memoirs/Personal Narratives: Military

A collection of essays, memoirs, letters, and fiction that present opposing viewpoints on the nature of war by such contributors as Mark Twain, Bob Dylan, and Ernie Pyle.

Tells the story of author Azad Cudi, a journalist from Kurdistan who volunteered as a sniper in the fight against ISIS.

A riveting account of how a battalion of Marines faced off against the most brutal of Al Qaeda at its most desperate and vicious moment--and how the Marines decisively crushed the terrorists.

The author, a U.S. Marine, recounts his disturbing experiences in the 1991 Gulf War, and reflects upon the emotional damage he suffered and the nature of both the American military, and war itself.

The author's memoir of his tour of duty in Vietnam as a helicopter pilot beginning in 1965.

Ishmael Beah describes his experiences after he was driven from his home by war in Sierra Leone and picked up by the government army at the age of thirteen, serving as a soldier for three years before being removed from fighting by UNICEF and eventually moving to the United States.

A raw, unflinching, and inspirational memoir by a former United States Marine Captain describing her journey from dutiful daughter of immigrants to wide-eyed recruit to radical activist dedicated to effecting historic policy reform in the military. After a lifetime of buckling to the demands of her strict Indian parents, Anuradha Bhagwati abandons her grad school career at Harvard University to join the Marines. It's the fiercest, most violent, most masculine branch of the military: the perfect place for her to prove that she's the ultimate Cool Girl, someone who can brawl with the boys in every sense of the word. Or at least that's what she thinks. From the moment training begins, Anuradha's G.I. Jane fantasy is punctured. As a bisexual woman of color in the military, she faces adversity and underestimation at every stage, confronting misogyny, racism, abuse, and astonishing injustice perpetrated by those in power. Pushing herself beyond her limits to prove her ability, she is forced to wrestle with what exactly drove her to pursue such punishment and violence in the first place. Once her service concludes in 2004, instead of retreating and putting it all behind her, she decides to do the exact opposite: take to task the leaders and outmoded conventions that she found so objectionable and even dangerous. Full of strength, courage, and heroic resilience, Unbecoming is about one woman who learned to believe in herself in spite of everything; it is the kind of story that will light a fire beneath you, and that will inspire our next generation of fierce female heroes to always persist.

Philip J. Caputo's memories of the sixteen months he served in Vietnam, from 1965-66, and the emotional devastation he suffered from it, written a decade after his return home.

From the youngest living recipient of the Medal of Honor comes an extraordinary inspirational memoir that will change the life of every reader. Moving and unforgettable, You Are Worth It is an astonishing memoir from an extraordinary young leader.

World War II resistance fighter Pearl Witherington Cornioley describes her experiences as a special agent for the British Special Operations Executive (SOE).

Dan Emmett recounts his years as a Secret Service agent in charge of protecting the president of the United States.

Relates the life of Navy SEAL Captain Robert A. Gormly, discussing his career in the Navy, his two tours of duty in Vietnam, and his missions in the Persian Gulf.

A memoir in which Eric Greitens discusses how his desire to make a difference led him to the world's trouble spots where he worked to serve and sick, poor, and displaced, explains his decision to join the Navy SEALS to protect the weak, and discusses how the lessons he learned in humanitarianism affected his missions in Kenya, Thailand, Afghanistan, and Iraq.

Presents a graphic memoir of Alan Cope, who was drafted into the U.S. military during WWII, recounting his first experiences at Fort Knox, his friendships with other soldiers, and encounters with combat and various Europeans during and after the war.

Mary Jennings Hegar discusses her experiences as a helicopter pilot in the National Guard.

Chris Kyle, a Navy SEAL, recounts his life and military experiences, discusses his record for the most career sniper kills in United States military history and the bounty placed on his head by Iraqi insurgents, provides an eye-witness account of war in Iraq, shares the strains of war on his marriage and family, and honors his fellow soldiers.

A candid new political memoir from Senator John McCain--his most personal book in years--covering everything from 2008 up to the present.

A memoir of a former member of Navy SEAL Team 6 about his career in the military, including his firsthand account of the successful mission to kill Osama bin Laden.

The story of the author's experiences as a navy air crewman aboard an aircraft carrier during the Korean War.

Former Marine Sergeant Clint Van Winkle describes his experiences of serving as an Amphibious Assault Vehicle section leader in Iraq, as well as his struggles with post-traumatic stress, flashbacks, and nightmares after he returned home.

Howard Wasdin reflects on his life and military career, discussing his difficult childhood, training, goal to become a member of Navy SEAL Team Six, experiences during the Battle of Mogadishu, and more.

The author shares his experience of being in the United States Marine Corps, discussing how he came to be a Marine, his three deployments to Iraq, and more.

The Iraq War veteran traces her impoverished childhood, her decision to join the Army, the months spent recovering from the RPG attack that nearly took her life, and her subsequent mission of serving in elected office.

A memoir in essays about so many things--growing up in an abusive cult, coming of age as a lesbian in the military, forced out by homophobia, living on the margins as a working class woman and what it's like to grow into the person you are meant to be.

A memoir of the author's journey to becoming a fighter pilot; her twenty years in the military; and the events that led to her decision to run for U.S. Senate.

McPadden recounts his experiences as a Ranger Officer during the war in Afghanistan. He writes about growing up, leadership, the nature of war, and war's aftermath.

The former U.S. Senate Republican leader recounts his experiences of serving with the 10th Mountain Division during World War II, during which he suffered a dangerous wound that resulted in a three-year struggle for survival.