SMA's Reading List
Click on the book title for more information

List for all NCO's

Medal of Honor : one man's journey from poverty and prejudice, Roy P  Benavidez, 1574886924, Washington, D.C. : Potomac Books, 2005.
Hispanic, part-Yaqui Indian, and an orphan, Benavidez fought his way out of poverty and bigotry to serve with the U.S. Army’s elite—the Airborne and the Special Forces. Seriously wounded in Vietnam, he was told he would never walk again. Benavidez not only conquered his disability but demanded to return to combat.

Soldier : the life of Colin Powell, Karen DeYoung, 1400041708, New York : Knopf, 2006
A biography of the soldier-statesman follow's Colin Powell's life from his Jamaican roots and youth in the Bronx, through his decorated career in the Army and as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to his role as Secretary of State and departure from the post.

The Story of the Noncommissioned Officer Corps, David W. Hogan, Jr., Robert K. Wright, Jr.,Arnold G. Fisch Jr.,Click to download PDF version
A source of inspiration and anecdote, as a repository of history and heritage, and as a compendium of documents, paintings, and photographs relevant to the contributions and experiences of our Noncommissioned Officer Corps.

War as an instrument of policy : past, present, and future, David V Nowlin and Ronald J Stupak, 0761808434, Lanham : University Press of America, 1998
War as an Instrument of Policy examines the principles of war and how they may apply to the method of decision making in the higher realms of government when military and civilian leaders meet.

LIST for SPC-SGT

Leading From the Front, David Garic, 1553951611, Victoria, B.C. : Trafford, 2003.
Filled with proven, practical strategies for leaders, Leading from the Front is both thought provoking and action oriented. In a time when there is a significant amount of confusion about exactly what a leader's role is, this book zeroes in on the essence of leadership and how to practice it.

Muddy Boots Leadership, John Chapman, 0811701662, Mechanicsburg, PA, Stackpole Books, 2006
Leadership, especially military leadership, has many purposes - to build effective organisations, to complete dangerous tasks successfully, and to mould teams that operate like winning athletic teams.

The Gift of Valor, Michael Phillips, 0767920376, New York, Broadway Books, 2005
Corporal Dunham was on patrol near the Syrian border when a black-clad Iraqi leaped out of a car and grabbed him around his neck. Fighting hand-to-hand in the dirt, Dunham saw his attacker drop a grenade and made the instantaneous decision to place his own helmet over it in the hope of containing the blast. When the smoke cleared, Dunham's helmet was in shreds, and the corporal lay face down in his own blood.

My Men are Heroes, Brad Kasel,  0696232367, Des Moines, Iowa, Meredith books, 2007
 It's a page-turning, first-hand account of Kasal's courageous mission to rescue fallen comrades under intense enemy fire during the Battle of Fallujah-actions that earned him the distinguished Navy Cross, America's second highest military award. This stunning, unforgettable account shows an American hero rising to the challenge of world events with leadership, valor, and loyalty.

LIST for SSG -SFC

Leading the way : how Vietnam veterans rebuilt the U.S. military : an oral history, Al Santoli  , 0345374983, New York : Ballantine Books, 1993
The observations of 56 military leaders from sergeants to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff comprise the raw material for an understanding of how the Vietnam experience has radically changed the current state of our military.

Moral Issues in Military Decision Making,  Anthony E Hartle, 0700603972, Lawrence, Kan. : University Press of Kansas, 1989
This is a provocative examination of the complexity of current military ethics in the United States. In the wake of a turbulent twenty-five-year period, the author argues that the environment in which members of the military must operate poses a severe threat to consistent moral behavior.

The Ripples of battle : how wars of the past still determine how we fight, how we live, and how we think, Victor D. Hanson, 0385504004, New York : Doubleday, 2003
Employing the lens of the past to bring the present into focus, RIPPLES OF BATTLE is a work of penetrating insight and profound understanding of the human cost and consequence of war.

The Defense of Hill 781, James R. McDonough, 0891413103, Novato, Calif. : Presidio Press, 1988
In this military primer, a recently deceased U.S. Army officer by the name of A. Tack Always is denied entrance into Valhalla and assigned to a purgatory-like base in the Nevada desert, where he is required to learn a vital lesson before being cleared for transfer to the final objective in the sky.

The three meter zone : common sense leadership for NCOs,  J D Pendry,  089141679X, Novato, Calif. : Presidio Press, 1999 The practical performance-oriented ideas on leaderships presented in this book will be of value to anyone who is a front-line supervisor.

LIST for MSG-CSM

Leadership Secrets of Colin Powell, Owen Harari, 0071388591, New York : McGraw-Hill, 2002
"Born and raised in the humble environs of the Bronx, Colin Powell has learned to operate with skill and ease in the world's most exclusive, exacting corridors of power." "Comfortable and confident in today's bareknuckles geopolitical arena, the self-effacing Powell has always been willing to deflect credit if it meant achieving his stated goals."

Making Decisions Under Stress : implications for individual and team training,  Janis A Cannon-Bowers and Eduardo Salas ,1557985251, Washington, DC : American Psychological Association,  1998
Outlines the background, research approach, and paradigm used, with specific focus on how to train decision making at the individual and team levels. For personnel in high-risk environments.

On war and leadership : the words of combat commanders from Frederick the Great to Norman Schwarzkopf, Owen Connelly, 069103186X, Princeton, N.J. : Princeton University Press, 2002
Superb and thought-provoking primer from masters of the art of command on the timeless elements of leadership.

Patton on leadership : strategic lessons for corporate warfare, Alan Axelrod, 0735200912, Paramus, NJ : Prentice Hall, 1999
Winning leadership principles inspired by the military career of this complex and effective World War II general. Although often deemed abrasive and arrogant, General Patton was a remarkable leader who trained and motivated his men to achieve astounding results.

The Art of War, Niccolo Machiavelli, 0226500403, Chicago : University of Chicago Press, 2003
Art of War presents an indispensable view of the beginnings of the modern definition of war in the West, and Lynch’s rendition finally allows us access to the true text of this important work for the first time.

Soldier, statesman, peacemaker : leadership lessons from George C. Marshall, Jack Uldrich, 0814408575, New York : AMACOM, 2005
Seven principles from Marshall's leadership skills to demonstrate the value of integrity, action, candor, preparation, vision, and caring to today's aspiring leaders.