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I think there's not enough about military history in this thread. After all, this is a forum for strategists. Usually, books contain a lot of nonsense, especially those written by modern authors, but there are some very worthy and profound works.
Xenophon, "Anabasis".
Long before Alexander the Great's campaign, Persia was torn apart by civil war. One of the contenders for the throne hires ten thousand Greek mercenaries, and among other troops, they break through to the center of the country, where they are successfully destroyed.
The Greeks find themselves in the same position as the French in the winter of 1812, unwanted invaders in a hostile country. They are pursued by enemies, former allies, partisan detachments, diseases, and wild animals. To survive, they also plunder and loot. An eyewitness to these events writes simply and concisely, but the feeling of hopeless sadness is on every page.
When, at the end of the book, the surviving, exhausted people shout: "The sea! The sea!", it's heartbreaking. It's a rare case when readers have sympathized with seemingly initially negative characters – invaders and mercenaries – for two millennia.
Gaius Julius Caesar, "Commentaries on the Civil War".
Two equally great commanders – Caesar and Pompey – with approximately equal armies. Many clever combinations, strategies, and tactics. The advantage shifts from one side to the other. Simple and clear language. Caesar writes about his opponent with respect, often criticizing him for his slowness, but also criticizes himself for adventurous attacks. It's still readable today.
Sorry, I forgot the author, I'll remember it later.
"The Campaigns of Pyrrhus. Ancient Wars".
Alexander the Great is dead, and his commanders immediately begin to divide the spoils. Everyone has the best soldiers, rich lands under their control, and brave officers. The most experienced warriors die – Eumenes, Perdiccas, Antigonus, Lysimachus. The fascinating battles and intrigues of that time are well described.
The second part of the book is devoted to Pyrrhus himself and his campaign in Italy. It's also interesting, but less масштабный. After his defeat, the fall of the Etruscans and Samnites, Rome successfully unites Italy.
Kirill Mal', "The American Civil War".
Two societies in one country – the patriarchal South and the predatory North. Geopolitical and financial interests were too different.
Talented generals, brave soldiers, plus the defense of their land made the South a dangerous opponent.
The North first tested in war what would later become a hallmark of the United States – a powerful financial system, a powerful industry, and an army of fools ready to fight for democracy. The North's initial losses were enormous; several armies were defeated in a row. But in the ports, new waves of immigrants were constantly disembarking from steamships, and they were immediately recruited into new armies. Irish, Germans, Poles, Italians, Russians – they filled the battlefields with bodies. The much smaller detachments of veterans from the South were ground down, and after four years of endless battles, the South simply ran out of manpower.
Southern civilization was erased. It is worth reading precisely because of the detailed analysis of the geopolitics of that time and the battles.
Takusiro Hattori, "Japan in War".
A Japanese general in the samurai style describes Japan's military operations in World War II. He writes objectively about both victories and defeats. Several chapters are difficult to read; he describes the destruction of the civilian population and torture in a businesslike and impassive manner, as if he were working on a Toyota assembly line or eating sushi. But that's just the kind of nation it is.
A detailed analysis of all military operations, on land and at sea. But the book will only be interesting to old-school fans of military history.
Adrian Goldsworthy, "In the Name of Rome".
Stories about the military operations of 15 outstanding Roman commanders. Roman legions were indeed an unstoppable killing machine. But only in skilled hands. Detailed stories about how the phalanxes of the Diadochi, the armies of Carthage, and the hordes of Celts and Germans were crushed.
von Argenholz, "The Seven Years' War".
For a long time, I didn't quite understand the official historical account of Frederick the Great. Tiny Prussia was supposed to be immediately crushed by a coalition of Russia, France, Austria, Sweden, and the rest of Germany. The population ratio was 1:20, the industry 1:15, and the army 1:10. However, the war lasted for 7 years and ended in a draw. Perhaps the most unequal draw in the history of wars. Unfortunately, in St. Petersburg, Vienna, and Paris, women ruled, and the commanders-in-chief were appointed not for their military abilities, but for their external data and ability to give compliments.
The most absurd series of delays, cowardice, and shortsightedness made the impossible possible – 10 armies could not defeat two.
