military classics?
I have a son that is really interested in the military. We know about The Art of War, but are looking for others. He wants something more to do with the current military. We are also looking for books on the weapons currently being used in our military. Any ideas you have would be great.
current military
There are biographies of recent military leaders such as General Schwarzkopf's autobiography - It Doesn't Take a Hero. For info on current events you may have to google articles or find mentors in the military who can give recommendations and answer questions. You can also visit military museums which may carry publications that may interest him. An author my son particularly enjoyed about all things past military is Albert Marrin. Officers still study past military history in an effort to learn from the past in order to positively impact present and future outcomes.
Not current military but...
...I am nto sure of the ages of these boys so I don't know if these titles will work. My son, age 10, has developed an interest in military as well as founding fathers history and I have found many titles by the authors Cheryl Harness, Dennis Fradin, and Genevieve Foster have great historical content and some touch on early military events like the Rev. and Civil Wars.
Just my $1 worth of input.
use at your disgression...
My son is also very interested in Military, and Band of Brothers by Stephen Ambrose was a great and inspiring book for him. I had read it myself and when he became interested, felt that it was a good one. Major Winters is an amazing leader. It does have some language in it...so you may not approve.
Enders Game by Orson Scott Card has a lot of military tactics and things...they are futuristic, and so, in my view, they are timeless.
He also enjoyed Hunt for Red October.
I know some parents would be uncomfortable with some of these...but they did good things for us.
Good luck!
Mindy
These are some great ideas.
These are some great ideas. Keep them coming. My son is 13.
Tom Clancy
Various members of our family have read all of Tom Clancy's novels, not his non-fiction and not the series with his name on it that is written by other authors (Op Center I think is one of those). We really really liked _Patriot Games_, _The Hunt for Red October_, and _Executive Orders_.
I personally really did not like _Without Remorse_ and _Clear and Present Danger_, because of excessive violence and gory plotlines. All of Clancy's books have people die and have people swearing, drinking, and smoking, so I expected that. But these two books just turned my stomach; both are about fighting drug dealers, _Without Remorse_ adds prostitution. Yecch.
These are not books for the faint of heart or the faint of stomach. They are full of techno-babble, so at first you won't understand much of the military jargon. But Clancy goes to the military for fact-checking on just about everything; if you want to know about the weapons the military was using when he wrote these books, it's in there, with enough specifics to tell the story. Most of the books can be read in just about any order, but you really really want to read _Debt of Honor_ before you read _Executive Orders_, because it sets it up.
In general the books about Jack Ryan are milder than the books about John Clark. Either _Patriot Games_ or _Hunt for Red October_ would be a good place to start. I have not read _Rainbow Six_ or _Red Rabbit_, nor have they come up in discussion at our house; no comments there. The other books with Tom Clancy's name but actually written by other authors I have not read. His non-fiction may be really good; reviews say it is.
If you want to watch movies made from Clancy's book, _The Hunt for Red October_ is, I think, classic. _The Sum of All Fears_ movie is excellent, but doesn't quite follow the book. The movies that star Harrison Ford as Jack Ryan are not as good, and the _Clear and Present Danger_ movie is horrible.
Stay away from Robert Ludlum's books. Just don't give them to your son. If as an adult he wants to read _The Bourne Supremacy_ and so forth, okay. But don't encourage it at age 13.
When he's a bit older and when you can read it and discuss it with him, _The Spy Who Came In From the Cold_ by Le Carre is really thought provoking.
I really like Orson Scott Card's books about Ender and Ender's contemporaries. OSC's other books are a mixed bag and really aren't military... except for _Empire_, which I highly recommend you, the parent, read. Then if your son's ready for it, he can read it.
Dorling Kindersley has really good vivid picture books, light on words, of military subjects past and present.
There are a few really good computer games that teach military concepts and history. Age of Empires II is our favorite, hands down. Star Wars Battlegrounds is the exact same game as Age of Empires II, but with aircraft--fighters, bombers. It totally changes the strategy and reflects, accurately I think, how much aircraft have altered how we wage war.
Don't forget to learn about the economics and politics of the military. Supply lines are only the most obvious aspect. There are a lot of possibilities for study, and you the parent need to be right there, learning it with him, so that he will absorb the point of view you want him to soak up. All of these should be read or at least reviewed by you. For adults: _The Ugly American_ by Lederer, several of Pearl S. Buck's books, the scriptures (whichever classic you have as your core), the movie _The Manchurian Candidate_, the book _Economics in One Lesson_.
You are a better judge of your son's interest and maturity than I am. If you think he's ready for Tom Clancy, go for it; at the very least it will expand his vocabulary. If you think he's better off sticking with DK books for now, do that.