For anyone curious what Andy and I were reading before and during the writing of RADIOMAN, I put together this list of ten favorites, in order of when they were first published.
The Aardvark is Ready for War by James Blinn (Published May, 1997)
A great, underrated novel, and the first fiction I read that tried to deal with The Gulf War. Set almost entirely on a boat.
Jarhead by Anthony Swofford (Published December, 2003)
Great memoir by a great writer. (Perhaps not very popular with Marines.)
Generation Kill: Devil Dogs, Iceman, Captain America, and the New Face of American War by Evan Wright (Published June, 2004)
Excellent book, excellent HBO series.
My War by Colby Buzzell (Published September, 2006)
First military memoir from this period that really felt true to me.
One Bullet Away by Nathaniel Fick (Published September, 2006)
Our favorite Marine Corps memoir from this era.
The Good Soldiers by David Finkel (Published August, 2010)
Top notch reporting on the 2007 troop surge in Iraq.
War by Sebastian Junger (Published May, 2011)
If you read just one book from this book (and if you don’t generally read military stuff), read War by Sebastion Junger.
American Sniper by Chris Kyle (Published January, 2013)
If you liked the movie, you will love the book.
Embarrassing Confessions of a Marine Lieutenant by Donny O’Malley (Published June, 2015)
By far the most hilarious book on this list. But definitely not for everyone.
Terminal Lance: The White Donkey by Maximilian Uriarte (Published April, 2016)
Incredible and original graphic novel.