Guest Post: Top 5 Non-Fiction Books On Firearms (And The Like)
by: Josh Montgomery
Hi, guys, Josh came again to teach us about guns so you can write it better! Enjoy.
Top 5 Non-Fiction Books On Firearms (And The Like)
Have you ever read a book on the First or the Second World War? Most of the books are always realistic with guns blazing, the fire returned with fire, and bombs are going off. If that is too much action for you, you can read hunting books that involve guns or of soldiers recounting their experiences on the battlefield. Whichever books you read on firearms, one thing is for sure; you have to love guns to enjoy the read to the end.
There are hundreds of non-fiction books on firearms, and especially on military and war. You can try out any of the books below.
Dexter Filkins’ Forever War
This book accounts for the American war with radical Islamists. The book is a historical record of the rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan and the conditions that led to the Sep 11th attacks. Dexter Filkins, a correspondent for the New York Times, recounts all activities of the Taliban after they rose to power and before they bombed America on Sep 11. The book continues to the war in Iraq and Afghanistan after the bombing.
Because Filkins reported on all events before and after Sep 11, he was literally on the line of fire, and this makes the book interesting for gun lovers. He uses beautiful prose to tell stories of civilians and soldiers caught on the line of fire and how that affected their lives. Even when you love guns, you will find it in you to sympathize with those affected by the war.
James Burton’s Pentagon Wars
Love to take the journey with James Burton as he tests guns and other weapons? After spending 14 years acquiring and testing weapons, James Burton recounts what it is like when Pentagon wants new weapons developed in his book, Pentagon Wars.
He narrates the development of different weapons including the Bradley Fighting Vehicle and how those above him were more interested in supporting defence contractors and not soldiers in the battlefield. Besides building and testing weapons with excellent ergonomics, Burton also writes about military reformers who came in handy to fix problems that Pentagon had between 1960 and 1980. There is also controversy in the book and fights between the reformers and conventionalists. During the reform period, Burton joined the team of reformists, something that saw him suffer professionally.
Mark Bowden’s Black Hawk Down
You might have seen HBO’s Black Hawk Down, the movie. The movie was inspired by Mark Bowden’s book, Black Hawk Down. Even if you have seen the movie, you should still read the book to get more intricate details about the Oct 3, 1993 battle of Mogadishu, Somalia. Mark Bowden was the journalist covering the story where hundreds of U.S. Army soldiers fought thousands of militants in Somalia, but a routine mission went haywire.
Even if you love guns, you will be taken aback by the brutality of the gunfight in this book. Bowden recounts the events of the mission minute by minute. He conducted a lot of research and interviews to bring a story of who fought and who died.
Nathaniel Fick’s One Bullet Away
Do you want to know what is needed for a civilian to turn to a Marine Corps officer? If you do, this book will give you all the juicy and the not-so-juicy details. Fick joins the Army in 1998 young and determined to make a difference in the world. He serves in Afghanistan and Iraq and leaves a hardened man with leadership skills.
The book gets personal on some chapters, but it has a lot of combat experiences for the lovers of gunfire. Even though he details a lot of combat experiences, the book is more about the training, the mindset, and the working of Marine officers.
Stephen Ambrose’s Band of Brothers
Band of Brothers is a story of ordinary men who are trained to become extraordinary men and heroes during the Second World War. The book recounts the training of the unit that later takes part in the liberation of Hitler’s Eagles Nest. In the book, Ambrose narrates everything in between training, first combat to the making of heroes. It is a book full of gunfight but one that ends on a hero note.
Conclusion
There are many more books on guns and gunfights – the above five books are only some of the most popular. Some books are very detailed, showing the effect of war and weapons and others are about heroism and the making of America.
Thank you again, Josh!