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I'm putting together a couple of care packages for some Army folks and need some suggestions for contemporary military-oriented fiction that at least get the basics of Army culture correct.
Actually, any suggestions for military fiction would be great. Thanks.
Warrior-Mentor
05-21-2006, 16:08
Clancy is entertaining. No Remorse was perhaps my favorite.
Kyobanim
05-21-2006, 16:14
I don't think I've seen any fiction that gets the culture right, but here's a few I've enjoyed.
By Vince Flynn:
Term Limits - Ex-military impose term limits on deserving polititions
Flynn also has a series that involves an anti-terrorist specialist from the CIA and SOF from the military. The titles are: Transfer of Power, Third Option, Separation of Power, Executive Power, Memorial Day, Consent to Kill.
Harold Coyle:
Against All Enemies - First mission for a new 2nd LT Platoon Leader
Gods Children - Mission gone bad in the Bauklans
They Are Soldiers - Regular Army Captain is integrated into a NG unit as company commander for deployment to the West Bank for peace keeping duties.
I consider all of these good reads. Some of the stuff is right and some isn't. At least the stories are good.
I've got others but they're not military related.
NousDefionsDoc
05-21-2006, 16:14
Clancy is entertaining. No Remorse was perhaps my favorite.
+1
beedlesw
05-21-2006, 16:16
robert heinlein's 'starship troopers' is probably one of the best works of military fiction i've ever read. john ringo wrote a series of really good military/sci fi
the best bet would be military non fiction, as most of the military fiction i've read has been fairly hokey. some good authors for non fiction:
mark bowden(blackhawk down, killing pablo(i think thats the title, something pablo))
stephen ambrose(band of brothers, anything else by him, really)
NousDefionsDoc
05-21-2006, 16:18
WEB Griffith is good.
I also really liked Gates of Fire and that about the Spartans.
Thanks, guys!
I try to send as many books as I can, since they get passed around. Any other recommendations you have will be greatly appreciated.
Warrior-Mentor
05-21-2006, 16:53
robert heinlein's 'starship troopers' is probably one of the best works of military fiction i've ever read. john ringo wrote a series of really good military/sci fi
the best bet would be military non fiction, as most of the military fiction i've read has been fairly hokey. some good authors for non fiction:
mark bowden(blackhawk down, killing pablo(i think thats the title, something pablo))
stephen ambrose(band of brothers, anything else by him, really)
Starship Troopers is a good read...wasn't thinking of the Military (Science) Fiction category.
Lots of good military non-fiction...concur with you on Bowden.
...and military non-fiction that borders (or may actually be) fiction. Rogue Warrior was an entertaining read...not sure how much is true though.
For Whom the Bell Tolls-- not strictly military but pretty close.
Chris Ryan is a good fiction writer.
I mean his pure fiction, not his pseduo stuff.
bberkley
05-22-2006, 00:16
The Redliners by David Drake (and of course anything Hammers Slammers-related)
The Janissaries by Jerry Pournelle
Space Cadet by Robert Heinlein
+1 for stuff by W.E.B. Griffin
+1 for books by Harold Coyle
Warrior-Mentor
05-22-2006, 00:28
I'm putting together a couple of care packages for some Army folks and need some suggestions for contemporary military-oriented fiction that at least get the basics of Army culture correct.
Actually, any suggestions for military fiction would be great. Thanks.
Ird,
Re-reading your original post...I didn't much care for military books while down range. Was doing military stuff all day long, was nice to escape into something else through reading. John Grisham was one of my deployment favorites...Pelican Brief, etc. Might send another genre.
Just a thought,
JM
CPTAUSRET
05-22-2006, 07:47
L:
"ONCE AN EAGLE" by Anton Myrer.
Great read for anyone!
Terry
x SF med
05-22-2006, 09:32
The entire Dorsai series by Gordon R. Dickson - excellent books
Ird,
Re-reading your original post...I didn't much care for military books while down range. Was doing military stuff all day long, was nice to escape into something else through reading. John Grisham was one of my deployment favorites...Pelican Brief, etc. Might send another genre.
Just a thought,
JM
I understand what you are saying.
This search actually started because of a comment about a murder mystery that had a retired Army Officer as the main character. I kept getting comments like: "he couldn't be an officer -- had to be a MSG," and "doesn't this guy know anything about the Army?" I was trying to find some good fiction that had current or former military who, at the least, didn't do or say things that would be completely out of character for the individual or the service.
Is there such a thing as unrealistic fiction? LOL
Warrior-Mentor
05-22-2006, 11:28
Is there such a thing as unrealistic fiction? LOL
Sure. The question goes to believability.
I can't speak to their veracity regarding Army culture, but some Army novels I've enjoyed:
Army Blue by Lucian K. Truscott, IV
The General's Daughter by Nelson DeMille
Secret Sanction by Brian Haig
I also enthusiastically hop on the WEB Griffin bandwagon.
+1 for Clancy
Another good military read is "The Eyes of the Eagle" by Gary Linderer, which tells of the author's tour in Vietnam with a LRP unit. Entertaining, one of my favorite parts is when they get into major contact and the QRF is a no-show. The call went back to the other LRP teams to quickly form a new QRF, and his brothers in arms dropped what they were doing to rush to their aid. (Literally, apparently some of the guys showed up wet on the LZ in shorts, shower shoes, LBE, helmet and weapon.)
Non-military
The Dune series by Frank Herbert could probably eat a good chunk out of a deployment.
By the way, that is a very nice gesture and I'm sure it will be greatly appreciated.
aricbcool
05-22-2006, 17:05
A non-military book series I would recommend is called "A Song of Ice and Fire" by George RR Martin. It's a Fantasy series, but will eat up time like no other. Book 1 is called "A Game of Thrones" and each book is between 700 to 1000 pages long (paperback).
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0553588486/qid=1148339387/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/104-3440084-4019102?s=books&v=glance&n=283155
Regards,
Aric
Sure. The question goes to believability.
I usually associate "the willing suspension of disbelief" with Science Fiction. Looks like I need to apply it elsewhere. :)
ALL - Thanks again for the suggestions. There are a couple I'm going to get for myself.
Warrior-Mentor
05-22-2006, 18:15
I usually associate "the willing suspension of disbelief" with Science Fiction. Looks like I need to apply it elsewhere. :)
ALL - Thanks again for the suggestions. There are a couple I'm going to get for myself.
Here's an example, comic book movies. When they're completely unbelieveable, they suck (see Batman & Robin). When they're (even somewhat) beliveable (See Unbreakable, X-Men), they're a lot better. Just my take.
The entire Dorsai series by Gordon R. Dickson - excellent books
+1 on Gordon R. Dickson. Any of his titles are good reads.
The 'Sten' series by Allan Cole and Chris Bunch is good.
when i was in Somalia, i read some stuff by Hunter S. Thompson (Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail and something more recent...CRS...) and PJ O'Rourke (Parliament of Whores)...they seemed appropriate, given the environment...i read several Tony Hillerman novels when i was in Saudi, as well as a couple of Louis Lamour books and one or two Zane Grey works...i preferred to be reminded of where i was from rather than reading about "work"...
Not fiction but HST's Hell's Angels is a GREAT read.
Monsoon65
05-28-2006, 17:11
A non-military book series I would recommend is called "A Song of Ice and Fire" by George RR Martin. It's a Fantasy series, but will eat up time like no other. Book 1 is called "A Game of Thrones" and each book is between 700 to 1000 pages long (paperback).
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0553588486/qid=1148339387/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/104-3440084-4019102?s=books&v=glance&n=283155
Regards,
Aric
Great books! I really enjoyed them.
Also, PJ O'Rourke writes some really funny essays about life. I think he's a lot lighter than HST.
For military fiction, try the Sharpe series by Bernard Cornwell. All are very well written with historical notes at the end about the particular battle Sharpe is fighting.
A bump to see if there are any new suggestions as we work on the next round of packages.
x SF med
06-23-2006, 10:49
Anything by Roger Zelazny (sp?)
Former Special Forces soldier, he wrote several excellent fictional books (most sadly out of print)
Dragon Sim-13
Eyes of the Hammer
Cut-Out
Eternity Base
Z
I enjoyed them all quite a lot. He's written a bunch of scifi books under a variety of pen names that I've never checked out.
j
Peregrino
06-23-2006, 13:17
Anything by John Ringo, David Weber, and David Drake. They are the current crop of heavy hitters writing "Military SF" with good attention to detail and decent character/plot development. I know Ringo personally and will vouch for the effort he puts into making it believable, even when he's being "tongue in cheek". All SF requires some suspension of disbelief but these guys are at least plausible. None of them have any love lost for politicians either. FWIW - Peregrino
Monsoon65
06-23-2006, 17:06
Former Special Forces soldier, he wrote several excellent fictional books (most sadly out of print)
Dragon Sim-13
Eyes of the Hammer
Cut-Out
Eternity Base
Z
I enjoyed them all quite a lot. He's written a bunch of scifi books under a variety of pen names that I've never checked out.
j
I think I've read Dragon Sim-13 and Eyes of the Hammer. Both were good reads, if I remember correctly.
Check used books stores. You can always score some good books there.
ObliqueApproach
06-24-2006, 00:52
Military Sci-Fi and Military non-fiction being my two main areas of interest, I have compiled a list of books that might interest you. The attached PDF file is general military science fiction and fantasy with a few odd books as well. It is organized by author and grouped by series. I made the list several years ago when I realized that I kept buying books I already had. :confused:
Hope this helps!
ObliqueApproach
06-24-2006, 00:55
BTW Peregrino's right! Ringo, Weber, and Drake are todays standard in Military Sci-Fi.:munchin
x SF med
06-24-2006, 06:06
Oblique -
Outstanding List!! I've read most of it, and had the same problem with rebuying books.
I noticed one big miss in the Niven- Pournelle series - "The Mote in God's Eye" wasn't there.
A Few more additions:
If you can find it a great addition to your list, not really SciFi or military - is "A Canticle for Leibowitz" by Walter M Miller (1959)
Saberhagen's "Sword Trilogy"
"The Grey Mane of Morning" Joy Chant
"Steppe" Piers Anthony
"The Once and Future King" and "The Book of Merlin" T.H. White
"Mother" Maxim Gorky (the FOGs will really get a kick out of this one)
"Alas, Babylon" Pat Frank (may be out of print)
Anything by Kurt Vonnegut Jr
"Old Man's War" and "Ghost Brigades" by John Scalzi.
Kyobanim
06-24-2006, 10:02
"Alas, Babylon" by Pat Frank is still in print. Excellent book. It was required reading in one of my high school english classes. Still good today.
There's 3 books in the Jannissaries Series - Storms of Victory, and there is another one that should be out soon.
Just about any Ben Bova book is a good read with few exceptions.
The Commonwealth Series by Alan Dean Foster is very good. Comprised of around 20 books, all different stories in the same universe.
Peregrino
06-24-2006, 10:28
Nice to know we've got some genuine "literati" kicking around in here. Also nice to see people still reading the classics (Alas Babylon). Looks like most of us have similar preferences. OA - I can't read your .pdf file. :( I was hoping to find something I hadn't already read that came recommended. MW - I just finished both of Scalzi's books, still sitting on the end table waiting to be shelved. Well worth the effort to find (we discussed "Old Man's War" here last year(?)). An idea for those of you without access to B&N etc.; check out http://www.baen.com/. Baen has made their niche in the publishing world by concentrating on SF (with a strong military orientation). Jim Baen has an interesting philosophy about the internet and he's very supportive of the military as a whole. I sent them a request a couple years ago and they gave me 50+ cds with books on them (probably 60 titles on four different CDs) that I sent to my brother while he was in Iraq. Takes a laptop to read but he says they went over well. Baen also has a broad free library available online and a web subscription service to sell books at reasonable prices - less than bookstore. If you have internet and a CC you can feed your habit from anywhere in the world. FWIW - Peregrino
+1 on clancy, especially Without Remorse and Clear and Present Danger
Just read Blood Meridian, really enjoyed it, although it's some pretty heavy stuff.
Also, since we're into non-military fiction, I just read the unabridged version of The Stand, by King. One of the best books I've ever read, and at over 1100 pages, should eat up plenty of a soldier's free time.
Oh, and another good nonfiction book, if anyone's familiar with it: Ghost Soldiers, by Hampton Sides. Story of the rescue of the Cabantuan POW camp towards the end of WWII. I think that the recent movie "The Great Raid" was based on this book and another.
STARSHIP TROOPERS by Robert A. Heinlein
JANISSARIES by Jerry Pournelle
THE MERCENARY or FALKENBURG'S LEGION by Jerry Pournelle
DORSAI! by Gordon Dickenson
("Starship Troopers" and a Jerry Pournelle's "Mercenary" series were indirectly responsible for my joining the military. I re-read "Starship Troopers" and "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" every couple of years)
(TERM LIMITS by Vince Flynn is pretty good too, as a political thriller)
I'm going to throw Catch 22 and Dune into the ring. Both are outstanding.
x SF med
06-26-2006, 08:29
+1 on the Dune series
You guys ought to try some of the 'classic' Russian / soviet fiction - Gorky, Gogol, Trotsky, even Dostoyevsky and later Solszheynitsyn (sp. can never spell his name), yeah they all wrote fiction, well, besides the propoganda stuff. Interesting insights into the mind of the Russian/ Soviet people - the xenophobia was there prior to Bolshevism.
Classic Oriental and Middle Eastern fiction and philosophy are really interesting too. The minds of our allies and enemies. Khalil Gibran is one that comes to mind for Middle Eastern, and The Kite Runner.
Esoteric, but kind of fits wit hthe SF mentality is Coelho's The Alchemist.
And a real kick in the pants to all practicing and lapsed Catholics - A Canticle for Leibowitz.
A Canticle for Leibowitz.
Man, that keeps coming up. Library time.
Thanks, everyone, for more great suggestions. It's nice to see some old favorites make the list.
And, of course, my own "need-to-read" list just gets longer and longer...
x SF med
06-26-2006, 12:06
Mug - Canticle was written in '59 - the 'sequel' St Leibowitz and the Mad Horsewoman was published not too long ago - just after Miller's death - finished by a collaborator - I need to read that one pretty soon.
Armor by John Steakley
The Forever War by Joe Haldeman
Forever Peace by Joe Haldeman
The first 4 collections of the Bolo shot stories (various authors)
Downbelow Station by CJ Cherryh (though this is space opera)
Voice of the Whirlwind by Walter Jon Williams
Altered Carbon, Broken Angels and Woken Furies by Richard K Morgan
j
Team Sergeant
06-26-2006, 12:52
Anything by Kurt Vonnegut Jr
Reading Vonnegut at a young age can cause drain brammage, trust me I know!;)
x SF med
06-26-2006, 13:22
Dain Bramage? Huh? Where? Duz thet meen I kin jump outta airplanes fer a livin, en run aroun the wuds wit evrythin I own strapped tuh me,wit de bad guys on my butt? N carry a shootin ahrn?
Actually I think it was the mixture of Vonnegut and Punk rock that did me in, Oh well, I've gotten better, slightly.
Armor by John Steakley
The Forever War by Joe Haldeman
Forever Peace by Joe Haldeman
The first 4 collections of the Bolo shot stories (various authors)
Downbelow Station by CJ Cherryh (though this is space opera)
Voice of the Whirlwind by Walter Jon Williams
Altered Carbon, Broken Angels and Woken Furies by Richard K Morgan
j
Man, I've read a lot of science fiction! These are all excellent. Richard K Morgan is one of the new lights.
Voice of the Whirlwind - we should do a cyberpunk list next.
L, saw this segment on Fox tonight. It's not Military fiction...but seems to be getting rave reviews from some Military folks. I think I'll be picking up a few to send out. The link for Amazon follows the article.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/060628/dawfns1.html?.v=3
Dear Soldier: The War on Terror as Seen by America's Children
Wednesday June 28, 5:20 am ET
DALLAS, June 28 /PRNewswire/ -- As the war on terror continues and we approach the Fourth of July holiday, leave it to children to provide comfort, hope and a delightful dose of humor.
Recently released "Dear Soldier: Heartfelt Letters From America's Children" (Integrity House), is a compilation of children's letters to deployed soldiers, created and compiled by mother/daughter team, Barbara Warfield Baldwin, Amber Baldwin D'Amico and Dr. Heather Baldwin Duff.
All three are celebrating the recent return of their son and brother from Afghanistan.
"This book is unique because it provides an experience of war through our children's eyes," said Baldwin. "Books have been published featuring soldiers' letters, but not children's, and the letters these kids have written are priceless."
Baldwin and her daughters were inspired to create the book after reading some of the children's letters to be included in care packages they were helping to create for troops.
"Because the children's letters were so compelling," said Baldwin, "we would read them aloud as the packages were being assembled. Their innocent wisdom and humor never failed to brighten and enrich our days.
"We soon started receiving feedback from soldiers telling us how much they appreciated the letters and our own son and brother, who was stationed in Afghanistan, said letters like these meant the world to him while he was deployed."
Letters include comments from children such as:
"Dear Soider, I wish I could be over there with you, because I want to be a solider when I grow up. I have a cousin named John over there with you, if you see him tell him hi."
"You are braver than I'll ever be ... May all your dreams come true. I am proud of all the improvements you have made over there. I hope you never give up on your plans ... God bless you."
A portion of the proceeds from each book will be donated to the Coalition to Salute America's Heroes, whose mission is to serve the soldiers, and the families, of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom veterans who have been severely wounded and disabled.
For more information and a complete press kit on the book and its authors, visit http://www.mydearsoldier.com . To learn more about the Coalition to Salute America's Heroes, visit http://www.saluteheroes.org .
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1591454808/102-9134389-1123327?adid=0QQ3H3ZPJFWST87J04F0&camp=14573&creative=327641&link%5Fcode=as1&n=283155
Radar Rider
07-01-2006, 19:06
One of the best "fiction" books about military life that I have read is called The Short-Timers. It was written by Gustav Hasford, and runs about 140 pages.
It also happens to be the book on which the movie "Full Metal Jacket" was based.
In the book, Gunnery Sergeant Hartman does not die in training; he leads the men into Viet Nam.
Trip_Wire (RIP)
07-01-2006, 19:23
I just finished reading this book! I thought it was great! I enjoyed it! It was written by MSG Raymond F. Flaherty 7th & 1st SFG(A), 9th Airborne Ranger Co. He also served in the herd (173rd) in Vietnam.
I recommend it! :lifter
CPTAUSRET
07-01-2006, 19:54
Actually I think it was the mixture of Vonnegut and Punk rock that did me in, Oh well, I've gotten better, slightly.
Punk Rock; ever hear of the "DESCENDENTS"?
You mentioned Kurt V., his review of my wife's latest book is below.
Terry
edited for spelling error.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. How does one define extraordinary creativity? Is creative genius a product of nature or nurture? And can those of us who are less creative enhance the creative capacity in ourselves and others? Andreasen (The Broken Brain), editor-in-chief of the Journal of the American Psychiatric Association, brings neuroscience to bear in providing insight and expert analysis of the connections between extraordinary creativity, mental illness, intelligence and the social environment. The complex subject matter is punctuated with intriguing research, such as Andreasen's Iowa Writer's Workshop study examining the relationship between creativity and psychopathology; a study of London taxi drivers showing that their need for extensive memory of the city leads to a larger hippocampus; and a study of members of symphony orchestras that found increased gray matter in Broca's area. These studies lead Andreasen to conclude that "extraordinary creativity" is the result of neural processes that "differ qualitatively as well as quantitatively" from those of other people. The author's passion and admiration for creative genius and the arts—not surprising given her Ph.D. in Renaissance English literature—is evidenced in her exploration of such great minds as Mozart, da Vinci, Michelangelo and Tchaikovsky. And quotations from introspective accounts by mathematician Henri Poincaré, chemist Friedrich Kekulé, Stephen Spender and Neil Simon vividly describe mental activities that are anything but ordinary. Andreasen leaves us with hope that the potential exists to enhance the creative capacity in our children and in ourselves. Photos and illus. (Nov.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Review
Kurt Vonnegut :
"Our leading authority on creativity reveals herself with this splendid book as one of the most valuably creative persons of our time."--
Kurt Vonnegut
David Morrell :
"I've been a novelist for 37 years and suddenly I understand myself better. Nancy Andreasen's The Creating Brain is a fascinating journey in to the nature and secrets of the creative brain. The sections on Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci are amazing, and the concluding exercises could be life changing."--David Morrell, New York Times bestselling author of The Brotherhood of the Rose and Creepers
Howard Gardner :
"Drawing on her expertise as a scientist, physician, and scholar of literature, Nancy Andreasen gives a clear, readable, synoptic account of current knowledge in human creativity."--Howard Gardner, Hobbs Professor of Education and Cognition, Harvard Graduate School of Education
Publishers Weekly :
"An expert analysis of the connections between extraordinary creativity, mental illness, intelligence and the social environment. The complex subject matter is punctuated with intriguing research. . . . Andreasen leaves us with hope that the potential exists to enhance the creative capacity in our children and in ourselves."--Publishers Weekly
Sweetbriar
07-01-2006, 20:10
Thanks for all the good suggestions, gentlemen. I was an insatiable sci-fi reader as a child and teen and a number of your favourite authors were also mine. Seeing these lists as an adult and in this context makes me think it might be time to go back and re-read a few.
x_sf_med, do let us know if the sequel to Canticle is worthy. "Finished by a collaborator" makes me nervous, but curious.
One of the best "fiction" books about military life that I have read is called The Short-Timers. It was written by Gustav Hasford, and runs about 140 pages.
Nice call on The Short-Timers. Hasford was one sh*thot writer-- it's a real shame that all of his books are out of print. Fortunately there's a link where you can still read his stuff:
http://www.gustavhasford.com/ST2.htm
inbredyokel
07-02-2006, 08:35
...In a sort of related tangent: there was a fiction fantasy book on SF called DESERT FIRE by Niall Arden, it was pulled from the shelves all over the UK.
"A covert unit of British SAS, US Delta Force, CIA and British intelligence operatives was formed during the build up to the Second Gulf War to carry out top-secret operations in Northern Iraq. Officially they didn`t exist. To ensure the stability of Northern Iraq, these men were sent to recruit the Kurdish Peshmerga guerrillas to join the invasion.
This ultra-clandestine mission was headed up by Niall Arden, an SAS veteran and black operations specialist. DESERT FIRE is the extraordinary story of one mission and how his unit was compromised three times – and how each time they managed to escape from an enemy hell-bent on hunting them down. Cornered and desperate, the men of the unit resorted to superhuman efforts to survive as they were thrown into a bloody, mind-numbing close-quarter combat. But even as they fought for their lives, they began to realise they had been sent on a mission that was not all it seemed..."
Turns out this scrote's military experience was a 10-month period as a probationary 2nd Lt in the Essex Army Cadet Force in 1990, which if you don't know is a youth club along the lines of the boy scouts.
I only mention it as its military fiction...and for the completely shameless purposes of blatant self-promotion and inflating my ego.
I got involved with doing some checks after doubts began to appear on this lad's background...of course after they'd paid, printed and released the book.
If only they's asked someone about this clown in the first place.
Ditto on Starship Troopers, Dune, and Lord of the Rings.
Alistair MacLean's Guns of Navarone and Where Eagles Dare (more popular as films with Gregory Peck and Clint Eastwood respectively) were fun books to read.
I was a fan of the movies before I read the books. It's been awhile since I read them (in my teens), but I remember enjoying them.
BoyScout
07-03-2006, 16:15
I'd stay away from the Wheel of Time series if you just want one or two books. I justed wanted to read the first one and wound up with the whole series.:boohoo The first one is a hard read and one tends to use the glossery in the back alot. (TOR split the first two books in half to make the easier to read.) Zane Gray and Louis Lamour books are some of the best Westerns I've read. Toss me in with the Clancy and Griffin lots for the military books.
EX-Gold Falcon
07-04-2006, 14:20
I have really enjoyed reading all of Brian Haigs novels. Secret Sanction, Motral Allies, The Kingmaker, Private Sector and The Presidents Assassin.
Not heavy on combat scenes nevertheless the concept of a former SF operator with a sardonic sense of humor (instead of a fighter pilot!) turned hotshot JAG lawyer, makes for a great read.
I'm looking forward to his latest out this year titled Man in the Middle.
Travis
Ken Brock
07-22-2010, 22:43
Anything by John Ringo, David Weber, and David Drake. They are the current crop of heavy hitters writing "Military SF" with good attention to detail and decent character/plot development. I know Ringo personally and will vouch for the effort he puts into making it believable, even when he's being "tongue in cheek". All SF requires some suspension of disbelief but these guys are at least plausible. None of them have any love lost for politicians either. FWIW - Peregrino
I have to say that Ringo is my favorite author and I have all of his books
he has a great sense of humor in his books