Top Ten Tuesday: Books for Veterans Day

Books for Veterans Day…

For top ten Tuesday today, I’m choosing my own topic and writing about top books for Veterans day. The number ten is loose, as I have more books than that. I’ve also only chosen non-fiction for this list. There are, of course, many wonderful historical fiction books that depict life amidst war and the importance of peace.
The books I’ve picked are a few that I’ve read over the past few years that have stuck out to me.

Books Related to American Freedom

The First Commander in Chief
Long before he was the first president, Washington was a solider and eventually the commander in chief. Without the American Revolution, there would be no American soldiers to remember on Veterans Day.

Washington: A Life by Ron Chernow

Gettysburg was the largest battle ever in North America and more American lives were lost in the Civil War than from the Revolution to the Korean War.

Illustrated Gettysburg Reader: An Eyewitness History of The Civil War’s Greatest Battle by Rod Gragg

World War and Remembrance Day

Veterans Day commemorates November 11, 1918 when the guns of war lay silent and the Armistice was signed to end the catastrophic first world war. These books explore the stories behind WWI and WWII.

July 1914: Countdown to War by Sean McMeekin

The War that Ended Peace: The Road to 1914 by Margaret MacMillan

Citizen Soldiers: The U.S. Army from the Normandy Beaches to the Bulge to the Surrender of Germany- June 7, 1944 to May 7, 1945 by Stephen Ambrose

The Resistance: The French Fight Against the Nazis by Matthew Cobb

The Women Who Wrote the War by Nancy Caldwell Sorel

Citizens of London: The Americans Who Stood with Britain in its Darkest, Finest Hour by Lynne Olson

Transition Book for What’s Happened and What’s Happening

This book is magic. In the Paris Peace talks, WWI was not only “settled”, but the roots of much of what lay ahead was also set-out. Not only WWII, but also ongoing global issues sparked within that conference.

Paris 1919: Six Months that Changed the World by Margaret MacMillan

Books to Explain Current Tensions

There are narratives for Africa and the Middle East. Many people point to these as reasons for current hostilities. But is that true? These books explore times of peace, as well as conflict, and the many layers that influence today.

Jerusalem 1913: The Origins of the Arab-Israeli Conflict by Amy Dockser Marcus

Sea of Faith: Islam and Christianity in the Medieval Mediterranean World by Stephen O’Shea

The State of Africa: A History of Fifty Years of Independence by Martin Meredith

Books to Foster Understanding
These books delve into International Relations and promote better understanding among countries. When people understand each other better and see commonalities, they are more likely to live in peace.