The following books are listed as “Essential Reading” in the Chief of Naval Operations Professional Reading Program website as of November 2013. If you are a member of the U.S. Navy, please note that many of these books are available for free as ebook rentals through the Navy’s Overdrive library system.
Warfighting First
- 1812: The Navy’s War (George C. Daughan, 2011)
- Cyber War (Richard Clarke, 2010)
- SEAL of Honor (Gary Williams, 2010)
- Shield and Sword: The United States Navy and the Persian Gulf War (Marolda & Schneller, 2001)
- The Gamble: General Petraeus and the American Military Adventure in Iraq (Thomas E. Ricks, 2009)
- Wake of the Wahoo (Forest J. Sterling, 1999)
Operate Forward
- The Crisis of Islam: Holy War and Unholy Terror (Bernard Lewis, 2003)
- “Execute Against Japan”: The U.S. Decision to Conduct Unrestricted Submarine Warfare (Joel Ira Holwitt, 2009)
- Monsoon: The Indian Ocean and the Future of American Power (Robert D. Kaplan, 2010)
- Neptune’s Inferno: The U.S. Navy at Guadalcanal (James D. Hornfischer, 2011)
- Red Star Over the Pacific (Yoshihara & Holmes, 2010)
- The Man From Pakistan (Frantz & Collins, 2007)
Be Ready
- A Sailor’s History of the U.S. Navy (Thomas Cutler, 2004)
- In the Shadow of Greatness (Welle, Ennis, Kranz & Plaster, 2012)
- Navigating the Seven Seas (Williams & Williams, 2011)
- The Morality of War (Brian Orend, 2006)
- Time Management From the Inside Out (Julie Morgenstern, 2004)
- Wired for War (P.W. Singer, 2009)
