Brute: The Life of Victor Krulak, U.S. Marine by Robert Coram. 384 pages (November 10, 2010) Little, Brown and Company. Lt. Gen Victor Krulak is not as well known as some Marine officers, but he had a profound influence on the evolution of the 20th century Marines, their tactics, amphibious vehicles, use of air assets, and much more. Although his views were not always the ones adopted, from the pre-WW II period through the Vietnam War, Krulak was pushing the Corps in the right direction for the challenges of the times while defending it from the Army's interservice attempts to neuter it. A complex and controversial man, Gen. Krulak stood up for his beliefs and made a difference.

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand. 496 pages (November 16, 2010) Random House. Laura Hillenbrand, author of Seabiscuit: An American Legend , writes in Unbroken the life of Louie Zamperini, now in his 90s. His story has so many unbelievable facets that it's hard to know where to start. As a young Italian-American from Torrance, CA, he competed in the 1936 Olympics, met Hitler and stole a Nazi flag as a memento. During WW II he joined the Air Corps, endured combat missions, then was shot down over the Pacific. What followed was unimaginable hardships in a life raft and later harsh, relentless brutality in a Japanese prison camp where he was singled out in an attempt to crush his spirit. Liberated at war's end in 1945, Louie suffered for years from his treatment as a POW, finally emerging intact after a religious conversion. His story will amaze you and, if you have not previously been exposed to the grim realities of the Pacific Theater, will shock.

Without Hesitation: The Odyssey of an American Warrior by Gen. Hugh Shelton. 576 pages (October 12, 2010) St. Martin's Press. North-Carolina-native Gen. Shelton served both Presidents Clinton and George W. Bush as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the culmination of a 38 year career in the U.S. Army. As a young ROTC officer in Vietnam, he was commander of a Green Beret unit and then an airborne infantry company. A specialist in airborne operations and special ops, he quickly rose in rank and, in the Persian Gulf War, was assistant division commander of the 101st Airborne Division. Following the Gulf War, Shelton commanded the 82nd Airborne Division followed by, in 1993, command of XVIII Airborne Corps. Shelton led the Joint Task Force of Operation Uphold Democracy in Haiti in 1994. In 1996, Shelton was promoted to the position of Commander in Chief of U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) with the rank of General. Pres. Clinton appointed him Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on 1 Oct 1997. In this book, Shelton reviews his career and lifts the curtain on decision making about military matters as he navigated the gap between the Pentagon and civilians in the White House.

The Fourth Star: Four Generals and the Epic Struggle for the Future of the United States Army by Greg Jaffe and David Cloud. 336 pages (October 13, 2009) Crown. This book by correspondents Cloud (New York Times) and Jaffe (The Washington Post) examines the careers of four distinguished officers (John Abizaid, George Casey Jr., Peter Chiarelli and David Petraeus) who joined the U.S. Army as second lieutenants after Vietnam and rose to four star rank at the time of the Iraq War. Through the experiences of the four officers, the authors provide insight into the inner workings of the Army was they succeeded and rose in the officer ranks. The major focus is the transformation of the U.S. military from the Cold War footing and mentality to the counterinsurgency strategy required for the wars in Southwest Asia.

LeMay: The Life and Wars of General Curtis LeMay by Warren Kozak. 354 pages (May 11, 2009) Regnery Publishing. Cigar chomping Gen. Curtis LeMay is an iconic figure, representing at once pragmatic and essential military leadership and, to his critics, an out-of-control military maniac who endangers us all. He has been pilloried for his very public errors in judgement, but less often praised for his steady hand in leading the strategic bombing campaigns of WW II and the post-war creation of the vital deterrent of the Strategic Air Command (SAC). This balanced book brings the full measure of the man as an outstanding, if flawed, patriot.

Eisenhower: A Soldier's Life is not only Ike's biography, but also a biography of the U.S. Army as it first clung to its traditional ways and then, under George Marshall at the eve of World War II, was forced to confront mobilization for global war against the far greater initial strength and experience of the Japanese and Germans. The bulk of the book concentrates on the period from 1939-1945 as Eisenhower leaped to the foreground and assumed leadership in first planning, then commanding the greatest military crusade of all time. There is plentiful detail of Ike's personal role, state of mind, struggles, and interactions with other commanders and the politicians, not overlooking the complete story of his relationship with Kay Summersby.