The Ultimate Basic Training Guidebook: Tips, Tricks, and Tactics for Surviving Boot Camp by Michael Volkin. 192 pages (2nd edition, April 2007) Savas Beatie. Every military career starts with Basic Training. Sgt. Volkin's guidebook gives you, the recruit, everything needed to excel in Basic Training, avoid the pitfalls, make the most of the experience, and emerge as a proud, professional Soldier. Chapters are devoted to each of the key elements of training that will challenge you, providing information on what to expect, why it is that way, and detailed suggestions for what to do and how to do it. While no book can make the course of Basic Training easy, by mastering what the author lays out in this guide, you can reduce stress and maximize your return on time and effort. Included is a complete guide to physical preparation in the months before Basic starts, with photos, standards and progress logs, along with study guides for many of the topics that you will have to memorize such as rank structure, phonetic alphabet, acronyms, and military time. Many specific suggestions give insight into what the Drill Sergeant is thinking, with tips on how to avoid becoming a target of his wrath. No matter what branch of the armed forces you are entering, save yourself a lot of wear, tear, and headaches: use this book to get in mental and physical shape before you get to the Reception Center.

NCO Guide by Robert S. Rush. 400 pages (8 Rev. Upd. Ed., July 2006) Stackpole Books. This guide, published in updated editions since 1948, is a key source of professional information for Non-Commissioned Officers, who have relied on its accuracy and completeness for generations.

Army Officer's Guide by Robert J. Dalessandro. 688 pages (51st Ed., January 31, 2009) Stackpole Books. Stackpole has published the Officer's Guide for more than seventy-five years, an Army tradition in itself. The book provides a condensed version of Army regulations combined with the customs and traditions of the service, an essential introduction to the life and career of the Army officer. In addition to the insights and advice that have been a mainstay of the Officer's Guide, this edition includes a directory of current Army web sites and installations worldwide. The author of this edition is Col. Robert J. Dalessandro, director of the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center and previously chief of staff of the U.S. Army Chemical School. He graduated from the Virginia Military Institute and earned master's degrees from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College and the U.S. Army War College. He has commanded at the platoon, company, depot, and battalion level and has served staff assignments from the battalion level up to the Department of the Army.

Combat Leader's Field Guide by Brett A. Stoneberger. 407 pages (13th Ed., February 2005) Stackpole Books. This long lived guide for infantry leaders (and units that may operate as infantry), has been updated to include both the latest doctrine and lessons learned from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.