By Col. William D. Bushnell, USMC (Ret)

Legendary leaders, eye-opening illustrated guides, and a look at the largest naval battle in history: Whatever new reads you’re after in the new year, our reviewer has you covered.

You can order the books through the links in the titles below; MOAA is an Amazon Associate and earns money from qualifying purchases, with the revenue supporting The MOAA Foundation.

[MORE FROM MOAA: Military Professional Reading List]

Patton’s Prayer: A True Story of Courage, Faith, and Victory in World War II

By Alex Kershaw. Dutton, 2024. ISBN 978-0-593-18377-9. Audio version available.

Prolific World War II historian Kershaw (The Bedford Boys) tells of the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944 and Gen. George Patton’s fervent desire for his chaplain to prepare a prayer for divine intervention and good weather.

The prayer was answered. A good story, well-told.

Vanishing Act: The Enduring Mystery Behind the Legendary Doolittle Raid Over Tokyo

By Dan Hampton. St. Martin’s Press, 2024. ISBN 978-1-250-28394-5. Audio version available.

Best-selling author and Air Force veteran pilot Hampton tells of the Doolittle raid in April 1942 and the one plane (of 16) that did not attack Tokyo, but instead flew to the Soviet Union on a secret mission.

Why? What was Plane 8’s real mission? A mystery solved?

Ships of the Civil War, 1861-1865: An Illustrated Guide to the Fighting Vessels of the Union and the Confederacy

By Kevin J. Dougherty. Amber Books, 2013. ISBN 978-1-909160-67-5. No audio version.

In this beautifully illustrated book, military historian Dougherty presents all the warship classes of the Civil War: ironclads, gunboats, raiders, cruisers, blockage runners, and submarines.

Each entry provides the vessel’s history, specifications, and a detailed, color illustration. An excellent naval reference book.

Smithsonian: World War II Map by Map

Edited by Hugo Wilkinson. DK Publishing, 2019. ISBN 978-1-4654-8179-5. No audio version.

Third in the Smithsonian’s Map by Map history series, this colorfully illustrated history of World War II covers all theaters, and includes the prelude to war, naval, air, and land operations, as well as the aftermath – decolonization, the Chinese Civil War, and the Iron Curtain.

Simple presentation, loaded with facts.

Leyte Gulf: A New History of the World’s Largest Sea Battle

By Mark E. Stille. Osprey, 2023. ISBN 978-1-4728-5175-8. Audio version available.

Pacific War historian Stille presents a comprehensive view of “the most complex naval battle of the whole of World War II,” a three-day (October 1944) air-sea battle involving more than 300 surface combatant ships and more than 1800 carrier and land-based aircraft. The result was a decisive American victory.

Best is Stille’s detailed, fascinating portrayal of Japanese naval philosophy, plans, actions, and mistakes, which snatched stunning defeat from a what-might-have-been victory.