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Guerrilla Warfare: Che Guevera
On War: B. Heuser
On War: Clausewtz
Makers of Modern Strategy: Peter Paret
How to Make War: James Dunnigam
The Prince: Machiavelli
Masters of War: M. Handel
Art of War: Sun Tzu
Art of War: Machiavelli
Art of War: Mao Tsu-Tung
Strategy: MCDP 1-1
Tactics: MCDP 1-3
Intelligence: MCDP 2
Logistics: MCDP 4
Warfighting: MCDP 1
Planning: MCDP 5
Expeditionary Operations: MCDP 3
Command and Control: MCDP 6
Camppaigining: MCDP 1-2
The Book of Five Rings: Musashi
MOUT: Department of Defence
Duffers Drift: E.D. Swinton
The Bear Went Over the Mountain – Grau
The Other Side of the Mountain – Grau
Battleing the Elements: Weather and Terrian in the Conduct of War

There are of course many many more, but this should give you a start in your effort.

Read about Napoleon’s campaigns in Sardinia in 1805-07

Mao Zedung’s theories on insurgencies, or Nygen Giap’s, or maybe Che’ Gueverra’s pr any of Sun Tzu’s work.

These people are lay the groundwork for the kind of people you’ll be fighting. Some of it’s pretty dry. Some maybe a little scary. But it’s ALL about what’s going on in their heads

They won’t teach you much about the US military. But they can help you understand the enemy and probably help to keep you alive.

There’s tons of stuff to read… really… but they aren’t popular. You have to search them out. History will give you some idea about the tradition in the military, but reading how the enemy thinks is vital. If you want to learn how to get along in the military, there are manuals and texts for that too. But none of that knowledge will do you much good when the bullets start flying. Besides, you’ll get more than you’ll probably ever need of that stuff in boot camp or OCS.

Somebody suggested math. I enlisted with a BA in Math in 1960. Math teaches you to think logically, objectively, and quickly. It teaches you to think outside the box way more than any other discipline — or so-called discipline. When it was time for me to extend for my E-6. somebody discovered my degree and recommended me for OCS. I spent a total of 25 years in the military. Some of that was in planning and policy.

Know your enemy. If you can stand in his shoes, you stand a better chance of defeating him.

I believe this is one of the problems in the Middle East. We have civilians trying to run the military. They don’t even understand our military. How can they have any idea what the enemy’s doing? The military is on the ground. They see the enemy. While some don’t seem cogent enough to understand him — especially the some of the younger troops and officers, they know him far better than can a mere civilian.

Perhaps some of the older soldiers should be pulled out of retirement to advise some of these younger soldiers. These younger soldiers need to spend less time doing videos for the internet and more time studying their enemy. I know a soldier who’s going to Defense Language School where he’s learning an interesting list of Middle Eastern languages. He’ll be able to read enemy communiques and understand overheard enemy conversations as readily as they can.

Maybe that’s another important thing to study to prepare for the military — languages. Learning a foreign language (specifically that — or those — of the enemy) helps you learn to think in their terms.

Slaughterhouse-Five
A Farewell to Arms
Catch-22
All Quiet on the Western Front

—-Edit—-

Sorry, forgot the second half of your question. It’s a firsthand account of U.S. Marines in Vietnam. Extremely well written.