Books by and about people who served: combat memoirs, leadership lessons from the military, the move from service to civilian life, and books written for veterans and their families.
Many of these authors went on to run companies or lead teams and wrote about what carried over from service and what did not.
This shelf holds 33 books. Publication years run from 2016 to 2026. 5 of them have an audiobook edition. The most-rated on Amazon are Can't Hurt Me, Never Finished, 100 Deadly Skills. The list below is sorted by how many ratings each book has on Amazon, so the most-read titles come first.
David Goggins · 2018 · Audiobook
For David Goggins, childhood was a nightmare - poverty, prejudice, and physical abuse colored his days and haunted his nights. But through self-discipline, mental toughness, and hard work, Goggins transformed himself from a depressed, overweight young man…
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Leadership Lessons Learned While Turning around a 150-Year-Old Company
David Goggins · 2022
This is not a self-help book. It’s a wake-up call! Can’t Hurt Me, David Goggins’ smash hit memoir, demonstrated how much untapped ability we all have but was merely an introduction to the power of the mind. In Never Finished, Goggins takes you inside his…
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COMBAT EDITION: A Navy SEAL's Guide to Crushing Your Enemy, Fighting for Your Life, and Embracing Your Inner Badass
Clint Emerson · 2021
A hands-on, practical survival guide from retired Navy SEAL Clint Emerson, adapted for civilians from actual special forces operations, to eluding pursuers, evading capture, and surviving any dangerous situation. In today’s increasingly dangerous world…
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Tim Larkin · 2016
In a civilized society, violence is rarely the answer. But when it is-it's the only answer. The sound of breaking glass downstairs in the middle of the night. The words, "Move and you die." The hands on your child, or the knife to your throat. In this…
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Staring Down Terror as a Navy SEAL and Single Dad
Eddie Penney · 2022
Hot Wash | noun: The review held after military training and real-world operations facilitating growth and improvement; an honest evaluation of strengths and weaknesses As a special operator in the US Navy’s most elite unit and actively engaged in the Global…
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Sean Rogers
A simple car accident changed the path of six-year-old Sean Rogers’s life forever. His single mother checked into the hospital as a vibrant young woman and checked out as a full-blown opioid addict. From that day forward, Sean’s life became a silent nightmare…
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Finding Your Edge as a Man Over 40
Michael Simpson · 2021
In 2013, Mike Simpson was still running missions in Afghanistan with U.S. Special Forces. He was forty-eight years old. How did he keep up? By combining three decades of Special Forces training, the ancient wisdom of martial arts, and his own specialized…
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Michael Sarraille
Foreword written by New York Times bestselling author and retired Navy SEAL Jocko Willink. A must-read for any business leader looking to build elite teams and win on talent. Talent is the foundation of every success story from Silicon Valley to Wall Street…
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Brian Reese · 2023 · Audiobook
YOU SERVED. YOU DESERVE.Brian Reese was good at masking his PTSD, bipolar disorder, depression, and anxiety. He even told himself he did not “deserve” benefits, which he later discovered was complete bullshit. As an Air Force officer deployed to Afghanistan…
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Brian Reese · 2023
YOU SERVED. YOU DESERVE.Brian Reese was good at masking his PTSD, bipolar disorder, depression, and anxiety. He even told himself he did not “deserve” benefits, which he later discovered was complete bullshit. As an Air Force officer deployed to Afghanistan…
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Clint Emerson · 2022
Escape the Wolf raises the safety IQ of today’s global travelers. Using Escape the Wolf’s exclusive, holistic Total Awareness System, international travelers are empowered to identify, minimize, or avoid all types of wolves or threats, from common crime…
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Joshua Mantz
This is a journey of finding beauty within darkness. Former Army Major Josh Mantz reaches into the deepest corners of the human soul to expose the most difficult emotions associated with traumatic experiences. Mantz was shot and killed by a sniper on the…
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Finding Hope and Purpose after Losing Everything
Sam Brown · 2024 · Audiobook
How long does it take to burn to death? This question raced through Sam Brown’s mind as he burned alive alongside a dirt road in Afghanistan. At 24, he was pursuing his lifelong ambition of serving in the US military when his vehicle detonated one of the…
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Brian Reese · 2024
This book is being called “The VA Claims Bible!”You’ll Learn The Step-by-Step VA Claims Blueprint That Has Helped 25,000+ Veterans Create Financial Freedom & Security Through Their VA Disability Benefits (Regardless of Age, Income, Experience, VA Rating…
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Jason Roncoroni
After years of dedicated service, leaving might be the hardest mission for any military leader. If you’re standing at the threshold of transition, fear and uncertainty are unspoken obstacles that can erode your confidence and excitement for what comes next.…
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A Life of Service, Leadership, and Nightmares
Charles Daly · 2020
An Irishman in the U.S Marine Corps, Charles U. Daly thinks fighting in Korea will be an adventure and a way to live up to a family tradition of service and soldiering. He comes home decorated, wounded, and traumatized, wondering what’s next. His quest for a…
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Two Warriors from the Heartland, One Mission for the Homeland
Ron Lambrecht · 2023
Fans of Top Gun, The Hunt for Red October, and Forrest Gump will love this epic tale of struggle, tenacity, and heroism. Separated in age by eighteen years, Ron and Steve Lambrecht lived under the same farmhouse roof for only six months, yet both left the…
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Allie Brazas
The first time Allie Brazas was sexually assaulted, she was seventeen. Three years later, after joining the Navy, she became the victim of sexual abuse at the hands of her acting Command Master Chief. Life seemed to be turning around for Allie when she got…
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Omar Ritter · 2025
In vulnerability lies strength. Do you feel trapped by your past? Are you struggling with mental health issues or overwhelmed with life’s pressures? You’re not alone. In West Point to Wall Street, veteran Omar Ritter reveals the lessons he’s learned over…
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A Mother and Daughter Attend West Point Thirty Years Apart
MyLinh Shattan · 2026
The hardest conflict to face is the one within. MyLinh Shattan is no stranger to conflict, from evacuating during the fall of Saigon to reporting to West Point shortly after it accepts women. But when her daughter, Cara, becomes a West Point cadet, she…
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A Cold Warrior’s Log
Philip Dur · 2022
Career advancement for naval officers is generally considered to lie in progressively more demanding assignments in ships and staffs while at sea and those supporting the fleet when ashore. In fact, beyond these “core” career assignments, there are abundant…
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A Story of Leadership in Crisis and the American Spirit Abroad
Adam Castillo · 2026 · Audiobook
Leadership is forged in crisis, not comfort. On February 1, 2021, Myanmar's fragile democracy was extinguished. Civil war raged. As institutions abandoned the country and the world looked away, one American business leader chose to stay. Finding Our Voice…
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Steele Kelly · 2018
While the tales of combat are loud, the stories of returning home are silent. While the effects of war on our veterans are seen, the collateral damage of war on our loved ones is hidden. This book confronts the uncomfortable conversation of mental health…
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Delano Johnson · 2023
Discover one of America’s best-kept secrets to generational wealth. Too many Americans are bored, economically uncertain, or stuck in unfulfilling careers. They desire more, but don’t know how to make their dream a reality. Why Every American Should Join the…
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Alex Millway · 2024
For twenty-seven years, Alex Millway tried to prove that he mattered, without success. Family trauma obliterated his sense of self-worth. Searching for acceptance and purpose, he tried a variety of jobs, including joining the Australian Army, and later…
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Kevin Osterman · Audiobook
Kevin Osterman takes us through a fascinating journey from delinquency, his time as a Marine scout in Vietnam to learning leadership and ultimately becoming a peacemaker. Becoming Kevin - From Warrior to Peacemaker is a chronology that highlights specific…
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Doug Crawley
When collaboration is absent-be it in business, sports, or relationships-success is likely to be absent, too. If you've been on a team where members favored a "me first" attitude or a "go-it-alone" approach, it was very likely a frustrating experience. In…
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And the True Story of 9/11
Zagloul Kadah · 2026
No rational mind would argue that the 9/11 attacks were a simple operation. US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld claimed al-Qaeda had high-tech cave complexes sophisticated enough to pull off such an attack. However, no such high-tech equipment was ever…
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by Lisa Jaster (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
Lisa Jaster · 2023
When you delete your adjectives, who are you? Most people limit themselves to their labels. They embrace barriers based on the box that society puts them in. But your adjectives aren’t your destiny. In Delete the Adjective: A Soldier’s Adventures in Ranger…
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A No-Hack, Practical Approach to Life
Michael Sarraille · 2023
WE ALL STRIVE FOR A LIFE OF PURPOSE AND FULFILLMENT, yet few achieve it. Why? Because it’s hard. Relationships, careers, physical fitness, they all take effort. Despite our best intentions, it’s easy to lose focus. In today’s digital culture, we’re inundated…
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Lessons Learned about Life, Love, and Leadership While Flying the Apache Gunship in Afghanistan and Why I Believe a Prepared Mind Can Help Minimize PTSD
Brian Slade · 2022
One in three will experience a significant trauma in their life. For Army Apache Pilot Brian Slade, his first was in Afghanistan. Offering a unique perspective on preparing one’s mind for trauma, Cleared Hot puts readers in the cockpit of the most lethal…
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Larry Yatch · 2022
Everything you’ve been taught about leadership is backward, beginning with the costly mistake that causes you to sacrifice money, time, and human capital day after day. It’s not a calculation error or a problem with management style, it’s repeatedly choosing…
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Marty Groover · 2022
Speed of Advance (SOA): the speed of a ship anticipated along an intended track; the average speed required to arrive at a destination at a specified time. In the navy, nothing is left to chance. Every strategy is tested, every resource utilized with minimal…
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