Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Making the Corps | 1997 | Thomas E. Ricks | Buy |
| 2 | A Soldier’s Duty | 2001 | Thomas E. Ricks | Buy |
| 3 | Fiasco | 2006 | Thomas E. Ricks | Buy |
| 4 | The Gamble | 2009 | Thomas E. Ricks | Buy |
| 5 | The Unraveling | 2010 | Thomas E. Ricks | Buy |
| 6 | The Generals | 2012 | Thomas E. Ricks | Buy |
| 7 | Churchill and Orwell | 2017 | Thomas E. Ricks | Buy |
| 8 | First Principles | 2020 | Thomas E. Ricks | Buy |
| 9 | Waging a Good War | 2022 | Thomas E. Ricks | Buy |
Thomas E. Ricks’ nine non-fiction books cover American military culture from multiple angles. Making the Corps examines Marine boot camp. Fiasco and The Gamble chronicle the Iraq War’s failures and course corrections. The Generals traces the decline of military leadership accountability since WWII. A Soldier’s Duty and The Unraveling extend his military analysis.
Churchill and Orwell pairs two writers who shaped how we think about power and truth. First Principles connects the founding fathers to Greek and Roman philosophy. Waging a Good War examines the civil rights movement as a military campaign. Ricks writes history with a journalist’s directness and a deep familiarity with how institutions actually function.