Now here is something that everyone can embrace – a Congressman with a “Top 50” book list and believes,

…strongly that officers and senior enlisted members need to read books about military strategy and American history to benefit from lessons of the past and better understand American values.

Generally speaking, especially on National Security Issues, a village elder such as Rep. Skelton should be listend to very closely. When he recommends something to feed ‘yo nogg’n – doubly so.

Some of his Top 50 are very Navy-Marine Corps specific, such as The Age of Nelson, At War at Sea, Pacific Alamo: The Battle for Wake Island, The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors, Danger’s Hour, and Flags of Our Fathers,

There is even a Naval Institute Press book on the list, Defense Logistics for the 21st Century.

Also on the list is one that, simply by its title, lends itself as a nice gift to that new ENS or 2LT … or freshly minted First Class; The Past as Prologue: The Importance of History to the Military Profession.

The Navy Times article here has a link to the list – but if you want a user friendly visual tour of the list – I have it on an Amazon widget at my home blog here.

Good stuff!