You’ve heard the common phrase before, “Write what you know.” And who better to write about the harsh and weighty realities of war, the rigidity and routines of the military, the unique skillset needed to be part of it all, and the lasting effect of what they’ve witnessed — than someone who has lived it? These five authors have spent varying amounts of time in the military and used their service to inform tense, entertaining and eye-opening novels that pose moral questions about the realities of war and what the affected must endure.
The Terminal List by Jack Carr
A Navy SEAL is disillusioned when he discovers that the deaths of his team are the fault of the American government, not a foreign enemy — a realization that sends him on a self-destructive and vengeful path. His return home was supposed to be a celebration, not a massacre. Uncovering a conspiracy that runs deeper than he could have imagined, Lieutenant Commander James Reece seeks revenge for these unjust killings.
Free from the military’s strict rule, he uses his decades of training to avenge the deaths of the people he loved. Now a Prime Original Series, Jack Carr’s novel is a fast-paced dive into one man’s quest for justice — without regard for laws outside of his own moral code.
Author Jack Carr is a former Navy SEAL who served several decades as he led special operations teams as a Team Leader, Platoon Commander, Troop Commander, and Task Unit Commander.
Plowman: Harvest of Grain and Innocence by Charles Bruckerhoff
When Stella and Hana discover their great-grandparents’ WWII journals and a grandparent’s wartime journal from Vietnam, they are inspired to compile the accounts from the journals into a single book. News that Stella’s father has been killed in action in Afghanistan radically changes their ideas about the book’s themes. What once seemed like true patriots undertaking heroic acts in the name of the greater good, suddenly is revealed to be the pointless slaughter that it truly is.
They decide to write a treatise on the reality of war, stripping away the veneer placed over it by those who benefit from it. Stella and Hana turn their focus to changing social, cultural, moral, and military priorities, starting from the ground and working their way up to the highest seats of power.
The author, Charles Bruckerhoff joined the United States Army at 19 and served in Vietnam. He says “Writing Plowman was not a therapy course for me, but a thoughtful journey through time and space endeavoring to make sense of America and our leaders’ continuing wrong wars. I came to the conclusion that these wars can only be understood in the framework of greed, power and arrogance.”
(Read the review and interview with the author.)
The Red Line by Walt Gragg
This debut novel is a highly realistic story about a fictional near-future war between the United States and Russia. The opening sentence in the novel states: “As with all wars, there were a million good reasons to go to war, and there were no good reasons at all.”
World War III arrives when the Russian Empire attacks Germany. Under the cover of a blizzard, Russian tanks roll through the heart of the country while undercover teams take advantage of any weaknesses in command.
Who is powerful enough to fight this attack? Surely the American forces, though few in number, are prepared. Their weapons are superior and they’re well trained for this precise scenario. But before long, they are on the run from insurmountable death and destruction.
Author Walt Gragg spent a number of years in the military. His time with the Army involved several interesting assignments, including three years in the middle of the first Cold War serving at United States European Command Headquarters in Germany — where the idea for The Red Line took shape.
Read this article by the author and his essay on war.
Waiting for Eden by Elliot Ackerman
In Waiting for Eden, Eden is on his deathbed, unable to move or talk. His wife is not the only one by his side for three painful years — Eden’s best friend, another Marine who has already passed, waits for Eden to join him in death. While he waits, he remembers life, the secrets held between Eden, his wife, and himself.
This haunting exploration of war and the casualties that exist far beyond death, meditates on loyalty, friendship, betrayal and love. It gives a glimpse into the mind of a soldier, haunted by grief and the past, as he waits for Eden in a world beyond life.
Called “The Tim O’Brien of our era,” by Vogue, Elliot Ackerman pulls from his experience as a Marine veteran who served five tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, where he received the Silver Star, the Bronze Star for Valor, and the Purple Heart.
Silver Wings, Iron Cross by Tom Young
It’s the last weeks of World War II, and Karl has been ordered on a mission that will require him to bomb the German city of Bremen where his parents were born and where he still has relatives. Can he fly this mission in good conscience?
Wilhelm and his crew, painfully aware of the direction the war is headed, have still been carrying out their orders with precision and courage — until he is commanded to take his crew on a suicide mission.
This American Air Force bomber pilot and German U-boat commander in the waning days of World War II end up on the ground — in enemy territory for both of them, no longer predators, but prey. They can no longer be enemies if they are to survive. Together, they’re going to have to hide from civilians and soldiers alike, as their patriotism put to the test.
When asked about the authenticity of his novel, Young said, “I spent 20 years with the Air National Guard, and I deployed for missions in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere. For most of that time, I flew as a flight engineer on the C-130 Hercules and the C-5 Galaxy. I never faced anything as horrific as the air war over Europe during World War II, but I learned how a crew bonds and communicates.”
(Read the review and interview with the author.)
