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Quick answer: If you loved Red Platoon, read Jake Tapper's The Outpost, then Marcus Luttrell's Lone Survivor, then Chris Kyle's American Sniper, and Mark Bowden's Black Hawk Down and Dan Mills's Sniper One. All are soldiers' accounts of single battles.
Clinton Romesha's Red Platoon (2016) tells the story of the Battle of Kamdesh. These picks share its detail and courage.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Outpost | Jake Tapper | Adult | Afghanistan war history |
| Lone Survivor | Marcus Luttrell | Adult | SEAL memoirs |
| American Sniper | Chris Kyle | Adult | a SEAL's memoir |
| Black Hawk Down | Mark Bowden | Adult | military reportage |
| Sniper One | Dan Mills | Adult | a British view of Iraq |
| Seal Team Six | Howard E. Wasdin and Stephen Templin | Adult | special-forces memoir |
| We Were Soldiers Once… and Young | Harold G. Moore and Joseph L. Galloway | Adult | Ia Drang valley |
| Band of Brothers | Stephen E. Ambrose | Adult | European war |
| Unbroken | Laura Hillenbrand | Adult | survival in captivity |
| Citizen Soldiers | Stephen E. Ambrose | Adult | ordinary soldiers |
| The Terminal List | Jack Carr | Adult | revenge thrillers |
| American Assassin | Vince Flynn | Adult | action thrillers |
| Without Remorse | Tom Clancy | Adult | revenge thrillers |
| Skunk Works | Ben R. Rich and Leo Janos | Adult | aviation history |
| Run Silent, Run Deep | Edward L. Beach | Adult | submarine war |
1. The Outpost by Jake Tapper
Journalist Jake Tapper reconstructs the history of Combat Outpost Keating, a remote Afghan base attacked in 2009. Well reported and gripping.
Best for: Afghanistan war history.
2. Lone Survivor by Marcus Luttrell
A Navy SEAL's account of a failed mission in Afghanistan. Intense and personal.
Best for: SEAL memoirs.
3. American Sniper by Chris Kyle
Navy SEAL Chris Kyle's 2012 memoir of four Iraq tours and his record as a sniper, written with Scott McEwen and Jim DeFelice. Direct and intense.
Best for: a SEAL's memoir.
4. Black Hawk Down by Mark Bowden
A minute-by-minute account of a 1993 US raid in Mogadishu. Gripping and based on interviews.
Best for: military reportage.
5. Sniper One by Dan Mills
A British Army sergeant's account of defending a small base in Al Amarah, Iraq, in 2004. Fast, blunt and tense.
Best for: a British view of Iraq.
6. Seal Team Six by Howard E. Wasdin and Stephen Templin
A former Navy SEAL describes his training and missions, including in Somalia. Direct and fast to read.
Best for: special-forces memoir.
7. We Were Soldiers Once… and Young by Harold G. Moore and Joseph L. Galloway
A commander and a journalist recall a key battle in Vietnam. Detailed and moving.
Best for: Ia Drang valley.
8. Band of Brothers by Stephen E. Ambrose
The story of Easy Company, 506th Parachute Infantry, from training to the war's end. Popular and well researched.
Best for: European war.
9. Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
An Olympic runner survives a plane crash and a Japanese prison camp. Epic and harrowing.
Best for: survival in captivity.
10. Citizen Soldiers by Stephen E. Ambrose
Follows US soldiers from D-Day to the end of the war in Europe. Detailed and human.
Best for: ordinary soldiers.
11. The Terminal List by Jack Carr
A Navy SEAL seeks revenge after his family is killed. Violent and direct.
Best for: revenge thrillers.
12. American Assassin by Vince Flynn
Mitch Rapp is recruited after a terrorist attack. Action-packed and fast.
Best for: action thrillers.
13. Without Remorse by Tom Clancy
A Navy SEAL seeks revenge for his family's murder. Origin story for John Clark.
Best for: revenge thrillers.
14. Skunk Works by Ben R. Rich and Leo Janos
The former head of Lockheed's secret Skunk Works unit tells how his team built the U-2, the SR-71 and the stealth fighter. Technical and fast.
Best for: aviation history.
15. Run Silent, Run Deep by Edward L. Beach
A submarine commander seeks revenge in the Pacific. Tight and authentic, from a real submariner.
Best for: submarine war.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with Red Platoon: its tone, its themes, its pace or the kind of characters it puts at the center. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious titles, and we noted who each book suits best so you can match it to the reader. Where a book belongs to a series, we list the first volume so you can start at the beginning.
If you are not sure where to begin, start with the first three picks in the table: they are the closest match to Red Platoon. The rest of the list moves further out, so it works well once you know which part of the original you liked most.
How to Choose
For the same genre, read The Outpost or Lone Survivor. For history, try Black Hawk Down. For fiction, pick The Terminal List.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who wrote Red Platoon?
Clinton Romesha, in 2016.
What is it about?
The 2009 Battle of Kamdesh in Afghanistan.
Did he receive an honour?
Yes, the Medal of Honor.
Which book here is best for submarine war?
Try Run Silent, Run Deep by Edward L. Beach, which suits readers looking for submarine war.
Which book here is best for aviation history?
Try Skunk Works by Ben R. Rich and Leo Janos, which suits readers looking for aviation history.
Which book here is best for revenge thrillers?
Try Without Remorse by Tom Clancy, which suits readers looking for revenge thrillers.
Which book here is best for action thrillers?
Try American Assassin by Vince Flynn, which suits readers looking for action thrillers.
Which book here is best for revenge thrillers?
Try The Terminal List by Jack Carr, which suits readers looking for revenge thrillers.