42 Books Like A Message to Garcia and Other Essays

I’ve always enjoyed reading true stories of how people survive some of the most abominable situations.

After reading Endurance, I strive to be like Shackleton under pressure. Here’s a man that not only leads by example, but who refuses to quit when all hope is lost.

In Endurance, Shackleton had one purpose that was much bigger than himself. It was to bring every man home alive from a journey that should have ended in the complete annihilation of his crew. When he finally hears the tolling of the bell on the island, tears filled my eyes. 

Shackleton shows what happens when a man’s purpose becomes bigger than himself. It reminds me that the strongest kind of inner change often occurs when responsibility outweighs fear.  A story every person should read.

This is a powerful memoir.

As a reader, we follow Paul first as a doctor and then as a patient. He reminds us of our vulnerability when seeking medical care. He questions, “Why was I so authoritative in a surgeon’s coat but so meek in a patient’s gown?”

When Breath Becomes Air is a deep meditation on life and the dying process. Written in the first person, this is a courageous and emotionally charged read. Kalanithi is a courageous pilgrim who documents first-hand his own uncharted territory: death.

Confronted with his end of life, this 37-year-old neurosurgeon reflects on the fundamental universal questions that we will all ponder when facing mortality. Even though the reader is led graciously to death’s door, it remains an abrupt and emotionally devastating shock when, in fact, Paul Kalanithi’s breath simply becomes air.

I’m not a fan of conflict (Who is?!), so I found this book incredibly helpful. I really liked the way the authors broke things down into simple buckets. For example, rather than thinking, ‘Why did that innocent little, tiny comment wind me up so much? I must be a muppet!’ It helped me to see the principles at play and, therefore, what I could do to keep thriving.  

I use many of the techniques described here on a daily basis. They have helped me to stay true to what is important whilst maintaining rapport, to seek out valuable feedback without getting bent out of shape, and to deliver difficult messages more compassionately and effectively. 

For me, this book was a complete "eye-opener." I was impressed by the risks taken, the fortitude and strength to move forward against massive odds, and the unlikely players (African American individuals with no prior training creating the first paramedic team in the world).

It all happened in Pittsburgh in the early ’70s. I was moved by the desire to succeed, which was in clear display. I was also very impressed by the lack of need for self-recognition. They did what they did because they knew it was the right thing to do. I truly admire that human characteristic.

This book is one of the finest resources presenting the unusual experience of midshipmen life at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD. In a conversational, informative, and warmly-written style, AN Shine helps parents and family members to learn—and admire—the military, institutional, cultural, academic, and social traditions their midshipmen follow for four years. The author certainly knows. Her father and also two of her children are Naval Academy graduates. This outstanding book about one of America's historic service academies is a pleasure to read. I had the privilege to work with her as a fellow Naval Academy author.

It is the captivating story of the five Wilson brothers from Iowa. Leora was their mother—Joy’s delightful grandmother. All five of these brave young men enlisted. Only two came home. All served their country during WWII, two in the Navy, and three in the Army Air Corps. Kidney provides her readers with a genuine and heartfelt glimpse into the life of an American family during one of our nation's most difficult times. It is so well-crafted, combining letters, photographs, and narratives that touch your heart. Joy Neal Kidney makes you feel like a member of her family. I hoped that all men would make it back safely. Unfortunately, war is never that compassionate and affects many lives in the process. It is an absorbing read and well worth the endeavor.

This manual belonged to me. It may seem like an odd recommendation. However, whenever my memory was fuzzy on some detail, such as the various boatswain’s calls, I consulted my well-worn bluejacket’s manual and found the answer.

I’m recommending this book because it is another “formative text” for my writing style, and I have kept a paperback copy of it for almost 40 years.

Unlike Coyle, Barrett Tillman is known primarily for his nonfiction books. This is a crying shame because this book displays some of the most deft aviation fighting I’ve ever seen. Almost as important, Tillman actually develops characters and their relationships (think if Maverick and Charlie had continued past Top Gun, but if Maveric was a mercenary)

Lastly, you can tell that Tillman really did his research as a historian in his fiction. The F-20 Tigershark (central to the plot) doesn’t have a lot of information available on it. Tillman clearly not only loved the airframe, but found everything he could. This makes it work both as a technothriller and (now) alternate history. 

While the outcome of the naval war was a foregone conclusion, the United States Navy and a swarm of privateers punched well above their weight, humiliating the world’s preeminent navy early in the conflict and boosting American national morale. There are a number of excellent books on the naval history of the conflict, but, carefully researched and accessibly written, Perilous Fight is my favorite telling of this critical aspect of the War of 1812.

When I was a first-year student at the U.S. Naval Academy in 1972, every “plebe,” as we were called, was required to take a full-year course called simply Sea Power. It is in a sense four books in one: a history of the United States Navy and of American naval power; a history of the world’s navies; a study of the evolution of naval warfare; and a study of the part that sea power has played in the exercise of national power. It is also full of dozens of maps, charts, and, above all, detailed tactical depictions of individual battles, the latter ranging from the Bay of Salamis, where the Greeks and Persians fought 2,500 years ago, through Trafalgar at the height of the Napoleonic Wars, to the pivotal battles of Midway and Leyte Gulf in World War II.