56 Books Like In Death Ground

I have enjoyed literally hundreds of hours of thrilling military SF in the series of which this book is the first novel. David Weber is one of two authors who have invented new SF sub-genres. In David’s case, the sub-genre is often called space opera. The other author is David Drake. His Hammer’s Slammers stories are now considered the first books in the ‘space marines’ sub-genre.

David Weber’s story universe is huge. I sometimes think it’s too big in the sense that he tries to weave too many sub-plots into the larger story arc. But his first book is quite moderate in this regard. I started writing my own military SF novels partly because Weber wasn’t writing new sequels fast enough to satisfy my thirst for thrilling space combat.

I found this book, the first of four in the series, to be fascinating in its portrayal of a race of intelligent, upright-walking lions. Cherryh’s ability to invent believable and fully fleshed-out alien races is delightful.

In this series, humans are the aliens. I loved how Cherryh made the reader root for the lions and their strange but understandable culture. It's a great concept by a great writer.

I was enthralled by this book. If memory serves me correctly, C.J. Cherrryh was awarded the title of Grand Master by an SF organization for this book and it’s obvious why.

The scope of the story universe she has created is mind-boggling. The characters are believable, and the action makes your heart beat faster. There are scenes in the book that make you want to see them in a movie. I can say that this book and her style of writing has had a bigger impact on my own writing than any other author.

If military SF is your thing, you’ll love this book.

I read this book at university and couldn’t put it down. It was written in the 1950s by an author who tragically took his own life just as he was on the verge of becoming as popular as Arthur C. Clark or Isaac Asimov. Do not be put off by the campy title. It’s a ‘rousing good yarn’ and may have influenced a lot of space opera writers over the years.

Piper was a student of history, and his historical knowledge is evident in this book. His writing style reflects the times he was in when curse words were not allowed every day, so he had to invent his own. Piper is also known for his very popular Fuzzies series and his Paratime stories.

I often wonder what other rousing good yarns he would have written if he had not committed suicide. I have reread all his books at least… show more.

This book is about the art of war, the artistry of war, and the thinking behind war. In The Best And The Brightest David Halberstam documents how the people running the Vietnam War had no grasp of what war was. And, they were going up against Ho Chi Minh who translated this book from Chinese to Vietnamese and ingrained the concepts into his soldiers. 

The Americans had all the technology and industry that was possible during this era. They had machine guns, bombs, aircraft, and helicopters. They were building ports, warehouses, flying over ping pong tables, ice-cold Coca Cola machines, whatever they wanted. And, nobody was thinking about war. They were thinking logically and that all these mechanical things were going to win the war. On the other side, the Vietnamese had this book. They studied this book and they lived this book. I was interviewing a 67-year-old member of… show more.

Sun Tzu’s classic text, The Art of War has been a ‘go-to’ handbook for scholars, politicians, and military leaders for centuries.

In more recent times, politicians, entrepreneurs, business leaders, and sports coaches have turned to this classic for invaluable commentary and guidance of strategy, leadership, competition, cooperation, and organisation.

Krause puts Sun Tzu’s concepts in context with the business world to save the reader having to ‘translate’ the instructions on how to wage war to how to conduct business successfully.

Both the monk and the martial artist in me have long found Sun Tzu’s treatise on how to conduct military campaigns to be fully as seminal as Carl von Clausewitz’s “On War.” Both books are studied at the United States Military Academy at West Point. I find Sun Tzu’s wisdom to be applicable to both combat and life’s more pleasant endeavors, such as relationships and work. Sun Tzu’s is purported to be the student of the great Daoist Sage Lao Tzu, author of the Tao Te Ching, a seminal work that many folks find impenetrable. Perhaps that’s why Sun Tzu can be a bit oblique sometimes, too. This interpretation of his lessons, replete with wonderful illustrations, lends insight into the text and makes it easier to understand. 

This book has been a timeless source of wisdom for me. I love how Sun Tzu's insights on strategy, leadership, and adaptability transcend time and are incredibly applicable to modern business challenges.

This book has profoundly influenced how I approach competition and strategic planning in AI and technology sectors. It reminds me that understanding the landscape and being flexible is key to success.

This book offers a monumental three-volume account of America’s defining conflict.

Combining meticulous research with a novelist’s flair, Foote vividly portrays battles, political struggles, and personal experiences on both sides. His narrative balances strategy, leadership, and human cost, giving readers a deep sense of the era’s complexity.

While Foote’s Southern sympathies can be seen, such as his portrayal of Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest, downplaying his subsequent leadership of the Ku Klux Klan, his prose remains compelling and accessible. Reading it provided invaluable context for understanding the Civil War and its enduring impact.

I recommend this book because it is not only the oldest military book known, but also a foundational text. It is short, simple to read, and can be understood at multiple levels from absolute novice to grand strategist. It is a compilation of aphorisms and stories intended to give the reader an insight into the nature of war. To stay with the Chinese theme, Lao Tzu reputedly said that the journey of a thousand li (miles) begins with a single step. This book is that step.