Well I had a chance to get some light reading done while I was on holiday and thought that a few of the highlights were worth a mention. Stephen Ambrose's books are a darn good read. Everyone's heard of Band of Brothers, so I'll skip that one (it's the book that the series came from).

Wild Blue is a book that follows the life of 741 Squadron during WW2. It's well documented and referenced. Like BoB it mainly follows the story of a singular crew as they get to grips with the war, the B24s and the astonishing casualty rate.

Ambrose quotes several other authors' works and material including such gems as:

Fussell defines the term precisely. "Chickenshit refers to behavior that makes military life worse than it need be: petty harassment of the weak by the strong; open scrimmage for power and authority and prestige...insistence on the letter rather than the spirit of ordinances. Chickenshit is so called -- instead of horse -- or bull -- or elephant *suitcase* -- because it is small-minded and ignoble and takes the trivial seriously. Chickenshit can be recognized instantly because it never has anything to do with winning the war." 

<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1840189746" target="_blank" hspace="4"><img src="http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/1840189746.02._PE20_SCMZZZZZZZ_.jpg" align="right" border="0"></a>The book that takes the biscuit though is Weekend Warrior: A Territorial Soldier's War in Iraq . I can't recommend this book highly enough. It was written after Op Telic and recounts the author's adventures in Iraq. As a member of the Territorial Army Kevin is somewhat surprised to be called upon to go to war...

<blockquote><i>Kevin J. Mervin was one of 2,351 British Territorial Army soldiers called up for Operation Telic in February 2003 to fight Saddam Hussein's regime alongside the British regulars and US troops. Like the other TA soldiers, this was the first time Mervin was to experience real fighting rather than the weekend training he would normally undertake. During his time in Iraq, Mervin kept a day-to-day diary of his movements and noted the daily events taking place elsewhere in the war, and this diary forms the backbone of his dramatic account. Weekend Warrior reflects the traumas, trials and tribulations that Mervin and colleagues endured while carrying out their work, including situations in which they literally had to fight for their lives. It is a personal story of the conflict in Iraq from a 'part-time' soldier's point of view. Mervin reveals how he and his companions dealt with the horrific sights, sounds and realities of war. Thrust unexpectedly into the middle of a dangerous conflict, his memoirs emphasise that the war was not the pushover many journalists portrayed it to be. As the battle continued, all Mervin wanted was his life back, including the opportunity to return to his civilian job. Unfortunately, both were to prove out of the question: his outlook on life in general was immensely affected by his experiences, while his manager sacked him for being absent due to his call out. Weekend Warrior paints a startlingly vivid picture of fear and confusion on the front line and the long-term mental scars inflicted upon the author as a result.</i></blockquote>

If you've got a few quid to spare grab this book now! I won't spoil the tales, but the recollection of the handgrenades, the "armoured" Land Rover escort, and their accidental invasion across the border (GPS was working, but the radio was dead) is priceless. The chap lost his job after he returned from the war so I truly hope the guy makes a mint from the sales of this book.