Not a simple repackaging of commonly known facts and Eurocentric military biographies, R.G. Grant’s “Commanders – History’s Greatest Military Leaders” is a cornucopia of information on military leaders from across the span of recorded history.

The War Against the Nazi U-boats 1942-1944: The Anti-Submarine Command. L. Douglas Keeney, ed. Premiere, 2012. Paperback. 181 pages. $14.95

During the opening years of World War II, the Nazi military employed one of the deadliest nautical weapons, the submarine, …

The Military Quotation Book; Revised for the 21st Century. Book review. Edited by James Charlton. Thomas Dunne Books/St. Martin’s Press. 176 pages. $17.99

What does an author say to prospective readers in a review about a book on military …

Soldier Dogs, the Untold Story of America’s Canine Heroes. Maria Goodavage. New American Library (division of Penguin Books), 2012. 293 pages, 28 photographs, Softcover. $16.00

Soldier Dogs, the Untold Story of America’s Canine Heroes, provides an insightful look at …

“The Civil War in Color” is a fascinating coffee-table sized book that adds life to “dusty images of a dustier past.” Period photographs have been electronically “cleaned up” to improve image quality and then colorized with careful attention to detail.

“The Guerrilla Factory: The Making of Special Forces Officers, the Green Berets,” by Tony Schwalm, presents insights into the world of Special Forces, presented in a narrative style that makes the book hard to put down.

Amy S. Greenberg’s “A Wicked War: Polk, Clay, Lincoln, and the 1846 U.S. Invasion of Mexico,” covers the political decisions and actions that led to what U.S. Grant later called a wicked war.

“Reporting the Revolutionary War” is an impressive collection of reproductions of newspaper pages from the time of the American War for Independence, a must-have for anyone interested in the period.

“Five Lieutenants” tells the stories of five junior officers who left Harvard University and volunteered to participate in a cause larger than themselves by fighting in World War I.

“Playing at the World” is a scholar’s look at the gaming hobby, a heavy read but well worth the effort for those who want to learn the history of wargaming and roleplaying.

Well-written and insightful, “Rome’s Last Citizen” is not only interesting for the historical perspective it sheds on Cato and Rome, but also for the light it sheds on the similarities between Rome and modern America.

“Into The Fire: A Firsthand Account of the Most Extraordinary Battle in the Afghan War” is a compelling book that takes readers into the emotions of soldiers during and after combat as few other books have done.

‘Valor in Vietnam, 1963 – 1977′ tells the story of America’s involvement in Vietnam through the collected stories of many veterans’ experiences. Several chapters also contain some timeless nuggets of military leadership advice.

‘Kiev 1941; Hitler’s Battle for Supremacy in the East’ is a well-written discussion, not just of the Battle of Kiev, but of the progress and outlook for Barbarossa as a whole, a book with the premise that “The battle was not the seamless encounter often portrayed.”

‘Desperate Sons: Samuel Adams, Patrick Henry, John Hancock and the Secret band of Radicals Who Led the Colonies to War’ examines the rise and activities of the Sons Of Liberty and much more besides.

‘Military History: The Definitive Visual Guide to the Objects of Warfare’ is a lavishly illustrated history of military technology from the Stone Age to the modern day.