Books | Best Companions

One of the best companions that a man or woman can ever have is a book. Dogs or other animals as companions do provide unquestioning loyalty and affection to human beings, but if one were to develop reading as a habit or pastime, the opportunities or windows that this hobby opens are unlimited. It is always good to keep abreast of developments in any field that concerns your profession, but for soldiers it is all the more important to not only learn from history, but also understand the vagaries of war, the destruction and suffering that it brings about and do everything that one can to prevent conflict.

Coerced or forced into a situation when conflict is inevitable, a soldier’s duty or ‘Dharma’ is to fight for what is right, even if the fight is against one’s own family, as was taught to Arjuna by Lord Krishna in the epic battle of Mahabharata. The importance of Professional Military Education (PME) continues to grow for soldiers as they graduate from tactics to strategy in their respective services. With the constraints of time and the proliferation of social media, it becomes even more difficult for professional soldiers to devote time to reading, however, the benefits that accrue and the knowledge and wisdom that is gained could prove to be life changing not only for individuals but for nations as well.

While the books that one can read know no bounds, there are some that must be read. A short list of books that are deemed important for not only soldiers but also scholars of military history and national strategy with reasons as to why they must be read is enclosed.

A History of Warfare by John Keegan is a must read for military scholars, this book traces the history of war from the beginning of civilization to the present times. De