War & Defence Operations

War and defence operations books share a wealth of knowledge from military leaders and strategists from around the world. Their years of experience and training are condensed into incredible reads, as they offer detailed insights into what it’s like to be on the battlefront, what strategies are in place, and whether those strategies work as desired – or leave a lot to be desired.

Booktopia is proud to stock an array of these titles, from military strategy to defence policy books, operational art releases, counterinsurgency, and more. Browse online and expand your knowledge of history and modern day warfare.

Operational art books
Operational art requires immense knowledge, experience, skill, and smarts. It’s the art of military commanders who carefully plan tactical campaigns and strategies.

One of the most devious and clever operations of the second world war was Operation Mincemeat. By tricking the Germans into thinking that the British were about to invade Greece, one eccentric RAF officer managed to change the course of the war. Recreated through the gathering of private documents, letters, memories, photographs, and newly released information, this is a gripping tale of one incredible operation that elicited phenomenal results.

Another daring strategy that became legend and is now available as a non-fiction is Operation Biting. This story takes place in 1942, when a new radar network popped up in Nazi-occupied Europe. A team of Airborne Forces was tasked with parachuting behind enemy lines and capturing key components of the network. What follows is a gripping, nail-biting read, made all the more tense and exciting knowing that every moment of it was real.

Defence policy books
One of the lesser told stories of Korean War is the naval air campaign. In Holding the Line, author Thomas McKelvey Cleaver sheds light on what became known as ‘the long hard slog’, in which naval aviators worked to cut off the communist forces and support troops on the ground. For a record 93 continuous days, the USS Leyte operated off the coastline to support the Marines in their retreat out of North Korea.

For a more academic look at defence policy, try Strategy and Defence Planning. This release explores how and why strategists prepare for defence. It highlights the challenge of defence planning being expensive and politically unpopular, whilst remaining vital to the future wellbeing of military units, armies, and nations.