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Here's a list of books that a Mission Director should read.

Sun Tzu's the Art of War: basic military strategies and the philosophy of the VC.

Che Guevara's Essays on Guerrilla Warfare: for a Latin American campaign, this is EXACTLY how communist rebels will operate and the the tactics used. It even has pictures on how to make a tank-trap!

Starship-Troopers.

Country-Study Books: Vietnam or what ever country you're interested in: usually found at your local libraries and most books are outdated, written in the '80s or '70s.

Green Beret's Survival Guide: has tips on setting booby-traps and survival techniques.

Army Field Manual: having seen one of these in a while, but it as useful thinks like how to cover-fire etc.

Daily Life in the Soviet-Union: exactly how a communist occupation would be.

A war novel about Vietnam or any small-actions warfare from the 20th century; you can even use a Civil-War novel if its about skirmishes. It will just give you ideas.

If you're born in the 1980s or later, a book about life in the USA during the 60s and 70s.

An essay on the elements of a Communist take-over; I don't remember who wrote it, but it had key concepts such as use of propaganda and "No body really wants a communist revolution".

EDIT: An Illustrated Guide to Weapons of the Modern Soviet Ground Forces: it's a neat little book that came out in '81; it has useful stuff like prior to Yom Kipper, soviet infantry and a BMP fought together; after: Soviet-infantry dismounted 300 yards and then moved forward to their objective. See, useful!

Books you don't really need to read.

The Communist Manifesto: next to the Bible, this just might be the second most influential book: it changed the lives of billions of people! You just need to know the basic concepts to how your enemy-forces will be thinking.

The Third World War: August, 1985: a very thought-out and technical book, but it's too technical for a Recon game.

Making out in Vietnamese or Making out in Spanish / Arabic: knowing basic phrases in your country of operations is useful for flavor, but no es muy important y pero dalo las pimientas.

also any of the books about Carlos Hathcock, I prefer Marine Sniper: 93 Confirmed Kills, it gives a good fell on how things where in country according to some Nam Vets I've known over the years.

This link might be useful.

It speaks of the Russian character.

http://readrussia.com/2015/03/06/vatnos ... nd-russia/

I recommend a book called "The 13th Valley" by John DelVecchio, a Vietnam veteran. It's about some Infantrymen going on patrols in Vietnam. I think it's based on a lot of true events, but it's also highly fictionalized.

In the American psyche, most of Vietnam is fictionalized. I have only met one guy who was in Vietnam (had a broken back from mortar-fire, but could still work), but, I have seen a lot of movies about Vietnam. Basically, you go on a patrol and get in a fire-fight. Much like fighting in WW2; you storm a beach and shoot the, "Japs".

Just bought Che Guevara on Guerrilla Warfare and the USMC Guidebook, 1986 at a used book sale. I've never been in the military so the Guidebook is useful. I've read the first part of Che's book; he violated his own strategy in guerrilla warfare; he clearly did not have the support of the people. He was what he would have been considered a bandit and killed soon.

There's also the Green Berets' Survival-Guide, which I have some where but cannot find!

Infantry in Vietnam by LtC Albert Garland

Great Livin' in Grubby Times by Don Paul.

Interesting; it tells how to survive an apocalypse (so to speak).