01/01/2026
📚 New Year, New Missions... and New Books?
How many of you have a goal to do more reading in 2026? 🙋♂️🙋♀️
Whether you’re looking to sharpen your leadership skills, revisit history, or just get lost in a great story, we’ve put together a "Must-Read" list for our American Legion family.
We’ve highlighted books written by fellow veterans and some of the most talked-about military titles hitting the shelves this year:
🎖️ VETERAN VOICES: Memoirs & Transitions
• "Grit to Glory" by Darrell Utt (Ret. Green Beret): A raw, honest account of leadership and brotherhood. No fluff, just the reality of life in Special Forces.
• "South, Toward Home" by Porter Briggs (US Army Veteran): A brand new 2026 release. It’s a powerful look at the transition from the uniform back to civilian life—a story many of us know well.
📜 HISTORY & STRATEGY
• "Patton’s Prayer" by Alex Kershaw: The true story of Patton’s famous prayer for weather during the Battle of the Bulge. It’s a great testament to faith and grit under pressure.
• "Gettysburg" by Adam I.P. Smith: This is being called the definitive Civil War book for 2026. A fresh look at the ground our ancestors fought on.
🌲 THE TIMELESS CLASSIC
• "With the Old Breed" by E.B. Sledge: There’s a reason this WWII classic is back on the "Must-Read" lists this year. It remains one of the most authentic accounts of combat ever written.
🚀 MILITARY FICTION (New for Jan '26!)
• "Blood Meteor" by J.N. Chaney & Terry Maggert: For the sci-fi fans! This brand-new release takes Marine Corps values and drops them into a high-stakes future.
💬 LETS HEAR IT:
Drop a comment below with your favorite military book of all time so we can help each other fill up our 2026 reading lists! 👇