Recommendations please

[desertmum]

DS is in the middle of basic training in the army and has asked me to send him a copule of books to read. As he is not a natural reader I'm not sure what to send him. Any recommendations for good reads on British military history? Ancient battles etc?

No idea on that one sorry.

What about the Sharpe novels by Bernard Cornwell .. same as the TV series with Sean Bean.
If he enjoys the first one there are loads more!

If you think he would like a laugh/escapism he could try the Flashman Chronicles, quite a lot of history mixed in with some general hilarious misadventures. My dh loves them, they are humourous but well written.

Second Sharpe.

Hornblower. Master and Commander.

I've always nursed a fondness for the Sven Hassel WW2 books. Not my normal thing at all, but easy to read and entertaining.

Flashman all the way exh loved them and he was forces

Starship Troopers! no matter how bad he thinks his basic is, Johnny has it worse :D
Or the "Bil the Galactic Hero" series by Harry Harrison - they are sci-fi comedic and set in the military of the future but think "Dad's Army" or "Allo Allo" type farcical happenings that ring true iykwim.
Or the "Old Man's War" series by John Scalzi - they are more "hard" sci-fi but still funny in places and point up all the little quirks of the military as well as having a great plot line.