Would you please recommend books that describe battle scenes? I am looking to get ideas (obviously), as well as descriptive words and, moreover, the tone to use. I have used some books from The Song of Ice and Fire, but I am looking for more modern warfare, even futuristic star wars type battles. Thank you so much for your time and attention to this.
Bernard Cornwell is the master of battle scenes. Seek ye out his Warrior Chronicles/Saxon Stories. You can practically smell the battles.
Stephen Pressfield has written a number of military historical fiction novels set in Ancient Greece. The battle scenes in those books, particularly Gates of Fire and Tides of War, are so very good. I can't recommend them highly enough. I know they aren't futuristic, but war is war.
What kind of battle? Melee? Frontal attacks? Breakthrough + widening? B&W changing to motti (pocket fighting).? The silent warfare with snipers and drones? Hybrid war? Other kind of asymmetric war? Consuming type? Hit and run? Stealth? ...
As long as the battle reads like battle, I'm not sure if the specifics matter if the OP would like to read good examples recommended by members. You could just post your recommendations labeled as above.
I can't give you examples of books, but something... Melee:. Urban restless. France and Britain have some examples. Some arab countries. Frontal attacks: Ukraine. Breakthrough and widening: Ukraine, Georgia... Motti. WW2. Finland vs. Soviet Union. Silent & drones: Ukraine and other new conflicts. Hybrid: Soviet Union & Russia all the time. All the countries near it are it's targets. And all the other countries also. China is also big in this, but it does not show it's actions. Other kind of asymmetria: Pan-islamistic movements. Underdog countries. Hit and run: War on drugs, Pan-islamistic movements, organised crime. Stealth: There is political, technological, low tech military, mid tech military, high tech military, hybrid, economic.... If you tube/google these: - Dr Phillip Karber - Yuri Bezmenov - NOIR4USA + Dr. David L Charney (White Papers + tube) And read Sun Tzu, Keegan, Suvorov, Clausewitz, Huntington, Jared Diamond, and... surprise... Bibble, you will find a lot of ideas, inspiration and understanding. And this is important: pay attention to logistics. Try to understand it's role. - What was the difference of carriages between English and French in Waterloo? - Why constant advancing made so big problems in German Blitzkrieg? - Why Russia changed it's units to smaller during Putin time? - How many tonnes of ammunition different artillery strikes consume? - Why USA troops get troubles if they stuck to near contact for more than few hours without air support? - And so on. Think battle scenes as if there were two battles going on: action & support. Movement is in important part in both of those. And never forget artillery. Modern warfare.... It's not Star Wars type. It's Ukraine type. Hybrid dimension is big - and it is not what 99.99% of people think. (Watch Karber - all of it, do it!) Many countries put the public part of their security politics papers to internet - in English. If you read and compare them, you learn a lot. Some of them have mistakes and holes. If you pay enough attention you might find some them. And military discussion boards can teach you something that writing forums don't. I'm sorry I can't help you more. My knowledge about battles in literature is almost zero.
John Ringo's Posleen War series might provide some useful SF examples. The Battle of Leyte Gulf by Edwin P. Hoyt and Citizen Soldier by Stephen E. Ambrose would give some solid accounts of naval and land warfare combat during WW II. The World War series by Harry Turtledove gives multiple perspectives of combat when aliens invade earth during the height of WW II.
Do you want ground or naval battles? If ground, study Operation Overlord (DDAY for us common folks) Rommel vs Patton in Africa. The Battle of the Bulge, how Patton pivoted several hundred miles in something like 48 hours to save the surrounded allies. If Naval, then start with Jutland from WW 1, then go to Pearl Harbor in WW2, Battle of the Coral Sea, Midway and Guadalcanal. I especially, as an amatuer naval historian, recommend studying those battles. Lot's of screwing up on both sides. Battle of Savo Island is the biggest. Followed by the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal 12-15th of November 1942. That is the one you should pay close attention to if wanted to adapt naval battles of your book. It's a textbook example of an inexperienced, but still brave, Admiral giving commands without knowing everything at his disposal. Might add for a good character or two. Just some suggestions from real life battles.
Thank you all so very much. I also have these in case some writers want to use my list. America at D-Day by Richard Goldstein Axis Combat Tanks by Chamberlain and Ellis D-Day and the Invasion of Normandy by Anthony Kemp Writers on World War II by Ronald J. Drez To Hell and Back by Audie Murphy Gates of Fire by Steven Pressfield Johnny Got His Gun by Dalton Trumbo All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque (Great Book!) Star Wars books by Timothy Zahn
To anyone interested: War Through the Ages by Lynn Montross provides a sweeping overview of primarily Western warfare from ancient times through the fifties I believe, with perhaps a decent sized chapter devoted to each successive period. It's delightfully written and quite informative.
