We all are aware with the concept of Scholar Warrior in Indian Armed Forces but most of the defence aspirants think that being in the military is all about combat fighting, physical training, sports and regular military exercises. What most of us don’t know is that there is an intense amount of reading and studying too that every officer has to undertake whether he is in the academy as a cadet or in any commanding position. Courses after courses take place and new weapons and machinery are always acquired and to understand their functioning and even to understand the military doctrines at the time of war and peace, they need to read and study a lot.
There is one more reason that we can analyse from the military ethos that why we should read these books and especially military books is that army works on exemplary leadership i.e., leading by example. One first becomes compatible and then puts oneself as an example for one’s men and only then his men follow him.
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When we read real-life accounts of war and about the leadership feats achieved by some officers against all odds or some major war tactic or doctrine implemented by them then it gives us courage that we can walk on the same lines too. As we read about all these non-fictional characters and learn how they justified their valour against all odds by setting a benchmark for the coming generations and that’s how exactly we get inspired from them and that crucial stage is where transformation begins.
Let’s have a look at some of the books that can give you a great deal of insight into military leadership and interpersonal skills.
How to win friends and influence people
This book is purely based on communication skills and interpersonal relationship like how to deal and talk with people and how to involve the other person more into the communication. The books deal with many principles and theories by whose help you can be more effective in day to day conversations with strangers and friends alike and can project your qualities as a fearless leader who has the ability to influence. This book can be very helpful for those aspirants who hesitate to step and make friends during their SSB. It will also tell them ways through which they can improve their interpersonal skills.
When People Doubted My Ability to Walk I Decided to Fly
A book that inspires by example just like army says leadership by example. Early life, transformation, join the army after a girl child, lost his leg from a land mine, struggle, paragliding, dedication; mother paralysed still care, management, marathon and a lot more are in this book that is written by Lieutenant Colonel DD Goel. Lt. Col. D D Goel is a major in Social Psychology, and a post-graduate in Social Psychology from the Department of Applied Psychology, University of Mumbai. He has done his Masters in Personnel Mgmt from Pune University and holds a degree in B Ed. He holds the experience of working as a lecturer in Mumbai before joining the Armed Forces where he has served for more than a decade. He is a war-wounded soldier and an ardent adventurer.
India’s Wars: A Military History, 1947-1971
Standard accounts of contemporary Indian history rarely have a military dimension. In India’s Wars, serving Air Vice Marshal Arjun Subramaniam, who has a PhD in Defence and Strategic Studies, seeks to give India’s military exploits their rightful place in history. Beginning with a snapshot of the growth of the armed forces, he provides detailed accounts of the conflicts from Independence to 1971: the first India-Pakistan war of 1947-48, the liberation of Hyderabad and Junagadh, the campaign to evict the Portuguese from Goa in 1961, and the full-blown wars against China and Pakistan.
At the same time, India’s Wars is much more than a record of events. It is a tribute to the valour of the men and women in olive green, white and blue in the hope that it reaches out to a large audience, especially the youth. It highlights ways to improve the synergy between the three services, as to emphasizes the need to declassify material about national security. Laced with veterans’ exhilarating experiences in combat operations, India’s Wars fuses the strategic, operational, tactical and human dimensions of war with great finesse.
Deeply researched and passionately written, it unfolds with surprising ease and offers a fresh perspective on independent India’s history. A well in-depth account of the incidents but neither a glorification nor an understatement of the incidents, equipped with good minute stories that’ll make you love more about forces.
Leadership in the Indian Army: Biographies of Twelve Soldiers
Stories of 12 Indian military leaders who have lead by the example. A thorough research work of around 10 years to complete the book by official incidents and personal interviews with the person who lived with these legends. Well assisted with minute anecdotes of their life which will help you to make an accurate character sketch of their personalities and their psyche and their decision making.
Spanning over 60 years of military leadership in India, this unique book brings to life the human side of twelve exceptional military leaders. Unlike traditional biographies of combat leaders which focus primarily on military operations or regimental histories, the author concentrates on personal accounts, anecdotes and reminiscences in order to highlight these leaders` personalities and to draw out the human face behind the military facade.
The author argues that written records tend to glorify the actions of battalions as well as individuals, magnifying achievements while suppressing the mistakes and glossing over failures. This book, on the other hand, provides a truer picture of the strength of character and convictions of each of these leaders. The book throws new light on many historical events and the role of political leaders during India`s fight for independence and the partitioning of the subcontinent.
Mission Overseas: Daring Operations by the Indian Military
A great insight into daring operations that were conducted by the Indian Army in recent times. Not a glorification but talks about the groundhog realities of these operation based on the actual interviews of the persons who actively lead those ops. Like Operation Pawan was a complete mess and mismanaged and it openly says so and yet still tells about how the Indian army proved its valour on foreign ground.
As India becomes a regional and global superpower, its armed forces will be expected to conduct more missions inside foreign countries, as they have in the past. Using never-before-seen secret military reports and eyewitness testimonies of the men on the ground, a former army man and journalist Sushant Singh reconstruct three forgotten Indian operations overseas: In the Maldives, Sri Lanka and Sierra Leone. These action-packed true stories shed light not just on a previously untold slice of Indian history but also the exceptional bravery of Indian soldiers fighting against all odds.
Can’t Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds
For David Goggins, childhood was a nightmare — poverty, prejudice, and physical abuse coloured his days and haunted his nights. But through self-discipline, mental toughness, and hard work, Goggins transformed himself from a depressed, overweight young man with no future into a U.S. Armed Forces icon and one of the world’s top endurance athletes. The only man in history to complete elite training as a Navy SEAL, Army Ranger, and Air Force Tactical Air Controller, he went on to set records in numerous endurance events, inspiring Outside magazine to name him “The Fittest (Real) Man in America.”
In Can’t Hurt Me, he shares his astonishing life story and reveals that most of us tap into only 40% of our capabilities. Goggins calls this “the 40% Rule”, and his story illuminates a path that anyone can follow to push past pain, demolish fear, and reach their full potential.
Four Miles to Freedom – Escape from a Pakistani POW Camp
Four Miles To Freedom: Escape from a Pakistani POW Camp, by Faith Johnston, is a saga of grit, the strength of mind, and utter bravery.
On the 10th of December, 1971, Indian Flight Lieutenant Dilip Parulkar was shot down over Pakistan. But his indomitable courage made him turn the tragedy into the greatest adventure of his life. On the 13th of August, 1972, Parulkar, along with Harish Sinhji and Malvinder Singh Grewal, escaped from a Rawalpindi prisoner-of-war camp.
This book is based on meticulous research, interviews with eight Indian fighter pilots who helped them escape, and the two who escaped. It also talks about the twelve fighter pilots who coped with forced intimacy, deprivation and constant uncertainty in captivity. Four Miles to Freedom is a nail-biting and moving account of sheer human grit.
India’s Military Conflicts and Diplomacy: An Inside View of Decision Making
In this book, written by General V. P. Malik, Chief of the Indian Army from 1 October 1997 to 30 September 2000 writes about his personal experiences in the army and the major strategic events in which he was involved. In the book, the author focuses on the decision making processes that are followed both at the military strategic and political level as well as the operational level. The author further mentions that these decisions and strategies are never made public in India and are seldom recorded.
This makes it increasingly difficult to analyse these decisions and events and learn from them for future generations. The author addresses the problems that are associated with poor planning and lack of a proper decision-making process.
The problems get magnified for the armed forces because, despite the important role they have to play, the armed forces are rarely kept in the loop at the planning and decision-making level. And even if they are included it involves only a handful of the senior officers. This book will provide the readers with valuable information about defence and military diplomacy along with a historical and futuristic perspective on India’s defence management.
I hope you got quite a good list of some books that you can read and ponder upon and have some key takeaways and motivation for your upcoming defence written exams and SSB.
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Jai Hind
Thank you so much for guiding us at all level