This warrior poet reading list will stay living and active–expect updates. The list is comprised of books John Lovell has found personally impactful and does not serve as a representation of the many different theologies and philosophies represented within the Warrior Poet community.
Fighter Mindset
Principles of Personal Defense by Jeff Cooper – http://amzn.to/2v0MsJE
Left of Bang by Patrick Von Horne, Jason A. Riley – http://amzn.to/2uY4Ch3
Fighting Smarter by Tom Givens – http://amzn.to/2uYnYCz
Deadly Force by Massad Ayoob – http://amzn.to/2vju9lO
On Combat by Dave Grossman – http://amzn.to/2hoEV4e
On Killing by Dave Grossman – http://amzn.to/2v0yjfI
The Gift of Fear by Gavin de Becker – http://amzn.to/2uXwx0i
Leadership and Training for the Fight by Paul Howe – http://amzn.to/2vki3Zk
Leadership in the Shadows by Kyle Lamb – http://amzn.to/2vkkP13
The Art of War by Sun Tzu – http://amzn.to/2ulzjc9
Tides of War by Stephen Pressfield – http://amzn.to/2uYkYWS
Gates of Fire by Stephen Pressfield – http://amzn.to/2u5zZHq
Virtues of War by Stephen Pressfield – http://amzn.to/2uXUPYi
The Warrior Ethos by Stephen Pressfield – http://amzn.to/2v0yQhr
The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli – http://amzn.to/2hs1aq0
History
Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand – http://amzn.to/2v0NSnn
Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates by Brian Kilmeade – http://amzn.to/2w8q4ON
1776 by David McCollough – http://amzn.to/2w8iV0O
The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Gibbon – http://amzn.to/2wpeM8d
Foxes Book of Martyrs by John Foxe – http://amzn.to/2u7OKti
Church History in Plain Language by Bruce Shelley – http://amzn.to/2hrAk15
Ghost Soldiers by Hampton Sides – http://amzn.to/2u8kYof
Patton: Genius for War by Carlo D’Este – http://amzn.to/2hrtAR2
Black Hawk Down by Scott Bowden – http://amzn.to/2vmluil
John Adams by David McCullough – http://amzn.to/2xenPxu
Washington: A Life by Ron Chernow – http://amzn.to/2fPvI59
God of Liberty: A Religious History of the American Revolution by Thomas Kidd – http://amzn.to/2ynSoAT
God’s War: A New History of the Crusades – http://amzn.to/2xeLYEe
God’s Battalions: The Case for the Crusades – http://amzn.to/2xTG8VR
Warriors of God: Richard the Lionheart & Saladin in the 3rd Crusade – http://amzn.to/2xeHVru
Masculinity, Femininity, & Family
Wild at Heart by John Eldridge – http://amzn.to/2vknYxG
The Book of Man by William J. Bennett – http://amzn.to/2hpudus
Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood – http://amzn.to/2v0JINW
Financial Peace by Dave Ramsey – http://amzn.to/2vmPxXf
The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman – http://amzn.to/2wpKsdJ
Philosophy
Francis Schaeffer Trilogy – http://amzn.to/2faeaQq ( tough read–very worth it)
C.S Lewis collection – http://amzn.to/2v0AqjE
Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis – http://amzn.to/2v0GIzG
Ravi Zacharias – http://amzn.to/2uYmQyS
On Guard by William Lane Craig – http://amzn.to/2v0DCNI
The Design of Life by William Dembski – http://amzn.to/2wndGJS
Truth Project DVD Series – http://amzn.to/2vktEI6
Theology
ESV Study Bible by God – http://amzn.to/2falBa6
ESV Reference Bible – http://amzn.to/2ulAecO
Systematic Theology by Wayne Grudem – http://amzn.to/2faxhKd
Fiction & Inspiration
Ben-Hur by Lew Wallace – http://amzn.to/2vk8lGz
William Shakespeare Complete Works – http://amzn.to/2v08JJi
Sir Knight of the Splendid Way by W.E. Clue – http://amzn.to/2uY22aI
Pilgrims Progress by John Bunyan – http://amzn.to/2uYgy2b
Space Trilogy by C.S. Lewis – http://amzn.to/2uXwIIY
Manalive by G.K. Chesterton – http://amzn.to/2v0CkR5
1984 by George Orwell – http://amzn.to/2v1gjSm
Chronicles of Narnia by C.S Lewis – http://amzn.to/2faiKhz
Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde – http://amzn.to/2v0IFO7
Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas – http://amzn.to/2wbefqX
Les Miserables by Victor Hugo – http://amzn.to/2hrIDKm
Lord of the Rings by J.R. Tolkien – http://amzn.to/2wpWBiM
Relevant Video:
Meditations would be a good addition to the reading list. The book has a very heavy focus of duty and libing as 1 with the world.
Greetings from the ‘left side’. I recently came across your site and videos, which I have enjoyed and found very instructive. I thought you might consider this book that I am currently reading: ‘This Nonviolent Stuff Will Get You Killed’ By Charles E. Cobb Jr. https://www.dukeupress.edu/this-nonviolent-stuffll-get-you-killed
Cobb is an historian, and at age 19, became a field secretary for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee in Mississippi in 1962. The book gets into the relationship between local, armed African American citizens, and the student organizers helping communities secure the right to vote in Mississippi, at one of the most murderous moments of the civil rights struggle. The book also gives an excellent historical overview of the role that armed and unarmed resistance played in overturning slavery, and the 100 year + fight for ‘Freedom Rights’.