The Military Reading Room - History, Strategy, and Insight
The Military Reading Room, David Gran, Phil Gentile, Katie S. Sanders, Nicholas ReynoldsThe Military Reading Room is a newsletter offering in-depth insights, reviews, summaries, and discussions on military history, strategy, and leadership books, drawing from essential reading lists and expert perspectives.
| Platform |  | Pricing | Freemium | Publishes | Twice weekly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Issues | 166 | Founded | 2 years ago | Last Issue | 10 days ago |
| Active | |||||
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themilitaryreadingroom.substack.comLatest Issues
9/11 Twenty-Five Years Later, Remembered
On 9/11, Dave and I were both on active duty in Washington, D.C. He was at Headquarters Marine Corps, along the flight path of American Airlines Flight 77, which struck the Pentagon, where I was working. What I remember most is the clear bl...
Author Spotlight: Hal Brands | September 2026
September’s Author Spotlight examines five Hal Brands books on grand strategy, the Cold War, U.S. power, and today’s great-power competition
Hal Brands has spent much of his career studying the problems of strategy from both inside and out...
Military Journals: Military Thought and Future Battlespace - September 2026
The race to learn from today’s tactical and operational experience and build the winning edge for tomorrow’s war.
Welcome back to the September edition of Military Journals: Military Thought & Future Battlespace!
Ortiz’s War: The Remarkable True Story of OSS Saboteur Peter J. Ortiz
Nick Reynolds and Katie Sanders deliver the authoritative account of Peter Ortiz, the legendary OSS Marine who fought behind enemy lines in occupied France.
During my years in the Marine Corps, I had heard of Peter Ortiz, a Marine who serv...
CNO Reading List: Total Sailor | Part 5
The first four parts of this series moved from the foundations of naval power to the people expected to employ it. Foundry examined the industrial base that builds and sustains the fleet. Fleet turned to maritime strategy and the use of nav...
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Authors
The writers behind this newsletter.
The Military Reading Room is a newsletter offering in-depth insights, reviews, summaries, and discussions on military history, strategy, and leadership books, drawing from essential reading lists and expert perspectives.
Dave is a retired Marine and Entrepreneur. An Artilleryman and career Intelligence Officer. He Co-Founded MilitaryByOwner in 2000. Dave served in the 4th Bn, 10th Marines, 2d Bn, 4th Marines, FICEURLANT, 15th MEU, Marine Forces Europe, and HQMC.
Phil is a national security professional, corporate leader, adjunct professor and retired U.S. Marine with interests in military history; defense strategy, military planning and execution, and emerging technologies.
Journalist + WWII pilot's granddaughter sharing hidden corners of Greatest Gen history. Co-author of ORTIZ’S WAR: The Allies’ Secret Weapon Against the Nazis in France, the true OSS Marine Col. Peter Ortiz from HarperCollins ⬇️
These days I am an independent scholar of military/intelligence history specializing in WWII. With Katie S. Sanders, I am the co-author of "Ortiz's War."
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