Best Biological & Chemical Warfare History Books of 2025

The Bomber Mafia by Malcolm Gladwell is a fascinating exploration of the moral challenges faced by military thinkers during World War II. Gladwell weaves together the stories of various individuals, including a Dutch genius, a band of brothers in Alabama, and chemists at Harvard, to examine the idea of precision bombing as a means of reducing the lethality of war. The book also delves into the contrasting approaches of General Curtis LeMay and General Haywood Hansell, and the consequences of their leadership decisions. Gladwell's storytelling skills are on full display, making this a gripping and thought-provoking read. Overall, The Bomber Mafia is a unique and engaging addition to the genre of military history books.

The U.S. Army Special Forces Guide to Unconventional Warfare is an official manual that provides incredibly detailed information and visuals on how to use initiators, igniters, and incendiary materials in unconventional warfare. It covers topics such as tannerite, aluminum powder, thermite, and fuse cords, among others. The book is a critical tool for anyone interested in understanding how American special forces are fighting enemies overseas. The guide is authored by the U.S. Department of the Army, which has written other military books such as U.S. Army Explosives and Demolitions Handbook and U.S. Army Special Forces Handbook. Overall, this book is a must-read for anyone interested in intelligence and espionage history.

The Long Reckoning by George Black is a moving and inspirational story of a small group of individuals who used their moral authority, scientific and political ingenuity, and sheer persistence to heal the horrors left in the wake of the military engagement in Southeast Asia. The book recounts the worst scars inflicted by the American war in Vietnam, including the massive use of toxic chemicals and the heaviest casualties on both sides. The author's immersion in a particular human geography brings home the enormity of the destruction anew. The Long Reckoning is a must-read for anyone interested in Southeast Asia history books.

The Pentagon's Brain: An Uncensored History of DARPA, America's Top-Secret Military Research Agency by Annie Jacobsen is a Pulitzer Prize finalist that offers a comprehensive history of the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA), the US government's most secretive military research agency. Jacobsen draws on exclusive interviews, private documents, and declassified memos to provide a fascinating and often chilling account of DARPA's Cold War origins to the present day. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in the intersection of science and the military-industrial complex.

The U.S. Armed Forces Nuclear, Biological And Chemical Survival Manual is a comprehensive guide that teaches readers how to survive an attack on American soil, covering everything from North Korean missiles to weaponized smallpox. The book contains the best practices of all the United States' military services, adapted for the first time for civilian use. The authors provide useful information on how to protect oneself during a chemical or biological attack, recognize the indicators of nuclear, chemical and biological attack, and develop a simple and effective family action plan. This book is an essential tool for anyone concerned about the threats posed by terrorists and enemy nations.

The Alchemy of Air is a captivating book that tells the previously untold story of Fritz Haber and Carl Bosch, the two men who discovered a way to make bread out of air, built city-sized factories, and saved millions of lives. The book is a sweeping history of tragic genius, cutting-edge science, and the Haber-Bosch discovery that changed billions of lives, including our own. The author, Thomas Hager, skillfully makes the scientific process as suspenseful as a good whodunit. The Alchemy of Air is a must-read for anyone interested in science, history, and the impact of discoveries on our lives.

The Massacre at El Mozote by Mark Danner is a powerful work of investigative journalism that sheds light on a forgotten tragedy during the Cold War. In December 1981, hundreds of men, women, and children were brutally murdered in El Mozote by the Salvadoran Army's elite Atlacatl Battalion. Despite reports and photographic evidence of the massacre, the Reagan administration dismissed it as propaganda. Danner's thorough research and integrity in reconstructing the events has brought attention to this overlooked tragedy. The book offers a compelling account of the massacre and the government's disregard for human rights. Overall, The Massacre at El Mozote is a haunting and important read that exposes the atrocities of war and the need for accountability.

Biohazard is a thrilling and harrowing account of Russia's covert biological weapons program, as told by the man who ran it, Ken Alibek. For two decades, a team of Russian bioweaponeers worked tirelessly to create a biological Armageddon, reengineering hazardous microbes to make them even more virulent. Alibek reveals shocking breakthroughs and the secrets behind the discovery of an invisible, untraceable new class of biological agents. Biohazard offers a rare glimpse into a shadowy scientific underworld where doctors manufacture mass destruction, making it an important and fascinating read for those interested in biological and chemical warfare history.

Half-Life of a Secret: Reckoning with a Hidden History by Emily Strasser is a captivating memoir that uncovers the dark legacy of the Manhattan Project and its impact on her family, the community, and the world. Strasser delves into the culture of secrecy within her family and the nuclear industry, revealing the devastating consequences of nuclear weapons production. She skillfully weaves together personal anecdotes, historical research, and investigative journalism to create a multi-layered narrative that reads like a gripping detective novel. Half-Life of a Secret is a thought-provoking and timely book that sheds light on the dangers of institutionalized secrecy and the urgent need for transparency and accountability.

The Demon in the Freezer by Richard Preston is a gripping non-fiction book that takes readers inside the United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases at Fort Detrick, Maryland, where scientists work to protect against biological weapons. The book focuses on Peter Jahrling, a top virologist, and his urgent priority to develop a drug that will take on smallpox and win. With unprecedented detail, Preston reports on the government's response to the anthrax attacks in 2001 and takes readers into the ongoing FBI investigation. The Demon in the Freezer is a must-read for anyone interested in bioterrorism and national biodefense.