Award-winning and best-selling authors are also veterans, and there is more to look forward to in 2026.
Even though no statistical datasets reliably exist that track how many veteran authors are published, veterans make up less than ten percent of the U.S. population. While veteran authors are a small subset of this population, all authors and their works have garnered millions, critical acclaim, and Hollywood representation. For example, Navy Seal Chris Kyle’s American Sniper memoir inspired the film in 2014 after landing on The New York Times bestseller list. Greg Cope White’s The Pink Marine later became a Netflix adaptation called Boots in 2025.
Veteran authorship and success are not only impressive but also offer widespread literary contributions about military culture and themes, whether nonfiction or not; the professionalism and storytelling prowess of the veteran community of authors deserve continued recognition.
2026 Anticipated Reading List
Chris Rivers (Army) – Released this month. You Shouldn’t Have to Kill to Get Ahead: Reimagining Wealth, Power and Belonging in America. Theme: Policy analysis, nonfiction.
Leon Carroll Jr. (Marine) – Expected release of Ghosts of Sicily in April 2026. Theme: World War II, nonfiction, and co-authored with Mark Harmon.
Jack Carr (Navy) – Expected release of The Fourth Option in May 2026. Theme: Action thriller series, fiction, and co-authored with M.P. Woodward.
Brian Andrews and Jeffrey Wilson (Navy) – Expected release of book series Insurgent in July 2026. Theme: Action thriller, fiction.
Brad Taylor (Army) – Expected release of Shadow Strike in April 2026. Theme: Action thriller, fiction,
Rob Zettel (Air Force) – Expected release of American MiG Pilot: Inside America’s Top Secret MiG Squadron in February 2026. Theme: Memoir, nonfiction.
Chad Robichaux and Jack Stewart (Marine/Navy) – Expected release of Riptide in May 2026. Theme: Action thriller, fiction.
Isaac Lamberth (Marine) – Expected release of Overshadowed: US Marines in World War II in June 2026. Theme: World War II, nonfiction.
Recognizing Veteran Authorship
Veteran authors continue to make a sizeable impact in the publishing world with their depth and genres of books, often providing perspectives on military life, social issues, leadership, and history. Audiences that enjoy authentic narration or imaginative enrichment can look forward to more to come this year. Although veterans make up a fraction of the population, their works have been included in bestseller lists and represent voices from the military community. This reading list highlights just some of the many veteran authors out there whose contributions shape modern literature.
Recognizing veteran authorship not only honors their lived military experiences and post-military life creativity, but it also offers inspiration for more aspiring authors in the future.
(U.S. Army Reserve photo by Staff Sergeant Emilie Lenglain/Released, DVIDS)
Check out Commandant’s 2026 Reading List Unveiled – 15 Must-Reads That Every Marine Needs Now or 5 Must-Read Military Spouse Books for more reading list ideas.
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