"The lessons of yesterday help us to continually adapt today."
That is the message behind the 2025 Chief of Army Professional Study Guide, according to Chief of Army Lieutenant General Simon Stuart.
Issued in August by the Australian Army Research Centre, it's a collection of more than 250 books, movies, documentaries and essays for personnel of all ranks and roles.
This is the first study guide tailored to personnel at different career stages.
Classics such as Meditations by Marcus Aurelius is mandatory reading for sergeants and lieutenants reflecting on the nature of duty and life.
18 Platoon is not as well-known but equally important. It is the personal account of a British infantry platoon commander in north-west Europe during World War 2, and is mandatory reading for sergeants and lieutenants.
Under the theme of leadership, Gerard Windsor's account of 7RAR's battle through an enemy bunker system in Vietnam provides key insight into the stresses and challenges of command for captains and warrant officer class 2s.
The 2025 guide is extensive - Starship Troopers and Dune even make the cut.
Not only does it highlight texts soldiers should read, but it also lists books personnel might steer clear of.
Singer and Cole's pulp military fiction titled Ghost Fleet: A Novel of the Next World War is one such title.
It was lauded by some for its conceptualisation of near-future technologies playing out in a conflict between the US and China.
The guide's publishers include an essay offering a thoughtful criticism of the work and suggest alternative texts for people interested in the subject.
The open-source list is easily accessed by web search, but titles need to be purchased or borrowed through the Defence Library Service.
The Defence library offers all the titles in the study guide. Most are available as e-books, but some, such as 18 Platoon, exist as physical copies only for loan.
The Cove also has a nifty tool that filters titles by recommended rank and lets you keep track of titles you've read.
Other online platforms, such as Libby, offer instant access to any online catalogue. The Defence Library Service has more than 6000 titles available to borrow through Libby.
Defence personnel can sign into Libby using their My Open Athens credentials.
My Open Athens is free to create and gives users access to research and industry publications, such as the International Security & Counter Terrorism Reference Centre and Janes.
