May 2025 Military Journal Reads: Strategy, Ethics, and Future War

This month’s military reading list exposes the cracks in strategy, ethics, and preparedness across today’s global battlefield

May 2025 Military Journal Reads

As geopolitical tensions rise and the character of warfare evolves, military professionals and national security thinkers continue to rely on a steady stream of books and journals to navigate this uncertain terrain. This month’s featured titles—each drawn from leading military and strategic publications—offer insight into the most pressing challenges facing today’s warfighters, planners, and policymakers.

From the front lines of Ukraine to the ethical shadows of special operations, these works address the return of great-power rivalry, the human cost of modern combat, and the race to integrate emerging technologies into defense strategy. Whether you're reading Joint Force Quarterly, Proceedings, ÆTHER-ASOR, the Marine Corps Gazette, or Parameters, you’ll find compelling arguments, firsthand accounts, and rigorous analysis across all five selections.

Below, we highlight each journal and its featured work, offering a quick summary of why these books matter right now—and why they should be on your radar.