This section contains fictional texts that cover the sorts of technology and themes simulated in Command: Modern Air/Naval Operations.

You may find some tactical or operational insights in them. You may also find some inspiration for you to create your own scenarios if you so choose to pursue that.

Some of these books have already had CMANO scenarios made based on them, so you may find them enjoyable because of that.

This deserves a special mentions since it ties directly to CMANO.

The 'Fury' campaigns of CMANO community scenarios are being adapted into novels, with the first having been released in May 2019. The whole overarching plot is an Alternate history which diverges from our own with the 1991 Soviet Coup de'tat actually succeeding, thus preventing a collapse of the USSR, eventually leading to war in early 1994.

1. Northern Fury: H-Hour (Released May 2019)
[E-Book]

This first book of the Northern Fury trilogy covers the events that take this timeline away from our own, as well as the first 24 hours of the War on the Northern front (Norway and the North Atlantic).

Contains intense air to air combat as well as some surface and subsurface encounters, plus land combat.

These are books that, as the title suggests, are standalone titles.


The War that Never Was by Michael A. Palmer

Several CMANO scenarios have been made based on this book. It is interesting in that it is a realistic narrative of a fictional wargame conducted a decade or so after the end of the Cold War, depicting a NATO-Warsaw Pact clash starting on July 14th 1989. This is a wargamer's novel, with heavy detail of Air and Naval Operations in the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian Ocean, Mediterranian, and Arctic Oceans.

The Sixth Battle by Barrett Tillman

This novel depicts an interesting situation where, in 1992, a revitalized Soviet Union (Renamed the Union of Eurasian Republics or UER) starts a conflict in South Africa alongside several of it's Communist/Socialist allies from around the world. NATO joins the fight alongside South Africa. The main crux of the story is an Air/Sea Battle where the UER Navy, with several carriers, goes up against the fictional USS Langley (Forrestal Class) in what the novel appropriately refers to as the 6th Carrier vs Carrier battle in history, with the first five having been fought in the Pacific during World War II. Alot of detail on the tactics used by air, surface, and subsurface forces, a must read.

Ghost Fleet: A Novel of the Next World War by P.W. Singer and August Cole
[E-Book] [Chains of War]

This is a novel depicting a future conflict between the United States on one side, and Russia and China on the other, with heavy emphasis on future war-fighting technologies such as cyber warfare, railguns, drones, and stealth aircraft. Good reading to go along with the Chains of War expansion.

DEFCON One by Joe Weber
[E-Book]

A novel depicting a scenario where Soviet Hardliners decide to attack NATO, which includes the use of Nuclear weapons. Contains Air/Sea combat involving US Carriers.

Fire & Ice: Sixth Fleet versus Fifth Eskadra, October 1973 by Wade Dudley
(Part of Cold War Hot: Alternate Decisions of the Cold War edited by Peter G. Tsouras)
[E-Book]

This is one chapter in the Alternate History Anthology 'Cold War Hot'. It is set during the 1973 Yom Kippur War between Israel and it's neighbors. During the conflict, the US and Soviet navies in the Mediterranian closely observed each other, and the danger of a clash was very real. This story depicts a sudden outbreak of fighting between the two fleets following a fire control accident onboard one of the US Ships.

The late Tom Clancy wrote several highly successful techno-thriller novels during his career, and it is very likely that you have at least heard of some of them. Not all of them are as relatable to CMANO as others, and I have yet to read all of them myself, but several are definitely worth reading.

The Hunt For Red October
[E-Book]

Clancy's very first and arguably most famous novel. In late 1984, the Soviet navy launches a brand new Typhoon Class ballistic missile submarine, The Red October, with a new stealthy propulsion system. It embarks on it's first operational sortie under the command of a highly seasoned Captain, Marko Ramius. However, shortly after departure, it becomes clear that Ramius and his officers have gone rogue, and are headed toward the United States....

Contains alot of submarine scenes that convey submarine warfare technology and tactics, as well as a tense standoff between US ships and the Soviet Fleet sent to find the Red October.

Red Storm Rising
[E-Book]

One of Clancy's very few standalone books. This novel tells the story of a conventional NATO-Warsaw Pact clash. The war results from Soviet despiration for oil, after Islamic terrorists destroy one of the USSR's largest refineries. They want to capture the Persian Gulf, but determine that they must defeat NATO in Europe first.....

One of the Classics of WWIII Fiction, contains alot of Air, Surface and Subsurface combat, as well as land warfare. A certain must-read.

SSN
[E-Book]

A tie-in novel to the PC game of the same name. This novel centers on the US Navy submarine USS Cheyenne in the South China Sea fighting against the People's Republic of China, in a conflict over the disputed Spratly Islands.

Threat Vector
[E-Book]

Features conflict between China and Taiwan, with a heavy emphasis on Cyber Warfare, but also features air-to-air combat between US and Chinese fighters.

Debt of Honor
[E-Book]

As a result of a trade war between the United States and Japan in the mid 1990s, a conspiracy of Japanese Capitalists, who are also highly Nationalist, take control of the government in Tokyo. As a result they utilize the Japanese military to seize the Marianas Islands, eventually leading to an American fight back to retake the islands.

Executive Orders
[E-Book]

Immediately following the explosive finale of Debt of Honor, Jack Ryan now finds himself President of the United States. He must put the US Government back together and deal with several crisies, both foreign and domestic. This book provides some interesting scenario material.

The Sum of All Fears
[E-Book]

Following a successful peace plan for the Middle East, disgruntled Palistinian terrorists, along with a few allies, stumble upon a lost Israeli nuclear weapon from 1973, and plan to use it to spark a nuclear war between the US and the Soviet Union. A side plot features submarine intrigue in the Pacific, and the crisis that erupts features some air combat.

Tom Clancy Commander In Chief by Mark Greaney
[E-Book]

One of the continuing novels of Clancy's characters after his death. This story focuses on a what should be considered a real possibility in the coming years: A Baltic War, with Russia attempting to conquer the Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania). This novel does feature naval combat in the Baltic sea, especially Anti-submarine warfare.

Another classic Techno Thriller author, Larry Bond worked with Tom Clancy to realistically write Red Storm Rising, and has subsequently written several engaging military Techno-thrillers himself.

Red Phoenix
[E-Book]

In the late 1980s, in the midst of political unrest in South Korea, North Korea conspires to launch another invasion of South Korea, with covert Soviet support. This novel depicts that war from the perspective of multiple characters, much like Red Storm Rising. Does feature Air and Naval Warfare.

Red Phoenix Burning
[E-Book]

The sequel to Red Phoenix. In 2015, elements within the North Korean government and Military decide to launch a coup against Kim Jong Un's regime. The attempt does not succeed, and as a result, a three-sided Civil War breaks out, between Kim Loyalists, The Korean Worker's Party, and The General Staff of the North Korean Military. Features surface combat and some air combat. A great read overall.

Vortex
[E-Book]

A standalone novel featuring the rise of Hard right wing Afrikaaners in South Africa, leading to conflict with neighboring Namibia as well as a hard resurgence of Aparthied. The US and UK eventually get involved both to counter the Afrikaaners in power as well as prevent a takeover by forces opposing the Afrikaaners: Cubans and other Soviet supported forces. Alot of Air, Land and Sea combat.

Cauldron
[E-Book]

Another standalone. In the late 1990s, The European Union as we know it does not form. Instead, as a result of a wave of immigrants to Europe from North Africa, right wing elements in France and Germany unite to form the European Confederation or EurCon. This new faction becomes quite militant. EurCon conspires with Russia, and launches and invasion of Eastern Europe. As a result the United States and United Kingdom join the Eastern European nations in the fight against EurCon. Contains interesting Air and Naval combat.

The Jerry Mitchell Series

This series centers on Jerry Mitchell, a former US Navy pilot who transferred to submarines after a flight accident prevents him from flying again. All of the novels have a heavy emphasis on submarine warfare.

Cold Choices
[E-Book]

The second in the JM Series. A tense game of cat and mouse between the Submarines USS Seawolf and Russian Severodvinsk results in the two submarines colliding under the Arctic Ocean. Seawolf is damaged, but Severodvinsk sinks. Amidst a tense atmosphere between the US and Russia following the incident, the officers and crew of the Seawolf work to try and save the survivors of Severodvinsk.

Shattered Trident
[E-Book]

The fourth in the JM series. Several nations near China discover a Chinese plot to capture the entire South China Sea. Believing that they cannot rely on the United States to help them, these nations, which initially include Japan, Vietnam, South Korea and India, form the Littoral Alliance, and use their submarine assets to thwart the Chinese plan and engage in submarine warfare against Chinese shipping, which also sparks a renewed fight between India and Pakistan. The US is in a position of a tenuous neutrality, and must work to prevent the war from exploding into a global catastrophe.

Fatal Thunder
[E-Book]

After the events of Shattered Trident, a nuclear weapon suddenly detonates in the disputed Kashmir region as fighting between India and Pakistan continues. It is soon determined that the incident is part of a larger conspiracy for India to strike China in hopes of stopping it's support for Pakistan. The US must stop the Indian plot before nuclear war breaks out.

Arctic Gambit
[E-Book]

The sixth in the JM series. After a US submarine is lost in the Arctic near Russia, it is determined that the Russians plan to attack Europe, but first intend to knock out the US ablilty to respond with a new underwater nuclear weapon. US Submarine forces must act to destroy this threat before war breaks out.

Rick Campbell is a former US Navy submarine officer who is writing a series of submarine thrillers. All of them so far have followed the same narrative with characters returning each time.

The Trident Deception
[E-Book]

Israel determines that Iran is close to having nuclear weapons. With Israel's capability to strike being quite limited, the Mossad launches an ultra secret operation that involves sending false attack orders to a US Navy Ballistic missile submarine, USS Kentucky. With no way of directly contacting the Kentucky, the US Navy, with the help of Australia, must stop the Kentucky from getting into position to launch it's nuclear missiles at Iran.

Empire Rising
[E-Book] [Chains of War]

As a result of despriate access to oil, China launches a full scale attack (minus nukes) against US and allied forces in the Pacific. The US suffers serious losses, and must figure out how to fight back and stop the Chinese. This is a good one to read alongside Chains of War.

Ice Station Nautilus
[E-Book]

A US and Russian submarine both collide and sink under the Arctic Ice. It is a secret race between US and Russian forces to get to the submarines, in hopes of preventing the other side from getting a look at sensitive hardware. The US sends Navy SEALs and Russia dispatches Arctic trained Spetsnaz.

Blackmail
[E-Book]

A Russian Submarine 'accidentally' fires on and damages a US carrier. Due to the damage from the war with China, the US accepts the Russian explaination. Shortly, the Russians embark on a plan to invade Eastern Europe, and plan to neutralize a US response with blackmail, threatening to blow up several of the world's critical oil and natural gas pipelines. The second half of the book features an epic air-sea battle in the Arabian Sea.

Treason
[E-Book]

(The short E-book Novella Power Play is an immeidate Prequel to this)

Following the events of the previous book, the Russian Military launches a Coup that overthrows the Russian President, leading to the invasion of Eastern Europe along with a surprise Cyber attack that neutralizes US nuclear weapons capabilities. Again the US must find a way to fight back and counter the coup.

This section has a wide range of book types. The subsections explain what they contain,

This section contains books that are histories of Modern Air/Naval Warfare, These are the real operations that occurred during the timeframe covered by CMANO (1946-present day)

-The Boats of Cherbourg: The Secret Israeli Operation that Revolutionized Naval Warfare by Abraham Rabinovich
[E-Book] [Shifting Sands]

This is a must read for CMANO players. This book covers the history of the Israeli navy's development and use of missile boats before and during the Yom Kippur War. Contains detailed explanations of the development of the Gabriel missile and it's tactics, as well as the sea battles in which it was used in the 1973 war. This is also a great companion for the Shifting Sands campaign.

-Every Man A Tiger by Tom Clancy with General Chuck Horner
[E-Book] [Desert Storm]

Tom Clancy worked with General Charles A. "Chuck" Horner on this book. Horner was the overall commander of Coalition air forces during the 1991 Gulf War, and this book is an account of Horner's career as well as the air operations before and during the Gulf War. A good companion to the Desert Storm campaign.

-One Hundred Days: The Memoirs of the Falklands Battle Group Commander by Admiral Sandy Woodward.

Admiral John F. "Sandy" Woodward commanded the Royal Navy task force that was sent to liberate the Falkland Islands in 1982 in response to the Argentinian invasion. This is his account of one of the very few Air/Naval campaigns that occurred after World War II.

-Two Minutes Over Baghdad by Uri Bar-Joseph, Michael Handel and Amos Perlmutter
[E-Book] [Shifting Sands]

This book is a good account of the 1981 Operation Opera. This was a surprise one off airstrike launched by Israel against the Osirak outside of Baghdad, Iraq. It was an extraordinary operation that made effective use of F-15s and F-16s. Shifting Sands contains a scenario depicting this operation.

-On Yankee Station: The Naval Air War over Vietnam by John B. Nichols and Barrett Tillman
[E-Book]

This is a history of US Navy air operations over North Vietnam during the Second Indochina War (1965-1973). Goes very well with the community scenario "Yankee Team, 1966" by CCIP-subsim

-Aircraft Carriers at War: A Personal Retrospective of Korea, Vietnam, and the Soviet Confrontation by Admiral James L. Holloway III
[E-Book]

This account of Admiral Holloway's long career includes an account of Operation Lion's Den in 1972, which is one of the Standalone Scenarios in the CMANO Base game.

-Air Warfare in the Missile Age by Lon O. Nordeen
[E-Book] [Shifting Sands] [Desert Storm]

A good overall history of Air Combat since the Korean War.

-Blue Moon over Cuba: Aerial Reconnaissance during the Cuban Missile Crisis by Capt. William B. Ecker & Kenneth V. Jack
[E-Book]

A good account of the reconissance flights conducted by the US Navy and Air Force during the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, and explains quite a bit about how low level photo recon operations were conducted at the time.

-Blind Man's Bluff: The Untold Story of American Submarine Espionage by Sherry Sontag and Christopher Drew
[E-Book] [The Silent Service]

A history of previously secret US Navy submarine operations during the Cold War, including the loss of the USS Scorpion and the underwater cable tapping missions of Soviet cables. A good companion to The Silent Service campaign.

-Incidents at Sea: American Confrontation and Cooperation with Russia and China, 1945-2016 by David F. Winkler
[E-Book]

This is an updated version of Winkler's 2000 book: Cold War at Sea: High-Seas Confrontation Between the United States and the Soviet Union. This book covers the many incidents throughout the Cold War between US and Soviet ships and aircraft as well as some more recent incidents between the US and China. Also tells the story behind the creation of the 1972 Incidents at Sea Agreement between the US and the USSR. Also contains a long list of various incidents, which can provide some inspiration for scenario builders.

-El Dorado Canyon: Reagan's Undeclared War with Qaddafi by Joseph T. Stanik
[E-Book]

This book is a history of the many clashes between US and Libyan forces during the 1980s. Of particular note is Operation El Dorado Canyon, a very long range airstrike launched by the US on Libya in retaliation for a terrorist bombing in West Berlin in 1986.

-America's First Clash With Iran: The Tanker War 1987-1988 by Lee Allen Zatarain
[E-Book]

A history of the little known Tanker War, where the US navy conducted operations to protect the flow of Oil in the Persian Gulf during the Iran-Iraq War. Included is the Air/Sea battle known as Operation Praying Mantis, as well as the attacks on the USS Stark and USS Samuel B Roberts.

-Holding the Line: The Naval Air Campaign In Korea by Thomas McKelvey Cleaver
[E-Book]

This is a history of carrier based aviation in the Korean War (1950-53). Covers US and British Carrier operations as well as those of USMC aircraft. Alot of potential scenario material, both real and speculative.

Osprey Air Campaign Series
[E-Book] for all

This series of books each cover an air campaign in good detail, and are worth reading.

-Rolling Thunder 1965–68: Johnson's air war over Vietnam (Osprey Air Campaign #3) by Richard P Hallion

-Operation Linebacker II 1972: The B-52s are sent to Hanoi (Osprey Air Campaign #6) by Marshall Michel III

-Operation Linebacker I 1972: The first high-tech air war (Osprey Air Campaign #8) by Marshall Michel III

-Six-Day War 1967: Operation Focus and the 12 hours that changed the Middle East (Osprey Air Campaign #10) by Shlomo Aloni

These histories are more general than those in the previous section, but cover the larger conflicts that some CMANO scenarios contain.

-The Yom Kippur War: The Epic Encounter That Transformed the Middle East by Abraham Rabinovich (be sure to get the updated 2017 edition)
[E-Book] [Shifting Sands]

This is an excellent history of the 1973 Yom Kippur War, covering all aspects of this conflict. A good companion to Shifting Sands, as that campaign has several scenarios in this war.

-The Battle for the Falklands by Max Hastings and Simon Jenkins.

A good history of the 1982 Falklands War. A good place to learn about the conflict as a whole if you want to learn more.

DEFCON-2: Standing on the Brink of Nuclear War During the Cuban Missile Crisis by Norman Polmar and John D. Gresham
[E-Book]

A very good history of the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962. It includes alot of detail on the Forces arrayed on both sides as well as the plans for Airstrikes and Invasion of Cuba.

-The Iran-Iraq War by Pierre Razoux
[E-book]

An excellent overall history of the eight year war. Plenty of scenario material, and alot of air and naval engagements.

This section contains books cover naval tactics/strategy, as well as other texts on things such as modern geopolitical situations.

Fleet Tactics and Coastal Combat: Second Edition by Captain Wayne Hughes.
[E-Book] for 2nd edition

A must read. Probably the essential text on naval tactics that is readily available to the public. There is a 3rd edition, which I have not read, but you should probably get that edition.

Harpoon II: The Official Strategy Guide by Ed Dille and Tom Basham

This is out of print and will probably be difficult to find for a sensible price, but if you can get yourself a copy, you absolutely should. This guide for an old computer version of Harpoon, CMANO's predecessor, contains alot of valuable insights and explanations of modern (through early 1990s) naval warfare in a relatively easy to understand way. If you get yourself a copy, it's something to keep readily accessible alongside your CMANO manual.

Modern Naval Combat by David and Chris Miller

An out of print, large hardcover book. Contains a lot of nice art, as well as a good overall introduction to post-WWII naval tactics.

Anti-Access Warfare: Countering Anti-Access and Area-Denial Strategies by Sam J. Tangredi
[E-Book] [Chains of War]

More about strategy than tactics, this is a good text on the concept of A2/AD warfare, which is increasingly relevant going forward in air/naval warfare. Contains good historical examples to understand this important concept which you will encounter in CMANO scenarios and platforms.

The Sea Power of the State by Admiral Sergei G. Gorshkov

Some interesting insight on sea power from the Soviet perspective, written by the man who built up the Soviet Navy during the Cold War to the point where not only was the fleet the strongest in Russia's history, but was capable of putting up a serious fight against the US Navy.

How Carriers Fought: Carrier Operations in WWII by Lars Celander
[E-Book]

This seems like an odd choice to include, considering that WWII is outside the scope of CMANO (for now at least). However, the only actual carrier battles ever fought were in WWII, and there are some scenarios in CMANO that feature carrier vs carrier battles long after WWII. While this book is not completely perfect, I find it to be a useful resource to understand carrier operations against other navies.

Skunk Works: A Personal Memoir of My Years at Lockheed by Ben Rich and Leo Janos
[E-Book] [Desert Storm]

A fascinating history of Lockheed's Skunk Works projects by the man who became it's second director. Includes histories of the U-2, SR-71 and F-117A aircraft, as well as good explanations on how stealth technology works.

Crashback: The Power Clash Between the U.S. and China in the Pacific by Michael Fabey
[E-Book] [Chains Of War]

Red Star over the Pacific: China's Rise and the Challenge to U.S. Maritime Strategy by James Holmes and Toshi Yoshihara (2nd edition available)
[E-Book] [Chains Of War]

Both of these are good explanations of the growing political and military tensions between the US and China, a common match up in CMANO.

Carrier: A Guided Tour of an Aircraft Carrier by Tom Clancy and John Gresham
[E-Book]

This is a good text to understand modern aircraft carriers (through the late 1990s at least).

Air Battle Central Europe by Alfred Price.
[E-book]

This is an interesting text that looks at NATO tactical and operational air capabilities against the Warsaw Pact in the mid-late 1980s. MIxes the author's words with excerpts with interviews of highly qualified British, American and West German air force personnel. Does not cover everything NATO would have had, as the F-117 Stealth fighter was still secret at the time of publication, despite being ready for service in the event of war at the time.