85 books like The Intruders

By Stephen Coonts,

Here are 85 books that The Intruders fans have personally recommended if you like The Intruders. Shepherd is a community of 11,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

Shepherd is reader supported. When you buy books, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Book cover of Flight of the Old Dog

Stefan Vučak Author Of F/X-26

From my list on military aviation and its effect on the modern political era.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve had an interest in military aviation and the impact this had on US and world geopolitics since my college days, and devoured these books at the university library. Once I started my professional career and could afford to buy my own, my library of techno thrillers grew. This reading enriched my knowledge, entertained, and provided ideas for writing my own books. As a book reviewer for Readers’ Favorite, I try to pick – among other genre – works that deal with this theme.

Stefan's book list on military aviation and its effect on the modern political era

Stefan Vučak Why did Stefan love this book?

From the first page, I loved the cool, unflappable main character, handling his B-52 BUFF and overcoming obstacles that threatened his mission.

A genuine techno-thriller, I became totally immersed in the book, enjoying every plot twist. I also relished the interaction between the principal characters, which was not always smooth but blended into a believable story of courage, persistence, and dedication.

This book led me to read further works by this author, and most did not disappoint. This was a perfect book to curl up to on a cool evening with a tumbler of whiskey at my side.

By Dale Brown,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Flight of the Old Dog as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Newly repackaged, here is the runaway bestseller that launched Dale Brown's phenomenal career.

"A superbly crafted adventure." (W.E.B. Griffin)

"Suspenseful and spellbinding." (Clive Cussler)


Book cover of Warriors

Stefan Vučak Author Of F/X-26

From my list on military aviation and its effect on the modern political era.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve had an interest in military aviation and the impact this had on US and world geopolitics since my college days, and devoured these books at the university library. Once I started my professional career and could afford to buy my own, my library of techno thrillers grew. This reading enriched my knowledge, entertained, and provided ideas for writing my own books. As a book reviewer for Readers’ Favorite, I try to pick – among other genre – works that deal with this theme.

Stefan's book list on military aviation and its effect on the modern political era

Stefan Vučak Why did Stefan love this book?

This book is a thoughtful, in-depth expose of a US Navy aviator that set me thinking about Middle East conflicts and politics. I absolutely loved how the main character grasped an opportunity to prove his theories about how to train aviators for aerial combat.

I enjoyed the skillful narrative on flying, personal relationships, and inevitable politics. The author’s unmatched depth of subject-matter knowledge made the book eminently readable. I couldn’t put it down. This book has a prominent place in my collection. 

By Barrett Tillman,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Warriors as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Military


Book cover of Trophy

Stefan Vučak Author Of F/X-26

From my list on military aviation and its effect on the modern political era.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve had an interest in military aviation and the impact this had on US and world geopolitics since my college days, and devoured these books at the university library. Once I started my professional career and could afford to buy my own, my library of techno thrillers grew. This reading enriched my knowledge, entertained, and provided ideas for writing my own books. As a book reviewer for Readers’ Favorite, I try to pick – among other genre – works that deal with this theme.

Stefan's book list on military aviation and its effect on the modern political era

Stefan Vučak Why did Stefan love this book?

I was inexorably drawn into this book, as it fulfilled all my expectations of what a good military aviation techno-thriller should be. It had excellent flying sequences, personal drama, some romance thrown in to add flavor, and rivalry with another skilled pilot.

When I come across such a book, I don’t let go, and I did not let go of this one. It opened an enthralling world into what it takes to teach fighter tactics to already experienced pilots, told from a totally entertaining viewpoint that never descended into dull narrative. I loved the flying sequences, making me believe I was there in the cockpit with the pilot.

By Julian Jay Savarin,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Trophy as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Book description to come.


Book cover of Road to Gold: A Sweetwater Sullivan Naval Aviation Adventure

Stefan Vučak Author Of F/X-26

From my list on military aviation and its effect on the modern political era.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve had an interest in military aviation and the impact this had on US and world geopolitics since my college days, and devoured these books at the university library. Once I started my professional career and could afford to buy my own, my library of techno thrillers grew. This reading enriched my knowledge, entertained, and provided ideas for writing my own books. As a book reviewer for Readers’ Favorite, I try to pick – among other genre – works that deal with this theme.

Stefan's book list on military aviation and its effect on the modern political era

Stefan Vučak Why did Stefan love this book?

If I wanted to learn what it took to become a US Air Force aviator, I found the perfect book. I had several good chuckles at what raw recruits endured at Pensacola at the hands of no-nonsense instructors. A fail at boot camp meant getting washed out.

When the story’s main character graduated to flying single-engine propeller aircraft, I was in the sky with him and his close friend. Transitioning to jets made my day, as did an occasional amusing amour. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and gained valuable information for my own writing. However, I could not help but wonder whether real life would actually be that romantic.

By William H. Labarge,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Road to Gold as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"ROAD TO GOLD" : WHAT IT TAKES TO EARN THOSE COVETED "WINGS OF GOLD"Celebrating the 100TH Anniversary of Naval AVIATION BY: Bill "Sweetwater" LaBarge, Navy Carrier Pilot and New York Times Bestselling Author.From basic training to deadly battle in the skies, he followed a path of high risk and proud tradition.Matt "Sweetwater" Sullivan's dream of becoming a Navy pilot could not possibly have prepared him for the body-numbing pace of basic training with a class of bewildered beginners. With grit, verve, and determination, Matt would survive the "Pensacola Pressure-Cooker" and go on to Saufley Field to meet the grueling demands…


Book cover of Flight of the Intruder

T. August Green Author Of Shadow

From my list on to transport you across time and space.

Why am I passionate about this?

Since early childhood, I was fascinated by aircraft, space travel, and racing cars. I watched the Apollo missions with wonder and CanAm racing on Wide World of Sports with equal enthusiasm. I built models and flew missions of imagination. The floor of my bedroom became many tracks laid out with masking tape. Making the transition to real cars was more difficult but my passion for sci-fi, space adventure, and speed marches on to this day. Star Trek was a huge enabler that drove me to see the world differently, and sixty years later, it still does. The road of our own discovery is an endless one.

T. August's book list on to transport you across time and space

T. August Green Why did T. August love this book?

The Vietnam War was a painful conflict filled with contradiction and a hard learning curve for American forces. Faced with a jungle battle like none before, Vietnam desperately attempted to control the ground from the air. The A-6 Intruder was designed for low-level bombing but had no defensive weapons (guns) and the crews that flew them were a rare breed. The film based on this novel butchered the story of Jake Grafton and his struggle to focus between orders and loyalty. After the loss of his bombardier, Jake sees the war with new eyes, blurred by the unexpected passion found with a woman on the Naval Base. His inner conflict runs deep as he debates risking his career for revenge but is unprepared for the vast consequences that follow.

By Stephen Coonts,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Flight of the Intruder as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In Flight of the Intruder Jake Grafton is an A-6 Intruder pilot during the Vietnam War who flies his bomber on sorties past enemy flak and SAM missiles, and then must maneuver his plane, often at night, onto the relatively small deck of an aircraft carrier. Former Navy flyer Stephen Coonts gives an excellent sense of the complexities of modern air raids and how nerve-wracking it is, even for the best airmen, to technically solve sudden problems over and over, knowing that even a twist of fate like a peasant wildly firing a rifle from a field could wipe out…


Book cover of Arisen, Book One: Fortress Britain

Devon C Ford Author Of Survival

From my list on current post-apocalyptic series.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve long had a passion (read: obsession) with the apocalypse in whatever form it takes. I’ve written viral pandemics, zombie outbreaks, post-nuclear survival, dystopian totalitarianism, extinction-level-event, alien invasion, WW3… all of them have the theme of the great reset. The ability to reinvent yourself in the new world. The erasure of your life and the clean slate to try again and become who you want to be. I read and listen to this genre as well as write it because I'm passionate about the worlds writers create and the way their characters adapt to overcome the challenges my own have faced. As a former police officer, I’ve probably spent too many night shifts pondering the end of the world.

Devon's book list on current post-apocalyptic series

Devon C Ford Why did Devon love this book?

I’m referring to his Arisen series here. There hasn’t been a zombie epic of this calibre ever. It’s a fast-paced, high-octane kinetic blast through the apocalypse, told from (mainly) the point of view of tier-one operators. The way the characters evolve alongside the virus is so engaging that if anyone asked me to give them a run-down of the series I’d prepare a PowerPoint presentation and organise catering. This series does not quit, and the individuality of the characters will make you cry, laugh, and definitely spit your coffee out.

By Glynn James, Michael Stephen Fuchs,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Arisen, Book One as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

With nearly a million copies sold and a 4.7/5.0-★ average on over 50,000 reviews, the ARISEN series is said by readers to be: "a non stop thrill ride" ... "unputdownable" ... "the most original and well-written zombie novels I have ever read" ... "riveting as hell - I cannot recommend this series enough" ... "Knock Down Drag Out FANTASTIC!!!!!!" ... "Wow. Just wow." ... "the action starts hot and heavy and does NOT let up" ... "astonishingly well-researched and highly plausible" ... "non-stop speed rush! All action, all the time" ... "left me with my mouth hanging open" ... "May…


Book cover of The Last Tallyho

Tom Burkhalter Author Of Everything We Had: a Novel of the Pacific Air War November-December 1941

From my list on air war stories that put you in the cockpit.

Why am I passionate about this?

I read the books in my list decades before I started writing air war stories. My first novel was a sci-fi space opera about hot starpilots flying from what I called “spacecraft carriers” in an interstellar war. Over the years I’ve flown sailplanes, power planes, and logged time in the SNJ and the DC-3. Since I was never there, flying high-performance airplanes in combat, I try to read all the histories and memoirs and pilot’s manuals I can get my hands on, and study pictures of the people, time, place, and airplanes I’m writing about. 

Tom's book list on air war stories that put you in the cockpit

Tom Burkhalter Why did Tom love this book?

This book was the first adult air-war novel I read, and it pulled me right into the world of naval aviation in World War II.

The protagonist was young, fresh out of flight school and barely qualified to land on aircraft carriers. The author was a navy fighter pilot during World War II, and he put this youngster’s hands on the controls during some tough flying and fighting. After that, I was hooked!

By Richard Newhafer,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Last Tallyho as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.


Book cover of Guadalcanal: The Definitive Account of the Landmark Battle

Barrett Tillman Author Of When the Shooting Stopped: August 1945

From my list on WWII aircraft carrier operations in the Pacific.

Why am I passionate about this?

Like all Boomers, I grew up in the shadow of “The War.” My parents, relatives, and others participated in World War II to various extents; all were affected by it. Therefore, I absorbed the Pacific Theater early on. My father trained as a naval aviator, and among my early TV memories is the 1950s series Victory at Sea. My mother coaxed me early on, and an aunt was an English teacher, so I began learning to read before kindergarten. In retrospect, that gave me extra time to start absorbing the emerging literature. Much later I helped restore and flew WW II aircraft, leading to my first book.

Barrett's book list on WWII aircraft carrier operations in the Pacific

Barrett Tillman Why did Barrett love this book?

Today relatively few Americans have heard of Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands. 

Eighty years ago the odd name was front-page daily news, a six-month drama played out on land, sea, and air. From the Battle of Midway in June 1942, Guadalcanal was the only major campaign that America might have lost, ending in early 1943. In 750 literate, detailed, immaculately documented pages, Rich Frank created a history for the ages.

Serious Pacific students already know about Downfall, Frank’s 1945 study, and his current Asia-Pacific trilogy leading with the chilling title Tower of Skulls.

By Richard B. Frank,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Guadalcanal as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"Brilliant...an enormous work based on the most meticulous research."-LA Times Book Review

The battle at Guadalcanal-which began eight months to the day after Pearl Harbor-marked the first American offensive of World War II. It was a brutal six-month campaign that cost the lives of some 7,000 Americans and over 30,000 Japanese.

This volume, ten years in the writing, recounts the full story of the critical campaign for Guadalcanal and is based on first-time translations of official Japanese Defense Agency accounts and recently declassified U.S. radio intelligence, Guadalcanal recreates the battle-on land, at sea, and in the air-as never before: it…


Book cover of The Big E: The Story of the USS Enterprise

Barrett Tillman Author Of When the Shooting Stopped: August 1945

From my list on WWII aircraft carrier operations in the Pacific.

Why am I passionate about this?

Like all Boomers, I grew up in the shadow of “The War.” My parents, relatives, and others participated in World War II to various extents; all were affected by it. Therefore, I absorbed the Pacific Theater early on. My father trained as a naval aviator, and among my early TV memories is the 1950s series Victory at Sea. My mother coaxed me early on, and an aunt was an English teacher, so I began learning to read before kindergarten. In retrospect, that gave me extra time to start absorbing the emerging literature. Much later I helped restore and flew WW II aircraft, leading to my first book.

Barrett's book list on WWII aircraft carrier operations in the Pacific

Barrett Tillman Why did Barrett love this book?

Edward P. Stafford’s superb “biography” of the aircraft carrier Enterprise (CV-6) captured my attention two years after publication in 1962 because the ship was at war from Pearl Harbor onward. 

I read and re-re-read my paperback copy from high school onward, including a cross-country train trip. It is so well written that Stafford’s style imprinted itself in my subconscious. Thereafter I came to know dozens of “Big E” aircrews and sailors leading up to my own history of “The Fightingest Ship” in 2012.  

Ed Stafford and I agreed that the world needs a new Enterprise book every 50 years!

By Edward P. Stafford,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Big E as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A lasting memorial to the USS Enterprise, this classic tale of the carrier that contributed more than any other single warship to the naval victory in the Pacific has remained a favorite World War II story for more than twenty-five years. The Big E participated in nearly every major engagement of the war against Japan and earned a total of twenty battle stars. The Halsey-Doolittle Raid; the Battles of Midway, Santa Cruz, Guadalcanal, the Philippine Sea, and Leyte Gulf; and the invasions of Iwo Jima and Okinawa are all faithfully recorded from the viewpoint of the men who served her…


Book cover of The Two-Ocean War: A Short History of the United States Navy in the Second World War

Barrett Tillman Author Of When the Shooting Stopped: August 1945

From my list on WWII aircraft carrier operations in the Pacific.

Why am I passionate about this?

Like all Boomers, I grew up in the shadow of “The War.” My parents, relatives, and others participated in World War II to various extents; all were affected by it. Therefore, I absorbed the Pacific Theater early on. My father trained as a naval aviator, and among my early TV memories is the 1950s series Victory at Sea. My mother coaxed me early on, and an aunt was an English teacher, so I began learning to read before kindergarten. In retrospect, that gave me extra time to start absorbing the emerging literature. Much later I helped restore and flew WW II aircraft, leading to my first book.

Barrett's book list on WWII aircraft carrier operations in the Pacific

Barrett Tillman Why did Barrett love this book?

President Franklin Roosevelt commissioned Harvard historian Samuel Eliot Morison to write the definitive history of the U.S. Navy in WW II, and Morison produced an epic 15-volume series between 1947 and 1962. 

Despite more recent research it is richly detailed, elegantly written, and remains a standard source. The Two-Ocean War, Morison’s 1963 one-volume condensation covering all theaters of operations, was among the books that piqued my interest in the subject. It is particularly valuable in describing the Pacific island campaigns as well as the war at sea.

By Samuel Eliot Morison,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Two-Ocean War as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Originally published in 1963, this classic, single-volume history draws on Morison's definitive 15-volume History of United States Naval Operations in World War II. More than a condensation, The Two-Ocean War highlights the major components of the larger work: the preparation for war, the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the long war of attrition between submarines and convoys in the Atlantic, the battles of the Coral Sea and Midway, the long grind of Guadalcanal, the leapfrogging campaigns among the Pacific islands, the invasion of continental Europe, the blazes of glory at Leyte and Okinawa, and the final grudging surrender of the…


5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in veterans, the Vietnam War, and presidential biography?

11,000+ authors have recommended their favorite books and what they love about them. Browse their picks for the best books about veterans, the Vietnam War, and presidential biography.

Veterans Explore 83 books about veterans
The Vietnam War Explore 233 books about the Vietnam War
Presidential Biography Explore 19 books about presidential biography