YA Military History

I'm looking for books on American Military history that are accessible to readers at the middle or high school reading level. I was hoping people might have some suggestions engaging historical books at that reading level.

From a non-American's perspective, I'd note that various books by Stephen E. Ambrose cover a spectrum of American military history (though his best known works concentrate on the Second World War) and have the bonus of being widely available, but probably only suitable for readers at high school level.

A favourite memoir of mine is Eugene Sledge's 'With the Old Breed' about his service with the Marines in the Pacific in the Second World War. Again, high school level reading. Again, readily available.

>2 Bushwhacked: Thanks so much! It's looking like the HS level is easier coverage. Middle is a harder grouping, but snippets might well work there.

Having thought about it a bit more... the fictional Red Badge of Courage may be suitable for Middle Schoolers... it's a 19th century novel set in the Civil War... used to be very popular... but I haven't read it in a long time... however I'm unsure how the shifting sands of contemporary views of the Civil War may have now stacked it with interpretation not intended at the time it was written. I'm probably on shaky ground here so better to leave this to my American friends in this Group to proffer their opinions.

Any of Stephen Ambrose's WW2 books could interest teens - D-Day, Citizen Soldiers, The Wild Blue, Band of Brothers, The Victors.

The Civil War: Strange and Fascinating Facts could stir interest in further reading on their own. Same goes for McCullough's 1776 and A Military Miscellany: From Bunker Hill to Baghdad: Important, Uncommon, and Sometimes Forgotten Facts, Lists, and Stories from America's Military History.

Several books that have been made into movies might work as well - We Were Soldiers Once and Young, Black Hawk Down, Horse Soldiers, Monuments Men.

If they like biographies, I'd recommend Grant, A General's Life (Omar Bradley), It Doesn't Take a Hero (Norm Schwarzkopf).

To the extent that Johnny Tremain is about the American Revolution (I don't recall how many actual battle scenes there are, if that's what you're looking for), you might consider it. I reread it a few years back and found it, even as an adult, quite a good reading experience.