An Cosantóir

strategic review | 25 of the individual. Reading with purpose can enhance profes- sional knowledge. The benefits of 'professional reading' include: the de- velopment of the individual's professional knowledge; the improvement of the level of general knowledge in military current affairs and development; an increased appreciation of military history; an increased understanding of military operations/activities that the Defence Forces does not conduct regularly; a greater understanding of the ethos of various military organisations; and the development of sources of information that will assist in preparatory study and research in advance of career courses. The books recommended in the Infantry School Profes- egories to help the reader to concentrate on areas of spe- cific interest to them. These categories include: the history of the Irish soldier; World War I; World War II; campaigns studied in the Infantry School; leaders and leadership; counterinsurgency; the American Civil War; specialist areas; and miscellaneous areas. In the period 2013–2023 a series of important centenaries sional Reading Programme contain thought-provoking ideas that, in addition to developing the reader's knowledge, will aid them in developing their leadership and military skills. The inclusion of a book does not imply that the Defence Forces endorses the author's views or interpretations and the list of suggested books is not a definitive one and is reviewed periodically. The programme has been divided into a number of cat- vidual to form their own understanding and opinion of events that were central to the founding of our state and our Defence Forces. In addition to events in Ireland, a number of other anniver- will occur. Among these are the foundation of the Irish Vol- unteers (1913); the 1916 Rising and its aftermath; the War of Independence (1919-21); and the Civil War (1922-23). Reading the history of these events will aid the indi- saries of military actions that had strong Irish participation fall within this period. These include the 200th anniver- sary of the Battle of Waterloo (1815), the ongoing series of 150th anniversaries associated with the American Civil War (1861–65), and the concurrent centenaries of the events of World War One (1914–18). Reading about these events can help the individual to form an understanding of their significance and also to further appreciate the development of military tactics, technology and leadership. The Infantry School Reading Programme can assist in the beginning of such a process. The Infantry School Professional Reading Programme is infantry-school/professional-reading-programme Alternatively, simply type Infantry School Professional available on the Defence Forces web site at http://www.military.ie/education-hq/military-college/ Reading Programme into your search engine. About the author: Comdt Seán Murphy is an instructor in the OTW, Infantry School, and is currently completing an MA in military history and strategic studies in NUIM. www.military.ie THE DEFENCE FORCES MAGAZINE

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