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John R. Bruning

Goodreads Author

Born

The United States

Website

https://theamericanwarrior.com/

Twitter

johnrbruning

Genre

History, Nonfiction, Biography

Member Since

March 2013

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/johnrbruning

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John Bruning is the author or coauthor of twenty-two non-fiction books, including four New York Times best sellers, and seven national best sellers, including the critically acclaimed "Race of Aces," "Indestructible," "Outlaw Platoon" (with Sean Parnell) and "House to House" (with David Bellavia).

In 2011, he received a Thomas Jefferson Award for his photojournalism and reporting in Afghanistan during the surge in 2010.

He lives in Oregon with his family and writes with an office staff that includes three dogs and two cats, one of whom identifies as canine and enjoys swimming, hiking and urban exploration.

For further information on John, his office staff and his published words, please check out:

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John R. Bruning’s books

Average rating: 4.37 · 20,133 ratings · 1,574 reviews · 24 distinct works • Similar authors

	Indestructible: One Man's Rescue Mission That Changed the Course of WWII 4.40 avg rating — 1,438 ratings — published 2016 — 13 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Race of Aces: WWII's Elite Airmen and the Epic Battle to Become the Masters of the Sky 4.32 avg rating — 1,093 ratings — published 2020 — 8 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Fifty-Three Days on Starvation Island: The World War II Battle That Saved Marine Corps Aviation 4.52 avg rating — 314 ratings — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Devil's Sandbox: With the 2nd Battalion, 162nd Infantry at War in Iraq 4.23 avg rating — 80 ratings — published 2006 — 7 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Jungle Ace: The Story of One of the USAAF's Great Fighter Leaders, Col. Gerald R. Johnson 4.25 avg rating — 63 ratings — published 2001 — 10 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Crimson Sky: The Air Battle for Korea 3.96 avg rating — 45 ratings — published 1999 — 9 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Battle of the Bulge: The Photographic History of an American Triumph 4.23 avg rating — 26 ratings — published 2009 — 11 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Battle for the North Atlantic: The Strategic Naval Campaign that Won World War II in Europe 3.95 avg rating — 21 ratings — published 2012 — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Bombs Away!: The World War II Bombing Campaigns over Europe 4.64 avg rating — 11 ratings — published 2011 — 8 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Ship Strike Pacific really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 3 ratings — published 2005 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by John R. Bruning…

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John R. Bruning's Blog

Race of Aces NYT Review

Yesterday, the New York Times reviewed Race of Aces. This was an extraordinary and humbling moment for me, the first time in a career dating back to 1996 we've had this honor.

The review is here:
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/14/bo...

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Published on January 15, 2020 21:30

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John is Currently Reading

John Bruning is currently reading

Japan's Imperial Army: Its Rise and Fall (Modern War Studies)

by Edward J. Drea

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Apr 27, 2026 03:28PM

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Clash of Empires in South China: The Allied Nations' Proxy War with Japan, 1935-1941 (Modern War Studies)

by Franco David Macri

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Apr 27, 2026 10:25AM

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Forgotten Ally: China's World War II, 1937-1945

by Rana Mitter

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Apr 27, 2026 10:17AM

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John Bruning is currently reading Japan's Imperial Army: Its Rise and Fall (Modern War Studies) by Edward J. Drea	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Apr 27, 2026 03:28PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Japan's Imperial Army by Edward J. Drea. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Japan's Imperial Army by Edward J. Drea <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
John Bruning is currently reading Clash of Empires in South China: The Allied Nations' Proxy War with Japan, 1935-1941 (Modern War Studies) by Franco David Macri	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Apr 27, 2026 10:25AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Clash of Empires in South China by Franco David Macri. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Clash of Empires in South China by Franco David Macri <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
John Bruning is currently reading Forgotten Ally: China's World War II, 1937-1945 by Rana Mitter	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Apr 27, 2026 10:17AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Forgotten Ally by Rana Mitter. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Forgotten Ally by Rana Mitter <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
John Bruning is currently reading Rays of the Rising Sun: Armed Forces of Japan's Asian Allies 1931-45 Volume 1 - China and Manchukuo by Philip Jowett	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Apr 27, 2026 10:16AM · like
John Bruning is currently reading The Rising Sun: The Decline and Fall of the Japanese Empire, 1936-1945 by John Toland	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Mar 08, 2026 02:30PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Rising Sun by John Toland. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Rising Sun by John Toland <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
John Bruning finished reading Nagato-Class Battleships: IJN Super-Dreadnoughts Nagato and Mutsu by Hans Lengerer	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Mar 05, 2026 09:47AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Nagato-Class Battleships by Hans Lengerer. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Nagato-Class Battleships by Hans Lengerer <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
John Bruning is currently reading Diplomats & Admirals: From Failed Negotiations and Tragic Misjudgments to Powerful Leaders and Heroic Deeds, the Untold Story of the Pacific War from Pearl Harbor to Midway by Dale A. Jenkins (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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John Bruning is currently reading Fifty-Three Days on Starvation Island: The World War II Battle That Saved Marine Corps Aviation by John R. Bruning (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Oct 24, 2025 01:21PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Fifty-Three Days on Starvation Island by John R. Bruning. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Fifty-Three Days on Starvation Island by John R. Bruning <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
John Bruning is currently reading Behind Japanese Lines: An American Guerrilla in the Philippines by Ray C. Hunt	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Aug 06, 2025 02:47PM · like
John Bruning is currently reading Rendezvous By Submarine;: The Story Of Charles Parsons And The Guerrilla-Soldiers In The Philippines [Illustrated Edition] by Travis Ingham	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
May 13, 2025 09:19AM · like

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Quotes by John R. Bruning (?)

“Of the latter, they cut each truck in two, shipped them into the secret field in two C-47 transports, then welded them together in the field. It was a model of American ingenuity, and by midsummer, the strip was up and working.”
― John R. Bruning, Indestructible: One Man's Rescue Mission That Changed the Course of WWII

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“I ask not for wealth, or fame or long life, only that I may have the strength and courage to get to my objective and hit it, and hit it, and hit it.”
― John R. Bruning, Race of Aces: WWII's Elite Airmen and the Epic Battle to Become the Master of the Sky

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“Those who experience it and measure up know the true strength of their own souls.”
― John R. Bruning, Fifty-Three Days on Starvation Island: The World War II Battle That Saved Marine Corps Aviation

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