Mike Guardia
Mike Guardia is an internationally-recognized author and military historian. A veteran of the United States Army, he served six years on active duty as an Armor Officer. He is the author of the widely-acclaimed "Hal Moore: A Soldier Once...and Always," the first-ever biography chronicling the life of LTG Harold G. Moore, whose battlefield leadership was popularized by the film "We Were Soldiers," starring Mel Gibson.
He has twice been nominated for the Army Historical Foundation's Distinguished Book Award and was named "Author of the Year" in 2021 by the Military Writers Society of America.
As a speaker, he hosts the lecture series "Hal Moore: Lessons in Leadership," which is available for presentation at schools, businesses, and civic organizations worldwide.
Mike Guardia has given presentations at the US Special Operations Command, the International Spy Museum, and the George HW Bush Presidential Library. His work has been reviewed in the Washington Times, Military Review, Armchair General Magazine, DefenceWeb South Africa, and Soldier Magazine UK.
He holds a BA and MA in American History from the University of Houston. He currently lives in Minnesota.
Website: www.mikeguardia.com
Works

Hal Moore: A Soldier Once...and Always
The definitive biography of Harold G. Moore, hero of the Vietnam War and author of the bestselling memoir of the battle at Ia Drang.
A 1945 graduate of West Point, Moore’s first combats occurred during the Korean War, where he fought in the battles of Old Baldy, T-Bone, and Pork Chop Hill. At the beginning of the Vietnam War, Moore commanded the 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry in the first major battle between US and North Vietnamese regulars. Drastically outnumbered and nearly overrun, Moore led from the front, and though losing 79 soldiers, accounted for 1,200 of the enemy before the Communists withdrew.
This Battle of Ia Drang pioneered the use of “air mobile infantry”—delivering troops into battle via helicopter—which became the staple of US operations for the remainder of the war. He later wrote of his experiences in the bestselling book "We Were Soldiers Once . . . and Young."
Following his tour in Vietnam, he assumed command of the 7th Infantry Division, forward-stationed in South Korea, and in 1971, he took command of the Army Training Center at Fort Ord, California. In this capacity, he oversaw the US Army’s transition from a conscript-based to an all-volunteer force. He retired as a lieutenant general in 1977.
Hal Moore graciously allowed the author interviews and granted full access to his files and collection of letters, documents, and never-before-published photographs.
Days of Fury
Skybreak
Foxbat Tales
Wings of Fire
American Armor in the Pacific
Tomcat Fury
Hal Moore: A Life in Pictures
Crusader
Hal Moore on Leadership
The Fires of Babylon
Shadow Commander
American Guerrilla
Awards and Recognition
- Author of the Year - Military Writers Society of America (2021)
- Gold Medal Book Award - Military Writers Society of America (2014)
- Finalist - International Book Awards (2018)
- Finalist - International Book Awards (2017)
- Finalist - Army Historical Foundation's Distinguished Writing Award (2014)
- Finalist - Army Historical Foundation's Distinguished Writing Award (2011)
Press and Media Mentions
- Washington Times
- New York Journal of Books
- Publishers Weekly
- Military Review
- Vietnam Magazine
- Armchair General Magazine
- Armor and Cavalry Journal
- Infantry Magazine
- Soldier Magazine (UK)
- Reader's Digest
- Military Network Radio
- Big Blend Radio & TV Magazine
- PurePolitics.com
- The Jocko Podcast
- Barracks Talk - DV Radio
- Parenting Healthy
- The Children's Book Review
- Frontlines of Freedom