For starters: A Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger Lost Moon by Jim Lovell & Jeffrey Kluger [basis for Apollo 13] Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer I would think there are a variety of good nonfiction books on war [e.g., D-Day, Gettysburg] that would make for good reading. Also natural disasters [e.g., Jonestown flood].

I was also going to say "A Perfect Storm." Another good one by Junger is "War", which corresponds with the documentary movie "Restrepo." In a similar vein is "Generation Kill", by Evan Wright, which was made into an HBO mini-series. I'm not sure if this counts but I am reading "The Successful Novelist" by David Morrell which I think is good a non-fiction book on writing. Many of his examples come from the action/thriller genre. In fact, Morrell's first book was "First Blood", which was turned into the movie "Rambo".

We all know Elmore Leonard is the man. But definitely check out a few of his earlier novels for some flawlessly executed action scenes. As usual, the economy of words is crisp and razor fine. "The Hunted," "City Primevil," and the western "Gunsights" instantly come to mind.

Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why by Lawrence Gonzales. It presents a fascinating exploration of the psychology of how people react in extreme situations (and how they create extreme situations). A riveting read. If you’re writing period / pirate / Musketeer / steampunk adventure, the best primer on edged weapons is “Swashbuckling: A Step-by-Step Guide to the Art of Stage Combat & Theatrical Swordplay” by emininent fight choreographer / teacher Richard Lane. (Posted this in the wrong place originally so I've copied it over.) Likewise, if you're looking for information on the late-Victorian fighting style Bartitsu (made famous in the Sherlock Holmes books), I highly recommend The Bartitsu Compendium, Volumes I and II, by Tony Wolf.

I love this series. However, this was a hard genre to think about...thanks for getting the ball rolling. Sebastion Junger is a great author for non-fiction action. I'll add to the Perfect Storm and War votes and throw in Fire as another. David McCullough's 1776 is a fantastic read about the beginning of our nation. Jane Hamsher's Killer Instinct about the making of Natural Born Killers falls into this category for me as making that film sounds like a crazy ride. I"m honestly not sure how to classify Hunter Thompson but he's partially action....sometimes..I don't know..I think I'll just throw this out there and see what others think. I didn't think about it until just now, but non-fiction action films could be another category as well. Documentaries are a great research tool for giving a realistic background to a script or characters. Restrepo is the first thing to come to mind (co-directed by Junger and Tim Heatherington who was killed last year covering another war-which is sad 'cause he was a cool guy). 1/2 Revolution is a great doc about the Arab Spring as told by a participant/witness. Touching the Void kept me on the edge of my seat..it's more of an action/thriller doc. Murderball is a great doc about wheelchair rugby, which I had never heard of before seeing this film. Dust to Glory is about a 1000 mile desert race called the Baja1000. I never thought I'd get into a doc about racing, but it's really interesting and exciting. There are obviously many many more, but this is a good start off the top of my head. Also most of these docs are either on Netflix or you can watch them free on the web.

I deleted a line about filmmakers putting themselves in the middle of the action. Restrepo was the first thing to come to mind because it had been mentioned earlier in this comment thread.

Jeff, I'm going to add your suggestions to the fiction books list.

Mike, I added your documentaries to the other resources list, FYI.

Here's a recap of the suggestions so far: Category Suggestions • nonfiction books on war [e.g., D-Day, Gettysburg] • nonfiction books on natural disasters [e.g., Jonestown flood]. Title Suggestions • 1776 by David McCullough • The Bartitsu Compendium, Volumes I and II, by Tony Wolf, for information on the late-Victorian fighting style Bartitsu • Fire by Sebastian Junger • Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why by Lawrence Gonzales. a fascinating exploration of the psychology of how people react in extreme situations (and how they create extreme situations). • Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer • Killer Instinct by Jane Hamsher about the making of Natural Born Killers falls into this category for me as making that film sounds like a crazy ride. • Lost Moon by Jim Lovell & Jeffrey Kluger [basis for Apollo 13] • A Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger • Swashbuckling: A Step-by-Step Guide to the Art of Stage Combat & Theatrical Swordplay by Richard Lane, the best primer on edged weapons. • The Successful Novelist by David Morrell. Many of his examples come from the action/thriller genre. In fact, Morrell’s first book was “First Blood”, which was turned into the movie “Rambo”. • War by Sebastian Junger, which corresponds with the documentary movie “Restrepo.”