Keen insights into British 'SAS' training
586652
Outstanding film, with plot & character development, especially for those of us who have served in War Zones!
2309291
This book is an edited oral history of the lives of British ex-pats in Malaysia and Borneo in the early Twentieth Century.  In making this collection, Allen interviewed ex-pats from all walks of life-from bank officials to boat captains and family members of rubber plantation owners.  He collated the material into chapters organized by topic, including motivations for going to the East, types of work, racial mixing and segregation, daily life, living in the back country, administration, women, the War, and the prison camps.  Allen provides much historical background, and uses lengthy excerpts from the interviews to illustrate his points.

I found this book absolutely fascinating for the information it provides on the ex-pat mindset.  I had never understood before who these ex-pats were and why they were so nonchalant about living overseas.  In movies and books British ex-pats are frequently portrayed as having the attitude of being superior to locals, and oblivious to local cultures. This book provides a much deeper exploration of what British ex-pats living in the colonies were all about.  We learn that many of the men were younger sons of middle class families, who knew they would not be inheriting money or business, so they would have to make it on their own.  A career in the colonies provided a respectable way for an average chap with limited resources to make a living, as well as have some adventure along the way.  But this wasn't their only motivation-as many in Allen's interviews note, they were also drawn to the colonies by a sense of service to their country and to the people of the colony.  Conditions were often extreme, and deaths from disease were common.  The only way to survive was to develop an incredible toughness of character, sometimes taking the form of daily routines that seemed to deny the hardships through seeming to be oblivious to them.  From our perspective, these customs may appear to be out of synch with local culture, but when it is understood that they are survival mechanisms, their worth becomes clear.

In this book, the ex-pats explain themselves, as Allen sums up in the epilogue: "As the younger [local] men that they had trained began to take over so the British officials went into early retirement; a few moved to other colonies but the great majority returned to the United Kingdom. They went with the satisfaction that they left behind countries that were `prosperous, and peaceful and well-governed'. They had stood for `decent, not very efficient but well-meaning government that gave the very poorest man a chance to live and enough food to eat'. And if as rulers they had been `sometimes pompous and stupid' they had also been, by and large, `dedicated, intrinsically good and incorruptible."  Whether or not the officials actually measured up to these descriptions is another story, but this is how they saw themselves and described their own work.  Allen's work in collecting these stories and creating a cohesive whole from the disparate pieces is masterful.
3498063
I enjoyed this book a lot; Mr. Waters was trained at Ft. Devons Mass., and served at least one duty station about the same time as I ;  In fact, his roommate in Augsburg , who looked like Lurch was a good friend  of mine ; (G.L.) had a beautiful Sister named Cathy ,  who I visited once in Southern Ca.; Cathy and I sent cassette tapes back and forth to each other for months. Mr. Waters had a bit different lifestyle in Europe than I did, but his book is mostly true, and I would buy it if you want to see what the real life of a super-spy is like.. Oh , Mr. Waters , to be completely honest , I have one correction for your book; I , and no one else ,  was the fastest o5h-20 in Augsberg .
2068548
This is a great tale of evasion and escape in a hostile environment when the real God of War(Murphy, not Mars or Sun Tzu!)catches up to this SAS team.  It tells the rest of the "Bravo Two Zero" story and fills in the details after the unit inadvertently split-up.
  Ryan's trek out of Iraq to Syria in the worst weather, over difficult terrain and with enemies all around, is a true epic and a testament to the courage and fortitude of the SAS, and to Chris Ryan in particular.
  That being said, this book is a textbook of how NOT to plan and execute a strategic reconnaisance/sabotage mission!  The mission was thrown together with poor intell, poorly planned and thought out, and even more poorly supported(no pistols, inadequate maps/photos, not enough ammo!)  Prior to insertion, Ryan notes that they left their tentage and warm clothing behind because, well, Iraq is a desert, and of course, deserts are hot!  Don't these guys know what the temperature does at night, in the winter, in the desert?  Even Ryan acknowledges that leaving their vehicles was a mistake(they were the only team to elect to walk in from their insertion point, carrying 265 lbs of gear each!)  Of all the British SAS and American Special Forces teams inserted into Iraq, the ones on foot were in the greatest peril once they were discovered.  And these guys had planned to sabotage a fiber optic link with explosives--so not only would they be on foot, deep in enemy territory, they were going to announce their presence to the Iraqis!  Nowadays, with the world population continuing to explode, the ability of a group of commandos to sneak around without discovery becomes more and more difficult.  There are just too many people and dogs! Stealth is fine but you need good communications and a SPEEDY(ground vehicle or air) exfiltration plan(that your headquarters knows about--the rescue teams were looking in the wrong direction for this team!).  To top it off, Bravo-2-0 was not a true "team."  Though then men knew each other, they had not trained together as a small unit prior to being assembled for this mission.

  With regard to communications, the radio failure of this team is inexcusable.  They were given the wrong frequencies by their  HQ!  What an ammateurish mistake!  Over half a century ago, the British 1st Airborne jumped into Holland for Operation Market-Garden, with the wrong radio crystals--guess what--no commo!  Don't these SAS guys read any history?
  And speaking of history, I also have to take exception to Ryan's statement that Schwarzkopf didn't like elite units because the US Army Special Forces made "a hash of things in Vietnam..."  The Green Berets were actually one of the few positives during the Vietnam war--their individual and collective successes at fighting a guerilla war are the stuff of legend.  Schwarzkopf and other conventional soldiers have always resented elite organizations, for a variety of reasons, some practical, but mostly political, personal, and emmotional.
  Corporal Chris Ryan's endurance, bravery, physical strength, and military skill were demonstrated by his being the only member of the team to avoid capture or death.  I just hope that both British and U.S. Special Operations personnel can use the entire experience to prevent similar circumstances occuring in  the future.
  And, if you couldn't guess, I am retired US Army Special Forces.
2972140
First, it's important to note that I fully respect our military and our police forces, including the United States Secret Service.  That includes SA Emmett in that he definitely took on roles for our country which showed bravery and skill, and that he answered the call of a nation in ways that others couldn't.

SA Emmett loves himself.  He makes that clear in every page where he talks about the elite -- he is in the best group of the best group of the best group; he is the best instructor ever to grace Beltsville; and so much more.  He talks about how, going into USSS is not something to be done for glory, but then gushes about the glory for the next 270 pages.  The book is also very repetitive.

Some things I really DID like about the book: lots of anecdotes, which add a great deal overall; the respect he shows for uniformed division instructors; the history of USSS and CIA (though I already knew those myself).

Long and short of it, if you read it, it won't kill you.  If you don't read it, it won't kill you.

All that said, SA Emmett, truly, thank you for your service to the United States of America.
4548406
Excellent overview by a rare individual who successfully completed 3 SF Selection Courses:

UK SAS
Rhodie SAS
Selous Scouts

It's an excellent glimpse of an underreported conflict as well as little known special forces organizations.

And it also offers a brief slice of Mozambique's RENAMO created and nurtured to counter FRELIMO once they gained control of bordering Mozambique to take the pressure off of Rhodesia and South Africa.

Highly recommended
433844
If you ever served in the military you saw two types of leaders.  Far too many led by fear or intimidation.  If you were lucky you met at least one individual who led from the front, by example.  Someone whose professionalism and personality made you willing to follow them anywhere at anytime.  Dick Meadows was one of those few.
  He was a master sergeant in the Korean War at the age of twenty. After Korea he joined Special Forces and trained with the British SAS, spending time with them in Oman.  The SAS do not accept outsiders easily, yet Meadows ended up marrying the daughter of an SAS sergeant major.
  In the early sixties he spent time in Laos with the White Star program training guerrillas and then served two tours in Vietnam.  While running small reconnaissance teams across the border Meadows was credited with capturing either thirteen or fifteen prisoners, depending on the source.  At one point his team was asked to go into North Vietnam in a rescue attempt for a downed pilot.  His leadership in that action, and his success on previous missions in Laos, earned Meadows the first battlefield commission of the war.  Less than a year after the POW mission he was back in Vietnam, this time to oversee the insertion of indigenous teams across the border.  In the summer of 1970 he was hand-picked to participate in the planning and execution of the raid on the Son Tay POW camp, just twenty to thirty miles west of Hanoi (see&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/The-Raid-The-Son-Tay-Prison-Rescue-Mission/dp/B000OW7WDW/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">The Raid: The Son Tay Prison Rescue Mission</a>).
  Shortly after his retirement in 1977 Meadows was asked to be part of the newly formed Delta Force.  In that role he took part in the 1980 rescue attempt of the Americans held hostage in Tehran, Iran. He was actually part of a team in Tehran itself when the operation was called off.
  When you put terms like SAS, White Star, Special Forces, cross-border,  Son Tay, and Delta Force into the discussion of one man's career you have said quite a lot.  Dick Meadows was the epitome of a Special Forces soldier.  Like many of those men, he died much too young.  Read this book.  By doing so you honor Dick Meadows and his service to this country.
2918511
I love the little SAS book. for each tutorial, it gives a breaf explanation at the begining and a detail explanation at the end. It is wonderful for inclass and self-learning SAS.
2639428
This is a really honest, great read. Mick Flynn tells his story firsthand in an honest, readable style that is easy to follow and understand. It is not a great work of literature but it doesn't have to be to be real. It was really interesting to finally read a first hand account of British soldiers serving on CVR(T) Scorpion, Scimitar, Striker and Spartan light armor vehicles from the Falklands to Afghanistan. These fascinating vehicles have served well on all fronts but seldom reported. Recommended for anyone interested in modern warfare, especially the British experience.
3686924
I've known Mel and Elaine for years and I've had a copy of Mel's original Active Training binder on my bookshelf just as long. Elaine is an expert when it comes to training and I've read her articles and books. Together these two have created a wonderful resource for trainers and facilitators who are looking for activities to make points or get participants thinking about topics. What I really like is the rationale they present for the various kinds of training activities they present. It's not just a what to do, but also a why to do it. If you are new to training and want to design highly interactive learning activities, you need to read this book.
2328362
a book detailing the British TeleVision series of a spy who may or may not be in retirement, who may or may not have left retirement to spy again
4416903
Immediate Action is the follow up to Andy McNab's incredible Bravo Two Zero, the story of a British SAS patrol in Iraq during the Gulf Conflict. The British Government did their damndest to block the publication of Bravo Two Zero. They tried even harder to block Immediate Action. In this book, Andy McNab recounts many of the 'secrets' of the training and operation of the SAS. Not that he places any lives at risk by doing so, he is careful to only release information that could not cause damage to current members of the regiment.
Immediate Action starts with young McNab's desire to join the elite force. It details the boot camps, the beatings, the life or death training. Then it moves on through several operations in which McNab was involved, including a raid on a jungle drugs operation in Belize (where the SAS helps to 'train' local forces). As the book ends, Andy McNab is the most decorated serving soldier in Britain - and still something of a rebel. Maybe that's what interested me - the mentality of the men of the SAS. McNab was no exception. The black humour (as in his torture in Iraq when, after a particularly vicious beating, he observes to his friend, 'Ah well, at least they can't make me pregnant!') It's spirit like McNab's that has made the SAS the world's number one elite fighting force. The motto - 'Who dares wins' says it all.
My only reason for a deduction of half a star is because, in places, Immediate Action seems disjointed. It would have benefited from a few link paragraphs here and there. Otherwise, an exception book from an exceptional man.
4023688
Thoroughly enjoyed the story about Mark's life. I found his childhood most interesting.
The story about his life in the Army was most informative. It is greatly appreciated reading about Mark's VC, how it was won, how he felt, and his total commitment to the SAS soldiers he worked with in Afghanistan.
I loved the way he spoke of his wife and family.
A great book, and in my opinion well written.
1516856
A guide to each and every airfield in the UK that was used by Fighter Command during the Battle of Britain.

Following the regualr structure used by After the Battle magazine and its many and varied drill-downs on history, the book features then and now photos and text which describe how an airfield was used during the battle and - to put it bluntly - is it worth going to visit.

It is the concentration on this issue - what's there now - that made this book so valuable to me. Like many others I have an edition of The Battle of Britain - Then and Now; in my case it's the Mk. II. I had considered buying an updated edition many times to - ahead of a visit - to queue up which airfield I would go to. However, I never did. This was mainly because of cost. One has to acknowledge most of the data are unchanged from one version to another, so the hefty cost did not, at least to my mind, warrernt buying another.

So - with the very clear reminder of how Hawkinge went from a fully extant airfield to a glorious museum, but nonetheless a diminshed hidtoric site - I tried the Pen & Sword "Airfields of 11 Group' as a substitute. While good, I yearned for what AtB could have done.

And then, they did it.

I bought it and it is glorious!

I measure a book by what it tells me I don't know. This book achieves that in heaps.

Did you know there were two other Groups in the UK (Nos 9 and 14)? I didn't. While their location was on the edges of the aerial battlefield, I have never, ever, seen this referenced before.

But, here is the piece of information that left me gobsmacked. Just north of Heathrow lies the Heston Service Area, on the M4. During the war, it is a secondary airfield; some places to which units were diverted. Prior to the war, it had been a significant airport. In fact, it was where Chamberlain returned with the agreement selling out the Czechs. There is a photo in the book showing the spot where he stood, waving the agreement and intoning "...peace in our time."

History, living history.
2181662
I've known Mr. Trabue for many years and had the opportunity to both work for him and with him.  He is the conummate professional, and his depiction of life as an Operational Examiner is very accurate.  As one who has been there, I truly enjoyed this book.  I believe this book would be a tremendous introduction for those who might be interested in a life in the clandestine world of intelligence.
484559
Just finished it. Wow. What an insight into the life of one the first of the Delta Operatives. Through selection, then training to numerous ops.

Until I read this book, I did not know that Delta was loosely based on the British SAS. A big thank you to Eric and the other guardians that allow us to rest easy at night.
4862424
Even though I first met Russell Targ nearly three decades ago, and having been active in the field,there were still things to be learned. This book is full of details that will delight the reader.  In addition to the historical perspective of remote viewing, Targ manages to provide a personal perspective about what brought him to the field, the family relationships that give depth, and an understanding of what it all means in a global, even spiritual, context.  If you think you've heard it all before; well you haven't.

As the reader learns, Targ is a very complex man, one who has followed a multiplicity of trails. While he is legally blind and a self-confessed "Mr. Magoo,", he really does ride a motorcycle efficiently.  Though best known for studying consciousness, he is also a laser physicist. Somewhat surprisingly, those, and many other aspects of his life, are adroitly intertwined in a way that makes sense, but only after the disparate pieces are assembled.

This is the latests of several books he has written.  They are clear, concise, and complelling.  Do You See What I See? is highly recommended for both consciousness aficionados and those novice-curious.