Book Review: Five Years To Freedom by Jame Rowe

If you are looking for a great book to read, this is it. Nick Rowe recounts his experiences as a prisoner of war during the Vietnam War. Later, Rowe developed the S.E.R.E program for the U.S. Military.

I was a bit skeptical at first but as I got into it I couldn't put the book down. Very interesting especially in light of the times now.

Anyway, go get it, read it!

Book Review: Hill 488 by Ray Hildreth

Hill 488 is about the harrowing events a Marine recon platoon experienced in Vietnam where at the end of a long night six Marines died. They would become the most highly decorated small unit in the entire history of the U.S. Military.

This book was hard to put down. A great mixture of history and events that lead up to the fateful day when Ray Hildreth and his platoon hung on to the last six rounds of ammo defending themselves against a swarm of VC. At one point they resorted to throwing rocks to trick the enemy into thinking they were throwing grenades.

I highly recommend this book. It's a great read.

Book Recommendation: Not A Good Day To Die

This is an excellent book if you want to know what happens when the right hand doesn't know that the left hand is doing in terms of planning and perceived experience.

Here's a pretty good reveiw

Book Recommendation: Hunting the Jackal: A Special Forces and CIA

Billy Waugh is the poster boy for Special Forces. He was there in the beginning and survived 50 plus years doing various missions up to 2001 Enduring Freedom at the age of 71.

He has more than nine lives at least according to this book of his.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and learning the different aspects of various missions he had to endure.

His harrowing experience surviving a brutal NVA attack is worth the price of the book alone.

Book Recommendation: In the Company of Heros

Just finished this book and found it very good, it definitely is a page turner.

The book is about Michael Durant's time as a POW in Somali in 1992 during the U.N. peacekeeping effort. He was part of the "Black Hawk Down" Operation Just Cause. During the operation his Black Hawk was shot down and he was captured.

I found it interesting that the SNA (Somali National Alliance) lead by Mohamed Farrah Aidid at the time had a son that was a U.S. Marine and was operating as a translator during Operation Just Cause. He was the only U.S. Marine that could speak Somali.

I wonder if that fact has anything to do with increasing M.J. Durant's chances of survival?

Anyways, pick it up if you have a chance. He also talks about his involvement with other missions involving the "Night Stalkers".

Book Review: Leadership and Training for the Fight

Just finished reading "Leadership and Training for the Fight" by MSG Paul R. Howe.

Chapters include:

* Accelerating The Loop
* Combat Mindset
* Individual Leadership
* Selection
* Team Leadership
* Organizational Leadership
* Combat Leadership
* Training For The Fight
* Leadership Planning
* Teaching Leadership
* Counseling and Mentorship
* Realities of Combat and Tactical Tips

Howe talks about Boyd's OODA loop and how he used it in tactical situations.
Talks about how to spot a poser and doesn't mince words with regard to what he thinks make a successful team.

I enjoyed his descriptions of the missions he went on and what can go wrong and how he thought through the problems during high stress situations.

I really enjoyed this book.

Book Review: Chosen Soldier The Making of a Special Forces Warior

This is another book by Dick Couch, an ex Navy Seal, that I really enjoyed. I you ever wanted to know what it takes to be a Green Beret, this is the book to read.

Book Review: "Licensed to Kill"

This is a very interesting book and covers the origins of Blackwater and how private contractors evolved from the earlier mercenaries. The earliest "private contractors" were retired SAS and based in England, they were hired by industrialists to manipulate third world governments to get at their natural resources. From that beginning to now where contractors are hired to provide additional protection the military don't want to be involved in because it's outside their scope of responsibilities.

The book weaves an interesting tail and definitely worth a read.

Book Review: One Bullet Away and Generation Kill

I read these books a while ago but I thought I'd start a few posts reviewing relevant books I've read.










I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Nathaniel Fick writes incredibly well and describes his motivation, training and ultimated deployment to Iraq.

A great companion book to Generation Kill.





Evan Wright was embedded with the Marines of 1st Reconnaissance Battalion in which Nate Fick was the First Lieutenant.

The Last part of the book "A Bullet Away" is what the whole book of "Generation Kill" is about. It is interesting to compare the differences and points of view between a soldier and a journalist.

The HBO mini series is crap compared to the book, really!

I think whoever reads one of these books should definitely read the other.

JawBreaker Book Review

Just finished reading this book about the spread and growing boldness of Al Qaeda to attack western interests.

The author starts from the beginning of the emergence of Al-Qaeda with the East Africa bombing investigation and attack on the USS Cole.

It covers the circumstances where the first CIA agent to lose his life in combat in Afghanistan and more regarding how decisions are made and strategies are decided on in order to topple the Taliban.

The book's time line span's two U.S. government administrations.

It's a very interesting read and I was just browsing the book store and picked it up out of curiosity.

More info can be found here: Jawbreaker

"Green Eyes & Black Rifles" Book Review

Product Description
From Mogadishu to Mosul Drawing on combat experience from Mogadishu, Somalia to Mosul, Iraq, Retired SGM Kyle E. Lamb passes on lessons learned to fellow Warriors.

Green Eyes and Black Rifles: The Warrior s Guide to the Combat Carbine is intended to enhance your shooting skills, and refine the tactical employment of your combat carbine.

New shooter and veteran alike will find a wealth of information, and numerous tools for their tactical toolbox. You will also see references to combat mindset, and its value in training and actual encounters. So learn, enjoy, and most of all....stay in the fight!

I bought this book from Kyle Lamb, the author, after I attended his Viking Tactics Carbine 1.5 course and all I can say is I'm glad I did. This is the proverbial text book to his 24 hour carbine training course. He goes through everything step by step from maintenance, ballistics, marksmanship to tactical awareness and shooting position variation.

The book covers everything that is relevant to utilizing the carbine rifle in a tactical situation, he draws not only from his experiences but from the wealth of knowledge of his former teammates and he gives them ample credit too.

The book stresses the fundamentals of the carbine from how to clear malfunctions, what are the major causes of malfunctions, how to avoid malfunctions to how to properly "drive" your rifle to the target.

Reading the book vividly brings back the experience of the training course. Kyle introduces nuances in the training that is covered in the book but is not stressed to the same extent as it is in the course. This allows students to see a different perspective on a technique while allowing them to utilize what works for them and for the right reason.

The book is very combat centric and surviving a firefight and hitting targets is melded together into a seamless blend of techniques and execution of force. One must always be in a position to bring the rifle to bear in all circumstances.

Taking the Viking Tactics Carbine 1.5 course really brings this book alive. It's like trying to learn a martial art from a book. You look at all the pictures and try to do a technique but are not sure of the holistic aspects or the general dynamics of the technique and without proper guidance you will ultimately only have an intellectual appreciation for it. But, combined the book with actual instruction and you have a powerful combination that cements the experiences together. You find that Kyle Lamb practices what he preaches too. When he demonstrates the techniques he is teaching it's like poetry in motion.

As far as I know this is the only firearms course that allows for the possibility to have an associated "text book" which, in turn, amplifies its value.

I would highly recommend the book to anyone that wants to learn material from a real SF elite combat soldier and all around great guy.