A book about the complexities of combat that's just as applicable for dealing with the complexities of business and our personal lives.--Kevin Sharer, chairman and CEO, Amgen

As a commander of Delta Force-the most elite counter--terrorist organization in the world--Pete Blaber took part in some of the most dangerous, controversial, and significant military and political events of our time. Now he takes his intimate knowledge of warfare--and the heart, mind, and spirit it takes to win--and moves his focus from the combat zone to civilian life.

In this book, you will learn the same lessons he learned, while experiencing what the life of a Delta Force Operator is like--from the extreme physical and psychological training to the darkest of shadow ops all around the world. From each mission, Pete Blaber has taken a life lesson back with him. You will learn these enlightening lessons as you gain insights into never-before-revealed missions executed around the globe. And when the smoke clears, you will emerge wiser, more capable, and better prepared to succeed in life than you ever thought possible.

In January 1951, Lieutenant Evgeniy Borisov was sent to the headquarters of the Soviet 5th Army in Spassk-Dalnii, a small city in the Russian Far East. Borisov was there on a secret mission. Together with his superior, Major Rusinov, his job was to establish the 91st Special Forces Company. The 91st was to be one of forty-six similar units spread out across the Soviet Union. The new forces were called spetsnaz--short for spetsnialnoe naznachenie, which translates to special purpose.

In Spetsnaz, Tor Bukkvoll presents the first in-depth history of the Soviet, and, later, Russian special operations forces from their establishment until today. He focuses on three broad topics: Soviet and later Russian thinking on the use of special operations forces; the actual process of constructing these forces and how this was facilitated or hampered by other agencies of the Soviet and Russian states; and the use of these forces in combat.

Bukkvoll uses a variety of sources, but the most important are the recollections of former spetsnaz soldiers and officers themselves, which allow Bukkvoll to present the history of these forces as the men of spetsnaz see and have seen it. Bukkvoll also draws upon observations and judgments from other parts of the Soviet and Russian militaries, from a number of KGB sources, and from independent Russian experts and journalists.

Spetsnaz is essential reading for anyone interested in special operations forces or Russian military history.

The purpose of this book is intended as a conceptual overview of all relevant topics of small unit tactics every Special Forces soldier, Ranger and dismounted light Infantryman ought to be familiar with in order to be effective on today's battlefield. In the US Army Small Unit Tactics Handbook, learn about: The heritage, lineage and legacy of today's US Army Special Forces and Rangers, US Army doctrine, leadership, tactics, combat and reconnaissance patrols, planning, close quarters battle and urban warfare, counterinsurgency, introduction to Special Operations missions, small arms, and much more. This handbook is categorized into five functional areas: History, Doctrine, Planning, Operations, and Common Skills.

One of the most difficult security challenges of the post-Cold War era has been stabilizing failing states in an era of irregular warfare. A consistent component of the strategy to address this problem has been security force assistance where outside powers train and advise the host nation's military.

Despite billions of dollars spent, the commitment of thousands of advisors, and innumerable casualties, the American efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq failed catastrophically. Nevertheless, among those colossal military disasters were pockets of success. The Iraqi Special Operations Forces (ISOF) held back the Islamic State in 2014 long enough to allow American and allied forces to flow back into the country, and many Afghan commando units fought to the bitter end as their country disintegrated around them.

What made those units successful while the larger missions ended disastrously? Author Frank K. Sobchak explores security force assistance across five case studies, examining what factors were most critical for U.S. Special Forces units to build capable partners like the ISOF and the commandos. More specifically, the book assesses the impact of five components of Special Forces advisory missions: language training and cultural awareness of the advising force; the partner force-to-advisor ratio; the advisors' ability to organize host-nation forces; whether advisors are permitted to guide in combat; and the consistency in advisor pairing.

Based on the experiences of U.S. Army Special Forces in El Salvador (1981-1991), Colombia (2002-2016), the Philippines (2001-2015), Iraq (2003-2011), and Afghanistan (2007-2021), Sobchak argues that the most crucial factors in producing combat-effective partners are consistency in advisor pairing and maintaining a partner force-to-advisor ratio of twelve special forces soldiers advising a company-sized force or smaller. Intriguingly, and counter to conventional wisdom, at first glance language training and cultural awareness do not seem to be critical factors, as most of the Green Berets that trained units in Iraq and Afghanistan lacked both capabilities. Despite an orthodoxy that argues the opposite, there is little evidence that combat advising is decisive in producing effective partners and there is conflicting evidence that language training and cultural awareness are important. Many of these findings, while focused on Special Forces operations and doctrine, could be used to improve the odds of success for larger security-force assistance missions as well.

Examines the predecessors to the Wagner Group, its activities in a number of conflicts around the world, and its armed mutiny against the top leadership of the Russian Federation.

In the early 2010s the Wagner Group, a notorious private military company under the control of Yevgeny Prigozhin and Dmitry Utkin, began to emerge onto the world stage. This organisation first showed its hand in Crimea, eastern Ukraine and the civil war in Syria. It quickly became apparent that it had the blessing of the very highest levels of Putin's government in Russia to act as an armed extension of the country's foreign policy before a spectacular fall from grace following the mutiny in the summer of 2023.

The role of mercenary is as old as recorded human history and stretches back to the earliest days of civilisation. For those states unable to afford a standing army the mercenary offered professional services and could be viewed as a profession of honour. When the mercenary fell into disrepute in the post-colonial world of revolutions, coups and counter-coups, it was essentially banned by the Geneva Protocols in the late twentieth century. The trade of mercenary did not go away however, and instead morphed into that of the 'private military company' or PMC, a still thriving global trade in a world of clandestine operations, that may or may not be government sanctioned, offering 'plausible deniability' in a casualty-averse age of hybrid warfare.

Wagner Group - Private Military Company: Volume 1 - Establishment, Purpose, Profile and Historic Relevance 2013-2023 looks at the profession of arms as practiced by mercenaries throughout history and the emergence of the modern private military company in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, along with the failed Slavonic Corps and Moran Security Group, often mistaken for early incarnations of Wagner. This work examines the emergence of the Wagner Group, its connection to the Russian government, security and intelligence services, and its operations in Syria, Libya, Sub-Saharan Africa and Venezuela as an extension of Russian foreign policy, often displacing Western interests, and as a private organisation primarily concerned with securing access to the world's oil and mineral resources for its owners and sponsors. Volume 2 will examine the group's role in Russian operations inside Ukraine from 2014 onwards.

This volume is illustrated with original colour photographs showing the Wagner group's activities and its iconography, along with colour artworks highlighting the unusual equipment employed in many of the group's activities.

The New York Times Bestseller and Winner of the 2015 Army Historical Foundation Distinguished Writing Award for Unit History.

Since the attacks of September 11, one organization has been at the forefront of America's military response. Its efforts turned the tide against al-Qaida in Iraq, killed Bin Laden and Zarqawi, rescued Captain Phillips and captured Saddam Hussein. Its commander can direct cruise missile strikes from nuclear submarines and conduct special operations raids anywhere in the world.

Relentless Strike tells the inside story of Joint Special Operations Command, the secret military organization that during the past decade has revolutionized counterterrorism, seamlessly fusing intelligence and operational skills to conduct missions that hit the headlines, and those that have remained in the shadows-until now. Because JSOC includes the military's most storied special operations units-Delta Force, SEAL Team 6, the 75th Ranger Regiment-as well as America's most secret aviation and intelligence units, this is their story, too.

Relentless Strike reveals tension-drenched meetings in war rooms from the Pentagon to Iraq and special operations battles from the cabin of an MH-60 Black Hawk to the driver's seat of Delta Force's Pinzgauer vehicles as they approach their targets. Through exclusive interviews, reporter Sean Naylor uses his unique access to reveal how an organization designed in the 1980s for a very limited mission set transformed itself after 9/11 to become the military's premier weapon in the war against terrorism and how it continues to evolve today.

A vivid, fast-paced, first-person account of the actions by US Army Rangers on the ground in one of the episodes in Afghanistan that best illustrated the commitment in the Ranger creed: 'I will never leave a fallen comrade to fall into the hands of the enemy.' An extraordinary--and truly inspirational--story of sheer determination, physical toughness, and mental fortitude, as well as a fierce desire to never let one's comrades down on the battlefield.
--General David Petraeus, US Army (Ret.), former Commander of the Surge in Iraq, US Central Command, US and International Forces in Afghanistan, and former Director of the CIA

You need to read this book! Dr. Tony Brooks gives a first-hand account of the extraordinary lengths America will go to rescue one Lone Survivor. The sacrifices that Tony and his buddies made to rescue Marcus Luttrell and recover his fallen comrades will inspire anyone who reads Leave No Man Behind.
--Jeff Struecker, best-selling author, pastor, and decorated US Army Ranger veteran of Black Hawk Down during the Battle of Mogadishu

A heart-wrenching story of one of the most important military missions of our generation. In his compelling story, Leave No Man Behind, Tony Brooks shows us that war stripped to its core is a human endeavor where young men and women are willing to fight and die for each other under a solemn code of cohesion and brotherhood that binds them.
--John Spencer, Chair of Urban Warfare Studies at the Modern War Institute, United States Military Academy, author of Connected Brothers

A gritty narrative that combines a new perspective on one of the most disastrous special ops missions of recent years with a first-hand account of life in America's most elite light infantry unit.
--Sean Naylor, author of Relentless Strike: The Secret History of Joint Special Operations Command and Not a Good Day to Die: The Untold Story of Operation Anaconda

Leave No Man Behind is an exceptional read that combines thrilling, you-are-there narrative with the introspection of a modern warfighter during one of recent military history's most renowned moments. It is an excellent and very important addition to the genre.
--Ed Darack, author of Victory Point: Operation Red Wings and Whalers--The Marine Corps' Battle for Freedom in Afghanistan

An engagingly honest view of a young, middle-class American's journey from the golf course to the mountains of Afghanistan--and the realities of combat. As instructive as it is entertaining, Tony Brooks has captured both the pain and camaraderie of combat in an unforgettable way.
--General Stanley McChrystal, US Army (Ret.), former Commander of US and Coalition Forces in Afghanistan

Leave No Man Behind is a crossover war story that will resonate across a broad spectrum of readers, from the combat hardened vet to the suburban soccer mom. Tony Brooks is the personification of the citizen soldier, your next-door neighbor who served his country with honor as an elite U.S. Army Airborne Ranger in the 75th Ranger Regiment. In his first combat operation, a search and rescue mission in the mountains of Afghanistan, Brooks and his fellow Rangers were thrust into a whirlwind of menace and dread that few warriors ever experience. Leave No Man Behind is a firsthand accounting of the untold story of the Rangers' search for survivors from a U.S. Navy SEAL reconnaissance operation that went tragically wrong on the treacherous slopes of Afghanistan's Sawtalo Sar. In the spirit of Stephen E. Ambrose's Band of Brothers, Tony Brooks writes with a humble, authentic voice that speaks to all Americans.
--Jeffrey Layton, author of the The Vigilant Spy, The Faithful Spy, The Forever Spy, and The Good Spy

Leave No Man Behind is not your normal chest-pounding war story. This is an expertly depicted account of normal human beings thrust into one of the most horrific recovery missions of the Afghan War. The authors' descriptions had me feeling like I was on the mountain side with his platoon. The raw emotion and physical exertion detailed will give any reader not only an idea on how far the human body will go after all senses say quit, but the fighting American spirit and the ethos we soldiers live by, 'No Man Gets Left Behind.'
--Ryan Hendrickson, Bestselling Author of Tip of the Spear

Brooks offers a fascinating, nuanced, and deeply personal window into Operation Red Wings, one of the most tragic--and misunderstood--missions in America's war in Afghanistan.
--R. M. Schneiderman, former deputy editor of Newsweek

A young prince. A deadly secret. A race against time to save the one he loves-unleash the legend of Genghis Khan's elite warriors.

Step into the untamed 12th-century Eurasian Steppe and discover Eye of the Nomad, the gripping first installment of Yasotay's epic journey. Based on actual events surrounding Genghis Khan's death squad, The Mangoday, this saga will leave you breathless.

• A Hero's Journey: Follow Yasotay, a gifted young prince, as he risks everything to save an enslaved nomad and uncover his purpose.
• Love and Revenge: Torn between love and duty, Yasotay faces betrayal, murder, and unimaginable challenges.
• Epic Adventure: Experience the raw beauty and danger of the Mongolian Steppe in a tale rooted in history and lore.
• Historical Drama: Immerse yourself in the fascinating world of Genghis Khan's era, rich with intrigue and action.

Ready to experience a heart-pounding saga of courage, love, and vengeance?

Get your copy of Eye of the Nomad today!

This book is Black Hawk Down meets Enemy at the Gates meets Band of Brother s, and it's all true. It's about what happens when Western politicians carelessly assume we're living the 'end of history'--until the Great Game comes back, uglier and more callous than ever. It's about men who tried to fix those mistakes, at the risk--sometimes loss--of their lives.

Shannon Monaghan follows a core group of Western volunteers in Ukraine, fighting together from the early battle for Kyiv through to the last stands at Severodonetsk and Bakhmut. They arrived alone, but became a family--back when nobody bothered to learn names, because they all expected to die.

These men knew they'd be fighting without the NATO support they were used to. They knew the danger they faced, and how they might be criticized for fighting someone else's war. But they also knew it was the right thing to do. This is their story.

A superbly illustrated account of one of the key milestones in the development of modern US Special Operations Forces, the hugely complex POW rescue at Son Tay.

On November 21, 1970, a meticulously prepared force of US Special Forces in HH-53 helicopters, supported by more than a hundred combat aircraft, raided the POW camp at Son Tay, North Vietnam, just 23 miles west of Hanoi, seeking 61 American prisoners. Having trained for months in secret, and utilizing the best troops and air crews possible, the raiders executed the mission flawlessly. No Americans were killed and only two aircraft were downed, with the raiders killing several dozen North Vietnamese. It was the epitome of joint commando operations and regarded as an unheralded success. Except, the prisoners were missing. The raiders had come up empty handed.

Illustrated with original artwork and maps, and drawing on both declassified documents and new interviews with participants, in this book diplomat and historian Justin Williamson explains the significance of this highly complex commando mission, deep inside enemy territory. A joint Army-Air Force assault, with the Navy flying diversionary missions, the Son Tay raid was the first operation to be conducted under the direct command of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and ranks among the most important moments in the development of modern US Special Operations Forces.

The definitive insider's account of the U.S. Army's most elite and secretive special-ops unit, written by the legendary founder and first commanding officer of Delta Force

Wanted: Volunteers for Project Delta. Will guarantee you a medal. A body bag. Or both. With this call to arms, Charlie Beckwith revolutionized American armed combat. Beckwith's acclaimed memoir tells the story of Delta Force (the Army's most elite commando unit.--Los Angeles Times) as only its maverick creator could tell it--from the bloody baptism of Vietnam to the top-secret training grounds of North Carolina to political battles in the upper levels of the Pentagon itself. This is the heart-pounding, first-person, insider's view of the missions that made Delta Force legendary.

The war in Cambodia, 1970-1975, pitching the unprepared Cambodian army against the battle tested communist Vietcong/North Vietnamese troops, who had fought for over a decade against the mighty American army, was a lopsided brutal conflict. Soon after, the communist Khmer Rouge added to their rank. The heroic sacrifice by the Cambodian fighters, the populace, and the dedicated small Khmer Special Forces units, all supported by the United States meager financial and logistic assistance, were not enough to overcome the fatal pre-war shortfall created by the Khmer leader, namely Prince Norodom Sihanouk, who joined the enemy in the war fighting his own people, for the sake of power. The book highlighted crucial military operations, some known only to very few personalities, which the author participated in, and the resulting triumph and defeat. The American Congress's refusal, in late March 1975, to continue further military assistance, sealed the fate of the country. The Cambodian sentiment is that America callously betrayed its friend and ally whose paramount aspiration is freedom and liberty. This abandonment was also the American trademark in Vietnam, and decades later in Afghanistan.

The book provides the plausible causes of the decline of the ancient Khmer civilization near the end of the Angkor era in the fourteenth century C.E., the era that produced a powerful Kingdom in the entire Southeast Asia, decline within the context of religious conflict, and the geopolitical emergence and evolution of neighboring nations. The fall of Prince Norodom Sihanouk, in March of 1970, gave communist Vietnam, the Khmer's traditional adversary, pretext to invade the country at will, against international law.

The Cambodians will never forgive nor forget the tremendous sufferings levied upon them, in which all Khmer families were affected. In the shadow of his enormous tragedy early in life, and likewise that of his current wife, and considering the autumn of his existence, the author's wish is, for the sake of humanity, if he can do something good, let him do it now, for he will pass this planet earth only once.

The drone is the flying eye above the modern battlefield. It provides an aerial overview that can give a sense of tactical superiority. The more you see, the more you know. Commercial drones can also be used as tools that make emergency services more efficient. In this book, we offer tips about the best equipment, how to handle drones properly and safely, and the best ways to employ aerial drones as tactical tools. The Tactical Drone is the first handbook that explains how to use civilian drones in a professional environment.

Christian Väth shares his military experience and tips on how to use drones efficiently. Markus Reisner analyzes the current employment of drones in the Ukraine War. Learn up-to-date details about drones and their practical use in combat. Plus, you'll also learn necessary practical information about the legal use of small drones in civilian environments.

Topics included:
- Drone Types
- Additional Mission Equipment
- Orientation for Drone Operators
- Geofencing
- When Drones Attack: Experiences From the Ukraine War

Now the inspiration for the CBS Television drama, The Unit.

Delta Force. They are the U.S. Army's most elite top-secret strike force. They dominate the modern battlefield, but you won't hear about their heroics on CNN. No headlines can reveal their top-secret missions, and no book has ever taken readers inside--until now. Here, a founding member of Delta Force takes us behind the veil of secrecy and into the action-to reveal the never-before-told story of 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-D (Delta Force).

He is a master of espionage, trained to take on hijackers, terrorists, hostage takers, and enemy armies. He can deploy by parachute or arrive by commercial aircraft. Survive alone in hostile cities. Speak foreign languages fluently. Strike at enemy targets with stunning swiftness and extraordinary teamwork. He is the ultimate modern warrior: the Delta Force Operator.

In this dramatic behind-the-scenes chronicle, Eric Haney, one of the founding members of Delta Force, takes us inside this legendary counterterrorist unit. Here, for the first time, are details of the grueling selection process--designed to break the strongest of men--that singles out the best of the best: the Delta Force Operator.

With heart-stopping immediacy, Haney tells what it's really like to enter a hostage-held airplane. And from his days in Beirut, Haney tells an unforgettable tale of bodyguards and bombs, of a day-to-day life of madness and beauty, and of how he and a teammate are called on to kill two gunmen targeting U.S. Marines at the Beirut airport. As part of the team sent to rescue American hostages in Tehran, Haney offers a first-person description of that failed mission that is a chilling, compelling account of a bold maneuver undone by chance--and a few fatal mistakes.

From fighting guerrilla warfare in Honduras to rescuing missionaries in Sudan and leading the way onto the island of Grenada, Eric Haney captures the daring and discipline that distinguish the men of Delta Force. Inside Delta Force brings honor to these singular men while it puts us in the middle of action that is sudden, frightening, and nonstop around the world.

The Second World War changed the course of modern history. It is filled with incredible stories of daring risks and exceptional struggles, but in the popular imagination, these stories are more often than not the stories of men.

There is, however, a hidden treasure trove of untold stories of heroic women who have risked their lives in the monumental battle against fascism.

We've heard of women who became nurses treating soldiers with battlefield injuries, partisans who fought occupying armies, and skilled laborers who worked in wartime industries.

But in the shadows, as part of a secret war against the Nazis, women served as intelligence agents who risked their lives to collect and relay information vital to the war effort. Danger lurked at every turn-a danger that some were not able to evade forever.

These courageous women spies worked in secret, but their stories, which are finally coming to light today, offer a significant and unique perspective on the history of World War II.

Inside Princess, Countess, Socialite, Spy: True Stories of High-Society Ladies Turned WWII Spies you'll learn

• the thrilling stories of Virginia Hall, Christine Granville, Noor Inayat Khan, Nancy Wake and Aline Griffith, who went behind enemy lines to aid the war effort, and what motivated them to take such risks,
• what it takes to run a successful espionage operation as a woman during a time when women had little respect in the professional realm,
• the risks of operating undercover and secretly collecting information from the enemy, and
• how these women heroes of WWII helped shape the course and outcome of the most significant war in modern history.

You'll gain insights into why some high-society ladies chose to give up a life of comfort to fight against global tyranny and live under constant threat of exposure and imprisonment or death.

If you're looking for a unique and enlightening view of the Second World War and are interested in women's historically overshadowed roles in international espionage, then look no further than Princess, Countess, Socialite, Spy.

Instead of being trained to fight, the few soldiers each year selected for Talpiot are taught how to think. In order to join this unit they have to commit to being in the army for ten years, rather than the three years a normal soldier serves.

Talpiots are taught advanced level physics, math and computer science as they train with soldiers from every other branch of the IDF. The result: young men and women become research and development machines. Talpiots have developed battle ready weapons that only Israel's top military officers and political leaders know about. They have also dramatically improved much of the weapons already in Israel's arsenal.

Talpiot has been tasked with keeping Israel a generation ahead of a rapidly strengthening and technologically capable Iran. Talpiots contribute to all of the areas that will be most important to the IDF as Iran becomes even more powerful including missile technology, anti-missile defense, cyber-warfare, intelligence, satellite technology and high powered imaging. Talpiot soldiers have also been a major factor in the never ending fight against Israel's other enemies and many have left the R&D lab to fly fighter planes, serve in the field as commanders of elite army ground units and at sea commanding Israel's fleet of naval ships.

After leaving the army, Talpiots have become a major force in the Israeli economy, developing some of Israel's most famous and powerful companies.

Israel's Edge contains dozens of interviews with Talpiot graduates and some of the early founders of the program. It explains Talpiot's highly successful recruiting methods and discloses many of the secrets of the program's success. The book also profiles some of the most successful businesses founded by Talpiot graduates including CheckPoint, Compugen, Anobit, recently bought by Apple, and XIV, recently bought by IBM.

No other military unit has had more of an impact on the State of Israel and no other unit will have more of an impact in the years ahead. The soldiers of Talpiot are truly unsung heroes.

A New York Times bestseller
Now also an Oscar-nominated documentary

In Dirty Wars, Jeremy Scahill, author of the New York Times bestseller Blackwater, takes us inside America's new covert wars. The foot soldiers in these battles operate globally and inside the United States with orders from the White House to do whatever is necessary to hunt down, capture or kill individuals designated by the president as enemies.

Drawn from the ranks of the Navy SEALs, Delta Force, former Blackwater and other private security contractors, the CIA's Special Activities Division and the Joint Special Operations Command ( JSOC), these elite soldiers operate worldwide, with thousands of secret commandos working in more than one hundred countries. Funded through black budgets, Special Operations Forces conduct missions in denied areas, engage in targeted killings, snatch and grab individuals and direct drone, AC-130 and cruise missile strikes. While the Bush administration deployed these ghost militias, President Barack Obama has expanded their operations and given them new scope and legitimacy.

Dirty Wars follows the consequences of the declaration that the world is a battlefield, as Scahill uncovers the most important foreign policy story of our time. From Afghanistan to Yemen, Somalia and beyond, Scahill reports from the frontlines in this high-stakes investigation and explores the depths of America's global killing machine. He goes beneath the surface of these covert wars, conducted in the shadows, outside the range of the press, without effective congressional oversight or public debate. And, based on unprecedented access, Scahill tells the chilling story of an American citizen marked for assassination by his own government.

As US leaders draw the country deeper into conflicts across the globe, setting the world stage for enormous destabilization and blowback, Americans are not only at greater risk -- we are changing as a nation. Scahill unmasks the shadow warriors who prosecute these secret wars and puts a human face on the casualties of unaccountable violence that is now official policy: victims of night raids, secret prisons, cruise missile attacks and drone strikes, and whole classes of people branded as suspected militants. Through his brave reporting, Scahill exposes the true nature of the dirty wars the United States government struggles to keep hidden.

Written by a renowned expert in modern conflicts, this fully illustrated book provides an examination of ground warfare over the past 20 years and looks ahead to the future.

Using lessons drawn from recent history including the war in Ukraine, Boots on the Ground offers a fascinating insight into how armies and battlefields of the future will look. Each chapter details one key aspect of modern ground warfare, expertly assessing the technologies and tactics in use at the sharp end. From artillery, nicknamed the God of War, to combat engineering, to the so-called battlefield taxis or Infantry Fighting Vehicles, each chapter is packed full of detail and unpublished photographs. Boots on the Ground also reveals the increasing importance of the Grey Zone and how cyber operations will have a direct impact on operations. This has been evident in Ukraine where cities have been attacked by Russian drones and Ukrainian forces sank a Russian ship in the Black Sea using a Bayraktar drone.

But a case is also made for the continued importance of the infantry, showing how technology can only do so much and only then if in the hands of well-trained boots on the ground. Including case studies from Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Yemen and Ukraine, and unrivalled access to serving Special Ops teams, Leigh Neville also offers an assessment of NATO armies and special forces and how prepared they are for possible operations against the evolving threats of Iran, Russia or even China.

Francois d'Eliscu taught thousands of U.S. Army Rangers how to fight down and dirty in World War II.

d'Eliscu doesn't get the press that Fairbairn and Applegate do, but he did a commendable job writing this book. It is basic, meant for training raw recruits

in a short amount of time before sending them to the front, but simple is good when you are in combat, as most combative experts will tell you.

D'Eliscu wrote this manual when in France in 1944 organising training at the officers' candidate school at Fontainebleau. Hand to Hand Combat outlined his techniques for hip throws, joint locks, eye-gouging finger strikes, shin kicks, grappling on the ground, and defensive tactics against knife attacks. Practice for speed and perfection, d'Eliscu admonishes in it.

This book is published strictly for historical purposes. The Naval & Military Press Ltd expressly bears no responsibility or liability of any type, to any first, second or third party, for any harm, injury, or loss whatsoever.

Forged in Fire takes us inside the secretive world of the Australian commandos.

Garry made a report on the radio: 'I see around 200 women and children heading north up the valley.' Less than 400 metres below us, a steady stream of women and kids were hurrying away in single file.
'Where are all the men?' I asked Garry. 'Waiting for us, ' he responded, with a look of concern I had not seen on his face before. My heart skipped a beat-we were on.

From the age of 12, Scott Ryder knew he wanted to join the army, and he signed up as soon as he could. After serving as a paratrooper and in East Timor with 3 RAR, he wanted more. He trained all summer and took the gruelling selection course for the commandos, earning the prized green beret on his second attempt.

Forged in Fire takes us inside the secretive world of the commandos. Ryder shares battlefield stories from his tours to Afghanistan, where his regiment saw some of the heaviest fighting Australian forces have experienced since the Vietnam War. After being seriously injured in a shocking Black Hawk helicopter crash in Kandahar, he was the only survivor to return to active service.

Frankly written, with self-deprecating humour, it reveals the qualities of strength and mental resilience that characterise special forces operators.

'Scott is not famous; his chest is not bedecked with the grandest tin and ribbon. His voice is from among us rather than up on high. And his account of the DNA of the commando, the lesser sung super-soldier, is all the better for it.' - from the foreword by Chris Masters, author of Flawed Hero