The Sas Fighting Techniques Handbook

by Terence White, Tony Randell (Illustrator)

This diagram-illustrated guide to spy techniques used by England's Special Air Service amounts to a primer on covert and guerrilla warfare. Written by a former special-forces commando in the British Army, it covers creeping and crawling more than killing, although killing is frequently the tacit point; one section discusses historic cases of assassination and abduction. The handbook outlines preparation for a mission, reaching a target by air, land, or sea, survival techniques, and counterterrorism. A final chapter discusses intelligence organizations in the post-Soviet world. Reprinted from a 1997 revision (Robinson Publishing Ltd.) of a 1993 book (Century Random House). This edition's text is oddly fuzzy, though the type is quite large, dark, and legible. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Genres: Military Fiction, Nonfiction

416 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1993

About the author

Terence White is a journalist and author originally from New Zealand. After earning a degree in marine biology from Auckland University, he elected to travel around Asia for several years. After working for an NGO in Cambodia and teaching English in Iran, he began his career in journalism by covering the war in Afghanistan during the early 1980s. He lived in Kabul, Afghanistan from 1992 until 1997, during which time he was employed by Agence France-Presse (AFP). He was expelled by the Taliban in 1997, though he returned after September 11, 2001 to cover the campaign led by the U.S. to overthrow the Taliban regime. During his career as a journalist, he also covered conflicts in Burma, Cambodia, Iraqi Kurdistan, Yugoslavia and Sri Lanka. He is now a full-time writer, and lives in Paris with his wife and two children.

Reviews

[Vivek · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hooter: Basic manual on military strategies at a micro level.

The basic technical manual for a soldier in terms of drills on land, water and air. Obviously if you are a soldier, you already know this and if you are civilian, you probably won't be using this unless you going to write a book and need factuals. I am sure techniques have grown leaps and bounds since this book was published but was a good starter kit on terminology. Probably try to figure these out the next time I catch a war movie. Though going through this reminded me of the good old days of reading a textbook.

[Martin Koenigsberg · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very strange book. If you are a real Military Enthusiast, you've already seen all the information, but maybe not in the same place. If you aren't, why are you reading this book? It's really best as a primer for a general writer who might be suddenly forced to write Military fiction or non-fiction. Otherwise, its a young person's guide to military thinking and field craft. As such it seems to do its job fairly well.

Terry White is a known quantity in Military writing, and the author does a creditable job of bringing the reader up to date for 1997, when the book came out. That means some of the technical data about communications is a wee bit dated, but surprisingly that is not too glaring. Otherwise, there's load of info about Tactical Movement, Making OPs, Evading Capture, and HALO parachute insertion, to name a few topics. It all moves along at a speedy clip, and no article/chapter is too taxing.

This is directed at the younger reader, and is a fine book for any youth with the interest to get to know the craft of soldiering better. For the Military Enthusiast/Gamer/Modeller, there are many helpful chapters. I think the mature Gamer/Modeller already knows this stuff, but some new to games and Modelling may find this a great source for Scenario and Diorama development. A qualified recommendation.

[Jonathon · Rating 3 out of 5]

The complexities of Special Operations require men and women of immense talent and fortitude, and the challenge we face with today's wartime envirmoment does not make it easy for the forces of good to combat evil.

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

very informative......

[Odhran · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not much to say. Perfectly passable, nothing glaringly wrong or right about it.