Written by an expert in the field, this short (89 pages of text) provides clear and concise lessons learned from actual incidents, both civilian and military.  Of particular value are the insights drawn by one of the world’s experts in small unit operations and suggestions, both expressed and implied, in how best to exploit them.  The gist of the monograph are the similarities between U.S. Special Forces operations and those of law enforcement SWAT teams.  It places a strong emphasis on the need to cooperate, if not collaborate, on preparing for terrorist incidents and other “low-probability, high-consequence” events.  The book is freely downloaded at:  https://jsoupublic.socom.mil/publications/jsou/JSOU10-6alexanderConvergence_fiinal.pdf 

Recommended by Sid Heal in Episodes 1 & 2

Von Schell was a Captain in the German Army during World War I, and wrote one of the best works describing leadership principles during the high stress and harsh conditions experienced in tactical operations.  It is less than 100 pages long, but replete with examples of the personal responsibilities, challenges, obstacles, and rewards of tactical leaders.  It is particularly valuable because it describes and emphasizes the importance of making effective decisions, under harsh time constraints based upon limited information.

Recommended by Sid Heal in Episodes 1 & 2

This book is one of the true classics in modern tactical science and is part of the curriculum for nearly every contemporary course in western military science.  Captain Swinton, later Major General Swinton, who is considered one of the most far-sighted officers the British army has ever produced, wrote the book shortly after his experiences in the Boer War.  The book is short (about 75 pages), written in story form, and uses satire.  For example, a “duffer” is a British term for an incompetent or stupid person, and a “drift” is a shallow ford across a river or stream.  The main character, Lt. Backsight Foresight, has been given the responsibility for defending Duffer’s Drift “at all costs.”  Through a series of dreams, Lt. Foresight (or BF to his friends) mentally prepares for the battle and when he awakes, gains fresh insight into what will be required.  Besides being an easy read with an interesting and humorous story line, the lessons learned are summarized at the end of each chapter. This book is available free, in its entirety, by downloading or reading on-line at numerous Internet sites.  Four copies have also been placed in the SEB Technical Library.

Recommended by Sid Heal in Episodes 1 & 2

For those who like science fiction, this book is an easy and interesting read of a little over 300 pages or so.  The earth is embroiled in a war of survival with aliens and the main character is Ender Wiggins, who is being trained to fight the war.  Not surprisingly, the training is a series of games that provide tremendous insight into leadership, tactics, strategy, and other fundamental concepts necessary to succeed in resolving conflicts.  The lessons learned are so subtly presented and easily grasped that the learning is almost intuitive.  This book is on the USMC Commandant’s recommended reading list for enlisted Marines and is available at nearly any bookstore for less than $5.00.

Recommended by Sid Heal in Episodes 1 & 2

A long read, but fast-paced, simple to understand and interesting.  It is an historical fiction describing an Arab leader’s life in Palestine and the family’s conflicts with the Israelis going back hundreds of years.  “Haj” means pilgrimage and is one of the five tenets of the Islamic belief.  Uris’ books typically present conflicts from a side that most Americans are not familiar, in this case, the Israeli/Palestinian conflict from the perspective of the Arabs. This is one of the best books I’ve ever read that provides an understanding of the region, the peoples and their traditions.  Although this is not a tactics book per se, it was recommended reading in 1986 from briefings by RAND and the CIA to gain a better understanding of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict.

Recommended by Sid Heal in Episodes 1 & 2

This book is issued to every U.S. Marine Corps officer and is required reading.  It is one of the best single-source documents that describe the underlying principles in conflict.  While it is written for a military audience, the principles, precepts and tenets are equally applicable for law enforcement tactical operations.  Common terms and concepts such as friction, fluidity, disorder, complexity, uncertainty, fog and others are explained and illustrated.  The book is only four chapters, each dealing with a single aspect.  While the book is expressly written for war, the astute reader will have no problem relating the various concepts to our everyday conflicts with suspects.  Of all the books I would recommend to the serious student and one that will yield tremendous understanding with minimal effort, this is probably the best.  The book is available from the Marine Corps Association, can be downloaded from the Internet and four copies have also been placed in the SEB Technical Library.

Recommended by Sid Heal in Episodes 1 & 2

Many don’t know that there are a number of works entitled, “The Art of War,” but the one by Sun Tzu, written circa 500 B.C., is the oldest and best known and required reading at nearly every military academy in the western hemisphere.  This is a short book of about 80 pages, dealing with fundamental tactical and strategic concepts.  Sun Tzu is largely credited with being among the first to understand and use terrain to gain a tactical advantage, and almost certainly the first to actually write about it.  The book also explores a number of other factors that contribute to tactical acumen.  Many contemporary tactical principles, adages, axioms, and the like, can be traced back to this treatise, including the maxim in our lobby, “The objective is to win—not to fight.”  While there are at least three English versions of this book, I strongly recommend the one by James Clavell because of the ease of reading.

Recommended by Sid Heal in Episodes 1 & 2