[The Reaper]

Originally Posted by Themistocles

The SAS Mental Endurance Handbook
By Chris McNab

I endorse this book for SF generally, and for younger SF students especially. The core theme of the book is how to develop mental strength and endurance for combat in elite units. Accordingly, it focuses on the mental, as opposed to physical, elements of preparing for combat, and provides brief tools and techniques for developing mental toughness in various situations. In my review of SF books this is one crucial topic which, to my mind, has not received nearly enough attention. Major Martin’s book did a fine job addressing this topic (especially chapters 5 and 6), but a more comprehensive treatment was desired: this book fits that need.

A brief word on its organization: though he clearly did his best to be systematic (with chapters that cover recruiting, building a team mind, leadership, SERE-topics, etc.) the book is less of a sustained argument carried out in steps, and more of a kind of piecemeal recipe-type book. It often has the following form: “If you are situation X, try Z”. As a result, the book is full of odd little facts and nuggets which can slip by if you’re not reading too closely. (For example, how to use your hand to estimate the distance of a flying jet; how to warm your fingers when you’re in the prone and cold; how the best leaders in garrison can differ strikingly from the best leaders in combat; why the Iraqis so severely overestimated the numbers of SOF troops facing them when they met in combat, etc.)

Since the core theme of the book is how to develop mental strength and endurance for combat, I’m going to proceed by first listing the causes of mental stress for elite units as described by McNab, and then I’m going to list the various tools and strategies he offers as ways to deal with that stress and build mental strength.

Another helpful feature is that the book also offers a number of other sources and references which one can pursue to gain a fuller grasp of a particular topic (books such as Warfighting, and War on the Mind.) Also, I am not sure what relationship McNab actually has with the SAS, but he has written a number of similar books on combatives, tracking, land nav, etc.

Overall, this is an excellent introduction to some of the challenging mental elements of SF and SF-type missions, while also outlining some strategies for dealing with those challenging elements. Less-experienced readers will find the introduction very helpful; more experienced readers may find it fruitful as something to check against their own experiences.

Your opinion might carry a bit of weight if you have completed the SFQC and been on a few missions.

Till then, the value of such a book review means little here.

TR