I got a chance to read through this book at Barnes and Noble the other day.  I am not a Revolutionary War history buff or anything, but as a security contractor, I was certainly intrigued.  If Max Weber was to read this book, he would have ‘crapped nickels’. LOL

   Bottom line, thanks to these privateers or private naval companies, we were able to fight the British on the high seas.  And guess what, we made fighting the British a profitable venture for these PNC’s through ‘legalized piracy’.  Crazy.  Can you imagine if the US gave a company like Blackwater a ‘letter of marque‘ and said ‘we can’t pay you, but if you attack Somali pirates for us, you can keep all the plundered goods’?

    The one thing this book brings up, that has some parallels to today’s private contractors, is the concept of profitable patriotism.  Patriotism in itself is a good thing, but who says you cannot be a patriot, and make some good money in the process?  It’s the American way, as this book has so blatantly pointed out.                Although I think privateering might not be that popular of an idea in today’s politically correct world. But combining patriotism and profitability can and should be a concept we should not frown upon, and it is a combination that can be incredibly effective if regulated by the state properly.  World War 2 and the military industry, pulled us out of the depths of despair after the Great Depression–don’t tell me some factories did not make some profit off of that war? Or the massive reconstruction contracts after that war?  KBR eat your heart out. 

     And by regulation, I mean making sure that the laws are followed, as well as the contracts, yet still allowing for the free market to dictate the ebb and flow of the industry.  And with globalization, regulation amongst the companies for this war, is increasingly difficult.  As America puts more regulation on it’s own  industry, and yet is unable to impact the global industry with the same regulations, then that is where we hinder our free market efficiency for this war.  It is a problem that impacts most industry out there, and ours is not immune to this. -Head Jundi

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From Publishers Weekly

Patton (The Pattons: A Personal History of an American Family) turns his attention to an often overlooked aspect of the Revolutionary War: maritime privateering, or legalized piracy. Patton is careful to distinguish the mixed motives of these patriot pirates, for often there was less patriotism than simple greed. Nevertheless, their work fulfilled George Washington’s strategic aim to win the war by exhausting Britain into giving up the struggle. In what Patton terms a massive seaborne insurgency that dwarfed the efforts of the colonists’ small navy, thousands of privateers nettled British shipping, sometimes gaining vast fortunes. Privateering also turned into a handy political issue when Benjamin Franklin, the American representative in France, succeeded in persuading his hosts to allow Yankee skippers to sell their booty in French ports—a breach of the country’s neutrality that aggravated diplomatic tensions, as Franklin knew it would, and helped cement Paris’s commitment to American independence. Patton gives an absorbing exhumation of an undersung subject that will be of particular interest to Revolution buffs. (May 20) 

Buy the Book Here

      I wanted to introduce a book from a friend of mine that the readers might be interested in. I have not had a chance to read it, but it sounds like it is getting good reviews on Amazon.  Rob is the real deal and he has quite a story to tell.  Check it out.  -Head Jundi

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

The down-to-earth memoir of a modern mercenary via Harvard . . .

This is the tale of Rob Krott, a U.S. Army officer who after leaving active duty found adventure in the early days of the wars in Croatia, Bosnia and Somalia. Stripped of the glamour and mystique surrounding the mercenary profession, Save the Last Bullet for Yourself is a no-holds-barred look at private soldiering in the 1990’s, pulling no punches in chronicling the role of modern day soldiers of fortune in the most violent, bloody, ethnic conflicts of the past decade.

     Boy, this is one hell of a debate.  Dalton Fury is the guy that wrote the book “Kill Bin Laden“. Dalton Fury is also a pseudonym of the real author’s name.  I will continue to use Dalton, out of respect(even though there are those that have found out his real name and posted it).  Dalton is also a former Delta Operator, which is at the source of this brouhaha, and the charge is that he broke the silence about something he should have stayed quite about.

     Now when these guys write books, they have to do it the right way, or they can get in trouble.  There is a lot of stuff out there that they are privy too, and their Non-Disclosure Agreements they sign with the government are pretty stringent.  As to wether Dalton went through the proper channels I guess is up for debate and for the lawyers to decide.  I will let the reader make their own determinations on this.

     But back to the reaction on the forums.  Dalton has pissed off a lot of guys.  The small community of special forces are very protective of their group, and I don’t blame them, and Dalton has exposed a piece of their history.  Now did he endanger lives or endanger national security with his book, I don’t know, and I plan on reading it to make my own determinations.  

     I do know that a few out there are supportive of what Dalton has done, and that he is questioning his superiors for their decisions about the failed mission to find and kill Osama Bin Laden in Afghanistan.  To me, I think this story does need to be told, if there is fault on the part of the upper command.  Dalton knew the risks of telling his story, and he is a real operator who has done his time out there.  Obviously he feels he has a story that needs to be told, and he has risked condemnation by his peers and of his command to tell it.  To me, that takes balls, and I give him credit for that. The proceeds of the book are going to the Special Operations Warrior Foundation.

    Check this book out if you want to become fluent in reading body language.  This thing is informative and extremely relevant to our industry.  Most of us have had to communicate non-verbally anyways when we are out in the field.  We are constantly having to read the faces of those that we are talking with, and be expressive with our own, because we can’t understand a word they are saying.  I don’t know how many times I have had to play ’sand theater’ with some Jundis, when there was no interpreter around.  Or trying to figure out some dude I am talking with through my interpreter.  

     A couple of things to mention about this book, just to stir up some interest.  Joe mentions that the legs are one of the best indicators of non-verbal body communication.  He describes how the legs kind of follow what the limbic brain tells them.  So if a person is uncomfortable, lets say from telling a lie, then you might see that lack of comfort exhibited in their leg movements.  

     What is neat about the book, is you really get a sense of why you do certain things.  It is all built around trying to protect ourselves. We cover our face or neck with our hands, to hide or protect ourselves when we think we are being threatened.  And what is cool, is that Joe references a ton of interesting books, like Gaven de Becker’s book, ‘Gift of Fear’  to emphasize his points. Very cool stuff.  

     Probably the best story in the book, was when Joe described how he was able to read a spy with non-verbal techniques.  They had the guy read the names of all of those that he worked with, and Joe was able to pick up on when the guy’s eyes dilated and then focused on certain names.  They investigated those suspects, and low and behold, busted the spy ring wide open!  

     Overall, you will not be disappointed with this book.  It is a ‘How to’ in terms of reading body language, complete with lots of pictures.  And if you are dealing with a lot of people at a gate that do not speak english, or patrolling and observing, then this book will help you to zero in on those threats out there.  Or if you are involved with questioning someone who you think is lying, then the techniques that this book discusses will certainly help you make some determinations.  

     Matter of fact, it is actually kind of fun to observe people after reading this book, because it will open a whole new world of ‘communication through body language’ that most of us are not aware of.  -Head Jundi

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What Every BODY is Saying:  An Ex-FBI Angent’s Guide to Speed-reading People

By Joe Navarro 

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

    He says that’s his best offer. Is it?

    She says she agrees. Does she?

    The interview went great—or did it?

    He said he’d never do it again. But he did.

Read this book and send your nonverbal intelligence soaring. Joe Navarro, a former FBI counterintelligence officer and a recognized expert on nonverbal behavior, explains how to “speed-read” people: decode sentiments and behaviors, avoid hidden pitfalls, and look for deceptive behaviors. You’ll also learn how your body language can influence what your boss, family, friends, and strangers think of you. You will discover:

    * The ancient survival instincts that drive body language

    * Why the face is the least likely place to gauge a person’s true feelings

    * What thumbs, feet, and eyelids reveal about moods and motives

    * The most powerful behaviors that reveal our confidence and true sentiments

    * Simple nonverbals that instantly establish trust

    * Simple nonverbals that instantly communicate authority

Filled with examples from Navarro’s professional experience, this definitive book offers a powerful new way to navigate your world.

About the Author

For twenty-five years, Joe Navarro was an FBI counterintelligence special agent and supervisor specializing in nonverbal communications. A frequent lecturer, he serves on the adjunct faculty at Saint Leo University and the FBI.

   Ok, here is another good book that I just plowed through in one day.  I think I read the thing in about 7 hours with 368 pages. whew!  So if that gives you an indicator of how interesting this book was, then take note. My overall impression was that Boykin was a special operations hero who sacrificed much for this country. And after all he gave and all he went through, in the end he got screwed over by a bunch of reporters that wanted to take a cheap shot at the Bush Administration by attacking Boykin and his religious convictions.  And they succeeded.

   Boykin was a religious man, and this is what the media decided to stick their dagger into and twist.  Just because you put on the uniform, does not mean your right to freedom of religion goes out the door.  And they made Boykin out to be a Crusader after they got through with him.  And after this hit piece hit cyber space, then all hell broke loose.  He and his family were being threatened by numerous Islamic extremist sites, he was fired from his job in DC, and his good name was dragged through the mud.

   Now personally, I am not that religious. But I do respect a person’s religious beliefs and for some soldiers and contractors out there, a belief in god is what gets them through the day.  I don’t have a problem with that, just as long as it isn’t shoved down my throat.  But I have to say that I am a believer in the concept that there is no such thing as an atheist in a fox hole.  God, and whatever form of God you worship, can get you through those times where there are no answers for the really dire and down situations in life.  So as you read through this book, you will see exactly how much faith impacted Boykin’s life as a Delta operator and leader and how ridiculous and wrong the media was in their judgment of the man.

   I don’t want to give away all of the book, but I will give you a taste of some of the really interesting stuff.  Boykin was part of the original group of Delta guys.  He was  a Vietnam veteran, Ranger, airborne, you name it, and he was trained in those early days by Charlie Beckwith(the founder of Delta).  In the book, Boykin describes what it was like in those early days of the unit and he goes into the logic and some of the details behind the selection process.(which I found very interesting)

  As you progress through the book, he continues on with his life in the Special Operations world.  He was involved with the Iran Hostage mission, Grenada, Operation Just Cause and the rescue of Kurt Muse, Somalia, hunting war criminals in Bosnia, Wacko and the Branch Davidian Incident, and hunting Pablo Escobar.  He also talks about his injuries, where he took a .50 cal round to the arm in Grenada and shrapnel in Somalia.  All the while, remaining faithful to his men, country and god.

   One last thing, just to give you an idea of the kind of stuff you will get in this book.  Boykin often tells the real story behind all of these major events in our recent history since Vietnam.  He lays to rest the idiotic rumors about Delta’s involvement in Wacko and Pablo Escobar’s death.  He goes into detail why they really used rock music during the Operation Just Cause/Noriega negotiations deal and the behind the scenes about the Kurt Muse rescue.  He talks about how Mike Durrant (the pilot in Somalia that was captured) was beaten on his face with the severed limb of one of his fallen comrades by his captors.  These are the kind of details you can expect out of this book, and it was a real page turner for me.  -Head Jundi  

Product Description

In 1978, Jerry Boykin joined what would become the world’s premier Special Operations unit, Delta Force. The only promise: “A medal and a body bag.” What followed was a .50 caliber round in the chest and a life spent with America’s elite forces bringing down warlords and war criminals, despots, and dictators. In Colombia, his task force hunted the notorious drug lord Pablo Escobar. In Panama, he helped capture the brutal dictator Manuel Noriega, liberating a nation. From Vietnam to Iran to Mogadishu, Lt. General Jerry Boykin’s life reads like an action-adventure novel. Boykin’s powerful story will keep you riveted as he reveals how his military duty worked in tandem with his faith to bring him through the bloody storms of foreign battle-and through the political firestorm that ambushed him in his own country.

     Lieutenant General William “Jerry” Boykin served in a variety of posts during his 36-year career in the Army, most of them involving Delta Force and Special Forces. He is an original member of the Army’s Delta Force. His last post was as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Intelligence in the Pentagon, overseeing the gathering and exploitation of intelligence during the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

     This was an interesting little book about Aaron Cohen and his time in the secretive Israeli special forces unit called ‘Sayeret Duvdevan’. What I liked about the book was the Israeli point of view about counter terrorism. That, and how they conducted operations in the territories.

     Mr. Cohen made some pretty interesting observations about the current state of the US counter terrorism strategy here CONUS. He makes some excellent points about the necessary mindset needed to combat a terrorist. I would have liked to have read some more about tactics and mindset, but mostly this book was a biographical of Mr. Cohen. What makes him an interesting story, is that he was raised in America, yet he was able to climb the ranks into Israeli Special Forces in Israel as a volunteer.

     Probably the best story in the book, was the take down of the financiers behind the Dizengoff Massacre. Talk about well planned and well executed! Also, check out Mr. Cohen’s security company in Los Angeles called IMS Security -Head Jundi

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Editorial Reviews

General Tommy Franks (ret.)
“Aaron Cohen has something to say. And he knows what he’s talking about. If you’re conflicted about how aggressive America should be in the global fight against terrorism, read this book. Cohen knows that national survival ain’t free. A no-nonsense, riveting read.”

Dale Brown
“It’s more than a story of the making of an elite unconventional warfare operative—it’s a real, in-your-face, and mesmerizing look at the birth of a patriot. You will be inspired, believe me.”

Kirkus Reviews
“He brings us into the shadowy world of Sayeret Duvdevan, offering details of his missions and his training, throwing in some contemporary and historical context, introducing us to his comrades-in-arms and delivering numerous gory anecdotes.”

Product Description

At the age of eighteen, Aaron Cohen left Beverly Hills to prove himself in the crucible of the armed forces. He was determined to be a part of Israel’s most elite security cadre, akin to the American Green Berets and Navy SEALs. After fifteen months of grueling training designed to break down each individual man and to rebuild him as a warrior, Cohen was offered the only post a non-Israeli can hold in the special forces. In 1996 he joined a top-secret, highly controversial unit that dispatches operatives disguised as Arabs into the Palestinian-controlled West Bank to abduct terrorist leaders and bring them to Israel for interrogation and trial.

Between 1996 and 1998, Aaron Cohen would learn Hebrew and Arabic; become an expert in urban counterterror warfare, the martial art of Krav Maga, and undercover operations; and participate in dozens of life-or-death missions. He would infiltrate a Hamas wedding to seize a wanted terrorist and pose as an American journalist to set a trap for one of the financiers behind the Dizengoff Massacre, taking him down in a brutal, hand-to-hand struggle. A propulsive, gripping read, Cohen’s story is a rare, fly-on-the-wall view into the shadowy world of “black ops” that redefines invincible strength, true danger, and inviolable security.

About the Author

Aaron Cohen grew up in Beverly Hills, California. After spending three years in one of Israel’s “black ops” units, Sayeret Duvdevan, he returned home and founded IMS Security, a consulting firm that specializes in protecting politicians, business executives, Hollywood actors, and rock stars, and offers counterterrorism training to the United States military, to local and state police departments, and to various SWAT units around the country. He lives in Los Angeles.

Check it out on Amazon here

Brotherhood of Warriors: Behind Enemy Lines with a Commando in One of the World’s Most Elite Counterterrorism Units

     I just read this book and loved it. Hollywood will certainly make a film about Cuban born criminal named Jose Vigoa, that literally robbed Las Vegas. The best part of the book, is that you still couldn’t figure out if he was an agent of Cuba, or just a Cuban gone bad. Robert Baer(former CIA employee) was interviewed about this guy, and he thought that Vigoa was an agent that slipped in during the eighties Cuban boat crisis. A sleeper agent that went off the deep end, so to speak.  Or maybe he had orders to cause havoc in Vegas? 

     Either way, Vigoa makes Tony Montana from “Scar Face” look like a child. True crime, to me, is always more fascinating than the fictional stuff, and this guy was larger than life.  Not only was he a highly trained and experienced warrior from the cold war era, but he also was an effective drug dealer and violent robber that took down the ’strip’.   

     From a tactical thought process point of view, Vigoa was a fascinating study. Mentally, this guy operated like a soldier behind enemy lines, rather than a criminal. And the various stories about his time in Angola and Afghanistan were really interesting windows, upon the mentality of Vigoa. From his use of top Private Investigators to collect information on enemies and associates, to controlling the meeting places (controlling your battle space) where very telling, as to Vigoa’s background and capability.  What was really frightening about the guy, was his mental kill-switch.  He was not hesitant in this regard, and that is also what made him such a vicious criminal.

 This book also talked about the bravery of the guards that defended their Armored cars to the death, against Vigoa’s crew and their vicious take downs.  It is a stark reminder, of how dangerous transporting money can be and what the worse case scenario for an armored transport professional could be.  I highly recommend this book. -Head Jundi 

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From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. Network producer and onetime Miami Herald columnist Huddy tells a gripping story of greed, violence, theft and public relations. Las Vegas had just launched its new blitz of advertising—advancing itself not as Sin City but as a family-friendly vacation destination—when Jose Vigoa (a Cuban-born commando veteran of the Soviet Army) hit town in the late 1990s. Vigoa and a small crew embarked on a violent 16-month crime wave, targeting some of the Strip’s most prominent (and, as Vigoa showed, vulnerable) institutions. A 23-year veteran of the Las Vegas Police Force, Lt. John Alamshaw was charged with finding and capturing the men behind the crime spree—without allowing the robberies to become national news and spoil Vegas’s new image. Huddy traces Vigoa’s personal history from his childhood in Castro’s Cuba to fighting for the Red Army in Afghanistan, his return to Cuba and eventual resettlement in the United States. Then he chronicles the Cuban’s increasingly audacious grabs for Vegas riches and his ultimate sentencing to more than 500 years in prison with no possibility of parole. This debut is a must for true-crime enthusiasts. B&w photos.  

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/product-description/0345487451/ref=dp_proddesc_0?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books
 

So I guess you are wondering what this might have to do with Feral Jundi?  This book is a fascinating look, at what makes good people go bad.  I was also interested in the author’s solution to protect people from going bad.  But what was most important to me, is how I could possibly use this knowledge, as it applies to the security industry and the war effort.

     I think it has everything to do with our industry, because knowing the signs and knowing the sources of what make people ’snap’, will only help you to manage your team and your mission.  It will also help you to understand your enemy.

     Check it out, and let me know what you think.  By the way, what image did you see first in the Escher picture below?  -Head Jundi 

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 The Lucifer Effect

By Philip Zimbardo

The Lucifer Effect raises a fundamental question about the nature of human nature: How is it possible for ordinary, average, even good people to become perpetrators of evil? In trying to understand unusual, or aberrant behavior, we often err in focusing exclusively on the inner determinants of genes, personality, and character, as we also tend to ignore what may be the critical catalyst for behavior change in the external Situation or in the System that creates and maintains such situations. I challenge readers to reflect on how well they really know themselves, and how much confidence they have in what they would or would not ever do when put into new behavioral settings.

This book is unique in many ways. It provides for the first time a detailed chronology of the transformations in human character that took place during the experiment I created that randomly assigned healthy, normal intelligent college students to play the roles of prison or guard in a projected 2 week-long study. I was forced to terminate the study after only 6 days because it went out of control, pacifists were becoming sadistic guards, and normal kids were breaking down emotionally. By telling that story in a new way, as my personal, first-person observation in the present tense, it is presented almost as a screen play filled with ever more amazing twists and turns as the situational forces are pitted against individual will to resist and the collective will to rebel against oppressive authority. In a sense, this study and how I am reporting its narrative, is a forerunner of reality TV, as we see ordinary people up close and personal day in and night out, becoming transformed into something truly disturbing.