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A recommended reading list.

115K views 93 replies 70 participants last post by  cfwii1979 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
Like many of you, I'm interested in learning how to increase my knowledge & skills. I take as many classes as I can but I also read a great deal because it's less expensive and I can fit it into whatever time I have available. The following is a list of books that I feel offer value. Hope it's of some use to you.

General:

Fighting Smarter by Tom Givens. If you were to only buy one book, this would be the one. It doesn't go into great detail but covers just about all pertinent areas well.

In the Gravest Extreme by Massad Ayoob. Another excellent all-around reference on the subject of personal defense. While it was first published 30+ years ago most of the information is still relevant.

Technical:

The "Some of the Answer" series by Jim Crews. They are available for pistol, carbine & shotgun and all have intricate detail. I know of no other books that do as good of a job at the technical aspects of shooting a firearm.

Gunhandling and Tactics:

Combative Fundamentals by Jeff Gonzales
Handgun Combatives by Dave Spaulding
Modern Technique of the Pistol by Greg Morrison

All of these are outstanding but Gonzales' is the most universal as it covers both sidearms & longarms. His descriptions are great but the book could use more pictures or illustrations. Honorable mention goes to the Tactical series by Gabe Suarez with his Tactical Advantage being the best.

Mindset & Mental Conditioning:

Principles of Personal Defense by Jeff Cooper has to be #1 as it provides the cornerstone on which most other books are based. At only 44 pages, it has more valuable information than any other book available.

On Killing by Dave Grossman. I don't agree with everything he has to say but most of the book is very well done and worth the read.

The Gift of Fear by Gavin De Kecker makes some valid points and although he has some fairly anti-gun sentiments, I'd still suggest it.

Deadly Force Encounters by Artwahl/Christensen is a case study analysis of real confrontations and the effects on the participants. It's the real story of several people who have "been there."

Breakout by Martin Russ. This is the story of the Chosin Reservoir campaign in the Korean War and although it's clearly biased to favor the USMC, those guys prevailed in the face of truly overwhelming odds.

Speed and Accuracy:

Beyond Fundamentals by Brian Enos
Surgical Speed Shooting by Andy Stanford

Both do an excellent job of providing information about increasing your speed (even if biased toward isoceles stance)

(I also really like Matt Burkett's DVD's on this subject)

Know your Enemy:

Inside the Criminal Mind by Stanton Samenow is an excellent piece on why criminals behave in the manner they do.

Specialty books:

Fight at Night by Andy Stanford is the authoritative text on dealing with low light conditions.

That's enough rambling from me. If you have some favorites, I'm sure we would all like to hear about them.
 
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#81 ·
A couple of more books

I didn't see these mentioned in the thread and apologize for any duplication.

Green Eyes and Black Rifles: Warriors Guide to the Combat Carbine by Kyle Lamb (an excellent book on the AR). SGT. Lamb's daughter co-authored the book and was a graduate student (intern) in my old office for a while. I would like to take one of his courses.

Forensic Analysis Of The April 11, 1986, FBI Firefight [Paperback]
W. French Anderson (Author) (If nothing else this make you realize how many rounds are fired that don't hit any one when the stuff hits the fan.) I have also tried to find data on hit rates for gun fights. Most of the data I have found is unpublished but even at very close range, it appears that police officers only hit their opponent maybe 25% of the time.)

Reading Athena's Dance Card: Men Against Fire in Vietnam by Russell Glenn
This book disputes the findings of Marshall from WWII.


COMBATIVE FUNDAMENTALS an Unconventional Approach [Paperback]
JEFF: GONZALES (Author) (I get his emails all the time but the classes are too far away and many are only for military or LEO.) I bought this book for the guide doing a combat zero on an AR.

I also want to say that Cooper's little book on self defense and awareness is one of the best books I have ever read. I especially like the exercise of trying to spot people you know before they spot you. If it is someone you don't like then you can avoid them and if it is a friend then you can say hello.
 
#85 ·
Has 1911Tuner ever written a book? If not then he should. I LOVE the lengthy posts he has done on various sites over the years where he gets into detail explaining the physics and such of various aspects of how the 1911 works and why certain magazines and parts, etc work better than others.
 
#86 ·
Picked up the Gun Digest Book of Concealed Carry by Massad Ayoob. New 2nd edition with updates from its original publication.

Haven't read the whole book but so far this seems like it should be required reading by anyone that wants to CCW. Massad writes in a lively, and easy to read style. Highly recommended.
 
#88 ·
#92 · (Edited)
I've discussed this book in the Street Robberies and You The Basics thread…but it is, IMO, one of the best books at describing the who, what, when, why, and how violent encounters occur, and how to de-escalate, defuse, and avoid these events.

Facing Violence by Rory Miller is a short read, available on Amazon, and IMO should be a mandatory read for anyone concerned with their personal security.

It will keep you out of trouble.

Here's an idea of what is discussed:

Most animal species conduct ritualized combat between males. Snakes wrestle, deer lock horns, rams butt heads. Such rituals comprise genetically programmed steps and are instinctively designed to be non-lethal. In our species, the ritual is called the “monkey dance”. (The term was originally coined by Sgt. Rory Miller and has been adopted by Marc MacYoung and other instructors.) The monkey dance consists of the following steps (adapted from Miller’s Facing Violence):

A hard aggressive stare.
A verbal challenge, e.g.: “What you lookin’ at?”
Approach within arms length, with signs of increased adrenalin (gross motor arm movements, chest bobbing, facial flushing).
Escalating verbal threats.
Eventually, one participant makes contact on the other’s chest, usually with an index finger. This triggers back-and-forth contacts escalating to pushes and shoves.
Finally, one participant touches the other’s face, usually touching the opponent’s nose with an index finger. This triggers a big, looping overhand punch, and the fight is on.

 
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