very very good. Interesting book from somebody who has been there, done it and is still there.

I would recommend this book for anyone interested in learning shooting from the ground up. Suarez takes a hard stance on technique and ideology in his first book, however the follow on series hits the mark.



Suarez appears to speak from experience, is definitely a focused shooter, and puts the reader in a frame of mind that is engineered towards combat effectiveness.



Some might find the intensity of attitude off putting but the knowledge provided far out weights the aformentioned intensity.



I would definitely recommend this book, along with several others as an addition to a shooters library.

I would recommend this book for anyone interested in learning shooting from the ground up. Suarez takes a hard stance on technique and ideology in his first book, however the follow on series hits the mark.

Suarez appears to speak from experience, is definitely a focused shooter, and puts the reader in a frame of mind that is engineered towards combat effectiveness.

Some might find the intensity of attitude off putting but the knowledge provided far out weights the aformentioned intensity.

I would definitely recommend this book, along with several others as an addition to a shooters library.

The author knows his stuff and presents it in a clear, logical manner. He's a regular cop, not some champion marksman that names all sorts of techniques after himself, like the "Suarez Squat Shot", like some other shooting authors do.

This book should be required reading for anyone looking to use a handgun in a self defense manner. Whether you have your pistol in the bedside table drawer, or carry every day, if you intend to defend your life, and those of your family this book is a must read! Mr. Suarez knows his topic. The Tactical Rifle and The Tactical Shotgun should also be on your list.

This book should be required reading for anyone looking to use a handgun in a self defense manner. Whether you have your pistol in the bedside table drawer, or carry every day, if you intend to defend your life, and those of your family this book is a must read! Mr. Suarez knows his topic. The Tactical Rifle and The Tactical Shotgun should also be on your list.

There are some good reviews here - perhaps enough to determine whether this book is for you. I just thought a few things could be clarified. To suggest that the only viable market for this book is someone belonging to a militia is to suggest that only the militia are interested in self-defense. It is perhaps desirable to point out that not everyone purchases a firearm to be enthused. Nor does this fact equate them with more dubious individuals or groups (for all my fellows follow the law). Furthermore, to assert that this book is not intended for citizens authenticates the ignorance (or motives) of the writer.

The author of this book does not advocate nor teach the indiscriminate killing of individuals. Conversely, he advocates the discriminate use of deadly force to prevent the loss of one's life. If the reader cannot determine the intended audience at introduction, he should perhaps be reading this book to fine tune his reading comprehension skills rather than skills as a marksman.

The author does not "pander to our primal fears" but illustrates the need for tactics introduced. The only disturbing viewpoints that I was able to find (outside of comments to ignore some such individuals as have commented on this book) were the ones that advocated your Bill of Rights and ideas about freedom (conveniently located at the rear of the book). - I love America!

For those looking to purchase this book, I will spell it out. This book is about actual combat, not sharp shooting or being enthused. If this is your first book and you do not have any formal basic training, do yourself a big favor and purchase that with this book (its for your benefit as much as anyone else's). Also, become familiar with your local handgun laws if you have not already (also suggested by this author and common sense). -peace

Please ignore the liberal whiners who have posted concerns about the information Mr. Suarez is offering in this book. This is a serious book dealing with lifesaving countermeasures to being seriously attacked by seriously dangerous criminals. If you are looking for a book covering the legality and moral considerations of a shoot/don't-shoot situation, Massad Ayoob has written several excellent books on the subject. This is not a book rehashing shooting fundamentals such as stance, sight alignment, and proper grip. I understand Mr. suarez has several other books covering those subjects. This is a book written for citizens and officers explaining how to minimize risks during building searches and clearing dwellings. It details how to conduct yourself tactically when the proverbial !@#$ has hit the fan. Most of the book is written for the individual going it alone, which is good. A lot of books on this subject focus on elite swat and navy seal team deployment, and lets be honest, if you are a navy seal, you've probably already been there and done this. There is an excellent chapter on team operation and communication, which works eqally well if the "team" consists of a husband and wife checking on the sound of breaking glass in the babie's room. Don't get me wrong, this book is written professionally and I am sure professionals could learn quite a few things from its reading. The information is well written and presented logically. the diagrams and pictures are easily followed and understood. Most importantly though the information mr. Suarez presents here is thorough, uncomplicated, straightforward and realistic. No space is wasted with the endless debates and doctrinal dissagreements that flesh out the bulk of other combat texts. No candy coating here either, just hard, real-world-tested facts. If you have already mastered the basics of small arms operations, this is the next step in becoming a viable defensive combatant.

Please ignore the liberal whiners who have posted concerns about the information Mr. Suarez is offering in this book. This is a serious book dealing with lifesaving countermeasures to being seriously attacked by seriously dangerous criminals. If you are looking for a book covering the legality and moral considerations of a shoot/don't-shoot situation, Massad Ayoob has written several excellent books on the subject. This is not a book rehashing shooting fundamentals such as stance, sight alignment, and proper grip. I understand Mr. suarez has several other books covering those subjects. This is a book written for citizens and officers explaining how to minimize risks during building searches and clearing dwellings. It details how to conduct yourself tactically when the proverbial !@#$ has hit the fan. Most of the book is written for the individual going it alone, which is good. A lot of books on this subject focus on elite swat and navy seal team deployment, and lets be honest, if you are a navy seal, you've probably already been there and done this. There is an excellent chapter on team operation and communication, which works eqally well if the "team" consists of a husband and wife checking on the sound of breaking glass in the babie's room. Don't get me wrong, this book is written professionally and I am sure professionals could learn quite a few things from its reading. The information is well written and presented logically. the diagrams and pictures are easily followed and understood. Most importantly though the information mr. Suarez presents here is thorough, uncomplicated, straightforward and realistic. No space is wasted with the endless debates and doctrinal dissagreements that flesh out the bulk of other combat texts. No candy coating here either, just hard, real-world-tested facts. If you have already mastered the basics of small arms operations, this is the next step in becoming a viable defensive combatant.

The contents of this book are largely lifted from Police training manuals, and are not suited for the average citizen, unless you happen to be in a militia(...). I can't imagine why ordinary gun-enthusiasts would be interested in combat with fellow citizens, clearing and entering houses with hostile foes, and all the other techniques on offer here. Suarez makes a big deal about how he is a decorated officer, but no police officer worth their salt would put out books teaching citizens to be members of a tactical SWAT team.
The author obviously isn't a police officer in good standing anymore because no commanding officer would permit someone to profit off the tactics presented here.
If you are a gun-enthusiast, you would be better off buying something by John Farnam or Andy Stanford. Their books are written for citizen gun owners, and they don't teach how to indiscriminately kill people.

The author spends much of the book pandering to our primal fears in support of violent self-defense. It is not clear who he is writing for, police, lone gunmen or military personnel. If he would leave out his disturbing viewpoints, perhaps this book may be taken more seriously. Save your money and buy something by Andy Sanford.

Suarez did a good job on this book. Nothing bugs me more than purchasing a so-called "advanced" book or video on the topic of self-defense only to be disappointed. This book did not disappoint me. It makes the break between shooting and fighting, this work is on fighting. It is not a book for those wanting to sharpen their shooting skill, but rather the work focuses on the martial art of self-defense with a handgun. He is straightforward and presents his information in an easy to grasp format.

This book is the first book written by well-known weapons and tactics instructor, Gabe Suarez. The author has himself stated that when he was writing this book, he was still formulating his gunfighting concepts. Therefore, the book contains information Suarez himself calls dated and doesn�t advocate anymore (like Speed rock). Nevertheless, the book contains some valuable information.

The book covers just about all the basics about shooting from the drawstroke and the sight picture to reloading and malfunction clearance. In addition, there is also material for mental as well as tactical aspects of combat. But as you would guess, as this book is about 200 pages long and there are 22 chapters, none of the issues are given very through presentation. The information is presented in a clear and easy to understand way, but there really is not that much that you wouldn�t find in other similar books.

I think that this book is a good one, and worth the purchase, but there are some issues like the ones mentioned below that bother me:
- Suarez seems to think that PTSD and related symptoms are result of conditioning. He thinks that people suffer from these symptos, because they have been told to do that. What he doesn�t realize (or seems to ignore) is that PTSD symptoms have been widely known and discussed for only couple of decades, but veterans of war have suffered from these symptoms from as early as the WWI.
- In many issues, Suarez teaches only one way to do things. Take teaching the proper firing stance as an example: Suarez teaches only Weaver stance, and does not even mention that there are other shooting stances in existence. In my mind it is obvious that these are a matter of choice, and readers should be given a chance to evaluate the possibilities himself. This approach of not even mentioning the "competitive" stances gives the reader an impression that the author can�t make the reasoning on the subject, and therefore chooses to avoid the issue completely.
- Suarez teaches to put the trigger finger on the trigger surface as you are in the process of drawing the gun, and the finger should start pressing the trigger even before the sights are aligned to the target! I think that this is extremely dangerous, as this demands extremely good coordination, which propably is not available in the heat of battle.
- There are at least two separate issues where Suarez tells that it is very important to learn some specific skills, but there is not a word on these skills in the book! For example, regarding to shooting from behind cover, Suarez tells that "you must develop the ability to �roll out� from behind cover in a shooting position", and yet there is not a single word or picture on how to do it. If Suarez thinks that this is an important skill, why there is not even a single page, or couple of pictures on the subject?

Speaking of pictures, there are plenty and most of them are very good and informative, and support the text nicely. Some of the pictures are apparently so good that they have been used in other books as well. There is a strange thing that gaught my eye, however. In the chapter on operating in reduced light, there was no discussion on Surefire/Rogers firing technique in the text, but there was a photograph depicting that stance. That gives an impression of sloppiness in part of the publisher.

In conclusion, despite its few shortcomings, I would say that the book is a worthwhile investment. But this should not be your first book on the subject, as you have to examine the text with critical eye.

This book is the first book written by well-known weapons and tactics instructor, Gabe Suarez. The author has himself stated that when he was writing this book, he was still formulating his gunfighting concepts. Therefore, the book contains information Suarez himself calls dated and doesn't advocate anymore (like Speed rock). Nevertheless, the book contains some valuable information.

The book covers just about all the basics about shooting from the drawstroke and the sight picture to reloading and malfunction clearance. In addition, there is also material for mental as well as tactical aspects of combat. But as you would guess, as this book is about 200 pages long and there are 22 chapters, none of the issues are given very through presentation. The information is presented in a clear and easy to understand way, but there really is not that much that you wouldn't find in other similar books.

I think that this book is a good one, and worth the purchase, but there are some issues like the ones mentioned below that bother me:
- Suarez seems to think that PTSD and related symptoms are result of conditioning. He thinks that people suffer from these symptos, because they have been told to do that. What he doesn't realize (or seems to ignore) is that PTSD symptoms have been widely known and discussed for only couple of decades, but veterans of war have suffered from these symptoms from as early as the WWI.
- In many issues, Suarez teaches only one way to do things. Take teaching the proper firing stance as an example: Suarez teaches only Weaver stance, and does not even mention that there are other shooting stances in existence. In my mind it is obvious that these are a matter of choice, and readers should be given a chance to evaluate the possibilities himself. This approach of not even mentioning the "competitive" stances gives the reader an impression that the author can't make the reasoning on the subject, and therefore chooses to avoid the issue completely.
- Suarez teaches to put the trigger finger on the trigger surface as you are in the process of drawing the gun, and the finger should start pressing the trigger even before the sights are aligned to the target! I think that this is extremely dangerous, as this demands extremely good coordination, which propably is not available in the heat of battle.
- There are at least two separate issues where Suarez tells that it is very important to learn some specific skills, but there is not a word on these skills in the book! For example, regarding to shooting from behind cover, Suarez tells that "you must develop the ability to 'roll out' from behind cover in a shooting position", and yet there is not a single word or picture on how to do it. If Suarez thinks that this is an important skill, why there is not even a single page, or couple of pictures on the subject?

Speaking of pictures, there are plenty and most of them are very good and informative, and support the text nicely. Some of the pictures are apparently so good that they have been used in other books as well. There is a strange thing that gaught my eye, however. In the chapter on operating in reduced light, there was no discussion on Surefire/Rogers firing technique in the text, but there was a photograph depicting that stance. That gives an impression of sloppiness in part of the publisher.

In conclusion, despite its few shortcomings, I would say that the book is a worthwhile investment. But this should not be your first book on the subject, as you have to examine the text with critical eye.

This is an excellent intermediate level book on gun handling. As the subtitle implies, it's not a beginner's level book. I have notes, highlights and page flags all over my copy. This book covers the topic of wounded shooter techniques (how to keep fighting after being wounded) better than any other book of the genre. Suarez has real-world experience in applying the techniques he teaches in this book. His experience shows in his writing.

A few decades ago, pistol-handling technique underwent a practical revolution with the results of combat or practical pistol matches demonstrating a series of techniques that work to build speed and accuracy. Suarez's work is part of the next evolution of these same techniques after they've been tried and tested under stress and in-the-field. His technque may be the "practical" methods after they've been through the "can you do it under stress and when you're frightened?" filter.
Suarez's techniques also draw on an intimate knowledge of the martial arts (he has an extensive martial arts resume). The martial arts have a several hundred-year history of training people to perform complex tasks under stress and Suarez brings that forward in his writing.

I highly recommend this book.

In Suarez style, this book continues to demonstrate Suarez's true knowledge of tactics and his ability to teach in text. Much like THE TACTICAL ADVANTAGE, another must read, Suarez lays it out in idiot proof form, complete with diagrams and photos. He tells you how to do it, shows you how to do it, and tells you why its better to do it this way. Pistol prowess is more than just point and shoot and this book tells you how to do it safely and effectively. It caters to the rookie as well as the veteran flatfoot and it offers something to learn from and build on for any reader. As a cop, when your goal is to go home at the end of your shift in one piece, you cant afford to let a good book like this one slip past you. Buy it, borrow it, steal it if you have to, (don't get caught) but read it...It might save your life.

I'm a former Intelligence Officer to my Country (Brazil), and also a fomer COP & BG, along to doing a few trips to be an "advisor" in some stincky helholes the World over. If you have read the recent news (on CNN I'm sure there is), Brazil is, today, a Nation under siege. In my time as an active IO, COP, and BG, the authors who helped me very much were the best from these old days: Col. Jeff Cooper, and Chuck Taylor. They helped me in learning to be a better professional, and to stay alive in the several shootouts I was in. I survived, alt. I was shot, stabed, and beaten more than once in almost 20 years of service. But I'm sure that, if in that time this book (along with the others from the great Gabe Suarez) was avaiable to me, I could be a better professional and, I bet, I could evade a few shots, stabs, and beatings I still have the scars today. Alt. I no longer on the "active service", I still carry a handgun for defense and, frankly, I know, alt. I'm older and "more used" that when "on the front", I learned so much in this book that I fell I'm better prepared to deal in any violent, criminal situation that may arrive...Thanks, Gabe! You've done what I though was impossible: teach to a veteran like me new tricks! To you, reader, order this (and his other books) right now. There is no better way to a "modern warrior" spend his money.