On Combat is an excellent resource for any individual who chooses a profession where he or she may one day have to take the life of another human. It is also good for those in society who choose not to be victimized and have the courage and skill set to resolve problems when the police are not around or have a long response time.

On Combat is filled with gems of information on what you can expect if you are ever faced with or involved in a deadly force encounter. Having such knowledge of what can potentially happen both physiologically and psychologically can help mitigate future potential problems such as depression, insomnia, mood disorders, PTSD, etc. For individuals in the military and law enforcement this is especially important because these are professions where the men feel the need to "tough" it out which can lead to long term problems.

Yes, the book is filled with lots of stories, quotes, jargon and repetitive statements but the content is an excellent and a valuable resource to have in your library. Don't let these issues over take the content of the book. I do not agree with all the conclusions Grossman arrives at but there is plenty of good information that will help prepare you for the aftermath of battle whether overseas or in your patrol area.

The book is divided in to four sections:

Section 1: The Physiology of Combat: The Anatomy of the Human body in Battle.

This section provides insight into combat for those working in the military and law enforcement and discusses the effects of experiencing a traumatic event. The first chapter is titled, "Combat: The Universal Human Phobia". Grossman states that the phobia is the innate human aversion to killing one of their own. With only a small percentage of the population as an exception, human beings will find it difficult to take another human's life in a face to face confrontation. Section 1 provides and excellent overview of sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems reaction to fear. The last chapter of this section covers color codes which is a little different from Jeff Cooper's original color code awareness system.

Section 2: Perceptual distortions in combat: An Altered State of consciousness.

In my opinion section 2 is the best part of the book as it provides excellent information on perceptual distortions and why they happen when one is involved in a life or death situation. I believe it is extremely important for one to know and understand the potential effects they may face in combat so that they realize, for the most part, it is a normal response to a very abnormal situation.

Section 3: The Call to Combat: Where do we get such men?

This section discusses the importance of training specifically stress inoculation training. It is critically important to train military and police in the most realistic environment that mimics, as close as possible, the real situations they will face whether in the military or on patrol. This realistic scenario based training can be applied by the average citizen who engages in martial arts or other reality based training activities. Such training helps to provide mental toughness so that you can survive a dangerous or lethal force encounter.

Section 4: The price of combat: After the smoke clears

Section 4 examines the after effects of combat specifically Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) which is a common mental health disorder that many vets are experiencing. Fortunately, there is excellent help available for PTSD so that these warriors, whether military or law enforcement, do not have to suffer the problems that they are encountering. It is also important to note that many individuals who experience bad things do not have any negative side effects after it is all said and done.

Overall, On Combat is an excellent resource that should be read by all who work in the military, law enforcement and protective services.

As a combat marine veteran and a veteran police officer of 8 years, this is the best book I have ever read.

This book breaks it down to the basic Blue Collar level of understanding stress and dealing with it to better yourself and your men. It is a very good guide that anyone going in harms way should read or that believes in the 2nd Amendment to protect their family.

Worth the money to get the author's view points and ideas in a reference manual.

I attended one of Mr. Grossman's seminar's. You can pay and attend, buy this book or do both. I've done both. The book is a solid reference for your library.

He does make some wild points about media, but your environment does shape you in one way or another.

Buy this with "Sharpening the Warriors Edge: The Psychology & Science of Training by Bruce K. Siddle" and "Deadly Force Encounters: What Cops Need To Know To Mentally And Physically Prepare For And Survive A Gunfight"

They both complement Mr. Grossman's book and drill in that even if you are injured / hurt, wounded, you still can continue the fight and finish your attacker- to push the limits. They educate and illustrate by example and scientific research what can be achieved when focused to do so. This is also re-enforced through a proper training foundation. They give examples of failure to do so and the results / outcome to drill home key points.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Of the dozens of books on martial arts, fighting and related topics I have read, this one stands out as one of the most original and valuable.

This book offers the reader a huge insight into the mind preperation for a warrior. Really a very easy read and ultimately very realistic views on deadly encounters. I would highly recomend this book to anyone in the military or Law Enforcement.

This is a book for klingons mainly. Having read and enjoyed his previous work "On Killing" I couldn't help but be disappointed in this read. If you can tolerate the use of the word "WARRIOR" in almost every paragraph there are some redeeming sections in the book - especially about perceptual distortions under life threatening situations, how to best train for this, and more than enough 'war stories' to satisfy those so inclined.

Readability - 3/5 (some good charts - but the link to research a bit tenuous).
Content - 3/5 (too much filler material in my opinion).
Humour - not that I can recall - serious business this book.

Worth a look. But his previous book is even better.

Learn from the people with the most experience. Understanding is the key to preparation. I feel as though I understand a great deal more about how I can react in a high stress situation should one arise. You will like this book if you are, think you are, or want to be a sheepdog (read it to find out more).

This is a great book that describes the effects of stress in combat. The book is addictive from the moment you pick it up.

HELP! Is there a book out there that talks about humans reactions to violence that isn't like this book?!?!
I need something thats scientific, with sources I can vet for opinion, bias, or methodology.
I need something that is free from anecdote and jingo-ism!
I need something that does not use these anecdotes and lexicon to support the authors peculiar mantra's and social theories.
I need an author that doesnt place every american into a few morally loaded categories, that crumble instantly when you have a real need to understand another human. (Soldiers overseas, police officers that show up at your door, or your childs dorm!)
I need a book that doesnt make the populace of America look alternately like a sea of sheep or a jungle of hyperviolent over video gamed youth, with the police isolated by their moral altruism in both cases!!!!
I want a book the doesnt quote an obscure (to most) 15th century philosopher to provide the main moral guidelines of its philosophy!
If you are a professional in a field related to the subject of the book, you better go do the fact checking and find the primary sources. The people around you or under your command rate that level of scholarliness.

This book really opened my eyes to a few things and re enforced things I have been saying about the watering down of our "training" we don't train our soldiers to build a resistance to stress...This is what our Joint Chiefs need to read

I found the book fascinating. Started with my brother-in-law getting it for Christmas. I looked over his shoulder at it and he told me a bit about it. Then I ordered it through the library and read it while recovering from giving birth, and knew that I wanted to own the book.

I'm having a hard time figuring out how to give a general review. I liked the ideas of preparing oneself with phones and emergency numbers (among other things). Reality perception distortions can be as fantastic as movie making effects. Learning how to increase your Red Zone, avoiding the Black Zone. Life is more sci-fi than I thought!

I have never been a big video game proponent, and this book gave me further reason to maintain my stance.

Highly recommended for those who expect to find themselves in a combat situation, or are just plain curious.

Written by those who've experienced deadly conflict in war and peace for those who've been there, those who expect to be there and for their loved ones who share their warriors life. The training that went wrong, the why and how training's bad practices have been corrected and the improvements explained in detail. With personal accounts from those who have been on the firing line in war protecting country and on the streets protecting people, supported by the best science available. After reading this book you'll see it all from a different and accepting perspective. Truly a must read.

The book is too long and is more of a paean to the author's ideals of the warrior culture rather than a critical examination of it.

I read and enjoyed "On Killing" thoroughly. If you are well read in military history, mass media, psychology, and his previous book, this book may bore you. Also, if you are a gun owner, you are probably familiar with many of the concepts of combat from other self-defense reading.

The authors do write well on the physiology of combat and psychological consequences, but much of the book is filled with too many quotations, poems, and praises. I felt conceptually beat over the head with moral framing. Moral framing is great, but it makes the presentation of the material harder to follow since it permeates much of the book and you have to work to separate out the authors' emotions with the concepts being presented.

Civilians are referred to as "sheep" which is common in the gun community. However, the authors seem to be somewhat disdainful of the general public when they use this term. Also, the metaphor of "sheep, sheepdogs, and wolves" as classes in society and the authors present them as primarily mutually exclusive. In fact, if you leave the house without a gun, a warrior is a sheep. Although this metaphor may be useful in communicating how oblivious civilians can be, the authors seem less credible because the treatment of the topic is far less detached and objective as it ought to be.

Hopefully, there will be a condensed version or sequel that gives the reader some mental space to think.

Read this one if you haven't read "On Killing" already.

This is the second copy of this book that I've owned. The first one wore out from constant use by my co-workers and I. Col. Grossman really does his research and to tell the truth, he hits a little too close to home sometimes. This is not book that you can do justice to in one reading. The info presented needs to soak in/be thoroughly digested to get the maximum benefit. I highly recomend this book.

Quite simply one of the most important books for all police officers and soldiers to read. Grossman bring together an incredible insight into the "combat" experience. An incredible writer and an even more impressive speaker.

I would highly recommend this book. It was a gift for my husband, (one that he had been hinting at) and he didn't put it down until he was finished with it. If anyone you love or you yourself have seen combat I would say this is a must read. God Bless those who are brave enough to put themselves in danger to protect our freedom.

If you've seen combat, if you think you will go to combat are you think you have seen something close to combat REED THE BOOK!

Often, I take whatever book I am working on, into meetings, and where ever I go, just in case I'm expected to sit and wait.

With this book, I found it interesting to note the reactions of people, depending upon what their profession is. Some thought this book was about fighting. Some thought of it as being a great source for specialist who work with PTSD clients. And others just asked if I was channeling my army days.

To answer this, my questions are:

If you were confronted with a deadly threat, what would you think, do, feel, and accept in yourself?

Do you have a system to assess your ability to be fully functional?

And, how would you breath?

While these are not common questions, asking and answering them before a threat is in front of you, can make a life or death difference.. The warrior, as Dave Grossman defines it, is the 1% who protects the 98% from the 1% who would harm them.

As an army veteran, who studies and teaches behavior modification training, I was looking for and found in this book more information about what happens anatomically, emotionally, and psychologically to someone when a threat is before them.

"On Combat" is an excellent book for anyone to understand what happens when anyone of us is under stress, or any type of threat. "Tactical breathing" is essential.

This book, although primarily written with the soldier, police officer and martial artist in mind, really is a great tool for all of us.

We all at some time have known someone who has experienced constant external stressors, in their job or private life.

And, then there are the "natural" disasters. So many people have reactions that have not been publicly addressed, that are addressed in Dave Grossman's book. When these reactions are addressed and accepted as being part of the human condition, the psychological problems have a better chance of going away.

Another benefit that this book has provided for me was a greater appreciation and respect for police officers. I used to try to joke with some officers in my community, and wondered why they didn't seem to have a sense humor. They are often "On Combat" to make our communities safe for all.

This book helped me deal with all of the issues I faced with PTSD. I learned that what I was feeling was both common and nothing to be ashamed of.

This is much of the same information as the "Bulletproof Mind" lecture but more in depth. Those that understand my review title probably understand already. COL Grossman understands and provides useful information to warriors.

This is THE ONE book every uniformed service member must read: Military, Police, and Fire. Training Officers - you owe it to your team to read this book: their lives depend on it. It provides the science behind why we must train as hard and realistically as we do. And when we encounter that deadly force event, it provides the psychological tools we need to servive the event and the aftermath. Thank you Dave and Loren; you've made my fire team stronger.

This is an essential book if you even plan to address serious situations or if are a loved one to someone who addresses serious situations. My strong advice, read the book. It is disappointing that the military doesn't require this.

Personally, I think it is a commitment of anyone who is "under the umbrella" of a free society should have this as a required reading. Not only does it help one understand how combat really works, it may also help one in their own unintended brush with a car accident, injury or any other traumatic event. This includes ALL first responders. If in doubt, check it out. They put an enormous effort into it. Well worth the read.

Paul

This book is wonderful at laying at all the intricate details; psychological and physical at being in deadly combat. It was kind of annoying to read about how video games are programming all of our children to be mindless killing machines but that is small flaw in an otherwise flawless work.

This book is the best i have read that gives the future warrior a better understanding of what they can expect emotionally in combat. It gives the warrior who has been there explanations for why they feel what they do or questioning themselves on what is going on in my head after combat. Importantly it gives those warriors who have not lived combat & will not due to age, etc but think they are prepared emotionally - reality in a hard world. GREAT BOOK. Highly recommended.

This book should be required reading throughout the country of Law Enforcement and Military alike. The psychological and emotional effects of combat and having to use force in a daily "work environment" are well stated and relavent. Lt. Col. Grossman is the epitome of the warrior spirit and teacher to those who enter the world of warfare.

I think my review's title pretty much makes my statement. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars was out of fairness to my friend Sherman Fleek. I gave his book 4 stars because of loose editing, and this book could have also used some tighter editing.
That said, my son is very seriously considering becoming a combat arms officer, so I have had him read this. He is learning a lot that I wish I'd known when I was in his shoes. If I had my way, this book would be required reading in American public schools.

This is a great follow up to On Killing. It is well written and very informitive

Although it has some very good information in it.It also has a great deal of filler,repetition,and what basically ammounts to a long tirade against media violence.While it may be a worthy topic it isnt what i was expecting or wanting from the book.To be kind it was completely off-topic.While the subject of media violence may have been relevant in it's effects on the brain and psychology.The vast majority of it was cultural and completely unrelated to the subject at hand.

Again,alot of good info to be found here.Also alot of repeated idea's,filler,and personal causes.

An amazing read on what happens to us in high stress situations. As a soldier in the US Army nothing better prepared me for the battle field than this. Highly recommended to everyone. Lt. Col. Grossman clearly paints the picture of what really happens during combat, why it happens, and what to do about it. On Combat does not delve quite as deep into what enables people to kill as a society, as he does in On Killing, but still gives a fascinating picture of what enables us to kill personally. On Combat also address what is happening to our society and how we can help the future and ourselves have a better world, even in the mist of so much violence. His advice on preparing for "combat" and how to handle it afterwards should be required teaching in all grade schools. Again I can't praise it high enough, nor recommend it to strongly, a must read for everyone still breathing.

This is a wonderfully engaging book that captures the mind of a warrior. This look at takes place in the mind and heart of person engaged in battle is, in my opinion, a must read for every warrior (Police Officer, Fire Fighter, Military personnel, Martial Artist, etc.). We can spend hours developing the techniques, only to have them collapse in heat of the fight. This book not only explains why that happens, but gives sound, well researched techniques to over come these barriers to being victorious.

In accomplishing the above, the authors also help the warrior to understand himself. From tunnel vision to the loss of bladder control, this book explains it all. Have you been in a confrontation, only to find you hands shaking afterwards, making you feel like a wimp? Not only is it explained, but there is great advice on what to do about it both during the confrontation and following.

If you are looking for a book on physically how to fight, this is not the one to purchase. If, however, you are looking for the mental part of the battle then you'll devour this valuable contribution. It is, as the quote following puts it, a "look inside" that will benefit all warriors.

Some say that my teaching is nonsense.
Others call it lofty but impractical.
But to those who have looked inside themselves,
this nonsense makes perfect sense.
And to those who put it into practice,
this loftiness has roots that go deep.

I have just three things to teach:
simplicity, patience, compassion.
These three are your greatest treasures.
Simple in actions and in thoughts,
you return to the source of being.
Patient with both friends and enemies,
you accord with the way things are.
Compassionate toward yourself,
you reconcile all beings in the world.

-- Tao Te Ching

I was excited to purchase this book after reading many positive reviews.
I imagined that the book would contain techniques, lessons, and drills pertaining to mitigation of the stress effects of combat.

Fifteen minutes after I opened the cover, I began to suspect the book contained a very small quantity of useful content, and a great deal of
semi-literate rambling.

More than 90% of the book is filled with non-information which is
annoying and repetative. Certain phrases and paragraphs are cut
and pasted again and again throughout the text. Certain analogies (such as "sheepdog") are repeated over and over and over.

For example, I cannot count the number of times (hundreds?) the author iterates that law enforcement officers and other combat participants are the indispensible glue that hold society together. This may or may not be true, but it is irrelevant to the topic of the book and is distracting to the reader who is beat over the head with this concept twice on every single page of the book.

The author goes on (ad nauseum) to lecture the reader of the moral character of all "good guy" combat participants. Furthermore, he finds
time to lecture us on his pet agenda, the evils of video game playing.

Much more print is dedicated to the author bragging about his contribution to the invention of "combatology", than providing useful factual information.

The author also rehashes some of his concepts from "On Killing". For example, he claims that humans have an innate abhorrance of killing.
After publication of "On Killing", the US Special Forces Community spoke with a unified voice to say that these concepts are untrue.

In conclusion, I would advise that you save yourself $20 and read the brief review written by G.S. Winchell. The review contains all the factual information from the book in just two pages and eliminates all the irrelevent rambling. I commend Mr. Winchell for being able to suffer through reading the book and to succinctly distill all the pertinent information.

This book should be required reading for anyone considering law enforcement or military as a career as well as for those who care about a loved one in such a field. It's opened my eyes and I understand better what some of friends and family have gone through. I'll be more prepared physically and mentally if ever I'm put in a situation that could result in my death or that of a colleague because of this book.

This is the best book I've read since "The Gift of Fear". I would recommend it to anyone planning on being an "armed citizen". Its packed with useful information to help you prepare yourself for any situation.

This book should be required reading for everyone in harm's way. If you can encounter combat, then you NEED to read this book. This book will let you know what you will most likely experience in a deadly force encounter. It is important for us all to read this book.

On Combat is a powerfully written piece of literature that will inspire and touch the lives of all who read it, but especially those who've been placed in combat situations. This book helps law enforcment and soldiers deal with conflict and the aftermath, and helps their loved ones understand what they go through. It comes highly recommended!

There are only 3 books I recommend to anyone interested in firearms for self defense. 1. The essential guide to handguns: Eimer/Rementer 2. Armed Response: Kenik and 3. On Combat. On Combat is clear to tell you that combative situations are not what most people think. The science behind combative's cannot be ignored. This book will turn the light on for anyone who really cares about self defense and what happens in a combative situation. This book will help you gain an edge. What I wished for when reading this book was that the information would have been made sooner. There just wasn't anyone willing to take such an in depth look at the subject until now. Long overdue as it is, we now have it. This book is incredible!

In this book, Grossman extends the insight he provided in On Killing. Very interesting, very useful.

Every employee of Veterans Affairs from the Chief down should be made to read this ,maybe then they will have a better prospect of dealing with Returned service personnel. A great Read .Author is qualified Theoretically and empirically to write this inspirational book.

The author did a solid job of putting together key physiological facts around the science of killing, but left me wanting when it came to the far more dominant psychology of killing. As a Federal Law Enforcement Officer I agree that breathing and sleep are important, but understanding an adversary and psyching yourself to deal with that adversary are the real keys to staying alive.

Grossman's work is always good and he is one of the pioneers in this field. He deserves his accolades but having read his other texts "On Killing ..." and "Teaching our kids to kill..." I am a fan but noticed the information repeating itself. In truth I was a bit disappointed in that but will never tire of his work.

As a deputy district attorney who prosecutes people who murder and attempt to murder police officers, I have a vested interest in understanding what officers go through during a deadly force encounter. Without a doubt, of all the books and articles I've read, this is the best book on the subject. The discussion of a person's reaction to a deadly force encounter is right on point. From auditory excluson, to visual distortion. For example, I did not understand in one of my cases why one police detective had temporary hearing loss during a shooting with a suspect, but the other person in the car who shot did not. Both were in an unmarked police car when the defendant turned his gun on them. The answer I learned is that the first law enforcement shooter in the car had momentary auditory shut-off (similar to the eye blinking when something comes close) because his body knew he was about to shoot back at the suspect who was outside the car. It's just a little thing, but I headed off a bigger issue in trial by knowing this.

By reading this book, I've had more effective interviews with victim officers, and have been equally effective is confronting arguments by defense attorneys regarding an officer's visual or auditory distortions. This book is a must read for anyone who helps protect the protectors, and especially for those on the front lines of protecting all of us. By knowing what is happening to the victim officer, he or she will be in a better position to explain it to investigators, prosecutors and juries.

My only complaint, is that I think Col. Grossman went off the deep-end when he gets to the chapter on video games, kids and T.V. That's not what I bought the book for, nor do I necessarily agree that he has sufficient support for his conclusions. You can skip those chapters near the end of the book, and still I would give it a 5 star rating.

Read this book before you by anything else. The subsequent books I've purchased, including those from the co-author have fallen quite short.