The Tiger's Way: A U.S. Private's Best Chance for Survival by H. John Poole, Edward Molina (Illustrator), Ray L. Smith (Foreword by)

From the Publisher

From the author of Phantom Soldier: The Enemy's Answer to U.S. Firepower, The Tiger's Way: A U.S. Private's Best Chance for Survival describes how U.S. military and police personnel can better accomplish their missions. While U.S. ground forces have been struggling to master the latest technology, Eastern armies have been evolving tactically. As Western weapon systems have grown more lethal, Eastern armies have turned to tiny, surprise-oriented maneuver elements. Most now prepare their lowest ranks for both conventional and unconventional warfare. Until the U.S. military follows suit, its nonrates will have less field skill, initiative, and tactical-decision-making experience than their Eastern counterparts (be at a decided disadvantage in any one-on-one encounter). That means U.S. enlistees will die unnecessarily every time their firepower fails. It also means that their commanders will have trouble winning any guerrilla, terrorist, or "4th generation” war.

The Tiger's Way shows how U.S. military and police units can acquire commensurate short-range proficiency without disrupting their busy schedules. American fire teams, buddy teams, and privates have only to identify and correct their own deficiencies. This book has something that no other does—a comprehensive list of ninjutsu approach, penetration, and escape techniques. It will have a profound effect on how foreign war and homeland security are conducted in the future.

Leatherneck Magazine

[This book] will bridge the gap that has been unknowingly created in our rifleman. It shows him how to defeat any adversary, from a Moslem terrorist/guerrilla to an Asian regular.

National Guard Magazine

[M]any Afghani and Iraqi insurgents are using the Eastern military tactics Poole describes. This makes the book an eye opener.

Oberlin Alumni Magazine

Poole ... believes that while America was preoccupied with technology, the rest of the world may have evolved tactically... . [He] hopes to prepare U.S. soldiers for the type of short range combat used by our adversaries in the East.

Newhouse News Service

The effective response [in Iraq] is to decentralize [control over] U.S. forces, giving more authority to the sergeants who lead platoons working city neighborhoods, getting to know the people ... , said Poole, who details these ideas in a new book.

military.com

[S]o long as the Pentagon thinks only about programs and money, American soldiers and Marines will need to discover post-machinegun tactics on their own. Gunny Poole’s books offer them a readily available way to do so.

Fort Leonard Wood Guidon

Poole is a professional teacher of military tactics and has an extensive knowledge of the Eastern enemy.

Camp Lejeune Globe

The Tiger's Way ... [is] a warrior's guide to victory.

Fort Myer Pentagram

The book has numerous ... illustrations that depict various armies' methods of infiltrating, how they fight in the dark and urban areas, as well as ways to counteract these threats.

Manassas (VA) Journal Messenger

Poole shares the capabilities of the foreign fighters ... [who] will most likely confront Americans at war.

Newport News (VA) Daily Press

The book ... explains that by privates, fire teams, and squads training themselves, U.S. ground forces can acquire short-range proficiency without a massive bureaucratic overhaul.

What People Are Saying

David H. Hackworth
Our military says they train as they fight. If this is true, they won't make it in real combat such as . . . in WWII, Korea and Vietnam. This book tells how to win against a real enemy who shoots back. A must read for every Grunt and their leaders. (Col. David H. Hackworth U.S. Army (Ret.))

William S. Lind
John Poole's previous books have done American fighting men immense service. His latest promises more of the same, at a time when American soldiers and Marines are facing exactly the kinds of opponents he is writing about.

Edwin Howard Simmons
John Poole gives us a detailed picture of how individual soldiers on the 'other side of the hill'-particularly in the East-are trained to fight. There is much to be learned by studying this remarkable book. (Brig.Gen. Edwin Howard Simmons USMC (Ret.))

Robert V. Kane
[This book] should be required reading for all U.S. military personnel. John Poole conclusively demonstrates that most Eastern soldiers receive ninjutsu-like training. That makes them well ahead of our troops in initiative, field skills, and tactical decision making-and better able to survive on the expanded battlefield of the future. (Col. Robert V. Kane U.S. Army (Ret.) publisher emeritus, Presidio Press)

Anthony C. Zinni
John Poole has done a wonderful and innovative job in weaving tactical lessons into a very readable and exciting set of books. I would highly recommend them to all NCOs and officers. (Gen. Anthony C. Zinni USMC (Ret.))

Ray L. Smith
All of it [the book] will make you better prepared for the future fight. I recommend it to all infantrymen and infantry leaders. (Maj.Gen. Ray L. Smith USMC (Ret.))

Joe E. Kilgore
John Poole continues to reduce U.S. casualties by providing information every soldier needs. (Col. Joe E. Kilgore U.S. Army)

Kim Holien
Sun Tzu wrote 2500 years ago, 'Know yourself, know your enemy, 100 battles, 100 victories.' This book is a key to American victories in the 21st Century. (Kim Holien, professional military historian)

Product Details

• ISBN: 0963869566
  
• ISBN-13: 9780963869562
• Format: Paperback, 464pp
• Publisher: Posterity Press (NC)
• Pub. Date: September 2003
• Edition Description: 107 illustrations
• Sales Rank: 115,365

• Table of Contents
• Read an Excerpt

Table of Contents

Read an Excerpt

Hurry Sunrise

Darkness descends over the rain forest like an undertaker's cloak. Not even the stars shine overhead. As the mist rises from the jungle floor, the croaking of frogs, buzzing of insects, and calling of animals blend into a dull roar. It's so dark that the U.S. perimeter guard sees only shapes in his assigned sector, so loud that he can't hear himself talk. While this young American has buddies less than 20 yards away on either side, he feels isolated and uncomfortable. There are so many shadows, plants, and ground irregularities between those buddies and him, that those 20 yards might as well be 2000. His distant squad leader has the only night vision goggles (NVGs), and his even-more-distant platoon leader has the only thermal-imaging device. Under these conditions, neither piece of technology would help him anyway. The former needs ambient light, and latter can't see through bushes.

Raised in the city and with only six months in service, the U.S. perimeter guard feels out of place in the woods. He has been repeatedly told that he is the best in the world, but he has heard stories. His uncle and grandfather have talked about German, Japanese, North Korean, Chinese, and North Vietnamese soldiers who could crawl up on a wide-awake sentry. The young American is tired. For weeks on end, he has been patrolling all day and staying awake most of every night. Though only 130 pounds soaking wet, he has been lugging 100 pounds of mostly ammunition through every bog and tree fall in the area. At first, he tries to analyze every sound and shadow. Then, his mind wanders back to Trish and home. For hours, he sits erect in his hole, moving in and out of "the here and now." Then it happens. He doesn't notice that the twelve bushes to his front have turned to thirteen. There's a "whoosh," a "thunk," indescribable pain, a suspicion of betrayal, a gasping for breath, and then nothing at all. Private Robert B. "Squirt" Ryan, Jr.—the pride of Cedar Rapids—is gone. He will not have that family of which he and Trish had dreamed. He will not spend his Saturdays fishing with his best friend Bill. He will not become that fireman who would save all those other people.

It is over now for Private Ryan, but questions linger. Did he really have to die? Was his organization somehow remiss? Could his leaders have saved him? How did his opponent get so close? What can the U.S. private do to help himself? These are complex questions that will take many chapters to answer.