BORELLI CONSULTING: Recreational Equipment Reviews

"The First Commandment" by Brad Thor
13 August 2007

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I had the honor and pleasure of meeting the author Brad Thor at an anti-terrorism conference in Virginia Beach, VA a couple years ago, and then saw him again during SHOT Show '06 in Vegas. The fact that we seemed to agree on so many contemporary issues and topics only made me more eager to read some of his books. His latest book arrived from his publisher as quite a surprise to me, but I set to reading it almost immediately. "The First Commandment" is #7 on the New York Times Bestseller list as I type this and I expect that it might climb a little more. Let me tell you why...

Every good book - or series of books - pits good against evil. Both good and evil have their own representatives. We call the good representatives "heroes". Most truly good heroes have overcome or do constant battle with their own demons (of sorts). They have faced or continue to face a challenge that creates within them a possible weakness. Many of the heroes are, in the books, only heroes because of their willingness to ignore common rules and controls. Here is where Brad Thor truly struck a pleasant nerve with me.

The hero of the book, Scot Harvath, is a former Navy SEAL turned - through an interesting evolution - Homeland Security agent. Now I've had the pleasure and honor of knowing a few Navy SEALs in the past few years. Those I know always manage to accomplish whatever mission they're given. They may not always obey the rules doing it, but they do it just the same. The character Horvath is no less human... no less focused... no less willing to do whatever it takes to bring down enemies of our great nation. When the bad guys make the fight personal it only makes Harvath's conviction and motivation even stronger... and more ruthless.

The United State's First Commandment of dealing with terrorism is "We Shall Not Negotiate". There is only one exception ever considered and it's addressed in the book. I won't tell you what it is - you'll just have to read it. Trust me when I tell you that terrorists are all too willing to strike at that which is most dear to all of us - and if we're going to defeat the terrorists we must overcome two things:

1) We must overcome our adherence to rules and structure that limits how we fight them. I was once told that in a war there are no rules - just like there's no such thing as a fair fight. If you know you're going to a knife fight, take a gun. If you know you're going to a gun fight, take a squad of Marines.

2) We must overcome our own fear of loss. The fictional Jedi master Yoda had it right: we must be willing to give up everythying we hold dear with the exception of our own values and beliefs. When we become willing to sacrifice everything to keep our national identity then we will have equalled the terrorist commitment to the fight. That, combined with a reduction in the rules we follow as we fight, will enable us to win the war.

In the book Brad Thor deals with the harshest of issues facing us today. Historical documentation, military strategy, contemporary politics and realistic savagery are all woven together to create a spine tingling adventure you won't want to put down. Even as the hero does things I'm quite thankful I've not had to do, you'll find yourself cheering him on and thinking, "Damn right; those terrorist bastards got what they deserve."

Very briefly let me give you an overview of the plot:

- The President of the United States finds himself in a position where he has to negotiate with terrorists

- The deal the President makes puts him in a position of having to restrict Harvath's participation in the anti-terorr work

- Terrorists begin targeting those close to Horvath

- Harvath pretty much tells the President where to put it and leans on trusted friends to help him hunt and kill those who are doing harm

- The only way Harvath can escape his own government is to accomplish his mission 100% - because even partial failure will mean unspeakable horror for the United States

Yeah... I think that about covers it.

Real organizations - professionals in the defense and security communities - are littered throughout the book. Participation from some of them is quite interesting and gives away the depth of research Brad had to complete to write this book. I was quite impressed with everything he DIDN'T say too. Some secrets just have to be kept. Some misinformation must be spread. Thank God Brad is one of the good guys.

So, in case you haven't realized by now, I liked this book. It's an action-filled story straight out of today's headlines. Harvath is a hero for our age and he should be used as a model to train dozens, if not hundreds, more. The book is available through a great many outlets and is receiving rave reviews everywhere I look. Pick one up and take your time reading it. Don't take TOO much time though... you'll end up without any sleep because you won't want to put it down!

To find out more about Brad Thor and his books, visit his website at www.bradthor.com.

BE SAFE!

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Don't forget to check out our Tactical Equipment Review about two hideaway holster systems perfect for summer wear.

This week's Training Article about the evolution of SWAT after the Texas Tower shootings in 1966.

For a listing of all reviews in chronological order, GO HERE.

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