My rating:
add to my books
Loading...
On Combat: The Psychology and Physiology of Deadly Conflict in War and in Peace
On Combat looks at what happens to the human body under the stresses of deadly battle the impact on the nervous system, heart, breathing, visual and auditory perception, memory - then discusses new research findings as to what measures warriors can take to prevent such debilitations so they can stay in the fight, survive, and win. A brief, but insightful look at history...more
Paperback, 3rd Edition, 403 pages
Published
October 1st 2008
by Warrior Science Publications
(first published September 1st 2004)
There is a good chance some of your friends read this book. Sign in to see!
sign in »
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
This book is currently not featured on any Listopia lists.
Add this book to your favorite list »
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
665)
I doubt that anyone really reads or cares about the Tags we label our good books within (you know fiction or non fiction etc) so I mention that I placed this work in "pop-academic" even though technically it may be found in your University library and not at your local library. But it is to me a good example of bad research writing. The author states his credentials within the text and he does so in bad taste. His text lacks notations where they might really be supportive, maybe even n...more
All the information police, soldiers and other warriors have been missing for over fifty years is right here in this solid volume.
Lt Col Grossman and Loren Christensen put it all together. They've created terms we did not know we needed, for things we didn't even know occurred. Grossman has a cute but very apt description of the function of the midbrain, fulfilled by 'the puppy,' as he calls it. He calls fear of human violence the 'universal phobia,' and tells you why it's universal. ...more
Lt Col Grossman and Loren Christensen put it all together. They've created terms we did not know we needed, for things we didn't even know occurred. Grossman has a cute but very apt description of the function of the midbrain, fulfilled by 'the puppy,' as he calls it. He calls fear of human violence the 'universal phobia,' and tells you why it's universal. ...more
Very intense, but incredible book on the psychology and physiology of war. I became interested in this after talking with dozens of Afghan mujahadeen (freedom fighters) who described to me in detail what it was actually like to be in combat against the Russians or Taliban, and how even as warriors they long for peace. This book also goes into detail to help the healing process of veterans who have been involved in combat through breathing exercises, meditation and learn from others who have been...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
A book instructive on police/army reality, easy to read written, but with some questionable (at least polemic) assessments and statements.
I found On Combat to be significantly more poorly written, and more reliant on personal anecdotes (to say nothing often inexplicable quotes from Shakespeare's histories) than On Killing. With that said, I found it to be more interesting (fascinating, in fact) and far more practical. Again, this isn't science yet, but LtCol Grossman is pushing the boundaries of what we know and understand about the human psyche and the human experience. All human experience will involve conflict- not necessari...more
Awesome book, but not for you. Covers training, physiology, psychology and more related to killing. How to train those whose job it is to kill, soldiers, police etc. How the media and FPS video games train those we don't want to kill, Columbine,Jonesboro etc. How to deal with killing or its negative side effects.
A must read for any warrior or anyone associated personally or professionally with one. Also excellent for first responders and others whose lives are touched by violent death....more
A must read for any warrior or anyone associated personally or professionally with one. Also excellent for first responders and others whose lives are touched by violent death....more
As I mentioned before in my review of "On Killing", I think that Colonel Grossman is an excellent theorist. This book presents an interesting account of how combat stress develops and identifies a number of moderating and mediating variables. It also provides an excellent account of what it is actually like for a soldier or peace officer to engage in combat, including cognitive, emotional, and moral consequences. These accounts are based on what seem to be hundreds of hours of intervie...more
In my humble opinion, this is a must read for anyone that deals with pressure situations on a daily basis. This is the follow up book to "On Killing" but Grossman's study goes deeper this time as he focuses on all combat situations, and the physical, mental, and psychological repercussions today's warriors experience. A lot of the information is repeated, but the first hand accounts that are chronicled in the book range from amazingly informative to down right haunting.
Don't let the title fool you. This isn't a book encouraging people to be violent and it's written for everyone - not just our police and military (though it should be mandatory reading for them). It's mainly about the physiological response to violence so covered a lot of the same material as "The Boy who was raised as a dog", though you wouldn't think so to compare the titles. A really interesting and thought-provoking read.
This books explores the way that dealing with combat and violence affects soldiers, police officers, and others forced into the situation. It takes an in depth look at the training practices used today and used historically to prepare young recruits mentally for the psychological hardships that they are likely to encounter. I would say that this is a must read for all Junior NCO's and up in the military.
An absolute must read for anyone in police work or the military. I made it a point to read this before being deployed to Afganistan for the real possibilty of being involved in combat. Grossman gives countless examples of experiences of police officers and military vets of what happens during and after combat. The biggest help was knowing what type of reactions to expect.
A must, must have for anyone who thinks they have an opinion about combat or war. Regardless of your opinion this book is an informative study that has nigh been touched on before. Compelling perspectives and analysis of how we train people to kill, from police officer to soldier, and how they must learn to live after receiving that training.
This book is fantastic for understanding more about what soldiers/cops/Marines go through physiologically and psychologically before, during, and after battle. It covers common stressors, vulnerabilities, the warrior attitude, and the importance of training on performance - all using real-life examples that make this an interesting read.
This was my 2nd time reading this book. It is worth more than one reading.
This book is a practical book on the effects of combat and what happens in deadly force encounters physiologically, mentally, and psychologically. The breadth of book covers military and law enforcement.
This book is a practical book on the effects of combat and what happens in deadly force encounters physiologically, mentally, and psychologically. The breadth of book covers military and law enforcement.
This book is not well written. That said it really doesn't matter because you won't find a better reference guide on what happens during combat and how to be prepared anywhere. Awesome book.
A lost of interesting reflections on human physiological responses to extreme stress. Very thoughtful analysis of deadly confrontation. Worthwhile read for anyone.
At the recommendation of a friend, I started reading this book. The reason he recommended it was because I'm in a leadership position in my military unit. I didn't think it was so much about how to be a good leader more than it was a book that talks about why we need warriors, who should be warriors, what a warrior should expect during combat and what to expect when coming home. This book is under my skin right now and has me questioning so much about myself. What I'm thinking is rather pers...more
This book is a MUST read if you have any family members, friends or loved ones in the military. It treats the psychological aspect of what combat does to people. It discusses feelings during the episode, what happens to the physical body, what to espect, and even goes into detail on how to treat those who have been in combat or in a life and death situation. Towards the end of the book it teaches a breathing technique that can be used in any situation to calm yourself or someone else down, and d...more
Colonel Grossman looks at the psychology of combat and brings a completely new view of what happens in the mind of a man when he must kill. This book, along with its companion book, On Killing, are excellent resources for this in military or law enforcement who may some day have to fire on and possibly kill their fellow man. What ingrained mental processes may keep them from functioning as they need to to survive, how can they train to use their mind to the greatest advantage rather than have th...more
This was for work...Its quite brilliant. Anyone who is responsible or works with those placed in danger should read this book.
The best book that any warrior or anyone wishing to understand a warrior could read.
Kind of the textbook version of his 'On Killing' - this one for people in the job.
I enjoyed this book. Gave me many insights
I enjoyed this book. Gave me many insights
Sheep, wolf, sheepdog...
(For Ryan)
I feel this book would be interesting to anyone who is interested in psychology, is a police officer or soldier, or the wife of one. I being the latter found it very informative and allowed to to vicariously be able to know some of the things my husband goes through as a cop. I think being prepared mentally is important, and this book is excellent mental preparation for anyone looking to get into a profession that may lead to a dangerous encounter.
Even if you're not a "warrior" by trade, this book can teach you about the mindset and realities of conflict and combat. It is very helpful to know these things should you ever find yourself in a survival situation. It will also help you understand what our warriors are going through when they come home.
Excellent book. On Combat is written by a guy who really knows his shit. This book explains the power and root of all things that are conflict. Amazing book, a must read for anyone in the military/law enforcment field.
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Lt. Col Dave Grossman is the author of On Killing and On Combat as well as several science fiction books.
In 1998 Lt. Colonel Grossman retired from the military as Professor of Military Science at Arkansas State University. His career includes service in the United States Army as a sergeant in the U.S. 82nd Airborne Division, a platoon leader in the 9th Infantry Division (United States)...more
More about Dave Grossman...
In 1998 Lt. Colonel Grossman retired from the military as Professor of Military Science at Arkansas State University. His career includes service in the United States Army as a sergeant in the U.S. 82nd Airborne Division, a platoon leader in the 9th Infantry Division (United States)...more
Share This Book
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
