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The Circuit: An Ex SAS Soldier / A Secretive Industry / The War On Terror / A True Story
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368 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
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About the author
Bob Shepherd
37 books17 followersBestselling author Bob Shepherd is an ex-SAS soldier and security advisor. During his twenty years of service with 22 SAS Regiment, Bob participated in the Oman campaign, the Iranian Embassy siege in London, The Falklands War, the first Gulf War and Bosnia. He left the Regiment in 1994 as a Warrant Officer and went to work on the international security circuit as an advisor to media, diplomats and VIPS. Bob’s work in the private sector has taken him to some of the most volatile places on earth including Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. He is a regular media commentator on security issues and has appeared on CNN International, BBC One, BBC World, BBC Radio and SKY News. For more information on Bob or to read his insights on security issues and politics, please visit his blog; www.bobshepherdauthor.com
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
November 19, 2017
Not my usual reading, still a worthy one.
What I hated about it was the souvenir thing. Really? A freaking souvenir??? Reckless, that's what it is. And disrespectful.
Q: I looked back and saw a group of ten of them, boys and girls aged about eight to twelve, come into view. They were all carrying book satchels and appeared to be headed in the same direction as me – Ramallah. ...
The kids hadn’t gone more than a hundred yards from me when the IDF soldiers on the hillside opened up. I could tell by the sound of the gunfire that the kids were out of range of the bullets. High-velocity bullets like rounds from an M16 travel faster than the speed of sound. If you’re in range when fired upon, you first hear the sharp crack of the round travelling past you followed by the thump of the bullet leaving the barrel. In the military it’s referred to as ‘crack and thump’.
I estimated the bullets were dropping fifty or sixty yards short of the children. The kids, meanwhile, simply glanced over at the high ground where the soldiers were positioned and carried on on their way to school. To them, it was just another day. They were seasoned veterans, and I was new to the game. I watched the kids for another five hundred yards until they disappeared into a small hollow. When the soldiers stopped shooting, I went on my way. (c)
Q: Obviously, I held the Israelis in very high esteem. My feelings about the Palestinians were equally as strong, albeit not in a positive way. The western media had always referred to Arafat as a ‘terrorist’ and his multi-party confederation, the Palestine Liberation Organization, as a ‘terrorist’ organization. The label meant only one thing to me. The old adage of ‘one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter’ was a load of liberal crap as far as I was concerned. (c)
Q: It wasn’t long before I’d settled into a daily routine. Throughout the night I’d hear explosions and gunfire. Then around 5 a.m. there’d be a lull. The silence was my alarm clock. (c)
Q: After a quick introduction, I sat down and started listing my concerns. The meeting was as brief as it was frustrating. I asked the officer why there were no guards stationed in the sentry towers.
‘Fuck it, man,’ he said. ‘We’re trying to entice these fuckers over the wall so we can take them on!’
When I told him about the potential for the detainees to kick over the portaloo in the holding area and escape, I got a similar response.
‘Fuck it, man, we want them to come at us so we can take them on!’
That seemed to be his answer for everything. If he was one of Sassaman’s ‘better officers’, the Americans didn’t have a hope in hell of securing Samarra. Although he was three times bigger than me, I told the officer I didn’t agree with his tactics or his attitude and that I would raise my concerns directly with his Commanding Officer.
‘Fuck it, man, do what you want. We’re here to kill Iraqis,’ he said.
I left the officer and went straight back to Sassaman.
‘I think you sent me to the wrong man,’ I said.
‘Why?’ Sassaman asked.
By that point I’d lost patience. I didn’t have time to tiptoe around personalities or worry about offending people.
‘You seriously need to listen to what I’ve got to say. You’ve got problems,’ I said.
Sassaman paused and looked me in the eye. ‘OK, Bob. Please give me twenty minutes.’
I returned to Sassaman’s office to find him flanked by his 2 I/C (second in command) and Sergeant Major. I wasn’t sure if he’d gathered them there to listen to me or lock me up. Maybe both.
Again, I began with the guard towers. ‘Why aren’t they manned?’ I asked.
Sassaman explained that he didn’t have the troops to spare; if his soldiers weren’t on patrol they were resting up for the next one.
I pointed out that while I sympathized with his manpower issues, it was imperative that he and his troops live in a secure environment. If soldiers don’t feel secure when they rest, their performance on the ground will eventually suffer.
To my surprise Sassaman and his officers agreed with me.
me.
I then asked Sassaman if insurgents had fired mortar rounds at his base.
‘Three times,’ he said, adding that the strikes had been very accurate.
‘Why do you think that is?’ I asked.
‘I’m not sure,’ said Sassaman.
‘Do you think it has something to do with the sixty-foot water tower in the middle of your camp?’ I asked.
Sassaman and his officers looked at each other and then at me.
‘It’s a brilliant reference point,’ I explained.
‘Shit,’ said the Sergeant Major. ‘We didn’t think of that.’
‘You may want to dismantle the water tower, especially as it’s not in use,’ I said.
The Sergeant Major pulled out a pen and paper and started taking notes.
Next, I listed the problems I’d observed regarding their handling of Iraqi detainees. I gave them my idea for converting the unused outbuildings into processing and holding areas. I also suggested that in the meantime they removed the portaloo from the holding area and posted sentries outside the barbed wire to observe for signs of suspicious activity.
When I finished, Sassaman and his officers looked at me as if I’d just unravelled the secrets of the pyramids. I was starting to understand why the Americans assumed such an aggressive stance all the time. Living and working in a state of perpetual insecurity without the proper skills to limit the risks is enough to drive even the most controlled character into a frenzied state. Maintaining a cool head whilst operating in an insurgent-rich environment requires proper training, pre-deployment. It certainly didn’t appear as if Sassaman had received it. And if a highly competent, committed officer assigned to one of the most dangerous areas of Iraq hadn’t got it, then it was doubtful anyone else in the US military had. That meant that the ex-US soldiers feeding American CSCs were in the same boat – only worse: they didn’t have a professional army to bail them out if they got in the shit. (c) And this is why security audit is fun.
Q: ‘We’ve all read up on it. We know what we’re doing,’ he assured me. (c)
Q: Perhaps they didn’t want a strong character questioning their authority. Or perhaps they’d become so mentally committed to their original plan that they couldn’t conceive of altering it. (c)
Q: Sadly, it was a pattern I would see repeated elsewhere in the not-so-distant future. (c)
Q: Complacency is a security adviser’s worst enemy. I put my personal interests to one side and focused on what could go wrong. (c)
Q: Some people never change. Others do, though it usually takes one hell of a catalyst. (c)
Q: Before the British took over Helmund in 2006, US forces were in charge there. According to several of my Afghan sources, in 2004, in an effort to step up the handover of security to Afghan forces, the Yanks recruited 500 local police in Helmund. In addition to training, the recruits received uniforms, weapons, vehicles and other equipment to do their jobs. Within eighteen months of completing the programme, 450 of the original 500 recruits had either switched allegiance to the Taliban, left the police to apply their skills in Afghanistan’s booming drugs trade (which funds the Taliban), or formed private armies to wreak havoc in their own little fiefdoms. I wonder how many of them turned their weapons on British soldiers. (c)
What I hated about it was the souvenir thing. Really? A freaking souvenir??? Reckless, that's what it is. And disrespectful.
Q: I looked back and saw a group of ten of them, boys and girls aged about eight to twelve, come into view. They were all carrying book satchels and appeared to be headed in the same direction as me – Ramallah. ...
The kids hadn’t gone more than a hundred yards from me when the IDF soldiers on the hillside opened up. I could tell by the sound of the gunfire that the kids were out of range of the bullets. High-velocity bullets like rounds from an M16 travel faster than the speed of sound. If you’re in range when fired upon, you first hear the sharp crack of the round travelling past you followed by the thump of the bullet leaving the barrel. In the military it’s referred to as ‘crack and thump’.
I estimated the bullets were dropping fifty or sixty yards short of the children. The kids, meanwhile, simply glanced over at the high ground where the soldiers were positioned and carried on on their way to school. To them, it was just another day. They were seasoned veterans, and I was new to the game. I watched the kids for another five hundred yards until they disappeared into a small hollow. When the soldiers stopped shooting, I went on my way. (c)
Q: Obviously, I held the Israelis in very high esteem. My feelings about the Palestinians were equally as strong, albeit not in a positive way. The western media had always referred to Arafat as a ‘terrorist’ and his multi-party confederation, the Palestine Liberation Organization, as a ‘terrorist’ organization. The label meant only one thing to me. The old adage of ‘one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter’ was a load of liberal crap as far as I was concerned. (c)
Q: It wasn’t long before I’d settled into a daily routine. Throughout the night I’d hear explosions and gunfire. Then around 5 a.m. there’d be a lull. The silence was my alarm clock. (c)
Q: After a quick introduction, I sat down and started listing my concerns. The meeting was as brief as it was frustrating. I asked the officer why there were no guards stationed in the sentry towers.
‘Fuck it, man,’ he said. ‘We’re trying to entice these fuckers over the wall so we can take them on!’
When I told him about the potential for the detainees to kick over the portaloo in the holding area and escape, I got a similar response.
‘Fuck it, man, we want them to come at us so we can take them on!’
That seemed to be his answer for everything. If he was one of Sassaman’s ‘better officers’, the Americans didn’t have a hope in hell of securing Samarra. Although he was three times bigger than me, I told the officer I didn’t agree with his tactics or his attitude and that I would raise my concerns directly with his Commanding Officer.
‘Fuck it, man, do what you want. We’re here to kill Iraqis,’ he said.
I left the officer and went straight back to Sassaman.
‘I think you sent me to the wrong man,’ I said.
‘Why?’ Sassaman asked.
By that point I’d lost patience. I didn’t have time to tiptoe around personalities or worry about offending people.
‘You seriously need to listen to what I’ve got to say. You’ve got problems,’ I said.
Sassaman paused and looked me in the eye. ‘OK, Bob. Please give me twenty minutes.’
I returned to Sassaman’s office to find him flanked by his 2 I/C (second in command) and Sergeant Major. I wasn’t sure if he’d gathered them there to listen to me or lock me up. Maybe both.
Again, I began with the guard towers. ‘Why aren’t they manned?’ I asked.
Sassaman explained that he didn’t have the troops to spare; if his soldiers weren’t on patrol they were resting up for the next one.
I pointed out that while I sympathized with his manpower issues, it was imperative that he and his troops live in a secure environment. If soldiers don’t feel secure when they rest, their performance on the ground will eventually suffer.
To my surprise Sassaman and his officers agreed with me.
me.
I then asked Sassaman if insurgents had fired mortar rounds at his base.
‘Three times,’ he said, adding that the strikes had been very accurate.
‘Why do you think that is?’ I asked.
‘I’m not sure,’ said Sassaman.
‘Do you think it has something to do with the sixty-foot water tower in the middle of your camp?’ I asked.
Sassaman and his officers looked at each other and then at me.
‘It’s a brilliant reference point,’ I explained.
‘Shit,’ said the Sergeant Major. ‘We didn’t think of that.’
‘You may want to dismantle the water tower, especially as it’s not in use,’ I said.
The Sergeant Major pulled out a pen and paper and started taking notes.
Next, I listed the problems I’d observed regarding their handling of Iraqi detainees. I gave them my idea for converting the unused outbuildings into processing and holding areas. I also suggested that in the meantime they removed the portaloo from the holding area and posted sentries outside the barbed wire to observe for signs of suspicious activity.
When I finished, Sassaman and his officers looked at me as if I’d just unravelled the secrets of the pyramids. I was starting to understand why the Americans assumed such an aggressive stance all the time. Living and working in a state of perpetual insecurity without the proper skills to limit the risks is enough to drive even the most controlled character into a frenzied state. Maintaining a cool head whilst operating in an insurgent-rich environment requires proper training, pre-deployment. It certainly didn’t appear as if Sassaman had received it. And if a highly competent, committed officer assigned to one of the most dangerous areas of Iraq hadn’t got it, then it was doubtful anyone else in the US military had. That meant that the ex-US soldiers feeding American CSCs were in the same boat – only worse: they didn’t have a professional army to bail them out if they got in the shit. (c) And this is why security audit is fun.
Q: ‘We’ve all read up on it. We know what we’re doing,’ he assured me. (c)
Q: Perhaps they didn’t want a strong character questioning their authority. Or perhaps they’d become so mentally committed to their original plan that they couldn’t conceive of altering it. (c)
Q: Sadly, it was a pattern I would see repeated elsewhere in the not-so-distant future. (c)
Q: Complacency is a security adviser’s worst enemy. I put my personal interests to one side and focused on what could go wrong. (c)
Q: Some people never change. Others do, though it usually takes one hell of a catalyst. (c)
Q: Before the British took over Helmund in 2006, US forces were in charge there. According to several of my Afghan sources, in 2004, in an effort to step up the handover of security to Afghan forces, the Yanks recruited 500 local police in Helmund. In addition to training, the recruits received uniforms, weapons, vehicles and other equipment to do their jobs. Within eighteen months of completing the programme, 450 of the original 500 recruits had either switched allegiance to the Taliban, left the police to apply their skills in Afghanistan’s booming drugs trade (which funds the Taliban), or formed private armies to wreak havoc in their own little fiefdoms. I wonder how many of them turned their weapons on British soldiers. (c)
January 24, 2012
The Circuit is an unflinching look into Commercial Security Companies (CSCs). Previously I had seen references to CSCs in the media and through books about Iraq and Afghanistan, but besides knowing that many ex-military guys get jobs over there I knew shamefully little. The Circuit was a great peek into events that Bob Shepherd had witnessed in hostile environments.
He was simultaneously scathing and supportive of the military - his main point being that the coalition forces need more feet on the ground - which is certainly at odds with the political party line. What Shepherd is most critical of is the training and attitude of the military and fellow CSCs he sees operating in the field.
The subject was very interesting - often I forgot that I was reading non-fiction. It seemed larger than life.
The only critiques - there seemed to be a lot of repetition in the middle section of the book - the multiple trips he took in Iraq and Afghanistan all seemed to roll into one. I often got lost in the story and would hardly notice we had left one theater of war for another. It was usually the naming of a city or well known location - Kabul, Bagdad, Helmund, ect. that would inform me that I had no idea where I was at the time. Maybe a little more padding around these areas would have let the change sink in a little more.
There were also some gramatical mistakes and typos, that a good editor should have picked up. On three occasions obvious errors threw me out of the flow of the written word.
Overall a tremendous story, and one that I would be very interested in following up in my future studies. This book is one of those 4.75 star books, brilliant with a few minor things that did bring down the enjoyment levels slightly.
He was simultaneously scathing and supportive of the military - his main point being that the coalition forces need more feet on the ground - which is certainly at odds with the political party line. What Shepherd is most critical of is the training and attitude of the military and fellow CSCs he sees operating in the field.
The subject was very interesting - often I forgot that I was reading non-fiction. It seemed larger than life.
The only critiques - there seemed to be a lot of repetition in the middle section of the book - the multiple trips he took in Iraq and Afghanistan all seemed to roll into one. I often got lost in the story and would hardly notice we had left one theater of war for another. It was usually the naming of a city or well known location - Kabul, Bagdad, Helmund, ect. that would inform me that I had no idea where I was at the time. Maybe a little more padding around these areas would have let the change sink in a little more.
There were also some gramatical mistakes and typos, that a good editor should have picked up. On three occasions obvious errors threw me out of the flow of the written word.
Overall a tremendous story, and one that I would be very interested in following up in my future studies. This book is one of those 4.75 star books, brilliant with a few minor things that did bring down the enjoyment levels slightly.
June 29, 2013
The Circuit is as engaging as it is eye-opening. Ex-SAS soldier Bob Shepherd takes you through his experiences working for Commercial Security Companies in the Middle East.
It is easy to get invested as Bob takes you through the dangerous missions, the lengths it took to get the media their stories and the politics behind the Commercial Security Companies and how they are run.
There were times when I was on the edge of my seat and simply couldn't put the book down. And there were times when I was appalled by the situations that not only the Military but the people working in the private sector faced.
At the times when I reminded myself that this was not a work of fiction, but a True Account of Bob’s work in the middle of the War On Terror it reminded me that I am glad to have been born in Australia. I am glad to have been born and raised in a safe country where I do not have to worry about matters of life and death and have everything at my fingertips. And although the book followed the British and American military forces and civilians, it made me feel appreciation for our own troops and all that they must go through on deployment.
Very insightful read and as usual Bob is as entertaining as he is informative.
It is easy to get invested as Bob takes you through the dangerous missions, the lengths it took to get the media their stories and the politics behind the Commercial Security Companies and how they are run.
There were times when I was on the edge of my seat and simply couldn't put the book down. And there were times when I was appalled by the situations that not only the Military but the people working in the private sector faced.
At the times when I reminded myself that this was not a work of fiction, but a True Account of Bob’s work in the middle of the War On Terror it reminded me that I am glad to have been born in Australia. I am glad to have been born and raised in a safe country where I do not have to worry about matters of life and death and have everything at my fingertips. And although the book followed the British and American military forces and civilians, it made me feel appreciation for our own troops and all that they must go through on deployment.
Very insightful read and as usual Bob is as entertaining as he is informative.
December 8, 2011
Wow, what an eye-opening book! Shepherd draws on his experience as a security advisor and presents an honest, often times shocking, account of the state of the security companies operating throughout the middle east. His story is meant to reform and I'm hopeful it has an impact as it is clear reform is needed. Very informative both as it enlightens us about the problems on the ground resulting from the problems in the structure of these companies and some thoughts on how things have turned so unsuccessful as far as the war/reform efforts. At times though, he seems very disparaging towards the US troops but it seems more from the standpoint of upper-level military/governmental/political motivation and errors and not those individual troops on the ground.
April 21, 2011
A really great book. I thoroughly recommend it to all. It is not a war book per se, but instead covers the authors adventures as a 'security advisor' on The Circuit. This has taken him all over the world to do security for all kinds of people, but mostly journalists and tv crews. He has been with CNN in Israel and Palestine, with journalists in Afghanistan poppy fields, Iraq war zones, escorted journalists during interviews with Saudi princes and leaders.
Bob Shepherd has had a very colourful life on The Circuit and I was intrigued by his book from start to finish.
Bob Shepherd has had a very colourful life on The Circuit and I was intrigued by his book from start to finish.
January 31, 2016
Great insight into the international security circuit by someone who has been there and done it.
If you're looking for a gung ho tale of "my gun's bigger than yours" proportions, look elsewhere-the market is flooded. If you want the real deal from the frontline, the good, the bad and the ugly, then grab a copy of The Circuit.
There is some thoughtful insight into the political aspects of the world the author lives in, which you don't have to agree with but you need to respect, as it's based on first hand experience.
Highly recommended.
If you're looking for a gung ho tale of "my gun's bigger than yours" proportions, look elsewhere-the market is flooded. If you want the real deal from the frontline, the good, the bad and the ugly, then grab a copy of The Circuit.
There is some thoughtful insight into the political aspects of the world the author lives in, which you don't have to agree with but you need to respect, as it's based on first hand experience.
Highly recommended.
September 19, 2011
If you've been following my reviews regularly, you'll have noticed that I've read a number of military-themed books over the past year or so, mostly focused on the "war on terrorism", in particular Iraq and Afghanistan. As probably THE most important conflict in current times, this is and continues to be a subject I'm very interested in, and I'm keeping up to date not just with books, but with following the news closely, reading newspapers and political blogs and so ojn.
But, here's where I'm the girl described in my profile, art of me alos simply enjoys reading about military men doing their thing. Yes, it's the hero worship complex all over. Yes, I probably need therapy. No, not because of the hero-worship (I think).
*g*
But apart from those very private reasons why I enjoy this sort of book, I also think that every single one of these "witness" reports is valuable, no matter how subjective, they are , no matter how censored, or how exaggerated. You just need to know how to read them, and take things with a grain (or more) of salt, where needed.
So, long introduction in order to explain why I felt the need to read yet another one of these books. What made this one different?
Well, for one thing, Shepherd doesn't write about his time as a soldier, but about his time as a private adviser in The Circuit. I have the feeling that this is the rarer in the grand schemes of things, and apart from an excellent book about Blackwater (which I haven't reviewed yet, but will some day), I hadn't read much from this perspective yet.
Or rather, what I had read about The Circuit was all from a military perspective, and most military personnel seemed to not look upon the private security people too friendly. Which is why I found it rather amusing that Shepherd continues to criticize the military throughout the book (only particular events, never the whole system), going so far as to tell us, several times, how he pointed out blatant mistakes to military personnel, and, of course, saving the day by doing so.
But you have to forgive Mr. Shepherd, at least I did, because, like I said above, you should take these things with a grain of salt, and be aware that no one writes a book like this without making him (or, unfortunately, almost never, her-)self a hero.
Also, Shepherd criticizes other Circuit advisors in the same way they are criticized in military books, so he may not be too far off the truth altogether.
Overall, and hero-making exaggerations and language aside, I had the feeling that he knew what he was talking about, and he wrote (or let write) entertainingly without being trivial, with enough background information to make the reading interesting, and enough anecdotes to make the stories become alive. Not the deepest analysis of the situation, but that's not what I was expecting anyway. 80 or so page could have been left out, since they are basically repetitions of the same story in different settings, and some more self-reflection would have been a nice-to-have, but not a must.
Maybe not a strong recommendation, but if you like this sort of book, this one is not a wrong choice.
But, here's where I'm the girl described in my profile, art of me alos simply enjoys reading about military men doing their thing. Yes, it's the hero worship complex all over. Yes, I probably need therapy. No, not because of the hero-worship (I think).
*g*
But apart from those very private reasons why I enjoy this sort of book, I also think that every single one of these "witness" reports is valuable, no matter how subjective, they are , no matter how censored, or how exaggerated. You just need to know how to read them, and take things with a grain (or more) of salt, where needed.
So, long introduction in order to explain why I felt the need to read yet another one of these books. What made this one different?
Well, for one thing, Shepherd doesn't write about his time as a soldier, but about his time as a private adviser in The Circuit. I have the feeling that this is the rarer in the grand schemes of things, and apart from an excellent book about Blackwater (which I haven't reviewed yet, but will some day), I hadn't read much from this perspective yet.
Or rather, what I had read about The Circuit was all from a military perspective, and most military personnel seemed to not look upon the private security people too friendly. Which is why I found it rather amusing that Shepherd continues to criticize the military throughout the book (only particular events, never the whole system), going so far as to tell us, several times, how he pointed out blatant mistakes to military personnel, and, of course, saving the day by doing so.
But you have to forgive Mr. Shepherd, at least I did, because, like I said above, you should take these things with a grain of salt, and be aware that no one writes a book like this without making him (or, unfortunately, almost never, her-)self a hero.
Also, Shepherd criticizes other Circuit advisors in the same way they are criticized in military books, so he may not be too far off the truth altogether.
Overall, and hero-making exaggerations and language aside, I had the feeling that he knew what he was talking about, and he wrote (or let write) entertainingly without being trivial, with enough background information to make the reading interesting, and enough anecdotes to make the stories become alive. Not the deepest analysis of the situation, but that's not what I was expecting anyway. 80 or so page could have been left out, since they are basically repetitions of the same story in different settings, and some more self-reflection would have been a nice-to-have, but not a must.
Maybe not a strong recommendation, but if you like this sort of book, this one is not a wrong choice.
January 7, 2016
I bought this book with the expectation that it would be some kind of academic, analytical work, filled with statistics and numerical data. I expected sterilised body counts, financial data, case studies, etc... What I got instead was a story, personal if not autobiographical in nature, describing the reality of being in these dangerous countries - in these places that few of us would ever dare to tread.
The Circuit covers a few years of Shepherd's life in a plethora of dangerous places where he worked (mostly) with the media as they hunted down information about the war on terror. Throughout, he argues the importance of properly-trained security advisers, and shows the danger posed by improper or incomplete training.
Personally, I think this book achieves three key things:
Firstly, it displays the reality of life for the people unfortunate enough to live amongst terrorists and their targets, caught in the metaphorical (and in some cases, literal) crossfire - and in Afghanistan particularly - let down by the western powers that promise so much. These are brief, fascinating glimpses into the real issues they face - road closures from military enclaves that cause disruption and delay, western visitors driving up prices, polluted rivers and futile goodwill construction projects.
Secondly, it describes some of the motives and politics underpinning many of the problems faced in these places, showing the perspectives of the Arabs without any western discolouration and highlighting the importance of truly impartial news reporting. Of particular interest is the topic of poppy eradication, with its enactment by corrupted or incompetent government officials, and the inefficiency of small-scale token field destruction.
Thirdly, this book shows the activities of The Circuit, its organisation and methods, and its many problems and inadequacies. Bob specifically singles out the failings of The Circuit and describes where he feels it should be employed, and where it should not.
I think this book missed out on some opportunities to be something truly brilliant - for example, I would have been delighted to read more of his experiences of daily life in the places he visited, giving a more detailed picture of the people and the problems that they face. This could lead to a more-detailed look at how the west is improperly tackling their goals of building democracy and forging peaceful relations.
Ultimately, this book achieves what it sets out to do - tell a true story about life in The Circuit - but I feel that a more-detailed look at daily life for the people on the ground would be a very worthy follow-up indeed.
The Circuit covers a few years of Shepherd's life in a plethora of dangerous places where he worked (mostly) with the media as they hunted down information about the war on terror. Throughout, he argues the importance of properly-trained security advisers, and shows the danger posed by improper or incomplete training.
Personally, I think this book achieves three key things:
Firstly, it displays the reality of life for the people unfortunate enough to live amongst terrorists and their targets, caught in the metaphorical (and in some cases, literal) crossfire - and in Afghanistan particularly - let down by the western powers that promise so much. These are brief, fascinating glimpses into the real issues they face - road closures from military enclaves that cause disruption and delay, western visitors driving up prices, polluted rivers and futile goodwill construction projects.
Secondly, it describes some of the motives and politics underpinning many of the problems faced in these places, showing the perspectives of the Arabs without any western discolouration and highlighting the importance of truly impartial news reporting. Of particular interest is the topic of poppy eradication, with its enactment by corrupted or incompetent government officials, and the inefficiency of small-scale token field destruction.
Thirdly, this book shows the activities of The Circuit, its organisation and methods, and its many problems and inadequacies. Bob specifically singles out the failings of The Circuit and describes where he feels it should be employed, and where it should not.
I think this book missed out on some opportunities to be something truly brilliant - for example, I would have been delighted to read more of his experiences of daily life in the places he visited, giving a more detailed picture of the people and the problems that they face. This could lead to a more-detailed look at how the west is improperly tackling their goals of building democracy and forging peaceful relations.
Ultimately, this book achieves what it sets out to do - tell a true story about life in The Circuit - but I feel that a more-detailed look at daily life for the people on the ground would be a very worthy follow-up indeed.
September 29, 2011
A very readable critique of the commercial security [CSC] industry by an insider (worth £1.8 bn to the UK industry alone in 2004). Bob Shepherd blows away the Holywood glamour of the private security business to look at the real human cost of the conflicts which have helped spawn the explosion in the private sector contribution to state sponsored conflict. SHepherd argues that private government contracts have helped to make conflicts in places like Iraq and Afghanistan more politically palatable by hiding some of the casualties. No one hears of, let alone mourns dead private security operatives and there is no need for their demise to be reported. He rejects the idea that the CSCs help to stabilise conflict areas but accuses the companies involved of growing fat on unmonitored government contracts. He notes to the huge profits made by the private security companies from development contracts large parts of which ended up being spent on security to try to implement them. Perhaps surprisingly Shepherd rejects the idea that the CSCs could, or should, be allowed to self regulate and calls for government monitoring of their activities and tight regulation of the sorts of activities CSCs should be allowed to engage in. An essential read for anyone interested in the murky world of out sourced security.
April 16, 2009
The cover made this book seem as though it would be a lot more of a hard hitting expose than it is, although there are some fairly shocking stories that he relates during his account of close protection work in the Middle East in the post 9/11 world, though ironically probably none more so than his brief account of the infamous Bravo Two Zero patrol from the Gulf War. Although Shepherd doesn't analyse the political situation in the Middle East, his account of an ever worsening security situation in Iraq and Afghanistan, his critique of the lawlessness of commerical security companies, and his observations about the failure of the poppy eradication programme in Afghanistan all point to a failure in policy from the West. It is a pity he has no interest in exploring those implications further, beyond reiterating that he believes both the Iraq and Afghanistan campaigns have suffered from not enough troops being put on the ground. Equally astonishing in this context are the revelations about poorly trained US troops that he encounters in his travels, whose seeming inability to think for themselves is a sad indictment of the most powerful army in the world.
November 20, 2009
Great Book, must read - questions just how well do the current Military and security protection business really work in today's new warfare environment. Also shows how Big Business is trying to control the protection of civilians, specially news reporters and contractors in what are still 'combat zones' and whether they really do a good job in selecting the right people for this role - in some cases the Military Cook gets a high profile security job with no real security or protection experience.
Ironically Shepherd in many cases as the non-weapon carrying Security expert critiques the Military posts he stays in with the embedded reporter and just how experienced they are at protecting the soldiers as much as the reporter.
Bob ShepherdThe Circuit An Ex-SAS Soldier / A Secretive Industry / The War on Terror / A True Story
Ironically Shepherd in many cases as the non-weapon carrying Security expert critiques the Military posts he stays in with the embedded reporter and just how experienced they are at protecting the soldiers as much as the reporter.
Bob ShepherdThe Circuit An Ex-SAS Soldier / A Secretive Industry / The War on Terror / A True Story
July 25, 2021
Rarely have a read such an ego massaging, unintentionally ironic book full of self-contradicting stories and self-aggrandizing rubbish. This man starts by stating his disdain for Palestinian freedom fighters and why the IRA exists in Northern Ireland asserting they are scum who kill civilians. He does drool his admiration for the Israeli defense forces while with no sense of irony mentions they shoot at a bunch of 10-year-old children on their way to school and murder another preteen boy on his way to buy bread. The constant need to tell you how much smarter he is than everyone he works for is tiresome and to the point, he laughably says he basically decides if CNN will follow up stories. This and the underlying dislike he has for women doing any job other than looking after men (God forbid female soldiers shouldn't like him leering at them in the toilet or a woman has the cheek to be a journalist in a war zone) the subject matter has the potential to be interesting it's just a pity it's narrated by an ignorant neanderthal desperate to justify his job.
October 2, 2017
Very different to what I'd expected!
I'd initially thought that the book would be about some of the 'naughty' jobs that security contractors have ended up doing on the behalf of various government departments. Not so!
To instead get an insight into a proactive, rather than reactive, take on security/CP as well as a street level view of the political situation in each of the different hostile environments being operated in was actually very refreshing.
I take my hat off to anyone with a background such as the authors, it is a world that most of us will never be a part of. The Circuit is another world that I will never see from the inside, but my eyes have certainly been opened.
A very enjoyable read from start to finish. I shall be seeking out more from Bob Shepherd!
I'd initially thought that the book would be about some of the 'naughty' jobs that security contractors have ended up doing on the behalf of various government departments. Not so!
To instead get an insight into a proactive, rather than reactive, take on security/CP as well as a street level view of the political situation in each of the different hostile environments being operated in was actually very refreshing.
I take my hat off to anyone with a background such as the authors, it is a world that most of us will never be a part of. The Circuit is another world that I will never see from the inside, but my eyes have certainly been opened.
A very enjoyable read from start to finish. I shall be seeking out more from Bob Shepherd!
May 28, 2018
The circuit
A valid and detailed overview of how the circuit w/o r k s its limitations and flaws. I appreciate the effort taken to give examples throughout the book to emphasise k e waypoints
An excellent account of the role, function and issues faced by security contractors.
A very well thought out formatted and written account.
A valid and detailed overview of how the circuit w/o r k s its limitations and flaws. I appreciate the effort taken to give examples throughout the book to emphasise k e waypoints
An excellent account of the role, function and issues faced by security contractors.
A very well thought out formatted and written account.
August 29, 2017
An interesting insight into private military companies in the middle east but slightly dull at times, perhaps due to a feeling of repetition. I enjoyed the book, but to some extent felt that I endured it in places. I would recommend, but not top of my list.
September 24, 2013
Great book. Intelligently written.
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