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Principles of Personal Defense
Jeff Cooper was perhaps the nation's foremost authority on defensive weaponcraft. He was renowned not only for his practical instruction on firearms marksmanship, mechanics and safety but also for his groundbreaking ideas on proper defensive mental conditioning. This final edition of Cooper's classic Principles of Personal Defense with a fitting tribute by firearms expert Louis Awerbuck and all-new drawings by renowned illustrator Paul Kirchner presents his timeless theory of individual defensive behavior clearly, concisely and practically. All free people who aspire to stay that way should read, study and share the wisdom found within these pages. Considered by many to be one of the greatest books on combat mindset and proper defensive mental conditioning ever written, it deserves a place of honor in every library. Jeff Cooper was one of the true pioneers of weaponcraft in the United States. His numerous accomplishments include founder of Gunsite Ranch, editor at large of Guns & Ammo magazine, winner of the Outstanding American Handgunner award in 1995, Rangemaster Emeritus of the U.S. Practical Shooting Association and long-time member of the board of directors of the National Rifle Association.
79 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1972
112 people are currently reading
723 people want to read
About the author
Jeff Cooper
72 books40 followersJohn Dean "Jeff" Cooper was recognized as the father of what is commonly known as the Modern Technique of handgun shooting, and one of the 20th century's foremost international experts on the use and history of small arms.
Cooper was commissioned into the United States Marine Corps prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor. During World War II he served in the Pacific on the USS Pennsylvania (BB-38), and then was recalled to active duty for the Korean War, resigning his commission as Lieutenant Colonel in 1956. He received a bachelor's degree in political science from Stanford University and, in the mid-1960s, a master's degree in history from the University of California, Riverside.
In 1976, Cooper founded the American Pistol Institute (API) in Paulden, Arizona (later the Gunsite Training Center). Cooper began teaching shotgun and rifle classes to law enforcement and military personnel as well as civilians and did on-site training for individuals and groups from around the world.
Cooper died at his home on the afternoon of Monday, September 25, 2006 at the age of 86
Cooper was commissioned into the United States Marine Corps prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor. During World War II he served in the Pacific on the USS Pennsylvania (BB-38), and then was recalled to active duty for the Korean War, resigning his commission as Lieutenant Colonel in 1956. He received a bachelor's degree in political science from Stanford University and, in the mid-1960s, a master's degree in history from the University of California, Riverside.
In 1976, Cooper founded the American Pistol Institute (API) in Paulden, Arizona (later the Gunsite Training Center). Cooper began teaching shotgun and rifle classes to law enforcement and military personnel as well as civilians and did on-site training for individuals and groups from around the world.
Cooper died at his home on the afternoon of Monday, September 25, 2006 at the age of 86
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews
August 28, 2014
For those wanting to learn self defense, I'd recommend this wholeheartedly. Regardless of whether you agree with his political orientation (which he doesn't present at length here) Cooper's principles apply regardless of what means of self defense you're studying.
It isn't a book about technique. It's a book about mindset for self defense. Combine this with Rory Miller's excellent works ("Facing Violence", "Meditations On Violence" and "Scaling Force") and you've got a solid self defense library.
The problem with this work is that it isn't a book so much as it is an essay. The original work was about forty five pages. The more modern edition appears to be fleshed out with commentary by other personal defense instructors.
So if you buy it, buy a used copy. Even then it's going to work out to more than a dollar per page after shipping.
It isn't a book about technique. It's a book about mindset for self defense. Combine this with Rory Miller's excellent works ("Facing Violence", "Meditations On Violence" and "Scaling Force") and you've got a solid self defense library.
The problem with this work is that it isn't a book so much as it is an essay. The original work was about forty five pages. The more modern edition appears to be fleshed out with commentary by other personal defense instructors.
So if you buy it, buy a used copy. Even then it's going to work out to more than a dollar per page after shipping.
March 21, 2025
A couple of quotes that have stuck with me:
"Some people prey upon other people. Whether we like it or not, this is one of the facts of life."
"...it is a feral world, and if one wishes to be at ease in it he must accommodate to it."
Cooper's take on these matters is a dark one, but it serves as a wake up call to those who rely solely on the government to keep them safe. That said, one must bear in mind that this is a book about the defensive *mindset* rather than specific defensive *techniques*. Don't come here looking for tactics.
Giving this book four stars rather than five due to its brevity and lack of nuance. Having seen interviews with Cooper on Youtube, it seems like he had a roguish charisma to him, and all such characters must be taken with a grain of salt. But yes, this is definitely worth reading.
"Some people prey upon other people. Whether we like it or not, this is one of the facts of life."
"...it is a feral world, and if one wishes to be at ease in it he must accommodate to it."
Cooper's take on these matters is a dark one, but it serves as a wake up call to those who rely solely on the government to keep them safe. That said, one must bear in mind that this is a book about the defensive *mindset* rather than specific defensive *techniques*. Don't come here looking for tactics.
Giving this book four stars rather than five due to its brevity and lack of nuance. Having seen interviews with Cooper on Youtube, it seems like he had a roguish charisma to him, and all such characters must be taken with a grain of salt. But yes, this is definitely worth reading.
June 19, 2017
Timeless, enduring principles of proper self-defensive mindset from the late, great Col. Jeff Cooper (USMC, Ret.), father of modern combat handgunnery.
RANDOM STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS:
Principle 1: "ALERTNESS"
--p. 14: "Make it a game. Keep a chart. Every time anyone is able to approach you from behind without your knowledge, mark down an X. Every time you see anyone you know before he sees you, mark down an O. Keep the Os ahead of the Xs. A month with no Xs establishes the formation of correct habits." Wow, I'll have to keep this in mind!
Principle 2: "DECISIVENESS "
--p. 18: "a parturient effort of will"
Principle 3: "AGGRESSIVENESS "
--pp. 22-23: Indignation and anger
Principle 4: "SPEED"
--p. 24: "Speed is the absolute essence of any form of combat, from a fencing match to the Six-Day War."
--p. 25: "Be fast, not fair."
Principle 5: "COOLNESS"
--p. 26: "Anger, as long as it is controlled anger, is no obstacle to efficiency."
--p. 28: "'Buck fever' is a classic affliction, and a man who has conquered it can be guaranteed to shoot carefully under pressure."
Principle 6: "RUTHLESSNESS"
--p. 30: "Anyone who willfully and maliciously attacks another without sufficient cause deserves no consideration."
--p. 32: "The first man who resisted Starkweather, after eleven murders, overcame him easily and without injury." WIKIPEDIA LOOKUP
Principle 7: "SURPRISE"
--p. 33: "This is put last on purpose, for surprise is the first principle of *offensive* combat....But that does not mean that the defender cannot achieve *tactical* surprise." (Emphasis original)
June 22, 2008
A new release of Cooper's classic treatise, this update edition offers new thoughts on modern-day personal defense considerations. Presents the ability to defend oneself and family as not only a God-given right, but a God-given duty, and one which every person should embrace if at all possible. In chapters that are short and to-the-point, he discusses the concepts of alertness, decisiveness, agressiveness, speed, coolness, ruthlessness, and surprise. As he says, "your physical safety is up to you, as it really always has been."
September 3, 2016
Stark, yet comforting.
In this day and age, principles such as the ones presented in this publication are seen as horrific and provocative. It never occurs to many that these principles are what can stand in defiance of the truly horrific acts some people are capable of.
Will read again and again.
In this day and age, principles such as the ones presented in this publication are seen as horrific and provocative. It never occurs to many that these principles are what can stand in defiance of the truly horrific acts some people are capable of.
Will read again and again.
August 7, 2011
Super short read like the Sun Tzu Art of War for personal defense. It's not about tactics but a proper mindset. Simple to understand and practical. This is a no nonsense must read.
July 2, 2019
The definitive word in self-defense from the pioneer of modern pistolcraft.
May 18, 2022
"It's high time for society to stop worrying about the criminal, and to let the criminal to start worrying about society."
December 19, 2022
Very good read on personal defense, not necessarily using firearms. And an easy and quick read too. The quote about the criminal fearing his victim comes from this work (specifically, page 37).
February 9, 2021
This book is short enough to read in one sitting, and is a classic on the self-defense mentality. I pulled a couple of lines from here into a combative mindset course I was teaching, and all the while I marveled that the many long diatribes I'd heard from modern-day combatives instructors could basically be distilled into this 48 page book.
While not mentioned in this book, the author Jeff Cooper's Awareness Color Code has been pretty helpful in describing how situational awareness works in practice. In fact, this was the very reason why I decided to flip through this little book one evening. I would highly recommend the following books as great follow-ups that expand on this book's train of thought:
Left of Bang: How the Marine Corps' Combat Hunter Program Can Save Your Life; and
Violence of Mind: Training and Preparation for Extreme Violence
While not mentioned in this book, the author Jeff Cooper's Awareness Color Code has been pretty helpful in describing how situational awareness works in practice. In fact, this was the very reason why I decided to flip through this little book one evening. I would highly recommend the following books as great follow-ups that expand on this book's train of thought:
Left of Bang: How the Marine Corps' Combat Hunter Program Can Save Your Life; and
Violence of Mind: Training and Preparation for Extreme Violence
June 14, 2021
A pamphlet then. A blog post today. Still, good advice.
Let’s call this short work “highly focused”: brief and to the point, no fluff nor filler, yet a tiny bit light on content.
Would have loved to have read about more real cases that illustrate Colonel Cooper’s principles, but a few will do I suppose.
It rightly qualified as a pamphlet back when it was penned by its author, and today it would fall in the category of blog post; it is that short and digestible. But only maybe half as valid. Thanks.
I have no reason to doubt Col. Cooper’s advice, however, it does come off as a bit simplistic. It all comes down to this: be alert, be decisive, be aggressive, be fast, be ruthless. You got it? Fine. Now you have the mentality to survive…
In one of the chapters he has the audacity to suggest victims disarm their attackers with charm by just being awesome. Ok, not really. But I hope you see my point.
In closing, this book is the paperback equivalent of that friend that finds you curled up into a corner sobbing uncontrollably and has the nerve to pat you in the back and say “you just have to be strong sweetie…” Ok. Yes. Thanks. But it is short enough that I can’t say it’s a hard pass. Read it. Maybe.
Let’s call this short work “highly focused”: brief and to the point, no fluff nor filler, yet a tiny bit light on content.
Would have loved to have read about more real cases that illustrate Colonel Cooper’s principles, but a few will do I suppose.
It rightly qualified as a pamphlet back when it was penned by its author, and today it would fall in the category of blog post; it is that short and digestible. But only maybe half as valid. Thanks.
I have no reason to doubt Col. Cooper’s advice, however, it does come off as a bit simplistic. It all comes down to this: be alert, be decisive, be aggressive, be fast, be ruthless. You got it? Fine. Now you have the mentality to survive…
In one of the chapters he has the audacity to suggest victims disarm their attackers with charm by just being awesome. Ok, not really. But I hope you see my point.
In closing, this book is the paperback equivalent of that friend that finds you curled up into a corner sobbing uncontrollably and has the nerve to pat you in the back and say “you just have to be strong sweetie…” Ok. Yes. Thanks. But it is short enough that I can’t say it’s a hard pass. Read it. Maybe.
March 14, 2020
There's a lot of really good concept here regardless of the politics. If you're trying to build solid situational awareness this book, and the various charts built from it, are fantastic for that. The idea that you're not worried about the level of danger, because that's 100%, but that you're being mindful of your awareness and ability to respond to that danger; that's the value of this book. I discovered and read this book because of working in a facility that has Biosaftey Labs. Everything that he says in this is 100% applicable. It may not be guns, or knives, but anyone who works in any kind of hazardous environment could learn from this. Biosafety, Slaughterhouse, Steel, oil, or chemical processing.
“Go into a room too fast, kid, the room eats you", "watch your doors and corners". Det. Miller, The Expanse
“Go into a room too fast, kid, the room eats you", "watch your doors and corners". Det. Miller, The Expanse
September 19, 2019
This is a short book, but an important one because it spells out 7 immutable principles of self-defense , armed or unarmed.
1) Alertness
2) Decisiveness
3) Aggressiveness
4) Speed
5) Coolness
6) Ruthlessness
7) Surprise
The book does not go into techniques or weapons, but just lays out the principles and their relevance. If you are serious about protecting your family or yourself, then these are the principles that will serve as a foundation for whatever technique or weapon you decide best suits you. If you think that it is someone else's responsibility to protect yourself, then this book is not for you. In a violent encounter, you are on your own. When you are faced with a violent encounter, you must be decisive, you must be aggressive, and you must be ruthless.
1) Alertness
2) Decisiveness
3) Aggressiveness
4) Speed
5) Coolness
6) Ruthlessness
7) Surprise
The book does not go into techniques or weapons, but just lays out the principles and their relevance. If you are serious about protecting your family or yourself, then these are the principles that will serve as a foundation for whatever technique or weapon you decide best suits you. If you think that it is someone else's responsibility to protect yourself, then this book is not for you. In a violent encounter, you are on your own. When you are faced with a violent encounter, you must be decisive, you must be aggressive, and you must be ruthless.
June 20, 2020
Outstanding Advice
The Army Principles of War are well represented in Colonel Cooper’s book in simplified form. There is nothing I can disagree with except, I think he understates the amount of daily practice it takes to form the habits he talks about. I smiled when he discussed hypothetical training—what the Army might call ‘wargaming’; running through possible situations and ‘rehearsing’ your decisions and actions. Nothing goes well without a rehearsal. This guy had his stuff together. I highly recommend this as an essential read.
The Army Principles of War are well represented in Colonel Cooper’s book in simplified form. There is nothing I can disagree with except, I think he understates the amount of daily practice it takes to form the habits he talks about. I smiled when he discussed hypothetical training—what the Army might call ‘wargaming’; running through possible situations and ‘rehearsing’ your decisions and actions. Nothing goes well without a rehearsal. This guy had his stuff together. I highly recommend this as an essential read.
May 5, 2024
Be prepared
This little book has it all for street defence. Not the actual mechanics of “how to do”, but the principles of “how to think”. Most martial arts don’t cover “how to think” before and during a street fight, with the exception of Krav Maga, whose principles coincide with those of Jeff Cooper. It’s a short book, but brilliantly written, and worth the few dollars spent on the Kindle edition.
This little book has it all for street defence. Not the actual mechanics of “how to do”, but the principles of “how to think”. Most martial arts don’t cover “how to think” before and during a street fight, with the exception of Krav Maga, whose principles coincide with those of Jeff Cooper. It’s a short book, but brilliantly written, and worth the few dollars spent on the Kindle edition.
January 19, 2025
Interesting read
This book is certainly a snap shot of a time. It seems to have been written during the crime spike of the late 60s and 70s. It is easy to understand why the author, living through such a time, might think his era was unique. Only serious statistical analysis of the past would have demonstrated that even his era was less violent than the past.
That said, the book has some good advice.
This book is certainly a snap shot of a time. It seems to have been written during the crime spike of the late 60s and 70s. It is easy to understand why the author, living through such a time, might think his era was unique. Only serious statistical analysis of the past would have demonstrated that even his era was less violent than the past.
That said, the book has some good advice.
November 20, 2017
A must read for anyone that takes their situational awareness and personal safety seriously. This book should be read on a periodic basis to keep the principles fresh in your head. Each chapter can be read in a matter of minutes while standing in line or waiting for something. A short read, it takes only a couple of hours to get through the whole book.
June 27, 2018
A quick read, but well worth the time spent. Mental preparation is critical to being able and ready to defend yourself or your loved ones in this day and age of criminals running free. Having the right mindset before something bad happens is a strong determiner of whether or not you will come out of that situation positively or negatively.
August 20, 2023
Precise and Powerful
This book will quickly either change your mind about your personal responsibility to protect yourself with swift violence, or at least give you some valuable philosophical questions to chew on about how involved you want to be in the problem of keeping yourself alive in the face of evil.
This book will quickly either change your mind about your personal responsibility to protect yourself with swift violence, or at least give you some valuable philosophical questions to chew on about how involved you want to be in the problem of keeping yourself alive in the face of evil.
August 8, 2024
Short, clear, and to the point. I have a feeling that the author prides himself on those characteristics of writing. It definitely reads like a drill sergeant is barking instructions to you, and hey, that's not so bad. The principles are clear and the defense mindset is plainly laid out. Good book, read as a companion to The Modern Technique Of The Pistol.
August 18, 2025
Short but great read
Hard to believe this was written so long ago. It seems that many of the lessons and issues facing society still exist. One of the paraphrased quotes was the fact that the felon does not fear the police or judges.
Seems to still be the case nearly 6 decades later
Hard to believe this was written so long ago. It seems that many of the lessons and issues facing society still exist. One of the paraphrased quotes was the fact that the felon does not fear the police or judges.
Seems to still be the case nearly 6 decades later
April 19, 2018
I enjoy this book, because is real and practical.
It is important read but practice too. The concept is short, clear and conscious. Thanks for be direct. I will recommend to my family and friends.
It is important read but practice too. The concept is short, clear and conscious. Thanks for be direct. I will recommend to my family and friends.
September 5, 2020
These principles are needed today
This a short but profound work on the principles of personal defense. You only have to watch the news or read the paper to see how much this is needed in our society today.
This a short but profound work on the principles of personal defense. You only have to watch the news or read the paper to see how much this is needed in our society today.
September 4, 2021
Read it
The is nothing I can say about this work that his not already been said. It is timeless, sound, personal strategy that everyone should take to heart. Read it, learn it, implement it!
The is nothing I can say about this work that his not already been said. It is timeless, sound, personal strategy that everyone should take to heart. Read it, learn it, implement it!
November 2, 2022
Timeless Wisdom
In a time when many would have us deny the reality of criminal human nature, Col. Cooper explains that reality and presents basic principles necessary to deal with it in real time.
In a time when many would have us deny the reality of criminal human nature, Col. Cooper explains that reality and presents basic principles necessary to deal with it in real time.
October 1, 2023
Short but packed with wisdom
Jeff Cooper thought a lot about the topic of self defense and this short work presents what he determined to be the most important elements of the subject. It is as useful today as when he wrote it.
Jeff Cooper thought a lot about the topic of self defense and this short work presents what he determined to be the most important elements of the subject. It is as useful today as when he wrote it.
April 30, 2024
True when this was written. More true now then ever
This surprisingly short read is of Paramount importance for all that value their own personal safety. Let's make criminals afraid again.
This surprisingly short read is of Paramount importance for all that value their own personal safety. Let's make criminals afraid again.
September 5, 2024
Short and Sweet
This essay gets right to the point around having the right mindset for personal defense and is a “must read”, particularly given increasing levels of violent crime today.
This essay gets right to the point around having the right mindset for personal defense and is a “must read”, particularly given increasing levels of violent crime today.
December 18, 2024
This book is worth Careful studying.
Don't be put off by the short content in this book. One needs to read between the lines. It deserves careful and thoughtful study. Meditate on all the words and envision various scenarios. It is true and effective!
Don't be put off by the short content in this book. One needs to read between the lines. It deserves careful and thoughtful study. Meditate on all the words and envision various scenarios. It is true and effective!
March 24, 2019
Short, sweet, and to the point. It is not eloquent or poetic in language but that doesn't matter when the subject is something so dear to you as defense of you and your loved ones.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews