rozanne_visagie's review against another edition
4.0
*Disclaimer: I was kindly gifted a copy of this book by Jonathan Ball Publishers in exchange for an honest review.
➛ PUBLISHED: December 2020
➛ PAGES: 373
➛ GENRE: Military History
➛ Paperback
Adventurer Sir Ranulph Fiennes takes us on a journey through military history, showing us the cream of the crops. The Persian army in Egypt, the Spartans in Greece, the Vikings of Scandinavia, the shadow warriors (also known as the Ninja) in Japan, the Dutch Marine Corps and US Navy Seals are but a few of the special units mentioned in the book.
I'm not familiar with any military history except the history of the Persians invading Greece and the Immortals fighting against the Spartans, and because of that I particularly enjoyed the first three chapters. Each chapter focuses on a different elite unit and throughout the chapters, the author shares some of his own experiences which I found interesting.
The book is well researched and I found some of the tactics used by some of the units surprising and fascinating. If you're an avid reader or follower of military history you will find the time period from the ancient elite units up until the present day's special forces intriguing. Included in the book are photographs and depictions of several of the elite units mentioned in the book including a photograph of the author's father whom he never met but was inspired by.
Throughout this book, you will be taken through different wars during different time periods and learn more about the units, their leaders, their successes and failures. The index is useful for searching for a specific person or place and easily referring to it. If you already have military history knowledge or are new to this field, this extensive account will leave you content and your questions answered.
This review is posted on my blog:
https://willowscornerbook.wordpress.com/2021/04/08/the-elite-by-ranulph-fiennes-book-review/
➛ PUBLISHED: December 2020
➛ PAGES: 373
➛ GENRE: Military History
➛ Paperback
Adventurer Sir Ranulph Fiennes takes us on a journey through military history, showing us the cream of the crops. The Persian army in Egypt, the Spartans in Greece, the Vikings of Scandinavia, the shadow warriors (also known as the Ninja) in Japan, the Dutch Marine Corps and US Navy Seals are but a few of the special units mentioned in the book.
I'm not familiar with any military history except the history of the Persians invading Greece and the Immortals fighting against the Spartans, and because of that I particularly enjoyed the first three chapters. Each chapter focuses on a different elite unit and throughout the chapters, the author shares some of his own experiences which I found interesting.
The book is well researched and I found some of the tactics used by some of the units surprising and fascinating. If you're an avid reader or follower of military history you will find the time period from the ancient elite units up until the present day's special forces intriguing. Included in the book are photographs and depictions of several of the elite units mentioned in the book including a photograph of the author's father whom he never met but was inspired by.
Throughout this book, you will be taken through different wars during different time periods and learn more about the units, their leaders, their successes and failures. The index is useful for searching for a specific person or place and easily referring to it. If you already have military history knowledge or are new to this field, this extensive account will leave you content and your questions answered.
This review is posted on my blog:
https://willowscornerbook.wordpress.com/2021/04/08/the-elite-by-ranulph-fiennes-book-review/
bell_the_bookworm's review
adventurous
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
Really enjoyed this book, super informative with funny little stories along the way.
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