Here is a book I recommend to understand killing in and of itself. A very good read and well researched by Lt.Col Dave Grossman a former Green Beret.

On Killing

This message has been edited. Last edited by: TSQ Admin,

This is a great book, I read it last summer to better understand the past history of battle stress. It is really amazing what the human mind can tolerate and push through. I second this book for anyone who desire's to serve in NSW or any other combat unit.

Ed Brown

This will be a future Book of the Month. I like this book and I can't wait to read it. Thank you Jarhead great find. You are proving to be very valuable to here.

From Library Journal
Grossman (psychology, West Point) presents three important hypotheses: 1) That humans possess the reluctance to kill their own kind; 2) that this reluctance can be systematically broken down by use of standard conditioning techniques; and 3) that the reaction of "normal" (e.g., non-psychopathic) soliders to having killed in close combat can be best understood as a series of "stages" similar to the ubiquitous Kubler-Ross stages of reaction to life-threatening disease. While some of the evidence to support his theories have been previously presented by military historians (most notably, John Keegan), this systematic examination of the individual soldier's behavior, like all good scientific theory making, leads to a series of useful explanations for a variety of phenomena, such as the high rate of post traumatic stress disorders among Vietnam veterans, why the rate of aggravated assault continues to climb, and why civilian populations that have endured heavy bombing in warfare do not have high incidents of mental illness. This important book deserves a wide readership. Essential for all libraries serving military personnel or veterans, including most public libraries.

Has anyone read On Combat by the same author? I was reading the description and it looks like a great book.

About the Author
A former army Ranger, paratrooper, West Point Professor of Military Science and author of the classic book, ON KILLING, Lt. Col. Dave Grossman is currently the Director of the Killology Research Group and one of the world's foremost experts in the field of human aggression and the psychology of combat.

Product Description:
"This new book is what our young warriors need. At one of David’s last briefings a Senior NCO approached me and said, "Sir, the army spent 18 years and thousands of dollars teaching me to kill. This is the first time I have been taught how to deal with it." This book will allow those not fortunate enough to hear David do their own preparation for the ultimate test." Lt. Col. Hal McNair Professor at the Joint Spec Ops University

These are two must reads prior to a career in special operations.

This an aspect of preparation that is overlooked and underdeveloped, but here at The SEAL Quest we put as much importance and emphasis on the mental and the physical aspects.