In Search of the Warrior Spirit, Fourth Edition: Teaching Awareness Disciplines to the Green Berets (Paperback)

by Richard Strozzi-Heckler (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"In my personal opinion, Strozzi-Heckler hits the mark in identifying one of the most troubling problems affecting today's U.S. military forces: the ascendancy of technology at the expense of moral values that underpin the true spirit of the Profession of Arms. A must read for those amongs us who really consider themselves warriors."
—Michael E. Haas, Lt. Colonel, United States Air Force; Head, Air Force Special Operations

“What a story this is! Strozzi-Heckler’s chronicle of the army’s daring experiment in awareness training for twenty-five Green Berets is must reading for anyone interested in the role of the warrior in a technological age. But more than that, it is an illumination of courage and vulnerability and what it means to be a man. I couldn’t put it down.”
—George Leonard, author of The Silent Pulse and The Ultimate Athlete

“The Marine Martial Art program grew out of the conviction that every Marine must be imbued with the values that have sustained the Corps throughout its 227-year history—honor, courage, and commitment. These warrior values are at the heart of Richard Strozzi-Heckler’s work with the Marine Corps and the other services to strengthen those who go in harm’s way in order to preserve our freedom. In Search of the Warrior Spirit reminds us of how urgent that task is.”
—R.D. Hearney, General, United States Marine Corps (Ret.); former Assistant Commandant

"An exciting journal of discovery...Essential reading for military leaders who want to broaden their ability to adapt to a world characterized by ambiguity. Strozzi-Heckler's original work helps readers link the important of mind-body-spirit integration to cutting edge leadership in a pragmatic and thoughtful manner."
—Fred T. Krawchuk, Lt. Colonel, United States Army Special Forces

Product Description
The war in Iraq has heightened interest in the military mindset and raised questions about whether it’s possible to be a mindful, moral fighter at a time when impersonal, technology based warfare reigns. In Search of the Warrior Spirit confronts this thorny issue with Richard Strozzi-Heckler’s trademark personal, sympathetic style. In a top-secret U.S. military experiment, the author was asked to teach Eastern awareness disciplines ranging from aikido to meditation to a group of twenty-five Green Berets. This account chronicles his experiences in the training program and his attempts to revive traditional warriorship in a technological society. In Search of the Warrior Spirit explores the nature of war, the meaning of masculinity, and the need for moral values in the military. The book includes Heckler’s response to 9/11, his experiences with the Pentagon and U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan, and his poignant reflections on the movie Black Hawk Down, which depicts the deaths of two of his trainees. In this revised edition, the author talks movingly of his visits to Afghanistan with NATO and about the Trojan Warrior Project and Marine Warrior Project, relating the tragic events in a war zone and revelatory conversations with both ordinary soldiers and such leaders as the Supreme Allied Commander of Europe.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 392 pages
• Publisher: Blue Snake Books; 4 Rev Exp edition (November 13, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1583942025
• ISBN-13: 978-1583942024
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #62,074 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #24 in	Books > Health, Mind & Body > Psychology & Counseling > Experimental Psychology
  #53 in	Books > Professional & Technical > Engineering > Special Topics > Military Engineering

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of my favorites.., November 25, 2008

By	T. Hayes (Niigata-ken Japan) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

It is true, as the other reviewer says, that the book doesn't go into the details of what was taught, but you can't beat this book as an overview of how challenging and rewarding and frustrating this type of training can be, especially when your audience is challenging of itself and of the instructors. Advice to readers: get the most recent edition of this book, which is the 4th edition. Very up-to-date. A thoughtful, reflective, self-critical, insightful book for anyone who has been a trainer, of any kind, really: corporate, managerial, martial arts, Outward Bound, etc. One of my all-round favorite books. But again, if you're looking for details of how Green Berets are trained, look elsewhere. There are many sources on line and off.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Not what I was expecting., September 5, 2008

By	D. P. Long "Grimmund" (Windhaven, Northshield) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I bought this, thinking it would be some sort of review of what Strozzi & Co actually did with regard to training of the Green Beret teams. No such luck. This book is, largely, Strozzi's diary account of how he and the students deal with the training, and a quick review of the after-effects. There is little or no information on the actual training itself. That, for me, was highly disappointing. I wasn't really looking for Strozzi's hopes, doubts, and fears, his personal victories and failures. I was looking for information on the actual training regime itself. No such luck, except in very broad terms.

5.0 out of 5 stars Insightful and Inspiring, January 13, 2009

By	Eric Alexander - See all my reviews

Features an very intelligent and informed discussion about what it means to be a warrior. I was very impressed by the level of awareness he showed about his own short comings, as well as those of our current military mindset. If you are interested in the human potential movement, martial arts, or the military, I would highly recommend this book. It will introduce you to a world at the forefront of our current world events and provide you a glimpse at what is on the horizon.