Gabriel SuarezThe Tactical Advantage: A Definitive Study of Personal Small-Arms Tactics

I purchased this book b/ I am a light-moderate prepper.I am being generous with 4 stars. First impression and correct assumption is that the book is a bit outdated. However, with that said, I'm sure the principles don't change that much. But the content and photos appear to be from the mid 80's.Second, it's not a big deal, but some chapters contain Bible verses that seem like they are attempting to instill a vigilante anthem. Perhaps religious scripture should be left out of a book about tactical firearms use, but that is personal opinion.Third, it includes small, unwarranted and out of place rants of a political nature. One excerpt found towards the beginning refers to someone who wants to come to their child's rescue against an intruder, unless they are "a spineless liberal coward". Randomly thrown in at the end of a paragraph. I am fiscally centrist (independent) and socially liberal (exceptions to strict gun control and overly gratuitous welfare). That being said I still took a little offense. Again this is a personal opinion.So in closing, the first point made is what I based the 4 stars off of. If it was updated about 20 years, I probably would have given it 5 stars. The other two points, as I had said, are simply personal opinion. So I wanted to give it 3 stars after that is factored in, but b/ it is a personal opposition, I will not have it influence the rating. I believe the rating should be based on why this book is being purchased, to educate about tactical use of firearms.

Most practical shooting instructors will refer to the "combat triad" of 1) mindset 2) skills and 3) tactics. Mindset is your frame of mind when faced with a threat, skills are the handling of your weapon and tactics are what you do with yourself and weapon. Suarez touches on all of these things in this book. His discussion of mindset shows a massive ego and he gives very little info on weapons skills. The reader should ignore these parts. If you can't hit with your weapon under ideal range circumstances you should concentrate on that before getting a book on tactics. And you need to set your mind at ease with the idea of using a gun to take a life in self defense probably before you even get a defensive gun. Once you've got the right frame of mind and the skills, it is time to begin realistically thinking about what you would do when faced with a potential bad-guy. As stated this is mostly a book on tactics in urban environments, and it excels at this. There are chapters on each of the many obstacles faced in house clearing. There are very good illustrations to help you understand what the text says. Let's face it. The majority of home owners aren't going to get to go to Gunsite or other high end training schools so this book may be all they have. This is a book that will help you face the unknown bump in the night. But you have to get it, study it, and most importantly PRACTICE it. In your underwear at 2AM is not the time to be trying to remember exactly what target indicators you are supposed to be looking for...or how to pie a corner.

In the introcuction, Suarez tells that in his opinion, this book is "the most complete study of tactical principles ever written". That's a "minor" overstatement. It is not a bad thing that a man has confidence on his ability, but he should be realistic also. I don't mean to say that this is not a good book, because it is. It just isn't "a definitive study", as it claims to be.The book covers a variety of topics, and has separate chapters on different tactical obstacles (like stairs and doors). But the text is not clear enough; without the pictures and drawings (which there are plenty) you would be hard pressed to understand some of the things Suarez is trying to say. Luckily the pictures and captions are very informative.There are several things that bother me. First, it seems like Suarez didn't know to whom he is writing the book. Part of the text seems to be aimed to a SWAT team member, part is intended for armed civilian, and the rest to military personnel. Secondly, Suarez just gives his opinion on certain matters (like the best flashlight technique or shooting stance) without explaining why or referring the alternatives. You are just supposed to believe what he says, whithout thinking it out yourself. The third complain is that although there is some humor in the text, the book is a bit too "gung-ho" to my taste. I just don't like the attitude that "if you encounter a hostile, neutralize him and continue the search".All things considered, this is a good book, but it has it's flaws.

Although probably new material for most readers, this should only be a refresher for those who have taken a few tactical shooting courses and served in law enforcement or the military.Chapters cover different obstacles such as; corners, doorways, stairs, T-intersections, 4-way intersections, etc... The ample supply of clear images and useful diagrams help explain the concepts. Suarez includes a chapter on mindset and another on nonshooting confrontations. Although many similar books cover mindset, it is rare to see a discussion of a nonshooting event.The UberTactical uniforms and Front Sight logos were a distraction for me. The wide range to topics covered did not allow for a complete discussion on any of them and leads to confusion on who the target audience is supposed to be; homeowner, SWAT team member or Infantry soldier.A good book that is worth your time to read so long as you are not expecting "A definitive study..."

So the book teaches you how to move through an open space, or enclosed space like a building in order to look for threats while not giving away your position. The book starts on clearing spaces alone and then moves into operating in two or three man teams.The author many times will tell you if a technique he's suggesting might not be favored by other instructors or internally for use by law enforcement. What he will then do is tell you why this method is likely to keep you alive and why you should do it anyway. This comes up a lot in the single person room clearing where the author is making the best of a lot of bad alternatives.