Training Literature Suggestions

[Hootiewho]

I know we have the list of schools posted here, but what about training books/magazines. I will say that most magazines are nothing but fancy gun adds. I read SWAT, as it seems to be about the only one I have found to actually have worthwhile information. What do you guys read, and what books are recommended reading for training/shooting/fighting with a firearm, be it a sidearm, carbine, or shotgun.

[ToddG]

Andy Stanford's Surgical Speed Shooting (http://www.amazon.com/Surgical-Speed-Shooting-High-Speed-Marksmanship/dp/1581601433/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1201122716&sr=8-1) has some excellent descriptions and explanations about marksmanship fundamentals such as grip and stance. I don't agree with everything in the book (for example, he repeats the oft-heard myth that racking the slide is more reliable under stress than using a slide release/catch lever) but much of his information is given in a contextual, scientific manner.

While primarily competition-oriented, two "advanced" works on running a pistol with speed & accuracy are J. Michael Plaxco's Shooting From Within (http://www.amazon.com/Shooting-within-guide-maximum-performance/dp/0962692514/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1201122777&sr=1-2) and the even more zen-like Practical Shooting: Beyond Fundamentals (http://www.amazon.com/Practical-Shooting-Fundamentals-Brian-Enos/dp/0962692506/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1201122844&sr=1-1). Ironically, much of the information in the books which was considered "only good for playing games" has now become standard teaching for SWAT teams, military units, etc.

On Killing (http://www.amazon.com/Killing-Psychological-Cost-Learning-Society/dp/0316330116/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1201122937&sr=1-1) and On Combat (http://www.amazon.com/Combat-Psychology-Physiology-Deadly-Conflict/dp/0964920522/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_b) by Dave Grossman are incredibly valuable studies of warrior mindset and "killing psychology."

Training at the Speed of Life (http://www.amazon.com/Training-Speed-Life-Vol-Definitive/dp/0976199408/ref=pd_sim_b_img_3) by Ken Murray is primarily focused on conducting force-on-force training, but much of the book, especially the beginning chapters, do an outstanding job covering many issues related to mindset, tactics, etc.

Peyton Quinn's Real Fighting (http://www.amazon.com/Real-Fighting-Adrenaline-Conditioning-Scenario-Based/dp/0873648935/ref=pd_sim_b_img_26) isn't specifically about shooting, but is an outstanding discussion of the need for realistic stress-based training as opposed to the more traditional "dojo" training which is really very common among shooting schools, too.

A must-have for any serious shooter both from a mental conditioning and historical standpoint, Cooper's Principles of Personal Defense (http://www.amazon.com/Principles-Personal-Defense-Jeff-Cooper/dp/0873644972/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1201123468&sr=1-6) should be on everyone's bookshelf.