First introduced in 1946 by Belgian armaments manufacturer Fabrique Nationale, the Fusil Automatique Léger (Light Automatic Rifle), or FAL, has been used by military or police forces in more than 90 countries. In various versions, it has served from the Arctic conditions of northern Canada and Norway to the world's highest battlefield, Siachen Glacier in the Himalayas, at nearly 20,000 feet above sea level. It fought in the jungles of Malaya and Vietnam, the bush of Rhodesia and South Africa, the deserts of the Middle East, and the treeless desolation of the Falklands Islands. Nicknamed the "right arm of the Free World" during the Cold War, the FAL is considered the quintessential postwar battle rifle. From this basic infantry rifle, the FAL also found form in a wide variety of select-fire and semiautomatic fixed and folding-stock carbines of various lengths and weights for military and police weaponry. Powerful, reliable, easy to maintain, and reasonably accurate, the FAL has served well in many guises and can be found in a model to fit any taste. All this adds up to a viable and readily available rifle that remains popular among shooters, tactical and otherwise, as well collectors and just plain gun nuts. Author Robert Cashner took his collection of commonly encountered and readily available FAL models the American gun owner and shooter is most likely to encounter out to the range and the field and the mountains in all kinds of weather to see what they are really made of. This book is for the FAL/SLR owner, especially the shooter, as well as the potential FAL buyer, to provide a detailed look at the venerable weapon: how it functions, how to care for it, how to modify it for individual needs, and the vast array of accessories available for it.

Of all the infantry small arms developed during World War II, one that generated the most interest was the German 'assault rifle', the StG 44 Sturmgewehr. This innovative weapon inspired the Soviet AK-47 in 7.62x39mm calibre. In the West, the NATO countries looked hard at new weapons to upgrade their own infantry arsenals and counter the AK-47, resulting in the design of the Fusil Automatique Léger or FAL. It proved to be a successful battle rifle and was soon adopted by the military and police forces of no fewer than 93 nations. The FAL dominated the militaries of the West to such a degree that its nickname became the Right Arm of the Free World. The FAL fulfilled every role it was asked to perform and remains a viable and well-respected weapon to this day.

Of all the infantry small arms developed during World War II, one that generated the most interest was the German 'assault rifle', the StG 44 Sturmgewehr. This innovative weapon inspired the Soviet AK-47 in 7.62x39mm calibre. In the West, the NATO countries looked hard at new weapons to upgrade their own infantry arsenals and counter the AK-47, resulting in the design of the Fusil Automatique Léger or FAL. It proved to be a successful battle rifle and was soon adopted by the military and police forces of no fewer than 93 nations. The FAL dominated the militaries of the West to such a degree that its nickname became the Right Arm of the Free World. The FAL fulfilled every role it was asked to perform and remains a viable and well-respected weapon to this day.

Twice a year, 150 anxious recruits gather at SAS headquarters in the UK, their minds focused on one objective: to become soldiers in one of the world’s most elite regiments after nearly four months of the toughest military selection process in the world. This is an illustrated guide to the process of becoming one of the world’s best soldiers.

I've written this book to help you – the soldier – kill the enemy when you get the chance and, most importantly, come back home in one piece. To achieve this aim I've covered combat training from boot camp up to the level required of a Special Forces soldier. And then gone on to add a few tricks of my own. I've done a bit of soldiering (Northern Ireland, SAS deployments, Bush Wars in Africa, life as a merc) and been in my fair share of fire-fights. I've only been wounded twice and learnt from both occasions. I'm going to use my experience to teach you to play the game. I'm not going to teach you how to survive in snowy mountains for a month with only one tea-bag or how to kill a room full of people with only a toothpick. There are plenty of books that do that already. This book will teach you how to fight and survive war in the 21st century from the tools of the trade, to avoiding getting shot or blown-up, from surviving an interrogation to defending a position This is a book not for the faint hearted. But then neither is war.