Commando

This brief, arresting book helps explain why Britain's Royal Marine Commandos are so highly regarded as amphibious infantry. The fast-paced narrative (based on a TV series shown in Britain) tracks the training of two groups of aspirants as they are tested in cliff-scaling, craft-landing exercises, close-quarter battle drills, obstacle courses and forced marches. The training is grueling, the drop-out rate high, the mental pressure even worse than the physical challenge. McManners, a retired British army officer, highlights the colorful dialogue between the veteran training team and the aspirants as the latter are alternately encouraged, berated and instructed. After the climactic Pass-Out Parade, here stirringly described, the survivors of the program--the longest military recruit training of any in the Western world--are pronounced full-fledged Commandos, handed their coveted green berets and assigned to Britain's Rapid Reaction Force. Illustrated. (Jan.)