A list of books authored by our members and a few others that we highly recommend.
Advance by David Johnson
Conducting an advance is the most important function performed by the protective services agent. Done properly, the advance will, in effect, render the role of the protection agent to that of accompanying the principal.
Principal Protection; Lessons Learned – The Evolution of Protective Operations by Rick Colliver
Protection, like any other process, is evolutionary. And we should agree that a large part of any evolutionary process is failure, which is another way of saying “learning through our mistakes.” As the title suggests, this book is about the lessons learned through several thousand years of trial-and-error, creating and adopting best-practices, striving to provide protection for persons of public interest and others at risk.
Whether you drive for a living or live to drive, or drive just to get yourself around, safe driving means being aware of situations that cause accidents or injuries and knowing what you can do to avoid or prevent them. This book walks you step by step through the intricacies of the Driving System – the Driver, the Vehicle and the Driving Environment. You’ll learn how to maintain your vehicle-and it’s driver-in optimum condition for taking to the road, and how to maintain vehicle control in both everyday and emergency situations – in a variety of road and weather conditions.
Executive Protection Specialist Handbook coauthored by Jerry Glazebrook
The original just got much better! The Second Edition of the EXECUTIVE PROTECTION SPECIALIST HANDBOOK is a major revision and update of the original, first published in 1994. The Second Edition is not a cursory update of the original. Every chapter has been extensively revised and expanded, and nine new chapters have been added. The handbook is an absolute must for those who provide protective services for executives, dignitaries, officials, witnesses, and other high-risk individuals. It covers nearly every contingency you will face.
The material presented in the Security Driver Certification Study Guide was developed to assist those taking the ISDA Certification knowledge test which is part of the ISDA Certification Process. Although it is not a stand-alone book, it is available for anyone to purchase.
Executive Safety and International Terrorism by Tony Scotti
The book is 30 years old. The 220 page book was intended for executives and the general public. The book was not intended for the security community. During the 30 years since it was written there is more that is similar to today’s events than is different.
Brand, Branding, and Marketing for the Protection Services Professional by Lawrence Snow
This Free 24 page eBook is for those protection services professionals who are new to industry, and for security and executive protection company owners who want to take their business to the next level by leveraging the power of social media and market their brand effectively.
Think Act Stay Safe with the R.E.A.C.T. Approach to Self Defence by Steve Collins
This important book shows you how you can protect yourself regardless of your age, sex or level of fitness by using the simple but effective REACT formula: R: Recognise E: Evaluate A: Alternatives C: Concentrate T: Terminate.Using clear and concise step-by-step instructions, reinforced with many illustrations and diagrams, each of these five basic principles is expanded and explained in such a way that they quickly become ‘second nature’.
Through my book “Inside the Bubble,” I go back to my roots of business and leadership to provide you a peak under the tent of the common threads shared by highly successful leaders and high performing organizations. While the industries may change, the fundamental factors of success remain constant.
Legal Considerations for Tactical Medical Responders by Raffaele Di Giorgio
The purpose of this book is to highlight the common reasons why liability lawsuits occur with the use of tactical medical responders (Fire, EMS, Police), as well as how to prepare and protect yourself and your department. Good training by qualified instructors, and well thought out, expertly prepared policies and procedures are your best shields against liability.
Killing Zone: A Professional’s Guide to Preparing and Preventing Ambushes coauthored by Mark Monday
Since its release in 1994, Killing Zone: A Professional’s Guide to Preparing and Preventing Ambushes has been hailed by military professionals for its clarity and depth of understanding of ambushes. Now, this classic book has been retitled and thoroughly revised and updated for today’s evolving battlefield.
An Introduction to Celebrity Protection and Touring: A Guide to Mastering the Business of Vip Security by Elijah Shaw
This book narrows the focus on the sector that involves working with celebrities ranging from actors to musicians and entering into their world of touring, filming and promotional appearances. While many may think that celebrity protection is one size fits all, nothing could be further from the truth, as you are not only dealing with the protection of the client but the client’s reputation. All this with the added pressure of the entire world looking over your shoulder, just waiting for a misstep.
Emergency Medical Planning for Large Venues by Raffaele Di Giorgio
Every gathering of people has the potential for disaster. Whether it is a traumatic event like a mass shooting or a more pedestrian practical problem like icy walkways; proper planning can help protect you from liability as well as ensure the success of your event. Crowd control is a security concern that directly affects your ability to provide emergency medical services. Emergency Medical Planning for Large Venues is a practical guide to being prepared. This book, written in a readable, casual style, is geared toward event planners, law enforcement, private security, property owners/managers, and medical service providers alike.
The Professional’s Guide to Planning, Managing and Providing Secure Transportation by Joseph Autera
The highest risk period of time for those they are responsible for protecting is when they are moving from one location to another by vehicle. Relying on lessons learned from decades of planning, managing, and providing secure transportation, as well as training others to do the same, this book explores the strategies and tactics that have been proven effective at providing the framework needed to successfully manage and mitigate those risks.
Defensive Handgun II: Keys To Becoming Your Own First Line of Defense by Mark James
Defensive Handgun II was written to help law-abiding citizens enhance their knowledge of safe firearm handling and equip them with solid defensive handgun skills. It is often said that self-defense is a mindset, however, the mindset without practical defensive skills is a hallucination. Our goal is to help make our readers and live-fire workshop participants become instructor independent, versus instructor dependent. Thus, in our training and instruction, we help handgun owners master simple, repeatable defensive tactics, techniques, and procedures that are implementable under stress.
Women in the Security Profession: A Practical Guide for Career Development by Sandi Davies
Women in the Security Profession: A Practical Guide for Career Development is a resource for women considering a career in security, or for those seeking to advance to its highest levels of management. It provides a historical perspective on how women have evolved in the industry, as well as providing real-world tips and insights on how they can help shape its future.
Guardian: Life in the Crosshairs of the CIA’s War on Terror by Tom Pecora
Tom Pecora is prepared to draw back the curtain on the little-known and misunderstood world of the CIA protective operations—security teams who work on the front lines in some of the most dangerous places in the world, doing battle with America’s most determined enemies in the War on Terror and more.
Surveillance Detection, The Art of Prevention Laura Clark, William E. Algaier
Surveillance detection (SD) is a technique that has been around for a long time and is now being revitalized and implemented worldwide for the war against terror. Our book explores the ways in which people from all walks of life can use SD as a viable preventative measure for the threats against them.
“When I was the Director of Central Intelligence, I relied on Mike and his colleagues to keep me and my family safe around the world.” – George Tenet Former Director of Central Intelligence Agency Close personal protection can often mean the difference between life and death. But for too many protectees or practitioners, understanding the world of executive protection (EP) can be an intimidating and unfamiliar prospect. The Protected is an inside view of personal security, intelligence, and executive protection written by someone who has lived it for more than 30 years. In this book, former CIA Special Agent and security specialist Michael Trott demonstrates how much EP depends on training, experience, proper intelligence, lessons learned, one’s ability to operate both alone and in a team, and – perhaps most importantly – adopting the proper mindset.
The Protector: A Woman’s Journey from the Secret Service to Guarding VIPs and Working in Some of the World’s Most Dangerous Places tells the exciting and inspiring story of how Mary Beth learned to navigate a male-dominated field with grit, integrity, and courage and reveals how the ability to bounce back from adversity can transform even the worst setbacks into epic growth.
Baselines of Behaviors – The Art of Nonverbal Communication by Luke Daniel
Whether sales is the name of your game or you find yourself in a leadership position, communication is a key factor in producing the end result. Effective communication can lead to results faster and with less stress, which is a fact we all know. But did you know that 55% of all communication is nonverbal?
Surveillance and Threat Detection: Prevention versus Mitigation by Richard Kirchner
Readers of Surveillance and Threat Detection will draw from real-world case studies that apply to their real-world security responsibilities. Ultimately, readers will come away with an understanding of how surveillance detection at a high-value, fixed-site facility can be integrated into an overall security footprint for any organization.
