Fighting Blind: On Assignment in War-torn Iraq

Fast-paced, gripping, and real, a former SWAT team leader and Commando trainer shares his story—an intense and sometimes humorous account of a remarkable life

Australian Shane Horsburgh spent years immersed in the chaotic, adrenaline-fueled world of high-risk policing and counterterrorism, but when the thrill wore off, he quit his job and flew into Baghdad to work for the U.S. Department of Defense, training commandos for the post-Saddam Iraqi police force. Life in Iraq is surreal, violent, and unpredictable—and the enemy is almost impossible to pick. Shane must endure intense physical and mental stress brought on by rogue insurgents, mortar attacks, roadside bombs, and 50-degree heat, doing his best to survive while staying focused on the job. When he meets an elderly Iraqi man, known as the Professor, their brief encounter changes his life.