David patrikarakos biography children

It's a boiling summer morning on the Athens coast, and I am standing with a phalanx of modern-day Greek warriors looking out at the Aegean Sea. I am here to do what no foreign journalist has ever done: embed with them as they carry out a series of cutting-edge training exercises. A tier-one special-operations unit made up of the most highly skilled members of the Greek Special Forces.

Founded in , it was tasked with rapid deployment behind enemy lines to conduct unconventional warfare and harass enemy forces. The Regiment takes part in Greece 's most critical operations.

This ground-breaking book is unprecedented in its scope.

Simulating real-world operations, the unit carried out a variety of missions using their full range of skills and infiltration techniques. I am here to see this versatility and skill across multiple domains. First up is a hostage rescue drill involving the storming of a simulated target building. I drive with my guide for the day, Major Costas Papadopoulos name has been changed for security reasons , to an abandoned patch of ground.

We stop and I get out and wait.

David Patrikarakos is a British author, journalist and war correspondent, best known as the author of War in Characters: How Social Media Is Reshaping.

I suddenly hear screeching and the sound of gunfire. Four jeeps roar into view screech up by a building. Out come six commandos firing automatic rifles as they run toward the building. I follow them inside as they weave their way through the building. Outside, soldiers in a jeep continue to provide covering fire.