PERFORMANCE INSIGHTS FROM "THE ELITE" BY RANULPH FIENNES

Ranulph Fiennes: Army officer, Adventurer, Author. One of the most inspiring men alive. He has explored and in many cases conquered, the toughest environments on planet Earth. With two SAS colleagues he journeyed around the world on its polar axis, using surface transport only. Nobody else has ever done so by any route before or since. He also became the oldest person to summit Mount Everest, achieving this incredible feat on his third attempt at age 65. In 2000 Fiennes sawed off some of his own fingertips after contracting frostbite, and in 2003, he completed seven marathons in seven days on seven continents. I could go on, for a long time, but I think we would all agree, Ranulph Fiennes is well qualified to author a book which researches the elite fighting units from ancient Sparta to the present day.

The book chronologises the dominant conflicts and armies through the ages, and then focuses in on the elite organisations within those armies in order to help the reader understand what made them elite. As I read through each chapter I realised that there are some interesting and transferable lessons we can take from these revelations. Here follows the chapter points that stood out to me.

The Immortals: The Persian elite royal guard were a key success factor for the expansion of the Persian empire around 500 BC. The name they adopted (Immortals) would have frightened many adversaries, and no doubt their ruthlessness and deadliness would have been known far and wide. Examples of their cunning, such as using camels or cats to distract their enemies, showed that thinking outside the box, and cultural awareness is a competitive advantage.
The Spartans: The movie 300 dramatised the Spartan stand at Thermopylae, where King Leonidas and his 300 elite warriors heroically resisted Xerxes’ Persian might despite overwhelming odds. Spartan warriors were born into an oath and a legacy which was unbreakable; win or die, failure was not an option. This was simply the Spartan discipline and all boys were inducted into it. Leonidas must surely be one of the most courageous leaders certainly in military history. Having repelled Xerxes for 2 days with thousands of Persian dead and only minor injuries to the Spartans, he inevitably faced the “last stand” after the Persians managed to surround the 300. Accounts of his fearless cheerfulness and self-sacrifice to the end, are legendary. He never took a backward step and even attempted to find and kill Xerxes during the extended final battle. The Leonidas Spartan mindset must be one of the toughest in history.
The Sacred Band of Thebes: Another part of Greece learned from the best and ultimately inflicted the most devastating defeat on the Spartans themselves. By observing while also evolving, the Sacred Band identified the weakness in the Spartan phalanx formation, and they used this knowledge to execute an attack which exposed the Spartan king and brought about his death. In the context of military history, this victory was a real triumph for the regional underdog.
Alexander the Great: This Macedonian king was born in 356 BC and despite dying at the young age of 32, he had already created an empire that stretched across three continents. Of his many incredible accomplishments, the one which stands out is the conquest of the passage to India at Sogdian rock. The warlord Oxyartes stood between Alexander and the East and his natural fortress was almost impregnable due to the mountainous terrain all around. After various negotiations failed, Alexander decided on a high-risk, high-impact tactic which most leaders would not have had the courage, cunning, or capability to attempt; he commanded his finest climbers to scale the sheer 3,000 ft cliffs, climbing only at night, with no climbing equipment, in order to achieve a psychological shock-factor with the adversary. Oxyyartes panicked when he saw so many man “above” his fortress so he surrendered without a fight. He believed Alexander to possess superhuman warriors that could fly, and lost the will to resist. Alexander had gambled and won. Never underestimate the impact of psychological surprise when striving to achieve the extraordinary.
Roman Praetorian Guard: The Roman empire was one of the greatest in history around the time of Christ. The expansion of the empire and the conquests of many countries has been dramatised ad nauseum. Their collective organisation overcame most attempts to resist their expansion as the empire grew, but probably the most obvious elite lesson from the Roman period was that absolute power corrupts absolutely. The Praetorian Guard emerged to protect the Roman Emperor. The values which had made Rome great and had produced some charismatic leaders like Caesar, were sadly replaced by infighting and greed. Rome eventually imploded as an empire.
Viking Varangian Guard:The Vikings were a fearsome breed. Their ruthless reputation preceded them so they were also sought out to protect royalty all over Europe. The Vikings were highly adventurous and ambitious as they sought to conquer new lands. One of these new lands was America which the Vikings reached long before Columbus. Interestingly they failed to realise the magnitude of their discovery and departed. Perhaps a valuable reflection for us all; sometimes we are on the doorstep of a new world, but misread the opportunity and turn back.
Knights Templar and Hospitallers: The Crusades and the clashes between Christianity and Islam 1,000 years ago were monumental and significant in their impact on the course of history in Europe and in the Middle East. The overarching lesson which emerged only after thousands of lives had been lost, was that of compromise. King Richard the Lionheart and Saladin the Victorious agreed to compromise on access to Jerusalem in order to prevent even further bloodshed. Sadly, it seems there is still a lot we humans need to learn about the importance of compromise.
The Assassins: There are two forms of Islam; Sunni and Shiite. In the 9th century AD, the Shiite form included an additional faction called the Ismaili in Persia. Their leader Hasan Sabbah wreaked havoc with Christians and Muslims alike. The Assassins were most notorious for their ability to infiltrate communities at the highest levels without being noticed. Their patience, self-sacrifice and commitment to complete highly dangerous tasks was unique when they emerged, although they have sadly been copied by terror groups since.
The Mongol Kheshig: Genghis Khan and his Mongol Army were absolutely merciless by historical accounts. Subotai swore allegiance to Khan at an early age and was the commander who led the Mongol invasion of Russia and Europe. The Mongols conquered all before them for over 100 years. They decimated other armies with ruthless efficiency, leaving death and destruction behind. Subotai was clearly a unique man. His emphasis on reconnaissance, strategic partnership, and the relentless pursuit of new territories for the Mongol empire is what stands out from this period. His elite forces were clearly motivated to deliver success against all odds.
The Mamluks: A Turkish peasant boy called Baibers is at the centre of this incredible chapter. He became a slave after his parents were butchered by the Mongols, he was bought by the Egyptians to join the Mamluks which was an elite slave army established to protect the caliphate. Baibers was an extraordinary warrior who defied the odds throughout his life. He used cunning and courage to defeat the Crusaders on several occasions and then went on to outwit and destroy the Mongol advance in the Middle East. This vengeance for the murder of his family and community when he was just a boy was perhaps his reward for the rage carried in his heart for decades. The ex-slave became the “Lion of Egypt” – Sultan and true hero to the Muslim empire of that time.
The Ottoman Janissaries: These were also slave warriors and they had two secret weapons which helped them finally breach the walls of Constantinople to create modern Istanbul. One was gunpowder, which the Ottomans mastered earlier than most, the other was a level of disciplined determination reminiscent of the Spartan warriors over 1,000 years before. They got the basics right while innovating with new technology. This saw the Ottomans lead the region for centuries to come.
The Landsknechts: In Europe, the domination by these elite forces around AD 1500 was the result of charismatic leadership, sound selection strategy, fair wages, a code of conduct, discipline, pride, and a sense of belonging to the best. They innovated the use of different weaponry including the use of the pike and pike-block formations to win battles. Unfortunately, the lure of more money turned these forces into mercenaries and different Landsknecht units wiped each other out.
The Ninjas: In Japan, the Ninjas excelled in unconventional warfare. They are synonymous with our understanding of the martial arts and indeed the art of invisibility (blending into the surroundings). One of their best was a former samurai who exemplified the enigma surrounding these elite warriors. Probably their most impressive trait was their adaptable self-sufficiency, often against overwhelming opposition.
Cromwell’s Army: This fascinating and arguably transformative period in British history provided a number of lessons. England was in a sorry state in the 17th Century ultimately culminating in a civil war. The Royalists on one side battled the Parliamentarians on the other, with Oliver Cromwell emerging as a prominent leader for the latter. He led with courage and recruited for mindset, belief, and purpose rather than for titles and trophies. He promoted meritocracy over nepotism. Cromwell’s leadership was clear when the professionalism and discipline of his “New Model” Army won through against the Royalist army of King Charles I and subsequently Charles II. England was even briefly a republic until Cromwell died and Charles II restored the monarchy.
Dutch Marines: In the 17th century the English and Dutch jostled for power and position in many parts of the world. Both sides enjoyed victories and suffered defeats against one another. In 1666 London was just recovering from the deadly bubonic plague, during which there were 7,000 deaths a week(!), when the great fire of London struck and decimated the city. England was broke, and the English navy was vulnerable and confined to the dockyards. The Dutch seized their opportunity for audacious disruption. They had built on an English initiative by training their own marines, and then they exploited an opportunity to use this new resource against the weakened English in a daring raid which destroyed most of the large English warships.
British Light Infantry: Fiennes makes reference to Colonel J F C Fuller’s book Sir John Moore’s System of Training and it sums up the transferable value of this chapter. Sir John Moore built and led the British Light Infantry against huge odds during the Napoleonic period. Fuller said this of these men; “… the self reliance and good comradeship of all ranks that go to build up discipline, esprit de corps and efficiency…”. The key point made in this chapter is that this only works under exceptional servant leadership which Moore demonstrated to his dying words after overseeing his regiment’s victory over the French; “I hope the people of England will be satisfied.”
The Iron Brigade: President Lincoln’s term oversaw the American civil war between the pro-slavery Confederates and the anti-slavery Unionists. The Iron Brigade was a force from Wisconsin who demonstrated extraordinary bravery and arguably tipped the scales for the Union states. Discipline and unity along with leadership and purpose again laid the foundation, but their bravery was also uncommon. They were described as the bravest of the brave and they sacrificed significant numbers for the cause of freedom in America.
The Storm Troopers: These German shock troops in World War 1 were more like super-troopers for their leaders. When British tanks arrived on the battlefield and changed the game for the allies in 1917, all seemed lost from a German point of view. But this elite outfit demonstrated phenomenal innovation and impact through adaptation and improvisation. More appropriate gear and weaponry on top of fiercely determined soldiers meant that these storm troopers on foot ultimately repelled allied tank teams. They moved fast and used flame throwers in the trenches while their use of grenade clusters disabled tanks. They constantly got behind enemy lines and attacked HQ elements to cause maximum panic. They were a truly elite differentiator and showed that men can be an effective match for machines.
The RAF and the Battle of Britain: Having the right leader at the RAF controls in 1940 was a stroke of luck as a man called Hugh Dowding had been about to retire. In hindsight his experience and expertise were critical. The technical innovation preceding World War II was also critical and the Hurricane and Spitfire fighter aircraft became legendary. Ultimately though, it was the RAF pilots’ resilience, resolve, and refusal to quit which wore down the Hitler’s German Luftwaffe. Winston Churchill famously said of the RAF during the Battle of Britain; “Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few”.
The Commandos: Winston Churchill was looking for a new unconventional force which would enable Britain to disrupt enemy progress during WWII. The Commando concept resonated with Churchill due to his experience of the Boer Kommandos in South Africa, and because the conventional forces at his disposal were ineffective against some of the emerging German threats. The Commandos went on to pull off one of the most daring raids in military history when they destroyed the dock at St Nazaire using HMS Campbeltown. It was a pivotal point in the psychological battle between the Allies and the Nazis. As a former Royal Marines Commando myself, I recognise the foundations of the ethos I was privileged to embrace. The set of standards laid down by Lieutenant Colonel Charles Newman is superb. Number 16 caught my eye: At all times a high standard of discipline is essential, and the constant desire by all ranks to be fitter and better than anyone else.
Hitler’s Brandenburgers: This elite selection of men was formed for a very specific purpose and that was to ensure the capture and control of Soviet oilfields in order to make sure the German military machine could continue to conquer new lands. Their ingenuity and intelligence combined with courage and calculation saw them outsmart the Soviets and capture the oilfields at Maykop which kept Hitler in the war.
The Paratroopers: Britain was slower off the mark than the Soviets and the Germans when it came to paratroopers but when Churchill did direct their formation, the British Parachute Regiment became one of the finest in the world. The “Paras” were formed to drop behind enemy lines in order to secure bridges, beaches, and other defenses for D-Day. Arriving silently by glider or parachute, these airborne forces shocked the Germans and secured their objectives in stunning fashion but with the loss of many men. Their daring and determination against unpredictable odds is incredible, not only that, it is debatable whether D-Day would have even been possible without the Para’s success beforehand.
The SAS: The Parachute regiment contributes more than half of British SAS personnel. The SAS motto of “Who Dares Wins” is well known and respected due to the associated reputation for winning when it matters most. The Iranian Embassy hostage crisis highlighted what this elite special force does best. The unit was initially formed in WWII thanks to the efforts of a former Commando, and to this day, along with the SBS, these teams are recognised as the best of the best in the UK. The transferable learning from these warriors, is that their professional standards are extremely high. Selection is without compromise, training is as real as possible, and performance under pressure when it counts, is second to none.
The Green Berets: These US special forces came into their own in Afghanistan post 9/11 and their heroics were dramatised in the recent movie 12 Strong. What they achieved in a short space of time is quite incredible. They had to earn the trust of warlords, overcome extreme adversity in one of the most hostile places on the planet, and act with phenomenal courage when the odds were stacked against them. Quite simply, failure was not an option. Fewer than 100 special forces soldiers and indigenous militia overthrew the Taliban government.
US Navy Seals: President Kennedy approved the formation of the SEALs in 1962. In a relatively short period of time, they have become a highly respected and highly effective elite special force. They were tasked with job of killing Osama bin Laden and this high-risk operation has also been dramatised in the movie Zero Dark Thirty. Seal Team Six successfully completed the mission shortly before the ten year anniversary of the 9/11 attack on the USA. There are several high profile former Seals who have gone on to become inspiring celebrities in the realm of mental toughness and the pursuit of excellence. Dave Castro has been key to the success of CrossFit and Josh Bridges has demonstrated true warrior-spirit as an athlete in that sport. David Goggins is an exemplar endurance athlete with several incredible world records. Most impressive for me is Jocko Willink and his book Extreme Ownership: How US Navy SEALs Lead and Win. This book, co-authored with Leif Babin is full of exceptional lessons in how to get the best out of yourself and your team, especially when success seems improbable.
The Future: Professional security companies, drones, cyber war, bio-weapons and combat robots are already disrupting modern warfare. Technology is changing the world for better and worse depending on the humans in charge…

This fascinating chronology of the elite fighting units since 500 BC, provides a sobering reminder of the cost of war, but also an insight into some truly incredible heroics through the ages. Three predictable denominators for success were leadership, teamwork, and discipline, although that is a gross oversimplification of the relevant complexities in each different period. I recommend this book to anyone interested in military history. Ranulph Fiennes provides some superb insights throughout.