The South African Special Forces, or Recces, has always been known for their gruelling selection course that pushes soldiers to the ends of their physical and mental limits. Many sign up for it; only a select few ever pass.

After passing the selection course, recruits still have to complete an exacting year-long training course before they can join the ranks of this elite unit.

In A Breed Apart, former Special Forces operator Johan Raath offers a rare insider’s view on the training he and other young soldiers received in the 1980s. Due to a high demand for these specialist soldiers at the time, he was part of a group that also did their basic training in the Special Forces.

The content of each of their courses are described in detail to show the range and the standard of the training they received in, among others, weapons handling, bushcraft/survival, demolitions, urban warfare, as well as seaborne and riverine operations. Their training culminated in a real-life operation on the Border where they saw action for the first time.

Much of the training Raath underwent is still part of the present day Special Forces training. Comprehensive and revealing, this book shows why these soldiers truly are a breed apart.