Book Review: Way of the Shadow
Posted: Mon Apr 19, 2021 6:15 pm
Did you know 'Way of the Shadow' is almost 20 years old? I haven't even looked at it in over a decade, so I decided to give it another look over to see what all it included, omitted and if long-held opinion of how badly it needs a successor is accurate.
WHY THE FUCK HAVE YOU GUYS NOT ROASTED ME HARDER FOR THIS TRASH?!
It's absolutely terrible!!! Where do I even begin?
Let's start with what's on screen right now: "Hiding in a Room". Currently, I believe any form of concealment should include the ability to escape and evade if seen. What's WotS have to say? Cram your body into a fucking cabinet. What happens if you're found? They're going to pull their phone out and you're going up onto YouTube. And jail. Showers, WTF???
"Eye Cut Mask - No Mouth"
"Eye Cut Mask - Mouth Hole"
LOL, apparently I didn't know what a fucking balaclava was nor a ski mask.
"Ghuille Suit": It's like a ghillie suit but illiterate. They're also almost worthless for anything but long distance glassing of an isolated target in the middle of nowhere.
I love that this took place before digital camouflage became a thing. The suggestions in "Clothing" are sparse and fairly worthless. Darks of course are a standby when you have nothing else, woodland and tiger aren't bad but if you're the guy going out to purchase something chances are none of these are what you should be going after.
Speaking of taking place before established tech, I find WotS' lack of Google Earth... disturbing. It was barely a thing back then but today I consider it an essential. My typical SOP for recon when I find out about a target I haven't seen is to immediately hit the satellite images and try to sort out my best approach with all available intel. If it's serious and I have the opportunity to go back, the first operation is purely recon and I come back to base, AAR myself, optimize routes on Google Earth, and form an infiltration game plan.
That being said, sometimes you just can't use it for whatever reason. WotS does a terrible job covering old school land navigation and intel gathering which are skills I think even younger operators can become proficient at well enough. Plus you'll probably want a good compass anyway for sniffing out magnetic door switches.
Naturally, WotS doesn't cover using a compass for this. IT DOESN'T EVEN COVER MAGNETIC SWITCHES!!! It also doesn't state the obvious in using a clear bodied compass. You know why those rock the house? Because you're not 8 feet tall you can't see the face of the compass when you're hovering it at the top of a door frame. And they often don't work right upside down. Get a clear housing compass and prosper.
Let's dig into those fucking alarms now cause it's even worse than I remember. "Blinding the sensor" doesn't work on PIR sensors if the system is armed. They work by detecting changes in NIR lighting. You know what makes a pretty epic change? Closing the curtains on the damn thing. Oof! There are "inside job" tricks galore but otherwise don't fuck with the sensor itself be it on an alarm or a light.
"The final option is to cut the wires to the thing. This prevents the sensor from sending a signal."
Motherfucker, NO!!!! NO NO NO. Don't cut wires to alarm system elements, systems are designed to detect that shit. Instant alarm condition. Holy fuck somebody get me a time travel machine so I can go mug my past self on an operation.
The whole alarm section is trash, talking about glass cutters and shit. WTF even is a double pane window, Young Psychlonic? The first option I wrote about was usually "Get ready to break shit! Woo!" Fucking trash.
+1 for the graphite trick though, that's still handy today in various situations. There are superior powders out there but in a pinch mechanical pencil lead can work all kinds of fun magic if you grind it up into a powder. Back then I didn't actually KNOW of most of the magic but hey...
Never in the history of fucking ever has telling a dog you don't know that's barking at you "No!" made it stop. Don't run around trying to shock dogs. Not only is that fucked up, but it's ineffective. A dog yowling because of an attack is 100x more likely to draw attention than a barking one. Also LOL at anti-attack dog killing technique with a bite guard and using its weight on the knife. That's... actually really effective if you can brace yourself properly so you don't get knocked back but come on...
Just avoid dogs, very seldomly are they protecting anything worth actually protecting anyway. If you must contend with them, carry treats or some pheromones and learn to use them. It won't fool the best trained dogs, but I'm not trying to write a guide here either.
"The Exit" is criminally underwritten. Realistically, most operatives will return using the same route they infiltrated with. It's known and should be safe leading to shorter times and less worry. However, if it's cut off or you have a separate extraction zone then you need a fleshed out idea of what you're doing. This requires every bit the effort to formulate as infiltration because what good does it do if you can't remember everything? Another +1 for learning paper land nav for emergencies.
"The Escape" is kind of shit. It doesn't cover many more likely scenarios and divulges too much into others which are extremely novel and unlikely. Also, if you're inside of a building and police show up that is a HUGE subject and chances are barricading yourself inside is not the best option for a multitude of reasons.
"The Alibi" is better written in the newer forum thread.
"The Crafting" is fucking shit-tastic and reads like a 90s text file.
"The Experiments" is better ignored entirely, just pretend it doesn't exist.
"The Stories"... OK What the fuck? People took this guide seriously after those? I'm not sure WTF I was thinking including that shit, maybe I was worried the more serious ones would sound familiar to the wrong people?
Ah fuck it, let's go back for a minute I'm not done talking shit about The Gear.
Old me didn't know how to properly put a boonie hat strap behind my head to keep it from blowing off. Not that it matters because that's shit head gear selection.
Footwear is wholly unnecessary here, too. Just try things on and walk around in them. What makes you think "Man, I could sneak around really well in these?" Just wear those.
At least I mentioned that prints can transfer through thin latex gloves. That's actually true, although I can't imagine why anyone would EVER pick those as their operating gloves. Just pick a glove with a leather palm and don't be an asshole. Yes, they have a print of sorts. Anything serious happens, just destroy the gloves. Make life simple, not complicated.
LBVs are shit. I wore them for awhile thinking they were a decent low-enough profile carrying item for long range operations where there were a lot of maybes. There's also a huge number of cool items that have become more commonly available these days which the guide omits. For example, if you're a black ops guy there are some surprisingly strong fold-away packs you can tuck into a leg pouch, cargo pocket, etc. and only deploy it if you find something. They're cheap and it's a win win. There's no need to run around with an empty backpack on anymore.
Knives: Coming from a guy who at that point didn't have experience with nearly the range of cutlery he has handled since. Yet again my opinions have changed on most of the issues in the guide but it's really not important. Every operative knows why they're carrying a knife if they do so. Your business is your business. Just remember, functionality comes first. Not what you think is cool.
"Flashlights" sucks. Covers a lot of obsolete designs, doesn't cover how to run them like a pro, and doesn't have the newer developments obviously that every operative should be on the lookout for.
I could go on and on, but I'm tired of writing. It's shit. I don't even recommend it for new operators as some offer as a feel good statement when it comes up. Most of the content has been covered in superior manner since on the forum. It's amazing to think of how much better of an operator I personally became after I had released the guide. One should note that the original version of this began in mid-2004 when I was still pretty new and wanted to form a personal checklist of sorts and it grew into a piece of writing. At the time I never considered myself an authority but it caught on. The release of 2005 is the date of the revision which still sucks and still isn't even from my most active period which was easily 2007-2013 or so.
But god damn. I'm not kidding about wanting that time machine.
WHY THE FUCK HAVE YOU GUYS NOT ROASTED ME HARDER FOR THIS TRASH?!
It's absolutely terrible!!! Where do I even begin?
Let's start with what's on screen right now: "Hiding in a Room". Currently, I believe any form of concealment should include the ability to escape and evade if seen. What's WotS have to say? Cram your body into a fucking cabinet. What happens if you're found? They're going to pull their phone out and you're going up onto YouTube. And jail. Showers, WTF???
"Eye Cut Mask - No Mouth"
"Eye Cut Mask - Mouth Hole"
LOL, apparently I didn't know what a fucking balaclava was nor a ski mask.
"Ghuille Suit": It's like a ghillie suit but illiterate. They're also almost worthless for anything but long distance glassing of an isolated target in the middle of nowhere.
I love that this took place before digital camouflage became a thing. The suggestions in "Clothing" are sparse and fairly worthless. Darks of course are a standby when you have nothing else, woodland and tiger aren't bad but if you're the guy going out to purchase something chances are none of these are what you should be going after.
Speaking of taking place before established tech, I find WotS' lack of Google Earth... disturbing. It was barely a thing back then but today I consider it an essential. My typical SOP for recon when I find out about a target I haven't seen is to immediately hit the satellite images and try to sort out my best approach with all available intel. If it's serious and I have the opportunity to go back, the first operation is purely recon and I come back to base, AAR myself, optimize routes on Google Earth, and form an infiltration game plan.
That being said, sometimes you just can't use it for whatever reason. WotS does a terrible job covering old school land navigation and intel gathering which are skills I think even younger operators can become proficient at well enough. Plus you'll probably want a good compass anyway for sniffing out magnetic door switches.
Naturally, WotS doesn't cover using a compass for this. IT DOESN'T EVEN COVER MAGNETIC SWITCHES!!! It also doesn't state the obvious in using a clear bodied compass. You know why those rock the house? Because you're not 8 feet tall you can't see the face of the compass when you're hovering it at the top of a door frame. And they often don't work right upside down. Get a clear housing compass and prosper.
Let's dig into those fucking alarms now cause it's even worse than I remember. "Blinding the sensor" doesn't work on PIR sensors if the system is armed. They work by detecting changes in NIR lighting. You know what makes a pretty epic change? Closing the curtains on the damn thing. Oof! There are "inside job" tricks galore but otherwise don't fuck with the sensor itself be it on an alarm or a light.
"The final option is to cut the wires to the thing. This prevents the sensor from sending a signal."
Motherfucker, NO!!!! NO NO NO. Don't cut wires to alarm system elements, systems are designed to detect that shit. Instant alarm condition. Holy fuck somebody get me a time travel machine so I can go mug my past self on an operation.
The whole alarm section is trash, talking about glass cutters and shit. WTF even is a double pane window, Young Psychlonic? The first option I wrote about was usually "Get ready to break shit! Woo!" Fucking trash.
+1 for the graphite trick though, that's still handy today in various situations. There are superior powders out there but in a pinch mechanical pencil lead can work all kinds of fun magic if you grind it up into a powder. Back then I didn't actually KNOW of most of the magic but hey...
Never in the history of fucking ever has telling a dog you don't know that's barking at you "No!" made it stop. Don't run around trying to shock dogs. Not only is that fucked up, but it's ineffective. A dog yowling because of an attack is 100x more likely to draw attention than a barking one. Also LOL at anti-attack dog killing technique with a bite guard and using its weight on the knife. That's... actually really effective if you can brace yourself properly so you don't get knocked back but come on...
Just avoid dogs, very seldomly are they protecting anything worth actually protecting anyway. If you must contend with them, carry treats or some pheromones and learn to use them. It won't fool the best trained dogs, but I'm not trying to write a guide here either.
"The Exit" is criminally underwritten. Realistically, most operatives will return using the same route they infiltrated with. It's known and should be safe leading to shorter times and less worry. However, if it's cut off or you have a separate extraction zone then you need a fleshed out idea of what you're doing. This requires every bit the effort to formulate as infiltration because what good does it do if you can't remember everything? Another +1 for learning paper land nav for emergencies.
"The Escape" is kind of shit. It doesn't cover many more likely scenarios and divulges too much into others which are extremely novel and unlikely. Also, if you're inside of a building and police show up that is a HUGE subject and chances are barricading yourself inside is not the best option for a multitude of reasons.
"The Alibi" is better written in the newer forum thread.
"The Crafting" is fucking shit-tastic and reads like a 90s text file.
"The Experiments" is better ignored entirely, just pretend it doesn't exist.
"The Stories"... OK What the fuck? People took this guide seriously after those? I'm not sure WTF I was thinking including that shit, maybe I was worried the more serious ones would sound familiar to the wrong people?
Ah fuck it, let's go back for a minute I'm not done talking shit about The Gear.
Old me didn't know how to properly put a boonie hat strap behind my head to keep it from blowing off. Not that it matters because that's shit head gear selection.
Footwear is wholly unnecessary here, too. Just try things on and walk around in them. What makes you think "Man, I could sneak around really well in these?" Just wear those.
At least I mentioned that prints can transfer through thin latex gloves. That's actually true, although I can't imagine why anyone would EVER pick those as their operating gloves. Just pick a glove with a leather palm and don't be an asshole. Yes, they have a print of sorts. Anything serious happens, just destroy the gloves. Make life simple, not complicated.
LBVs are shit. I wore them for awhile thinking they were a decent low-enough profile carrying item for long range operations where there were a lot of maybes. There's also a huge number of cool items that have become more commonly available these days which the guide omits. For example, if you're a black ops guy there are some surprisingly strong fold-away packs you can tuck into a leg pouch, cargo pocket, etc. and only deploy it if you find something. They're cheap and it's a win win. There's no need to run around with an empty backpack on anymore.
Knives: Coming from a guy who at that point didn't have experience with nearly the range of cutlery he has handled since. Yet again my opinions have changed on most of the issues in the guide but it's really not important. Every operative knows why they're carrying a knife if they do so. Your business is your business. Just remember, functionality comes first. Not what you think is cool.
"Flashlights" sucks. Covers a lot of obsolete designs, doesn't cover how to run them like a pro, and doesn't have the newer developments obviously that every operative should be on the lookout for.
I could go on and on, but I'm tired of writing. It's shit. I don't even recommend it for new operators as some offer as a feel good statement when it comes up. Most of the content has been covered in superior manner since on the forum. It's amazing to think of how much better of an operator I personally became after I had released the guide. One should note that the original version of this began in mid-2004 when I was still pretty new and wanted to form a personal checklist of sorts and it grew into a piece of writing. At the time I never considered myself an authority but it caught on. The release of 2005 is the date of the revision which still sucks and still isn't even from my most active period which was easily 2007-2013 or so.
But god damn. I'm not kidding about wanting that time machine.