20th December 2011 | How to Drive a Tank..., Reader's Questions
Here you go. Subscribe, tell me your ideas, and, if I like what you suggest, I’ll send you a free book anywhere in the world.
2nd November 2011 | explore, How to Drive a Tank..., NatGeo Adventure, Travel
If you’ve got a science background and want to get hands on with the British Antarctic Survey then check out this link. http://t.co/8u0tenQE
Just a quick one today, moving home and office, more on it’s way.
16th August 2011 | How to Drive a Tank...
If you enjoyed the How to Hotwire Cars chapter in How to Drive a Tank then you’ll love this add-on from my friend, dbase guru and lifehacker, Steve Smith. Here he’s compiled a list of YouTube tutorials, demos and documentaries on car entry, everything from hi-end difficult to crack security to popping the lock with a tree branch (I kid you not).
So enjoy, and let us know what works for you when you lock yourself out next time.
1. With a piece of string:
2. With an air pump/wedge, and a piece of wire:
3. With a coat hanger:
4. With an old fashioned hammer:
5. With a specialized car key-blank a.k.a. a Jiggler:
6. With a claw hammer and a bush branch:
7. And if you want to watch something more in-depth with hi-tech crims stealing hi-tech $100,000 cars and the very best security to order:
Golden rule is: get an alarm.
All of the kit you see in these vids, including key cutters, diagnostic tools, key/dash scanners and editors can be found online at shops like the following:
US
Europe
http://www.autotools-shop.com/
UK
http://walkerlocksmiths.co.uk/
Coat hangers, branches and hammers can be found in all the usual places of course. Although I would always opt for a centre-punch over a hammer any day. As always I’ll try out all of these techniques for myself in the coming weeks and post the results here.
5th May 2011 | How to Drive a Tank..., Reader's Questions, Writing
Just in time for Father’s Day the paperback for How to Drive a Tank… is now out and available to order via Amazon and other online retailers as well as any good local bookshop. So after two years in hardback I thought I’d share two of my favourite emails from readers. I’ll share more in future.
And if you’re one of the people who is thinking of emailing me about an adventure you have in mind, please, just do it. I regularly receive requests and read all of them if even I can’t guarantee I can actually take part.
From Stephen (one of my most recent reader reviews):
Hi Frank, Read your book and loved it. Very funny thing happened though; on the day that I bought it, I had planned in advance to (that day) write to Charles Bronson and recommend that with all his spare time he start doing yoga instead of his ten million sit ups a day routine (Yoga has a bad image problem but I do it and LOVE it!!). Then as I was flicking through the book in the bookshop I stumbled across the ‘Yoga for psychopaths chapter…Bizarre!!! Anyway my real motivation for writing is that yesterday I saw that James May (one of the three old sad pretend irreverent from Top Gear, or is it ‘Last of The Summer Wine?), has written (or at least had GHOST-written) a rip off copy of your book called ‘How to land a 330 Bomber and other tips for the modern gent’ and it was in a far more prominent position in the shop. Sadly it seems that Marketing, Plagiarism Capitalism and Brand names are more important than originality and creativity. Sue him if you can! Best wishes and Regards Stephen. P.S. Found the assertiveness bit in your book very helpful in dealing with mad ex girlfriend who I am forced to have contact with.
From Allan (one of my first reader reviews):
Dear Frank I recently bought your `How to drive a tank,’ book, and have to say its one of the best reads I’ve had in a long time. I’ve laughed more reading this book then I have with television lately, and some of the situations you talk about just made me fall flat on the floor ( or laugh very hard on the bus). As a 16 year old lad who is constantly seeking knowledge I must admit I was drawn to `make things go boom,’. You can be sure that if there are women screaming and running away at a party, I am now officially the cause. My girlfriend is now the owner of the book, she has a good laugh at the sexual chapters and particularly loves your introduction to `laughing and crying,’. I don’t mind the fact she keeps telling me I’m going to die one day, but must she be so upfront about it? Thanks for a great read that I am sure will be read many times. From your newest fan.
It’s always brilliant to receive your emails, so do keep them coming. Thanks a million, Frank.
5th April 2011 | How to Drive a Tank...
After two successful seasons in hardback How To Drive a Tank is now going to paperback in the UK on the 5th May 2011. I’ve just had the author copies through and they look very sexy indeed. There are also Czech and Russian editions on the way too so I thought it would be a great time to update a couple of sections from the book.
If you’ve ever wanted to break into intelligence or surveillance work then Edelweiss Tactical, those bad asses from Switzerland who taught me tactical firearms for Tank, currently have two places left on their Intelligence & Security Operator Course in May. There you’ll learn the fundamentals of mobile, foot and static surveillance. As well as counter surveillance, intelligence handling, how to manage covert human intelligence sources and informants and in-depth investigation techniques. There’s a bolt-on tech surveillance module as well. You can find full details here.
Readers of the How to Fight chapter will be familiar with the GLF principle (go like f**k). Mick Coup the C1 originator has posted some great new vids on his youtube site, including the following live ‘force on force’ drills from both UK and US training sessions. Here the combatants have to force they way up from the ground, go all out with no prohibited strikes, before being pinned back down and then expected to do it again. It’s hard work but is some of the best training for what a real fight is like – messy, brutal and short.
Enjoy and, as always, let me know your thoughts.
LIVE DRILLS – The good, the not-so good, and the downright disappointing…
7th December 2010 | How to Drive a Tank..., Reader's Questions
People keep asking whether James May’s latest tome is, as they say, “the highest form of flattery”.
What do you think?
Frank Coles 2009: How to Drive a Tank…and Other Everyday Tips for the Modern Gentleman.
James May 2010: How to Land an Airbus A330 and Other vital skills for the Modern Man.
Our B-title was Modern Man funnily enough.
I’m sure Mr May’s effort will run year-on-year in the stocking stakes. It’s already spawned a TV show. And whether it’s flattery or not when you’re just breaking in, like me, it sure kills any hope of a book two in that particular series.
Ah well, I’ll guess I’ll just have to come up with another original idea. In the mean-time it’s great to hear that Tank regularly gets passed around the dorms of Britain’s boys’ schools as a must-read.
Thank you readers for writing in.
