An insider account of life with the Corps widely considered to consist of the best trained and most effective troops in the world. Nigel Foster, a former Young Officer spoke to the Marines themselves. He tells of life in the Royal Marines from the point of view of a young officer and a recruit, following them through training, their first posting to a fighting company and then to their specialist qualification. He aims to reveal what life in the Royal Marines is really like; from mounting guard at Buckingham Palace to living for weeks on end at -40 degrees Fahrenheit; from mounting anti-smuggling patrols in Hong Kong to patrolling in Northern Ireland. He considers such questions as what type of person becomes a Royal Marine commando and what qualities the Royal Marines are looking for, as well as discussing Prince Edward's decision to join and ultimately reject the Marines. This new edition includes material on the Gulf conflict and the Marines' role in Operation Safe Haven in Kurdistan.