SAS and Special Forces Self Defence Handbook
John 'Lofty' WisemanJohn "Lofty" Wiseman is a British author and survival consultant, and
a former member of the Special Air Service (SAS), the British special
forces unit.
In 1959, at the age of eighteen, Wiseman became the
youngest person ever to pass selection for the SAS, joining from the
Parachute Regiment, which he had joined a year earlier. He went on to
serve in the SAS for 26 years, rising to the rank of Sergeant Major.
Wiseman was also Head of Operational Research 22 SAS, set up a counter
hijack team known as SP Team and founded the SAS Counter-Terrorist Team
(who are well known for their involvement in the Iranian Embassy siege),
and trained the Green Berets.
Before his retirement Wisemen was
also involved in selection courses where he helped decide who was able
to join the SAS. When he did retire in 1985 the commanding officer of
the 22nd SAS said that "Lofty is a legend in this regiment."
After
leaving the SAS in 1985, his first book was The SAS Survival Handbook
(published in 1986). Wiseman has since become a survival consultant,
writing a number of other books on the subject, as well as appearing on
television. When he provided survival training to the cast of the 1990
film Memphis Belle, his ability to make food out of unlikely materials
inspired cast member Harry Connick Jr. to write Lofty's Roach Souffle.
Wiseman
is also a member of the instructional team at Trueways Survival School.
He was also the instructor for the selection/training phase for the
show Castaway 2000.