First Man In: Leading from the Front

Nobody is innately a leader. But Ant Middleton has learned what genuine leadership is all about by overcoming obstacles in life and pure willpower. He outlines the fundamental principles he has discovered throughout his intriguing and thrilling life in First Man In.

Training for special forces is not easy. Strict regulations ensure that you learn the hard way and push yourself over the bounds of what is physically feasible. Mercy does not exist. To confess you are defeated is a failure, no matter how shattered and wounded you are.

Toughness, aggressiveness, painstaking attention to detail, and unwavering self-discipline—qualities that define the finest leaders—are necessary to make it through the demanding selection process and qualify as an elite member.

Ant Middleton is the perfect example of what it takes to succeed, having served in the military for 13 years, four of them as a Special Boat Service (SBS) sniper. He was a member of the Royal Marines, 9 Parachute Squadron Royal, the SBS, the naval wing of the special forces, and the so-called "Holy Trinity" of the UK's elite military. Ant was always the first person in the SBS to enter a room, go into the dark, and come into contact with danger. He was a point man.

In this engrossing, thrilling, and illuminating book, Ant shares the highs and heartbreaking lows of his life—from the rush of making it through Special Forces Selection to coping with his father's early death and landing in jail after leaving the military—and offers insightful insights that we can all apply to our everyday lives.