Tall tales, all true, about guns, bombs, car chases, spiders, exotic locales, men in uniform, and dancing girls—with deadpan delivery and a social conscience I remember the advertisement to join the Army. It asked for guys who were fit, committed, tough, volunteer parachutists, comfortable in the ocean, and mature. As a surfer, that sounded like me—except for the mature bit. Nathan Mullins is an ex-cop, ex-soldier, ex-security consultant, and an Australian Aid International volunteer, so he has experienced all sorts of dangerous situations involving guns, explosions, surgical procedures, combat, sword-play, rioting, and other potentially life-threatening behaviors all over the world. He has been lucky to survive his assignments and hijinks, and here he shares a few cautionary tales so everyone else can learn from his near misses.