A highly-decorated former NZSAS commander has opened up about the Kiwi unit's military operations in a new memoir.

Serviceman J details Jamie Pennell's recruitment story and training journey - and lifts the lid on the NZSAS's Afghanistan operations, including the deadly Kabul hotel siege.

Pennell says the selection process to join the unit was a difficult one - mentally, physically and spiritually. 

"It's very brutal - and that's by design. Operations are quite difficult, so we have to replicate that in our selection process."

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A highly-decorated former NZSAS commander has opened up about the Kiwi unit's military operations in a new memoir.
Serviceman J details Jamie Pennell's recruitment story and training journey - and lifts the lid on the NZSAS's Afghanistan operations, including the deadly Kabul hotel siege.
Pennell says the selection process to join the unit was a difficult one - mentally, physically and spiritually. 
"It's very brutal - and that's by design. Operations are quite difficult, so we have to replicate that in our selection process."
LISTEN ABOVE

News, opinion, analysis, lifestyle and entertainment – we’ve got your Sunday morning listening covered with The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin on Newstalk ZB.

The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin

Jamie Pennell: former NZSAS commander on his new tell-all memoir Serviceman J

17 Years Later by J.P. Pomare - who is of course a New Zealander, although I believe these days he lives in Melbourne. He writes terrific thrillers which are often set here, and this time, a family have been murdered in their beds in Cambridge and their chef convicted and sent to prison. Many years later, the prison psychologist is convinced that he didn’t get a fair trial and an Australian podcaster takes an interest in the case and travels here to research it for her show. The two of them team up to investigate what actually happened, which is where the author really shines. He sent me down several rabbit holes and had me off on the wrong track, with a book that’s full of surprises and thriller twists.

Unmasking Monsters by David (Chook) Henwood. The author spent almost 40 years with the New Zealand Police and in the early days was part of a team trying unsuccessfully for some years to hunt down a serial rapist who was terrorising South Auckland. They were instrumental in developing Criminal Profiling which had not been used here before but enabled them finally to catch their man, and it’s been in use ever since, forever changing the way that policing is done in New Zealand. His stories about his time with the force are fascinating – some criminals became friends – and he shows real insight and empathy into the lives of many of the people he came into contact with.

LISTEN ABOVE

17 Years Later by J.P. Pomare - who is of course a New Zealander, although I believe these days he lives in Melbourne. He writes terrific thrillers which are often set here, and this time, a family have been murdered in their beds in Cambridge and their chef convicted and sent to prison. Many years later, the prison psychologist is convinced that he didn’t get a fair trial and an Australian podcaster takes an interest in the case and travels here to research it for her show. The two of them team up to investigate what actually happened, which is where the author really shines. He sent me down several rabbit holes and had me off on the wrong track, with a book that’s full of surprises and thriller twists. 
 Unmasking Monsters by David (Chook) Henwood. The author spent almost 40 years with the New Zealand Police and in the early days was part of a team trying unsuccessfully for some years to hunt down a serial rapist who was terrorising South Auckland. They were instrumental in developing Criminal Profiling which had not been used here before but enabled them finally to catch their man, and it’s been in use ever since, forever changing the way that policing is done in New Zealand. His stories about his time with the force are fascinating – some criminals became friends – and he shows real insight and empathy into the lives of many of the people he came into contact with. 
LISTEN ABOVE

Joan's picks: 17 Years Later and Unmasking Monsters

Cheaper flights may be closer than travellers think - as Fiji Airways unveils some new routes.

The airline has announced a new route to Dallas, on top of their Nadi-San Francisco and Nadi-Los Angeles routes.

Bloggeratlarge writer Megan Singleton explains what prospective travellers can expect. 

LISTEN ABOVE

Cheaper flights may be closer than travellers think - as Fiji Airways unveils some new routes.
The airline has announced a new route to Dallas, on top of their Nadi-San Francisco and Nadi-Los Angeles routes.
Bloggeratlarge writer Megan Singleton explains what prospective travellers can expect. 
LISTEN ABOVE

Megan Singleton: Bloggeratlarge.com writer unveils a cheaper way to fly to the US

This week on the Sunday Panel, editor and journalist Jo McCarroll and partner at Freebairn and Hehir lawyers Liam Hehir joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the week - and more! 

It was a wonderful night for New Zealand last night - with Hamish Kerr, Lydia Ko and Dame Lisa Carrington adding to New Zealand's Olympic gold medal count. What do we make of this? Can we earn more before the Games are done?

The Government's unveiled their new changes to the nation's educational curriculum - and unpacked some alarming statistics about mathematic achievement. Should we be concerned?

Have coffee prices gone too far? Can we justify paying $8 for a long black?

LISTEN ABOVE

This week on the Sunday Panel, editor and journalist Jo McCarroll and partner at Freebairn and Hehir lawyers Liam Hehir joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the week - and more! 
It was a wonderful night for New Zealand last night - with Hamish Kerr, Lydia Ko and Dame Lisa Carrington adding to New Zealand's Olympic gold medal count. What do we make of this? Can we earn more before the Games are done?
The Government's unveiled their new changes to the nation's educational curriculum - and unpacked some alarming statistics about mathematic achievement. Should we be concerned?
Have coffee prices gone too far? Can we justify paying $8 for a long black?
LISTEN ABOVE

Jamie Pennell: former NZSAS commander on his new tell-all memoir Serviceman J

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