Author Q&A Session: Charles Goslin

Congratulations on the publication of your book! What do you want your audience to take away from the book?

I want my audience to understand that this book was a thoughtful, deliberate “unpacking” of my lifetime of experience in international travel and living, where personal security and safety were paramount themes of my life. I eschew catchy slogans & clichés about personal security (such as the hackneyed phrase ‘keep your head on a swivel’) and instead articulate carefully why certain principles, and concepts are important to understand.  This is a serious book.  It is not a collection of war stories from life abroad as an intelligence officer.   I do hope readers get that, and come away feeling that they have a “portable set of wisdom” in terms of travel safety and security that they can commit to memory. 

 

What inspired you to write this book?
My inspiration to write this book was not of the “burning bush” variety.  Rather, it was the gradual culmination of my many experiences and insights into personal security accumulated over decades.  A friend and colleague whom I respect encouraged me to write it, and it had ripened to the point where it was indeed time to put pen to paper. 

 

Why is your book relevant to your field of study of international security and intelligence operations in the present day? And how do you think your field is evolving today?
My field of study and work is international security and intelligence operations – I teach and mentor professionals in this discipline.  An integral part of this kind of work is keeping yourself, or by extension individuals for whom you are responsible, safe and secure in potentially volatile or hostile environments.   This theme is equally relevant to private sector industries, such as Oil & Gas, who have a significant multi-national presence in remote or developing areas of the globe. 

 

The discipline of Personal Security, I think, is evolving in a positive way.  Security professionals, whether their roots are within the law enforcement sector or intelligence, increasingly recognize the importance of having an in-depth personal security program as part of their training & awareness responsibilities within the organization.  The days of sending business or intelligence professionals out the door, on an international trip, with a simple checklist or brochure consisting of pithy clichés about safety abroad are – hopefully – fading.  It is not enough, in this day and age. 

 

What are the main developments in research that you’re seeing in your subject area of expertise? And how does your book relate to these recent developments?

To be frank, I don’t know – I actually do not think there is any serious research in this field.  There have been some popular books that rely heavily on the author’s previous tour or two with the CIA, or some other outfit (the military, for instance) to make a convincing case for personal security…but these books tend to rely heavy on war stories, and are light on serious iteration of principle, method and concept.  They are not serious, and do the discipline of personal security a disservice.  

 

My book is a dense, in-depth look at the field of personal security that delves into the reasons for their principles, what works and what does not, and how they are practically applied. 

 

What audience did you have in mind while writing you book?

The audience I had in mind when writing this book were twofold:  first, international business travellers who do not have the benefit of corporate security looking out for their interests when travelling abroad.  Second, corporate security officers who need a text that can be easily adapted to development and implementation of a personal security safety and security training/awareness program within the organization. 

 

What makes your book stand out from its competitors? 

As mentioned previously, my book is a dense, in-depth look at the field of personal security that delves into the reasons for their principles, what works and what does not, and how they are practically applied.  It is more a a textbook, illustrated in key areas with personal experience that is relevant.  It also covers a very broad range of scenarios, themes and situations that specifically apply to the business traveller. 

 

Is there one piece of research included in the book which surprised you or challenged your previous understanding of the topic?

Yes, the extent and seriousness of the cyber threat to business travellers today.  Particularly the “Darkhotel” cyber threat, which is very relevant and a serious threat to our corporate sector. 

 

What did you enjoy about writing the book?
Really delving in to what I’d always intuitively known but had not put into words.