US Army Survival Manual: FM 21-76
by Department of Defense
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Book Reviews of US Army Survival Manual: FM 21-76
Book Review: The civilian version, and the best on the subject for regular folks
Summary: 5 Stars
This is the newer civilian version of the Army survival book that concentrates on the straightforward survival material a civilian going camping may need to know. It is written in very accessible easy to understand language, and you do not need to be an expert in order to use this information. The material includes chapters on: Navigation and compass use; Health & Hygiene in the outdoors to prevent sickness, including first aid; Hazards in the wild to watch out for;
Foods and where to find them including harvesting and identifying native plants and vegetables; How to fish and tons of unusual different ways to catch them with local materials that actually work; other food from fresh water sources; Trapping mammals, rodents, reptiles, insects, catching birds, and more including how to dress and prepare these; Cooking, preserving food in the wild; methods of fire making including without matches or lighter.
One of the most important chapters tells you how to find the most important element you need to survive. Water from Plants, digging for water, purifying found water, and building a solar water still. Other chapters include Climate and Weather, Travel, finding or building Shelter, Clothing, Health, Survival at Sea, Poisonous Snakes, signaling for help, what to do if you are lost, and much more ...
An extremely useful book for the camper to keep in their supplies. One very nice treat... the version sold here differs from the real surplus military version in that it offers color photos of the plants (original military version was black and white), and it is very comprehensive. While there are books available on edible and poisonous plants that are more specialized, the material here is very adequate for inclusion in this manual. All in all, one of the best books on the survival subject, well rounded and very detailed. I have a library of books on camping and camping emergencies. While one reviewer thought this book had too much info and wanted a simpler book, I would say that if you had it with you in an emergency you would be glad of its many topics. You may even want to keep a copy in the trunk of your car with your roadside tools, since you never know when you might need some help making a fire or finding water.
Oh, and remember this book has been modified for civilian use. The original title of manual FM 21-76 when it was written for the military was "Survival, Evasion, and Escape", rather than this newer version listed at Amazon that is specifically titled only "Survival". The military chapters of the original book dealing with evasion tactics and escape methods have been removed in the newer edition. If you feel you need that info too, buy an older version with the full title intact. If you are buying used, be sure to query the seller which version they have and if you are still unsure, only buy it from Amazon new.
Book Review: You have to decipher good information from outdated information
Summary: 3 Stars
The U.S. Army Survival Manual: FM 21-76 although written in 1970 is still a valuable resource if you are able to decipher the valuable information from the not so valuable. A word of caution that some of the material is outdated and there have been significant advances in technology and gear. Many of the drawings aren't too bad although color photographs would be a very beneficial update to replace the drawings.
Chapters 1 and 2 on the Will to Survive and Survival Planning are a good introduction that really doesn't change much with time. Gear and technology may change but the fundamental principles remain intact even with the passage of time.
Chapter 4: Survival Medicine would really benefit from being updated. There have been significant changes in medicine and medical procedure since the writing of this book. I would recommend skipping this chapter and instead taking either a first aid course or an emergency medical technician (EMT) course to learn the latest and most effective medical procedures available.
The chapter on Wild Plants for Food is a bit short in length and detail. This is one of those areas that you don't really want to make a mistake or you may pay a hefty price with gastrointestinal problems such as vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration or severe stomach pain. Skip the plants and go for meat as it is much more nutritious, provides better caloric intake and valuable protein.
The chapter on shelters is good although at times you may feel that some information is lacking and you need more specific detail. This chapter will expose you to many different types of shelter that are commonly used in survival situations. Most are still very relevant and useful today.
Overall, I would recommend this book as a starting point to obtain basic information. There is a lot of information although you will need to conduct further research and practice to see what works, what does not work, along with the ins and outs of the minutia of survival. Good luck.
Book Review: Good, but the SAS Survival Guide is better
Summary: 4 Stars
The Army Survival manual is a great find. It provides detailed, understandable information on how to survive in many situations: in the desert, at sea, in an area where you don't wish to be detected (For civilians it's possibly useful for hostage/kidnapping situations, I suppose). It also has a lot of emotional support written into the text. This is clearly written directly for soldiers, but it could probably be reassuring if you were actually on your own.
I bought the book mainly as a reference that I could toss into our disaster-preparedness closet. I don't have any plans to use the information in the book, but I wanted a guidebook "just in case." This serves that purpose beautifully, but the "SAS Survival Guide" (the pocket-sized version of the "SAS Survival Handbook" is much better for this purpose. There isn't really much discussion of emotional issues in the SAS Guide, and there's no focus on evading enemy capture or things like that. But it's a much nicer book (the army guide seems like it's been Xeroxed a million times, and the print quality is questionable). The SAS Guide is a great size for tossing into a car glovebox, and it's easier to browse and search.
If you have the space and inclination, get both. They do both offer slightly different information. For example, the Army guide tells you how to get fresh water from sea water in cold climates by letting small amounts of sea water slowly freeze. (Fresh water will freeze out of the solution first, leaving a slushy saltwater glob that you can then remove from the ice--or something like that). The SAS Guide, on the other hand, tells you how to get fresh water at sea from a fresh-water gland along the spine of a fish. If you were really stranded, it would be great to have both. If you only get one, I would recommend the SAS guide though.
Book Review: Be realistic!
Summary: 3 Stars
This book is actually quite an interesting read. It's fun to read about how the most daring 1% of us should approach a survival problem. If you are familiar with "Department Of The Army Field Manuals" you will understand, however, why this book is just wrong for the other 99% of us. It is a DETAILED guide to every nuance of survival to the last possible detail.Did you know, for example, that "clean splattered blood on the meat will glaze over and help preserve the meat" or that after skinning a snake for food "you can use the skin for improvising belts, straps or similar items?"
Under the chapter on intestinsl parasites we learn to "eat 1 to 1 1/2 cigarettes. The nicotine in the cigarette will kill or stun the worms long enough for your system to pass them." Stun the enjoy this book as entertainment and understand that I can never use the majority of information it offers. On the other hand its treatment of snakebites is the best short course on what to do in this scary situation.
Believe it or not, "The Official Boy Scout Handbook" is far more practical and readable. It was a best seller among infantry officers headed to Viet Nam in the 1960's. Get both of them. Next time you find yourself stranded you will know from the Army that a proper bolo is made from 24" cords and 1/2 pound weights. The Boy Scouts will instruct you on how to calm yourself down enough to simply wait for help which will be coming.
In a pinch each books pages may be used to start fires and, well, to do other things!
Book Review: Awsome Book
Summary: 5 Stars
This book is awsome, and although some people dislike the military references (using you gun, hide from the enemy)i thought it was interesting and sometimes a bit humerous. I gave this book 5 stars because it is EXACTLY what a military survival book should be. Now, if it was written SPECIFICALY for civilians i would give a worse score becase of the military reference. The thing i disliked about this book the most was the lack of information about surviving in what i consider a "normal" envirement. It has the desert, arctic, and tropical, but i want to know how to survive in the wilderness where i live (Northern MN). I was also disappointed with the plants. I know that they were having to cover the whole world pretty much but i would have liked it better to have a few more plant descriptions as only about 4 of the plants listed live were i live. I would also have liked to have a better description of how to prepare the plant (the most tastey way possible with little supplys so that you don't end up spitting it out cause it tastes like ****.
Overall: Great for the military, entertaining and very informative for civilians but doesn't cover living/surviving in the Deciduous and Coniferous forests very well. I wouldn't recomend this to someone who wants information about edible plants as it has very little. For that i would recomend the Peterson Field Guide To Edible Plants (i own it, its very good, but i have trouble making any of the food taste good).