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: Good, Detailed Information
Summary: 4 Stars
Very good information. This book covers a wide range of subjects including the psychology of survival, unique and fascinating ways of obtaining food and water, shelter-building, fire-building, navigation and a lot more.
I will say that the book assumes the reader is encountering a "survival situation". By that, I mean a 'short-lived' situation in which survival is at stake. Those who buy this book with the intention of learning to live off the land in a more permanent way may be a little disappointed in some way. Indeed, this was the reason that I got the book but that's not to say that I regret buying it. Far from it! As I said, it has a lot of good information (it was made by the US Army after-all).
Inside this manual is the US Army's Illustrated Guide to Edible Wild Plants which is also published in an entire book on its own, so if you planned on getting the two like I did, just get FM 21-76 and save yourself some money.
My recommendation on learning survival skills is to acquire a variety of books. The extensive SAS Survival Handbook by John Wiseman and the more organic Primitive Wilderness Living
Book Review: A soldier
Summary: 1 Stars
This book is, unfortunately, suited more for "arm-chair" survivalists than people really seeking a working knowledge of wilderness survival skills. Most of the skills "covered" may help the inexperienced person feel confident until they actually attempt them. Case in point: Cordage or natural string...yes they cover it, but so sparingly as to be ineffective. "The inner bark of trees make the best fibers to use." (page 7-4) That is all it says about using bark. There is nothing about what trees are best, or how to harvest or prepare the bark. The bulk of the "skills" in this manual are lacking in a manner similar to that illustrated above.
As a former soldier and a current survival instructor I can say with the utmost confidence that this book is good for starting fires and not much else. The lack of many details provides a challenge to anyone attempting to complete a skill from start to finish. Try it and you will see! Reviewers giving it high marks clearly have never been in a true survival situation. Thumbs down.
Book Review: Keep in mind, this book is from 1970
Summary: 2 Stars
An... entertaining... manual, but don't read this expecting to conquer the wilderness! Some of the information is clever and useful, such as different types of shelter, navigating by the sun and stars, and a fairly extensive list of edible plants (black and white drawings only but still pretty accurate ones), but other information is very outdated, most notably some of the information on reptiles and fish. For example, treating a snakebite by cutting the skin and sucking out the poison - NOT a good idea, and will cause more tissue damage than benefit! Also, the idea that barracuda are aggressive fish that attack without warning or provocation... some of this stuff is straight out of a B-movie. Still, not a bad place to start if you're a novice and want to learn what dangers to watch for in the woods, and it's pretty cheap (free online if Google "FM 21-76"). Experienced hikers/survivalists/etc will know to look elsewhere for more up to date and accurate info.Book Review: I Carry a Copy of this Book in My Car
Summary: 5 Stars
Every survival book seems to cover different bases - nuclear, biological, chemical warfare, natural disasters or terrorism, wilderness living skills, etc.
It's enormously difficult for any book to be a complete guide, or it becomes too cumbersome and open-ended to be much use.
To say that some of the information in this book has been around a good long while, it's still mighty good as far as I am concerned.
I have the military version, covering evasion tactics, as well as wilderness living skills, first aid, communications, rescue, etc.
I like the illustrations - the pictures of how snares are set are the best I have seen. Snares are simple, but not to people who aren't used to using them.
I think the strength of this book is that it is straightforward. Yes, it will have weak points and other books will cover whole topics more thoroughly.
However, it is a good basic guide and could easily save your life.
Book Review: The best because...
Summary: 5 Stars
Unlike a previous review, I believe the US Army Survival Manual to be superior to other survival books. Being an Eagle Scout, I have a lot of experience with the "Official Boy Scout Handbook." It is a great resource, but a lot of the book deals with requirements to advance in rank in the scouts. This is useless to most readers. It is also heavier then the Army manual, and for backpacking trips that is a big difference. There may be some useless information in the Army manual, but lets face it, it is more interesting to read about how to make a belt out of snake hide then to know that you need 21 eagle-required merit badges to get to Eagle scout. The color photos of poisonous snakes, and edible plants also makes this guide superior to other manuals. If you want a manual that can help you in an emergency, deals with all manner of terrain, and is small enough to carry on all kinds of trips, this is the right one for you.