Finding Your Way Without Map or Compass Reviews

• Don't get lost without it

  
  By A39O40SS01VTPB on 2000-07-03
  This book is a reprint of a classic. The author describes tested methods for finding your way using natural signs rather than map and compass. The methods covered range from the usual -- such as stars, the sun and trees -- to less common ones such as the routes of migratory sea birds or seasonal winds.

  If you are travelling in the wilderness (or city; there is even a chapter on how to find your way in a strange city), I strongly recommend this book.
  
  

• Very informative

  
  By A11RB8N4TZPGJE on 2006-06-02
  This book is an example of why books are great. The knowledge contained in it would be largely lost or very difficult to compile had hte author not taken the time to publish it. He spent his life learning various methods of navigation around the world from many cultures: cultures not assimilated to the modern or western world.
  
  I've always thought it would be fascinating to learn navigation or tracking from a native or someone who has learned information that has been passed down from generation to generation. Low tech, but very skillful. Art more than science. That is exactly what this book teaches.
  
  The most interesting part for me was the explanation of how Polynesians navigated at sea: following migrating birds, seeing land beyond the horizon by watching reflections on the bottom of clouds, wave variation, and star positions.
  
  There is a lot of good information for both land and sea, plus some for air. The author taught naviation to the US Air Force about the middle of the 20th century.
  
  
  

• Good, but could be better

  
  By A2S5MF8OLOQYUW on 2002-03-13
  This book was able to confront the "old wives tales" to finding your way. An excellent guide for those at sea, but little for land travel. It is best if used in harmony with another outdoor survival guide.
  
  

• One of the best books I've ever read

  
  By AMS3QJZN6QS47 on 2006-08-28
  This book covers a subject that is oft-neglected, but is very important to anyone and everyone. It is engagingly written by a true expert. As odd as this may seem, given the subject matter, in many places it is near profound.
  
  

• Well Written and Informative!

  
  By A1V5EN1LJXKYEJ on 2008-03-30
  The title alone should pique your interest! It did for me and once I started reading it I wasn't disappointed. This was a well written and truly informative piece of work. Harold Gatty was well known amongst the pioneers of aviation for his expert navigation skills. Gatty navigated many cross country and cross continental flights, and his expertise was often sought after by pilots such as Charles Lindbergh, Wiley Post, and Howard Hughes.
  
  In this book Gatty puts together his broad knowledge of simple navigation techniques used by some of the earliest settlers such as the Vikings, Polynesians, Portuguese, Native Americans and Aborigines. The author does a great job of creating an informative book and conveying it in an interesting way so that it isn't dry. You never know when this information might come in useful, plus you gain a greater appreciation for nature.
  
  

• Wilderness Evasion: A Guide To Hiding Out and Eluding Pursuit in Remote Areas
• Tracking--Signs of Man, Signs of Hope: A Systematic Approach to the Art and Science of Tracking Humans
• SAS Survival Handbook: How to Survive in the Wild, in Any Climate, on Land or at Sea
• The Essential Wilderness Navigator: How to Find Your Way in the Great Outdoors, Second Edition
• Be Expert with Map and Compass: The Complete Orienteering Handbook