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US Army Survival Manual: FM 21-76x$4.69
  (57 reviews)
Best Price: $4.69
The US Army Survival Manual: FM 21-76 is a good basic guide, standard reading for our troops, and unlike some survival manuals, it is fairly well written and organized.
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Customer Reviews
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The civilian version, and the best on the subject for regular folks
By A6GMEO3VRY51S on 2001-10-24
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.
The Best Book on Survival
By on 2001-07-20
As a Special Forces soldier, I read just about every book there is on survival. Most are hardly worth the paper they are printed on, and that especially includes the popular "survival" books which tend to contain potentially deadly errors and omissions. The main problem with these "worst case" books and others is that most readers, unfortunately, have no way of knowing what is accurate and what is fantasy. For readers who wish to stick to nonfiction, this book is your best choice.
Be realistic!
By A3LKSXLEPHRFMY on 2001-09-29
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 worms??????????? I 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!
Ok... but there are better books out there
By on 2002-03-07
While I enjoyed reading the U.S. Army Survival Manual I would not recommend it as my only survival learning text. For that honor, I prefer Gregory Davenport's book, "Wilderness Survival", which covers the same material but in a far more user friendly format. Mr. Davenport's book goes beyond the ARMY manual by giving the step by step instructions needed to do the survival tasks related to clothing, shelter, fire, water and food procurement, etc. In addition, his navigation and health chapters are far superior.
Good except for Jungle/Desert Survival
By on 2003-11-04
The U.S. Army field manual on Survival is a good basic guide, standard reading for our troops, and unlike some survival manuals, it is fairly well written and organized. I have yet to find a survival enthusiast who didn't have this book or Greg Davenport's Wilderness Survival in their personal library, and that tells you something. One of the bigger drawbacks to the book is its sketchy coverage of jungle and desert survival - for these areas you'll definitely want additional reading on these topics, as there's a lot more information to be had! If you're interested in those environments, Jeff Randall's Adventure Travel in the Third World book is excellent for jungle survival, while Mark Johnson's The Ultimate Desert Handbook is definitely the best desert survival book out there.
- Awsome Book
By on 2004-07-11
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).
- Excellent with Common Sense
By A8BFNEKQTEYS3 on 2006-03-23
I have used this book, and earlier versions, for over 45 years. I first used a copy my father got me (he was in the military) as a Boy Scout. When I attended Outward Bound (back when that was a "new" thing we used a copy. And then my own 30 year military career primarily in Army Special Forces. From the SF Q course, and in every other field/combat/survival/leadership course I attended (or lead) on down the totem pole, FM 21-76 (FM stands for Field Manual) was part of the course and listed as a reference material in the course. Anyway, an earlier reviewer did not like the book and complained as an example that it does not tell you which tree to use for the bark to make cordage...well, ANY survival book and any "survival instructor" with a modicum of compentency will tell you first and foremost keep your cool, assess your situation, assess all your equipment and clothing you have available (even the lint in your pockets can be useful), keep your wits and be optomistic, and use your common sense. In that light, no book can save you in a dire situation without you using your own common sense. However, this book, with common sense will make your survival possible and likely. Because of weather, varmits, and predators, there are no guarantees...no book can do that. But this book will help you increase your odds for survival and live to tell the tale as a "war story". The earlier reviewer complained that the book does not tell you specifically which tree to use the bark of for cordage. COMMON SENSE says the trees available in the interior of Alaska differ from the ones you find in a Peruvian jungle or in equitorial Africa. But the idea of using the inside of the bark, stripping it out, and then applying common sense to TIE THE STRIPS TOGETHER is true. The book makes the assumption, like all survival books (and good survival instructors) that you use the materials at hand. You don't need to go looking for a northern birch tree in a forest in Thailand! But the trees there will work too. The book also makes the assumption that you will have the COMMON SENSE to know to tie the strips together, or weave them together to make a thicker rope. No treatment is necessary, so the book does not discuss it. As the strips naturally dry out, they will shrink and grow stronger, but the reader does not need to worry about that so the book does not cover it. Common Sense. Overall, this is a good book. I suspect that anyone who thinks it is only good for starting a fire with its pages has an axe to grind and is really not that knowledgeable. The techniques in the book work. Period. Some do require common sense to implement, along with patience (try catching a fish with $500 tackle from a sporting goods store when it is for fun, much less the ways described in the book when you are hungry and searching for lunch). But the techniques and advice in the book work, and the lessons in the book will allow you to meet your needs of survival which are at a minimum shelter, water, food, warmth, set up rescue fires/ground-to-air signaling for rescue aircraft, and in the worst case, how to navigate and walk yourself out of anywhere. Buy the full military version. With some of the more trendy and popular travel destinations people junket to these days, where the "rules of civilization and law" are not always enforced, and some folks become kidnapped for fun or ransome, the chapters in the military version on evasion and resistance could be useful.
Best of luck to any reader.
- A soldier
By A1AIF8ORLFYISL on 2006-02-25
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.
- All The Reviews Helpful
By on 2001-11-23
The Amazon.com reviews have all been most helpful, especially the 1 October one by "West Point" author Norman Thomas Remick. As such, when I read through "Survival", I feel I am obtaining education on Wilderness Medicine important enough for a United States Army doctor to have. I believe this is an essential book for everyone. Thank you.
- The best because...
By AAH9ZYG4BGVBO on 2003-06-10
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.
- Good, but the SAS Survival Guide is better
By A31PK8GRU941BY on 2007-01-27
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.
- We all have different ideas
By A3AYGXMH34R18Y on 2003-09-17
The information in a survival manual that makes it good or bad depends entirely on whether you've read the right one when the need hits. I went through the US Army Survival Training in 1963. The skills learned since then by the military are incorporated into this book. It isn't the be-all-end-all, but anyone who intends to read a single survival manual won't feel cheated by buying this one.
- Weapon X
By A3GVA4CM75WZP1 on 2005-03-30
As a US soldier this is the perfect book to hone up on your survival skills. As a civilian it may have some of the base facts, but some of the military "jargon" might confuse you. AS well as the enviroments depicted in the book. How many civilians are going to get lost in a hostile enviroment in the frist place. I highly recomend it for the military minded and experienced camper/hiker.
- One of my favorite books!
By on 2002-05-02
This is a great book! It has every little detail about survival. If you want a survival book, forget the Worst Case Survival Handbook which only has tips you'll probably never use in real life. This book gives you instruction on Desert, Tropical and Sea survival. From how to get water in the Sahara, to starting a fire, to confronting natives, If I fly in an airplane or go out to sea on a vacation, I'm bringing this book!
- I Carry a Copy of this Book in My Car
By A3CJBYR9PSXORU on 2005-10-28
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.
- A true disappointment.
By A1FB9LTNTZ5XLZ on 2006-06-11
This book is very disappointing. Poorly written and with weak descriptions leaves the inexperienced outdoorsmen with a false sense of security. Just because there happens to be a section on a particular skill does not translate into the ability of the reader to follow the lousy instructions to complete said skill. If anyone wants to learn survival skills they would be well suited to take a course and view first-hand the execution of the skills by an experienced practitioner of them. Purchase another book and let this one pass.
- An excellent resource for the woodsman
By A11JU33HMT5XPU on 2001-05-11
While the cover is plain, and the pictures are goofy, the content is A-class.While most of us will never need to worry about trapping animals with deadfall logs, it does have a lot of useful advice in it concerning basic first aid, preventing exposure, plant edibility, etc. For the outdoorsman, the hiker, hunter and such, this would definately be a wise choice to pick up. I have my copy in the glove box of my car.
- Outstanding
By A3ICTDGDPJUEHB on 2003-04-02
Having recently broken down just near Dagenham, I don't know what I would have done without this superb guide to practical survival. For a full two hours, as I waited for the RAC man to come, I was hiding in my lion-proof shelter while stalking the A406(S) for meercats to cosh and stew along with the edible grasses I had fried in improvised oil (let's not go there). All in all, an excellent book.
- Its a good survival book
By A2B2UAU2XCY6JY on 2002-07-15
Its a very good survival book, I recommend you to read this book with the help of some other well illustrated books, this one is well illustrated too but not perfect at all. I recommend it for outdoor enthusiast, and for boy scouts. I recommend to have other books at hands specially in the venomous animals and poisonous plants as well as edible plants, this because some plants are not listed, only few, as well as some dangerous animals.
- Great Book
By A2TRS9YVMHJCU0 on 2006-05-29
I have read many survival books, and ive noticed that sometimes they get way too involved on one topic, but this awesome book gets to the point and its easy to flip thourgh and find what you need quickly. This book touches survival from many aspects, dessert, rain forest, tundra, wooded forest, artic and other conditions. A great read, and nice to have if your going camping or to just but in your car just in case.
- Excellent Information and Presentation BUT Needs To Be Updated!
By AMJJBG3KY7BSG on 2007-07-01
This book is very interesting. I started out planning to give it a quick look and ended up reading it almost cover to cover. It contains a lot of very useful information; however, it has a 1970's copyright date and some of the information seems to be outdated. For instance, with respect to snake bites, it still recommends cutting the bite to suck out the venom and applying a tourniquet. Most authorities now indicate that these practices are not only no longer recommended but are actually now considered to be the cause of most of the serious injuries (at least from the venomous snakes in my area).
With a simple update to insure that all information reflects current knowledge, I would feel comfortable giving this book 5 stars and recommending it to everyone. That said, it is still chock full of valuable and potentially life saving information and at the price, it is still a good investment.
- Things every man needs to know!
By A396HLXTPHR8JK on 2001-04-13
I am in the JROTC Marine corps. and i own this book. This book is terrific on explaining things to the simple person, and it gives you the nowledge of what you need to know in certain situations. It is a very good book and i would recommend it to anyone that was serious in going into the Armed Forces, or just the average 'camper'.
- Ok, But...
By on 2002-12-27
I like this book and enjoyed reading it. However, I agree with a previous reviewer who recommended Greg Davenport's books (Wilderness Living and Wilderness Survival) in addition to or instead of the US Army Survival Manual. Davenport covers the same material but avoids all the military issues found in this manual.
- In Agreement with the Special Forces reviewer
By on 2001-11-02
I, too, have read many survival books and I tend to disagree with some of the reviewers of this one. This is not only an excellent book, but the best on topic. The Survival Escape & Evasion version is simply not applicable to the average camper or disaster survivor. This is all you need, and much more.
- This Manual is the Bomb
By A2D6FE6VC0B0AR on 2001-11-07
This is the first survival manual I have ever read. And I loved it. It covers all the bases. First aid, mentality, food and much more.
Camping is what I do. For sure I'll be readin' this book more than once.
- Good reference book for outdoors
By A3N6B34ELZ0S15 on 2001-12-11
This book will be more helpful if you are looking for wilderness survival tips than for urban survival tips (e.g. earthquake, flood etc). Not only is it detailed but also has helpful illustrations. If you are going camping I'd buy a copy to take with. It's small enough to tote and could come in very handy.
- Not very specific, not good
By on 2003-08-14
This is not a good survival manual. It doesn't explain some very basic and essentials well at all, people who gave this a good review are probably people with no experience. I recommend Mors Kochanski's books.
Has some good info about what to do if lost in the ocean but much of it can be found online.
- An excellent reference for outdoor living
By A2EV4250MPLXLK on 2006-01-24
While I don't consider myself a survivalist by any stretch, this book is an excellent reference for folks who do any degree of practical camping. By "practical camping", I mean the type of camping that has more variables than where to park the camper.
I have never been in a survival situation, but I've camped enough times know (and see) that the stuff hits the fan often enough to be prepared. This book is a great tool for giving you a general idea of how to react to certain situations. However, this volume is not an end-all be-all outdoor guide, as some of the information was questionable. The parts about water purification, fire making, and primitive fishing were interesting and informative, but some of the first aid suggestions (particularly snake bites, which can be easy to get in the bush) were a bit unsound. For that, I would suggest a book geared directly towards first aid, which was my solution.
All in all, however, I was pleased with this manual. It gives some interesting perspectives on how to improvise when you're in a tight spot. This book would be handy for anyone who spends time outdoors, even camper-dwellers. :-)
- If Your GPS Broke, Would You Be Able To Find Your Way?
By A3A26HQVP1WNMC on 2007-06-10
This manual is very extensive. Its range of topics include survival medicine, to creating emergency shelter in the field, to foretelling weather and how to find direction. It includes full color images of poisonous snakes and edible as well as poisonous plants to avoid.
While I haven't been in situations that tested virtually most of these methods, as many are geared toward survival in extreme circumstances, I always take this with me when I hike. I have, however, needed the info on tying knots, have used the pictures to identify snakes, and I often peruse the descriptions of first aid to keep familiar with it.
---*** THE BOTTOM LINE ***---
If you are someone who regularly spends time outdoors, even if it's just a dayhike or camping close to other people, you should really have this book that could help in many situations.
- Rambo's guide to make it in the woods
By AJWS4JE8CL76R on 2001-12-04
I just got this book as a gift, and I am ready to hit the woods. It is amazing that people have spent the time to analyze the scenarioes and presented options of survival. WOW. Good pick!
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