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The Essential Max Brooks: World War Z and The Zombie Survival Guide
World War Z
“The end was near.” —Voices from the Zombie War
The Zombie War came unthinkably close to eradicating humanity. Max Brooks, driven by the urgency of preserving the acid-etched first-hand experiences of the survivors from those apocalyptic years, traveled across the United States of America and throughout the world, from decimated cities that once teemed with upwards of thirty million souls to the most remote and inhospitable areas of the planet. He recorded the testimony of men, women, and sometimes children who came face-to-face with the living, or at least the undead, hell of that dreadful time. World War Z is the result. Never before have we had access to a document that so powerfully conveys the depth of fear and horror, and also the ineradicable spirit of resistance, that gripped human society through the plague years.
Ranging from the now infamous village of New Dachang in the United Federation of China, where the epidemiological trail began with the twelve-year-old Patient Zero, to the unnamed northern forests where untold numbers sought a terrible and temporary refuge in the cold, to the United States of Southern Africa, where the Redeker Plan provided hope for humanity at an unspeakable price, to the west-of-the-Rockies redoubt where the North American tide finally started to turn, this invaluable chronicle reflects the full scope and duration of the Zombie War.
Most of all, the book captures with haunting immediacy the human dimension of this epochal event. Facing the often raw and vivid nature of these personal accounts requires a degree of courage on the part of the reader, but the effort is invaluable because, as Mr. Brooks says in his introduction, “By excluding the human factor, aren’t we risking the kind of personal detachment from history that may, heaven forbid, lead us one day to repeat it? And in the end, isn’t the human factor the only true difference between us and the enemy we now refer to as ‘the living dead’?”
Note: Some of the numerical and factual material contained in this edition was previously published under the auspices of the United Nations Postwar Commission.
Eyewitness reports from the first truly global war
“I found ‘Patient Zero’ behind the locked door of an abandoned apartment across town. . . . His wrists and feet were bound with plastic packing twine. Although he’d rubbed off the skin around his bonds, there was no blood. There was also no blood on his other wounds. . . . He was writhing like an animal; a gag muffled his growls. At first the villagers tried to hold me back. They warned me not to touch him, that he was ‘cursed.’ I shrugged them off and reached for my mask and gloves. The boy’s skin was . . . cold and gray . . . I could find neither his heartbeat nor his pulse.” —Dr. Kwang Jingshu, Greater Chongqing, United Federation of China
“‘Shock and Awe’? Perfect name. . . . But what if the enemy can’t be shocked and awed? Not just won’t, but biologically can’t! That’s what happened that day outside New York City, that’s the failure that almost lost us the whole damn war. The fact that we couldn’t shock and awe Zack boomeranged right back in our faces and actually allowed Zack to shock and awe us! They’re not afraid! No matter what we do, no matter how many we kill, they will never, ever be afraid!” —Todd Wainio, former U.S. Army infantryman and veteran of the Battle of Yonkers
“Two hundred million zombies. Who can even visualize that type of number, let alone combat it? . . . For the first time in history, we faced an enemy that was actively waging total war. They had no limits of endurance. They would never negotiate, never surrender. They would fight until the very end because, unlike us, every single one of them, every second of every day, was devoted to consuming all life on Earth.” —General Travis D’Ambrosia, Supreme Allied Commander, Europe
The Zombie Survival Guide
The Zombie Survival Guide is your key to survival against the hordes of undead who may be stalking you right now. Fully illustrated and exhaustively comprehensive, this book covers everything you need to know, including how to understand zombie physiology and behavior, the most effective defense tactics and weaponry, ways to outfit your home for a long siege, and how to survive and adapt in any territory or terrain.
Top 10 Lessons for Surviving a Zombie Attack
1. Organize before they rise!
2. They feel no fear, why should you?
3. Use your head: cut off theirs.
4. Blades don’t need reloading.
5. Ideal protection = tight clothes, short hair.
6. Get up the staircase, then destroy it.
7. Get out of the car, get onto the bike.
8...
“The end was near.” —Voices from the Zombie War
The Zombie War came unthinkably close to eradicating humanity. Max Brooks, driven by the urgency of preserving the acid-etched first-hand experiences of the survivors from those apocalyptic years, traveled across the United States of America and throughout the world, from decimated cities that once teemed with upwards of thirty million souls to the most remote and inhospitable areas of the planet. He recorded the testimony of men, women, and sometimes children who came face-to-face with the living, or at least the undead, hell of that dreadful time. World War Z is the result. Never before have we had access to a document that so powerfully conveys the depth of fear and horror, and also the ineradicable spirit of resistance, that gripped human society through the plague years.
Ranging from the now infamous village of New Dachang in the United Federation of China, where the epidemiological trail began with the twelve-year-old Patient Zero, to the unnamed northern forests where untold numbers sought a terrible and temporary refuge in the cold, to the United States of Southern Africa, where the Redeker Plan provided hope for humanity at an unspeakable price, to the west-of-the-Rockies redoubt where the North American tide finally started to turn, this invaluable chronicle reflects the full scope and duration of the Zombie War.
Most of all, the book captures with haunting immediacy the human dimension of this epochal event. Facing the often raw and vivid nature of these personal accounts requires a degree of courage on the part of the reader, but the effort is invaluable because, as Mr. Brooks says in his introduction, “By excluding the human factor, aren’t we risking the kind of personal detachment from history that may, heaven forbid, lead us one day to repeat it? And in the end, isn’t the human factor the only true difference between us and the enemy we now refer to as ‘the living dead’?”
Note: Some of the numerical and factual material contained in this edition was previously published under the auspices of the United Nations Postwar Commission.
Eyewitness reports from the first truly global war
“I found ‘Patient Zero’ behind the locked door of an abandoned apartment across town. . . . His wrists and feet were bound with plastic packing twine. Although he’d rubbed off the skin around his bonds, there was no blood. There was also no blood on his other wounds. . . . He was writhing like an animal; a gag muffled his growls. At first the villagers tried to hold me back. They warned me not to touch him, that he was ‘cursed.’ I shrugged them off and reached for my mask and gloves. The boy’s skin was . . . cold and gray . . . I could find neither his heartbeat nor his pulse.” —Dr. Kwang Jingshu, Greater Chongqing, United Federation of China
“‘Shock and Awe’? Perfect name. . . . But what if the enemy can’t be shocked and awed? Not just won’t, but biologically can’t! That’s what happened that day outside New York City, that’s the failure that almost lost us the whole damn war. The fact that we couldn’t shock and awe Zack boomeranged right back in our faces and actually allowed Zack to shock and awe us! They’re not afraid! No matter what we do, no matter how many we kill, they will never, ever be afraid!” —Todd Wainio, former U.S. Army infantryman and veteran of the Battle of Yonkers
“Two hundred million zombies. Who can even visualize that type of number, let alone combat it? . . . For the first time in history, we faced an enemy that was actively waging total war. They had no limits of endurance. They would never negotiate, never surrender. They would fight until the very end because, unlike us, every single one of them, every second of every day, was devoted to consuming all life on Earth.” —General Travis D’Ambrosia, Supreme Allied Commander, Europe
The Zombie Survival Guide
The Zombie Survival Guide is your key to survival against the hordes of undead who may be stalking you right now. Fully illustrated and exhaustively comprehensive, this book covers everything you need to know, including how to understand zombie physiology and behavior, the most effective defense tactics and weaponry, ways to outfit your home for a long siege, and how to survive and adapt in any territory or terrain.
Top 10 Lessons for Surviving a Zombie Attack
1. Organize before they rise!
2. They feel no fear, why should you?
3. Use your head: cut off theirs.
4. Blades don’t need reloading.
5. Ideal protection = tight clothes, short hair.
6. Get up the staircase, then destroy it.
7. Get out of the car, get onto the bike.
8...
Audio
First published September 1, 2006
68 people are currently reading
1282 people want to read
About the author
Max Brooks
102 books7,697 followersMax Brooks is The New York Times bestselling author of The Zombie Survival Guide and World War Z. He has been called ”the Studs Terkel of zombie journalism.“
Brooks is the son of director Mel Brooks and the late actress Anne Bancroft. He is a 1994 graduate of Pitzer College. His wife, Michelle, is a screenwriter, and the couple have a son, Henry.
Brooks is the son of director Mel Brooks and the late actress Anne Bancroft. He is a 1994 graduate of Pitzer College. His wife, Michelle, is a screenwriter, and the couple have a son, Henry.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
July 5, 2013
This book is really a character study, of people, societies and how government behaves. It utilizes the zombie doomsday threat, but any threat-a virus, space aliens, marauding apes- could be substituted for the impossible plot of zombies taking over the world. It's entertaining and serious, but tongue in cheek as well. Great concept, great book.
July 7, 2013
This was definitely not my type of book in the end. I like action, but the mass repetitiveness of this dang book had me reeling. I would rather have been eaten by a zombie than to read a cliche novel about (somewhere, on the earth) a mysterious plague is here. Woah! they're super grotesque and are feasting on human flesh?! I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF THAT Max Brooks, that is just so original of you! >_> Really though. I didn't like it and kept picking it up, I even decided to listen to a good 2/4 of the book but no narrator can change my overall boredom and dissapointment in this book. I think this one falls under the category: the movie was better. (Still haven't seen it though...)
August 3, 2013
I recommend to the zombie fan and they survivalist. Entertaining and thought provoking to say the least. I spent the next few days assessing my house and neighborhood for vulnerabilities and possible escape routes,lol. I suggest you read The Zombie Survival Guide first, then transition to World War Z right away. You will see the connection. Also, World War Z is nothing like the movie currently in theaters. I saw the movie first, and actually enjoyed the book more.
June 26, 2025
What this book does right it does RIGHT. The only complaint from me is pacing and the way it wraps just feels bizarre. Def recommend
August 19, 2013
World War Z net uitgelezen. Zo! Wat een goed boek. Dat een verhaal dat bestaat uit heel veel verschillende interviews, tien jaar na de oorlog, zo sterk en zelfs emotioneel rakend kan zijn, echt heel goed gedaan. Alle aspecten (op misschien één na) van de Zombie apocalyps zijn uitgedacht en tot het uiterste doorgevoerd: een perfect voorbeeld van interne logica (één van de cruciale elementen van worldbuilding en een goed (genre) verhaal) en de uitwerking daarvan. Absoluut een aanrader, niet alleen als leeservaring, maar ook als 'studieboek' voor schrijvers.
The Zombie Survival Guide heb ik niet helemaal gelezen, maar meer als naslagwerk en bladerboek doorgenomen. Ook erg goed bedacht, uitgevoerd en geschreven. Zeker een leuke toevoeging aan WW Z.
Ik hield totaal niet van het 'zombiesubgenre', maar dit boek (in combinatie met de Zombies, run! app (hardlopen is niet saai meer als overal zombies op kunnen duiken om je geren te motiveren) en deze geweldige korte film: http://youtu.be/gryenlQKTbE) heeft dat echt veranderd. Althans, voor deze uitvoering ervan.
The Zombie Survival Guide heb ik niet helemaal gelezen, maar meer als naslagwerk en bladerboek doorgenomen. Ook erg goed bedacht, uitgevoerd en geschreven. Zeker een leuke toevoeging aan WW Z.
Ik hield totaal niet van het 'zombiesubgenre', maar dit boek (in combinatie met de Zombies, run! app (hardlopen is niet saai meer als overal zombies op kunnen duiken om je geren te motiveren) en deze geweldige korte film: http://youtu.be/gryenlQKTbE) heeft dat echt veranderd. Althans, voor deze uitvoering ervan.
May 19, 2013
I really liked this book; definitely a fun, interesting read. I thought that the book was very well-researched and serious for something so "impossible." I especially appreciated a worldwide perspective, and I think this book offers very good social commentary for a lot of topics--pretty deep in some respects. I recommend-I heard the audio version because I'm not sure I would have read through that many pages about this "topic."
September 18, 2012
The ulitmate in zombie books. The guide describes how to survive and dispatch a zombie apocalypse. World war Z takes you around the world to witness a near future global outbreak many years later through the eyes of survivors.
January 25, 2013
Listened to this one on Audible and loved it. The story unfolds like a documentary and each performance was superb. I found myself asking questions about zombies that I would have never thought to ask.
May 21, 2013
I NEVER read books like this and really only read it because my SO begged me to. I hate zombies and am not really a fan of the genre. Outside of that, the book was alright. I feel like I would've enjoyed it more if I liked this kind of genre
August 17, 2013
it was a good read. After seeing the previews for the movie I know it won't be nothing like the book because how the book was written. I liked how wrote it to seem like interviews.
April 2, 2024
Definitely not my kind of book. There were about 50 different points of view which made It insanely confusing. It was incredibly boring sometimes and honestly most chapters I was just waiting for it to be over. It’s nothing like the movie which is fine but this is one of the few times where the movie is much much better than the book. Some of the stories were really exciting however, I wish that they maybe stuck to like 10 different points of view and focused on their stories instead of just a few pages of a TON of different people.
December 6, 2017
I highly recommend the audio version from 2013. Amazing cast.
Leaving the undead apart, this is one of the most plausible and cohesive scenarios for a worldwide crisis caused by a pandemic I've read so far.
Leaving the undead apart, this is one of the most plausible and cohesive scenarios for a worldwide crisis caused by a pandemic I've read so far.
January 2, 2022
Super cool to see the idea of a zombie apocalypse addressed from a clinical perspective in which the actual response from nations is considered.
Refreshing after consuming stuff like The Walking Dead and I Am Legend.
Refreshing after consuming stuff like The Walking Dead and I Am Legend.
September 2, 2024
I couldn't finish it because it was the same plot of [insert country name here] was overran by zombies! People are dying! Womp womp [Next country name here] & repeat. I love zombie horror, but this had no point.
March 5, 2020
I was expecting this to be like the movie with Brad Pitt but it’s more like a documentary switching between Nations. Not my cup of tea. Boring.
February 13, 2022
Not even remotely about the movie. This book is a collection of media ( newspaper articles, Air Force reports, interviews) with no main character or over arching storyline. It’s brilliant.
July 31, 2024
DNF - hated how it was written, couldn’t get into it.
Want to read
February 21, 2025World War Z by Max Brooks
July 8, 2025
this was a unique way of writing zombie books and i love it. its ans the qns of what happens to the rest of the world that some books brush aside
October 2, 2024
I 100% could survive a zombie apocalypse.
April 12, 2019
World war Z adoré. Le guide c'était bien mais long par moment. J'ai particulièrement aimé la section du guide sur les épidémies recensées.
October 1, 2014
Number one of ten... Organize before they rise. Max Brooks World war z survival guide discussed many ways and tactics the reader could use in order to potentially survive the zombie apocalypse. Personally I enjoyed reading this book and found the knowledge within the book to be very helpful, and addressed many key points about how to survive.
This book was written to teach the audience the basic guidelines for a means of survival in the case of a zombie invasion, with the theme mainly being: always be alert, and be prepared. The author gives a great description on basically everything in the book from weapons you should use to what might be the best place to hold up, what is the best way to stay safe, and the second book world war z is even a reference for the survival guide. He provides some pictures to illustrate the imagery on the items and places in the book. The character in this book is you and what you plan to do when doomsday comes around. This book is to help you plan what to do and survive. The author gives a few examples of all the terrains you can stay on and whether they will benefit or destroy your chances in this post apocalyptic world. some of these places go form fields to hills, mountains, forests, snow, dessert, even places like prisons and oil rigs out in the ocean. I enjoyed this book because it allowed me to think about a possible zombie apocalypse, and before if you asked me "what would you do in a zombie apocalypse..." I would have no clue where to start thanks to this book i now have a plan.
If you ask me this book was enjoyable. However i gave it three stars because the book held some opinions that i disagree with but it is great to hear two sides to a story. It allows you to make a decision of your own that could possibly be better. All in all this has been a insight to new knowledge and i will definatly be reading this book again.
This book was written to teach the audience the basic guidelines for a means of survival in the case of a zombie invasion, with the theme mainly being: always be alert, and be prepared. The author gives a great description on basically everything in the book from weapons you should use to what might be the best place to hold up, what is the best way to stay safe, and the second book world war z is even a reference for the survival guide. He provides some pictures to illustrate the imagery on the items and places in the book. The character in this book is you and what you plan to do when doomsday comes around. This book is to help you plan what to do and survive. The author gives a few examples of all the terrains you can stay on and whether they will benefit or destroy your chances in this post apocalyptic world. some of these places go form fields to hills, mountains, forests, snow, dessert, even places like prisons and oil rigs out in the ocean. I enjoyed this book because it allowed me to think about a possible zombie apocalypse, and before if you asked me "what would you do in a zombie apocalypse..." I would have no clue where to start thanks to this book i now have a plan.
If you ask me this book was enjoyable. However i gave it three stars because the book held some opinions that i disagree with but it is great to hear two sides to a story. It allows you to make a decision of your own that could possibly be better. All in all this has been a insight to new knowledge and i will definatly be reading this book again.
May 20, 2014
World War Z:
I am a little embarrassed to admit that I actually liked this book. Although I do like a good sci-fi novel now and then, I have never been much of a "zombie" fan. However, I found this book and it's post-apocalyptic viewpoint gave me a lot to think about. Government, disease transmission, world history, wilderness survival, our dependence on technology and "comforts", living in a digital world, having a physical skillset... All things that are very relevant in today's age. After all was said and done, humanity rose victorious over an impossible obstacle. I liked hearing so many different voices and viewpoints, it kept my attention and made me want to keep reading. All in all, I thought it was a great book, despite the inherent silliness of "zombies".
Zombie Survival Guide:
This was a little too much for me. After skimming the first half of the book, I couldn't bring myself to finish. It was a good companion to World War Z, but Brooks just took it a little too far for me in this book. It's too much work for me to read in-depth instructions on which weapon is most effective in fighting a zombie in every conceivable situation, knowing I have no real use for this information. Unless you actually believe you will be fighting a zombie horde someday, I wouldn't recommend it. There isn't much entertainment value here.
I am a little embarrassed to admit that I actually liked this book. Although I do like a good sci-fi novel now and then, I have never been much of a "zombie" fan. However, I found this book and it's post-apocalyptic viewpoint gave me a lot to think about. Government, disease transmission, world history, wilderness survival, our dependence on technology and "comforts", living in a digital world, having a physical skillset... All things that are very relevant in today's age. After all was said and done, humanity rose victorious over an impossible obstacle. I liked hearing so many different voices and viewpoints, it kept my attention and made me want to keep reading. All in all, I thought it was a great book, despite the inherent silliness of "zombies".
Zombie Survival Guide:
This was a little too much for me. After skimming the first half of the book, I couldn't bring myself to finish. It was a good companion to World War Z, but Brooks just took it a little too far for me in this book. It's too much work for me to read in-depth instructions on which weapon is most effective in fighting a zombie in every conceivable situation, knowing I have no real use for this information. Unless you actually believe you will be fighting a zombie horde someday, I wouldn't recommend it. There isn't much entertainment value here.
June 28, 2014
World War Z is not your typical zombie apocalypse tale but rather a book that focuses more on the political, military & social factors aftermath of zombie outbreak (I realize this review sounds ridiculous but it is a zombie book so merits a ridiculous sounding review). The narrator is a United Nations staff member who is writing a report on the human factors surrounding the zombie outbreak. The story is told from personal interviews of a range of characters including politicians, military men/women, doctors, journalists, etc. Each account is fairly short but in conjunction they serve to paint a picture of the progression of the disease and how it was eventually eradicated.
I liked this book. While no literary masterpiece, it was entertaining and a quick read. Personal anecdotes are fairly short so you never really develop any attachment to individuals but it gives you a good overview of the events surrounding World War Z and some scary stuff that seems pretty realistic regarding how governments and individuals might respond to a global epidemic that kills millions (e.g., if you take out the zombie element, some realistic response scenarios).
I liked this book. While no literary masterpiece, it was entertaining and a quick read. Personal anecdotes are fairly short so you never really develop any attachment to individuals but it gives you a good overview of the events surrounding World War Z and some scary stuff that seems pretty realistic regarding how governments and individuals might respond to a global epidemic that kills millions (e.g., if you take out the zombie element, some realistic response scenarios).
May 6, 2013
I really enjoyed both books very much. Max Brooks clearly did his research and the scenarios were absolutely realistic...with the exception of the existence zombies, of course. Frankly, I do find zombies pretty terrifying as their relentless pursuit of eating and difficulty in dispatching is the stuff of nightmares ever since I saw Night of the Living Dead at the tender and impressionable age of eight. Vampires? Benign during daylight hours. Werewolves? Avoid going out during the full moon. Mummies? Stay out of tombs and you won't piss off the pharaohs. But a zombie? Yeah, good luck with that... Keep your noise level down and your machete sharp!
Now, I know that the movie is coming out June 2013 and I totally understand that it will have very little to do with the book. Yes, I'll see the movie and, yes, I'm looking forward to it, but I am treating the movie as a separate entity from the book and thus have little to no expectation that it will mirror the story line of Brook's original.
Now, I know that the movie is coming out June 2013 and I totally understand that it will have very little to do with the book. Yes, I'll see the movie and, yes, I'm looking forward to it, but I am treating the movie as a separate entity from the book and thus have little to no expectation that it will mirror the story line of Brook's original.
September 25, 2013
I think this book is great for people who think zombies will eventually will start rising from the graves. This book will tell you how to survive a zombie apocalypse, if it ever happens. But if i does happen you will be prepared.:)This book will tell you over 100 ways and tips to survive a zombie apocalypse. It will tell you from what to wear in a zombie uprising, all the way to the best places and worst places to be during a zombie apocalypse. I would give this book 3 stars because it will help you survive a zombie uprising. But the chances of a actual zombie apocalypse happening it probably wont happen.
January 16, 2012
The Zombie Survival Guide would literally do you a great service in any natural disaster or wartime invasion. It covers the basics of survival and combat - with the premise being, of course, that you are doing all this in order to survive the cold, dead appetites of the living dead. It wouldn't be a bad idea to have the book around. You know. Just....in....case........
June 17, 2013
I wish there was a picture but, this boxed set is really nice. I had every intention of just getting WWZ from the library, but when I saw this set on the shelf, I had to buy it. I'm glad I did too. I think these editions are done really well, the illustrations on the box are super cool and so far I'm a huge fan of both books!
October 4, 2013
Great story told after-the-fact as if through taped interviews from different people all around the world who had to deal with zombies. From commoner to war hero. Some eerie parts, some scary, all fascinating. Having to deal with underwater zombies was the worst part, I think. Though the catacombs of Paris would be scary as hell, too!
December 3, 2015
This is a must read for anyone who loves the zombie genre. FYI, nothing like the dumb movie. The story is so very immersive that at times I had to look around to remember where I was. The barking of dogs made me jump and I couldn't go out side after dark while reading it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews