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The Survival Handbook
Survive anything life throws at you with the ultimate visual guide to camping, wilderness, and outdoor survival skills.
Written by Colin Towell, an ex-SAS Combat Survival Instructor, The Survival Handbook is bursting with survival tips, manual skills, camping essentials, and advice on how to survive whatever the great outdoors throws at you.
Combining proven, no-nonsense military survival skills with ingenious bushcraft techniques, specially commissioned illustrations and accessible step-by-step instructions show you how to survive in the wild. Learn how to read a map, how to light a fire, how to build a raft, and everything you need to know about wild foods and natural dangers.
Revel in inspirational real-life survival stories and be prepared for every outdoor situation. From survival basics, such as finding water and catching fish, to extreme situations including being adrift at sea or lost in the jungle, The Survival Handbook will steer you through life's toughest adventures in the world's harshest climates.
Whether you are preparing for a camping trip, or going farther afield, The Survival Handbook is a perfect guide to the great outdoors in a handy size to pack.
Written by Colin Towell, an ex-SAS Combat Survival Instructor, The Survival Handbook is bursting with survival tips, manual skills, camping essentials, and advice on how to survive whatever the great outdoors throws at you.
Combining proven, no-nonsense military survival skills with ingenious bushcraft techniques, specially commissioned illustrations and accessible step-by-step instructions show you how to survive in the wild. Learn how to read a map, how to light a fire, how to build a raft, and everything you need to know about wild foods and natural dangers.
Revel in inspirational real-life survival stories and be prepared for every outdoor situation. From survival basics, such as finding water and catching fish, to extreme situations including being adrift at sea or lost in the jungle, The Survival Handbook will steer you through life's toughest adventures in the world's harshest climates.
Whether you are preparing for a camping trip, or going farther afield, The Survival Handbook is a perfect guide to the great outdoors in a handy size to pack.
320 pages, Paperback
First published March 16, 2009
23 people are currently reading
472 people want to read
About the author
D.K. Publishing
9,125 books2,067 followersDorling Kindersley (DK) is a British multinational publishing company specializing in illustrated reference books for adults and children in 62 languages. It is part of Penguin Random House, a consumer publishing company jointly owned by Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA and Pearson PLC. Bertelsmann owns 53% of the company and Pearson owns 47%.
Established in 1974, DK publishes a range of titles in genres including travel (including Eyewitness Travel Guides), arts and crafts, business, history, cooking, gaming, gardening, health and fitness, natural history, parenting, science and reference. They also publish books for children, toddlers and babies, covering such topics as history, the human body, animals and activities, as well as licensed properties such as LEGO, Disney and DeLiSo, licensor of the toy Sophie la Girafe. DK has offices in New York, London, Munich, New Delhi, Toronto and Melbourne.
Source: Wikipedia.
Established in 1974, DK publishes a range of titles in genres including travel (including Eyewitness Travel Guides), arts and crafts, business, history, cooking, gaming, gardening, health and fitness, natural history, parenting, science and reference. They also publish books for children, toddlers and babies, covering such topics as history, the human body, animals and activities, as well as licensed properties such as LEGO, Disney and DeLiSo, licensor of the toy Sophie la Girafe. DK has offices in New York, London, Munich, New Delhi, Toronto and Melbourne.
Source: Wikipedia.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
September 9, 2015
What have I gotten myself into this time?!
I found this book linked in one of BookRiot's articles about books that can help you to survive the apocalypse (Did you know that there actually is a "Post-Apocalyptic Survival Month"? It's September!) and since I'm a fan of post-apocalyptic stuff, I hoped it would be as good as Max Brooks' The Zombie Survival Guide.
Well, it wasn't.
Don't get me wrong, this book wasn't bad either.
First things first: the book is meant to be taken seriously.
The author, a certain Colin Towell, is a former SAS officer (If you don't know what that is, don't bother reading further because then you're gonna be an appetizer for the zombies.) and teaches survival classes for the military as well as civilians. So there's that.
I actually like survival stuff because it's kind of making people re-connect with nature. I love hiking, I can bear camping (but only with the right people in the right place) and I simply like to KNOW STUFF and test myself.
Like how to make a water filter, how to tell the directions or the time without a compass / wrist watch, how to get out of quicksand. Thus, I already know a couple of things. And most of these things were in this book.
Sometimes it struck me as odd what kind of simple things were being made into quite huge chapters in this book (You need a water-proof jacket in the rain. - Sheesh, really?). *sigh*
There was also a lot about the difference between military and civilians which I thought was stupid because when the zombies come, it doesn't matter if you're wearing a uniform (unless the zombies have a thing for uniforms like me)! Anyway ...
The author explained different forms of clothing, what will be needed in which temperate zone and what your go-pack should be like (Don't know what a go-pack is? As I said before: you're gonna get eaten first. *snickers*). Veeeeery basic stuff.
Only after that came the actually kind of interesting chapters about building a shelter if you don't have any equipment from a store, what to do depending on what injury you sustained, what edible stuff can be found in nature, the classic how-to-tie-what-kind-of-knot-and-which-knot-should-be-used-for-what chapter. My favourite is the one on how to build a lodge (the small survival kind, not the one with the Jacuzzi) - but again, I already knew that.
What struck me as odd, annoying even, was the writing style. I mean, I have no idea what kind of people are out there, but shouldn't all people automatically know that for building a fire (even if you have a lighter) you need something that can actually burn (so, no pebbles)?! THAT'S the kind of tone the author sometimes had. As if the reader was an idiot.
Again, maybe he just wanted to start at the very beginning so any kind of dummy would understand, but it annoyed the living hell out of me. I guess it woud have been much more fun if it hadn't been about real-life accidents like plane crashes and how to get cell phone reception so you can call an ambulance but about zombies instead. *lol*
All in all, for beginners that seriously want and need to get information about how to behave in nature in case of problems, this isn't all that bad. Even if it doesn't mention any zombies.
P.S.: For the record - if the apocalypse comes, Germans will OWN IT simply because we're always packing for every occasion, which this authors claims to be key. HA!
I found this book linked in one of BookRiot's articles about books that can help you to survive the apocalypse (Did you know that there actually is a "Post-Apocalyptic Survival Month"? It's September!) and since I'm a fan of post-apocalyptic stuff, I hoped it would be as good as Max Brooks' The Zombie Survival Guide.
Well, it wasn't.
Don't get me wrong, this book wasn't bad either.
First things first: the book is meant to be taken seriously.
The author, a certain Colin Towell, is a former SAS officer (If you don't know what that is, don't bother reading further because then you're gonna be an appetizer for the zombies.) and teaches survival classes for the military as well as civilians. So there's that.
I actually like survival stuff because it's kind of making people re-connect with nature. I love hiking, I can bear camping (but only with the right people in the right place) and I simply like to KNOW STUFF and test myself.
Like how to make a water filter, how to tell the directions or the time without a compass / wrist watch, how to get out of quicksand. Thus, I already know a couple of things. And most of these things were in this book.
Sometimes it struck me as odd what kind of simple things were being made into quite huge chapters in this book (You need a water-proof jacket in the rain. - Sheesh, really?). *sigh*
There was also a lot about the difference between military and civilians which I thought was stupid because when the zombies come, it doesn't matter if you're wearing a uniform (unless the zombies have a thing for uniforms like me)! Anyway ...
The author explained different forms of clothing, what will be needed in which temperate zone and what your go-pack should be like (Don't know what a go-pack is? As I said before: you're gonna get eaten first. *snickers*). Veeeeery basic stuff.
Only after that came the actually kind of interesting chapters about building a shelter if you don't have any equipment from a store, what to do depending on what injury you sustained, what edible stuff can be found in nature, the classic how-to-tie-what-kind-of-knot-and-which-knot-should-be-used-for-what chapter. My favourite is the one on how to build a lodge (the small survival kind, not the one with the Jacuzzi) - but again, I already knew that.
What struck me as odd, annoying even, was the writing style. I mean, I have no idea what kind of people are out there, but shouldn't all people automatically know that for building a fire (even if you have a lighter) you need something that can actually burn (so, no pebbles)?! THAT'S the kind of tone the author sometimes had. As if the reader was an idiot.
Again, maybe he just wanted to start at the very beginning so any kind of dummy would understand, but it annoyed the living hell out of me. I guess it woud have been much more fun if it hadn't been about real-life accidents like plane crashes and how to get cell phone reception so you can call an ambulance but about zombies instead. *lol*
All in all, for beginners that seriously want and need to get information about how to behave in nature in case of problems, this isn't all that bad. Even if it doesn't mention any zombies.
P.S.: For the record - if the apocalypse comes, Germans will OWN IT simply because we're always packing for every occasion, which this authors claims to be key. HA!
February 5, 2018
Please note, this review refers to an ARC of “the Survival Handbook”
How do you take a simple sewing needle or razor blade and turn it into a compass? What’s a Char Cloth and how do you use it? Can you tie a Siberian hitch? These are some of skills you will learn from “The Survival Handbook”
This book provides a very brief overview of many skills that you might need when camping. Most of the chapters are very much geared towards the absolute beginner such as the chapters on gear selection, how to use the great, basics on map reading, etc. There are a few chapters that might be more suitable for someone who is more intermediate or advanced such as the chapter on knots.
Since the book is trying to cover so many things, it seems to only have time to go into each subject very briefly and not in the depth one would need assuming one were in a survival situation. This book might be best suitable for a beginner’s college-level “survival skills” course to satisfy a PE requirement. This would be a much more useful book if it was more focused and if there were more photos in the appendix in the sections regarding identification of potential food.
Perhaps I am biased, but when I camp, I often bring survival information with me just in case something comes up. This book is far too large to place in a backpack when one needs to carry around other necessities. I will say however, that the appearance of the book is very attractive which further suggests that it is unlikely designed for individuals on the trail.
To be quite honest, if you are going camping, you might be better off bringing separate specialised books. They would be more effective and would probably consume less space
How do you take a simple sewing needle or razor blade and turn it into a compass? What’s a Char Cloth and how do you use it? Can you tie a Siberian hitch? These are some of skills you will learn from “The Survival Handbook”
This book provides a very brief overview of many skills that you might need when camping. Most of the chapters are very much geared towards the absolute beginner such as the chapters on gear selection, how to use the great, basics on map reading, etc. There are a few chapters that might be more suitable for someone who is more intermediate or advanced such as the chapter on knots.
Since the book is trying to cover so many things, it seems to only have time to go into each subject very briefly and not in the depth one would need assuming one were in a survival situation. This book might be best suitable for a beginner’s college-level “survival skills” course to satisfy a PE requirement. This would be a much more useful book if it was more focused and if there were more photos in the appendix in the sections regarding identification of potential food.
Perhaps I am biased, but when I camp, I often bring survival information with me just in case something comes up. This book is far too large to place in a backpack when one needs to carry around other necessities. I will say however, that the appearance of the book is very attractive which further suggests that it is unlikely designed for individuals on the trail.
To be quite honest, if you are going camping, you might be better off bringing separate specialised books. They would be more effective and would probably consume less space
April 22, 2009
I am an indoor girl. Sure, I enjoy watching Survivorman with my sons, but I like civilization. I hope I never have to use much of the information that is in The Survival Handbook, but if I need it, the book is likely to be a great help. I particularly like the instructions for finding and preparing water and food and the first aid section.
Because of my lack of expertise in surviving without four walls and indoor plumbing, I asked my husband to take a look at the book. He is an avid hiker, backpacker, and sleep-in-the-woods kind of guy. I was lucky to get the book back. He spent two straight evenings going through page by page, and at the end pronounced the book "very useful."
He liked the variety of information presented. He and I both liked the illustrations, always a strength of DK books. I miss the classic DK look with photos and clean crisp type, but that is just a stylistic preference and doesn't affect the effectiveness of the book.
Lots of good information. Clearly presented. This book is a keeper, even for an indoor girl like me.
Because of my lack of expertise in surviving without four walls and indoor plumbing, I asked my husband to take a look at the book. He is an avid hiker, backpacker, and sleep-in-the-woods kind of guy. I was lucky to get the book back. He spent two straight evenings going through page by page, and at the end pronounced the book "very useful."
He liked the variety of information presented. He and I both liked the illustrations, always a strength of DK books. I miss the classic DK look with photos and clean crisp type, but that is just a stylistic preference and doesn't affect the effectiveness of the book.
Lots of good information. Clearly presented. This book is a keeper, even for an indoor girl like me.
March 11, 2010
Totally fascinating. So perfect for my book research. Encyclopedic, fully and helpfully illustrated. Even though I would probably give myself a brain aneurysm from frustration trying to do any of the stuff--i'm an inside boy--I can now pretend I'm taking down game with my handmade lashed-and-notched throwing star, sipping water from my solar still, tending my underground fire, and checking my squirrel snares. Also, now I know that it all boils down to parachute cord, a knife, and a poncho. The three keys to life.
June 13, 2021
In complete contrast to "Woman's Guide to the Wild", this one is obviously for men only! There are no chapters/sections that address women specific needs; none of the illustrations show a woman doing any of the outdoorsy things. While full of very helpful info, the absolute omission of women is quite offensive.
September 21, 2021
Great tidbits for those that don't know anything! Good Luck out there! :0)
ps/I own & read the most recent version/edition.
ps/I own & read the most recent version/edition.
February 24, 2017
This may be the best survival related handbook around, it contains a lot of the material that exists inside the US Army manuals, it's almost like a civilian version of those books. You can learn a TON of stuff by simply shuffling around in this book, a definite must-have if you care about survival information and quick solutions to not-so-everyday problems
April 5, 2016
I have read a number of these books (and have camped, and have taken a few survival skills courses, and have dragged one survival handbook around with me for years, practicing various skills whenever the mood struck me). This is a good one, not perfect, but a solid 4.5 stars. It offers lots of good information and enough detail that you could actually accomplish something by following its directions.
He (or they?--authorship is difficult to determine) talk about survival in temperate, icy, jungle, and desert environments, and at sea. As with all books that talk about every aspect of survival, this one skimps on the details from time to time, but it's impossible to fit every possible instruction into a single book, so it's a forgivable weakness. And almost no book does a great job of explaining cordage-making. (Go hunt for youtube videos or an IRL teacher for that, and practice the skill around home, when you're dry, warm, safe, and don't need it to survive.)
It is not the book to stick in your backpack, however, because it weighs literally pounds. It's softcover but it must be four pounds, and no backpacking trip can afford that much extra weight. I haven't looked for or at the Kindle edition, but it's the sort of much-illustrated book that I've found doesn't translate to ebook well. You could read a section, choose a skill to practice, take some shots of pages on your camera phone or photocopy them, and wander out into the woods or dunes and work on it for a weekend.
He (or they?--authorship is difficult to determine) talk about survival in temperate, icy, jungle, and desert environments, and at sea. As with all books that talk about every aspect of survival, this one skimps on the details from time to time, but it's impossible to fit every possible instruction into a single book, so it's a forgivable weakness. And almost no book does a great job of explaining cordage-making. (Go hunt for youtube videos or an IRL teacher for that, and practice the skill around home, when you're dry, warm, safe, and don't need it to survive.)
It is not the book to stick in your backpack, however, because it weighs literally pounds. It's softcover but it must be four pounds, and no backpacking trip can afford that much extra weight. I haven't looked for or at the Kindle edition, but it's the sort of much-illustrated book that I've found doesn't translate to ebook well. You could read a section, choose a skill to practice, take some shots of pages on your camera phone or photocopy them, and wander out into the woods or dunes and work on it for a weekend.
October 22, 2016
Have you ever needed to make a fire in an emergency situation? Well if you need to know this and tips about surviving The Survival Handbook by Colin Towells is a great book for you. The author Colin Towell puts many examples of extreme survival situations and what they did to live.
The Survival Handbook is a book on how to survive in an extreme survival situation or not. If you are going to be going camping or actually surviving than i would recommend this book.The genre of The Survival handbook is Non-Fiction. I would recommend this book to any age, male or female, especially if your into survival type things. Such what plants you can eat, how to get freshwater etc. The author Colin towells is very good survivalist his self, knowing this is very good because you know that what he puts in the book will be good. Also the author uses all of realistic dialogue because this is a non-fiction book so it will be true and factual. Last in the book he uses a lot of real incidents with people actually getting into these real survival situations and how they got out of them and survived. In the end I hope you liked this book review and it helped you decide if you would want to check out this book out.
The Survival Handbook is a book on how to survive in an extreme survival situation or not. If you are going to be going camping or actually surviving than i would recommend this book.The genre of The Survival handbook is Non-Fiction. I would recommend this book to any age, male or female, especially if your into survival type things. Such what plants you can eat, how to get freshwater etc. The author Colin towells is very good survivalist his self, knowing this is very good because you know that what he puts in the book will be good. Also the author uses all of realistic dialogue because this is a non-fiction book so it will be true and factual. Last in the book he uses a lot of real incidents with people actually getting into these real survival situations and how they got out of them and survived. In the end I hope you liked this book review and it helped you decide if you would want to check out this book out.
July 12, 2015
From planning an expedition, to packing essential kits, to discovering what to do on a trail, The Survival Handbook is an invaluable tool when you're in the great outdoors.
Among a myriad of outdoor skills, it teaches readers how to make shelters, find water, and spot, catch, and cook wild food. And if there's an emergency, it shows which essential first-aid techniques to use when, how to mount a rescue, and even how to get yourself found. Now in Paperback!
**
ReviewThis is another excellent product from DK Publishing of New York, a company known for spectacular presentations in its quality books (great graphics and how-to color illustrations), and for the qualifications of its authors. --Sacramento Bee
May 23, 2016
* I actually read this book twice. There's a lot to absorb on the first go-around!
* Written by a military tactical survivalist, this book is anything except dull. Well written, well illustrated, and covers what you need to know in different types of environments--from the desert to the arctic to the sea.
* Highly recommended, even if you're just going for a weekend camping trip (or will be the next contender on one of those reality shows...)
* Written by a military tactical survivalist, this book is anything except dull. Well written, well illustrated, and covers what you need to know in different types of environments--from the desert to the arctic to the sea.
* Highly recommended, even if you're just going for a weekend camping trip (or will be the next contender on one of those reality shows...)
January 5, 2018
It is a starter book for wild life but it has sufficient information about wild life, geography and camping techniques. Some chapters (climbing and first aid) are very poor in terms of content. On the other hand, "top picks" in the chapters and illustrations are very satisfied to me. I read the book in a night, it is reader-friendly and attractive. I recommend to people who wants to join natural adventures of our World. Overall, it is worth to read!
January 17, 2011
I enjoyed The Survival Handbook very much. It easy easy for a lay person to read and give practical advice and ideas. The adivce and how-tos address issues that may arise with anyone in an outdoor hiking or camping situtaion. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves the outdoors and spends a fair amount of time exploring out great outdoors.
May 25, 2011
Could easily be a volume from an encyclopedia. Nice illustrations and explainations, but super dense. I think this is best used on an "as needed" basis or a pick-em-up book....I can't imagine someone reading the book in one sitting.
October 17, 2011
Learned an interesting way to kill and gut a bird without a knife. Wow. It's a good reference book but I hope to only use the info I learned in my writing - not real life! There's a reason I was never a boy scout (in addition to not being a boy).
August 30, 2010
still reading
July 13, 2013
AWESOME! Very inspiring.
August 25, 2013
Some good information. Much of it I remember from Army training manuals.
June 4, 2014
TELLS ME EVERYTHING ABOUT WILDERNESS SUVIVAL. This is the book you should go to in need of some survival advice
August 11, 2014
A very good reference for a variety of outdoor scenarios.
April 29, 2015
Great book for upper high school...not an elementary read.
December 20, 2016
A good read on how to survive outside in most situations.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews