The Official Boy Scout Handbook

by William Hillcourt, Norman Rockwell (Illustrator)

"Thumb Index to Major Advancement, Camping, Citizenship, Communications, Community, Cooking, Family, First Aid, Hiking, Nature, Scouting. Axmanship, Backpacking, Birds, Camping, Citizenship, Cooking, Edible Wild Plants, Fire Building, First aid, Fish, Flags, Flowers, Hiking, Insects, Knot Tying, Lashings, Mammals, Map and Compass, Measurement, Morse Code, Reptiles, Semaphore, Sign Language, Silent signals, Stalking, Stars, Swimming, Tracking and Trailing, Trees, Weather"

Genres: Reference, Survival, Nonfiction, Outdoors, Field Guides, Self Help

576 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1911

Reviews

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember my big brother having this book back in the early 80's, didn't know what happened to it. but it made its way back to me. a guy I went to school with brought it to me this evening he is our magistrate and works for the electric company. THIS IS THE BEST THING THAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED TO ME TODAY. I WILL TREASURE THIS BOOK ALWAYS.

[Ben Kintisch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don't leave home without it.

Lot's of good information. Try to ignore the homophobia, christian paramilitarism, and embrace the outdoor fun with your troop!

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of practical stuff and good values.

[Scott]

As a tweenage scout with an absentee scoutmaster, I grew up with this book doing self-study. I don’t know about previous or subsequent revisions, but this one was very useful for basic first-aid, wildlife conservation, and knot tying.

[Byron Despres-Berry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Long ago I was a scout...

[Stan Blackburn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful trip down memory lane. This was the exact book I used as a Boy Scout in the 80s.

[Jason Burghart · Rating 5 out of 5]

I decided to read this cover to cover as an adult, after my son accomplished his Eagle Scout in Nov of 2024. so proud of him, Still chock full of great stuff. this was my copy from the 1980s.

[Mgarriott Garriott · Rating 5 out of 5]

This should be required reading for any boy who wants to make something of himself. In addition to the obvious instructions on how to survive in the wilderness, it also includes instructions how to be a good citizen, the value of work and service and the proper way to sharpen a knife. It is also a good reference book to have around the house.

[Chad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Far and away the best manual the Boy Scouts ever produced.

[Sean Evans]

Boy Scout Handbook, The Official by William Hillcourt (1979)

[Don Gubler · Rating 5 out of 5]

More useful information in this book than you can find in one place almost anywhere else.

[Dan Ferguson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first book.

[Todd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read as a young man and learned a lot from it.

[Edward Zitvogel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great memories.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

The most important book I ever read.

[A · Rating 5 out of 5]

Taught me so much.