The Boy Scouts Handbook

by The Boy Scouts of America

First edition, 1911.

Genres: Nonfiction

469 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 3, 2009

Reviews

[Caden Conrad]

After receiving the copy of the original Boy Scout handbook to read for Christmas, I enjoyed reading through it a comparing item requirements to today’s. As an Eagle Scout I found it very interesting.

[Ellen]

This book is comedy gold. I found it while browsing Project Gutenberg, a website that makes available digital files of books in the public domain. Not one detail of an aspiring scout's life is spared from examination and advice — how to dry oneself after a bath, how to begin campfire singing in a natural way, how to exercise proper male deportment...

Their paragraph on self-love has to be read to be believed.

[Chris Gager]

I was in the boy scouts in Boulder in the late 50's so I must have had this or something similar.

[Richard Rossi]

This book is a window into a past we can hardly imagine today. Do not judge the principles this book promotes by today's value systems. That was when words like patriot and honor and duty meant something different than they do today if they mean anything.

It surprised me that the Boy Scouts in 1911 expected far more mentally and physically than the Boy Scouts expect of scouts today.

This book demonstrates what we all knew: that life was more challenging than it is now. We should be grateful our sons have it so easy.

[Peter Carter]

This was a fascinating window into the past and the start of the Scouts movement in the US. As the first edition, it is an important historical document, and is by definition dated in many respects which is why they are currently on the 14th edition of it. Recommended for those who are interested, otherwise, don't feel you are missing much by not picking it up.

[M.]

The racism was really dissapointing but other than that it was a pretty cute book.

[Carl Hansen]

Some neat stuff like how to build a log cabin along with some advice that many would consider out of date. An interesting read nonetheless.

[puczi]

nienawidze ee

[Loganduhboyscout]

As a boy scout myself, I loved this handbook. The requirements in the book are a lot different than today's book. One example of this is that one of the merit badges was automobiling, even though Boy Scouts are below the driving age. It is interesting to learn what scouting was like way back in 1911 without any modern technology like microwaveable popcorn that you can get at Publix.

[Noah]

It was an ok book. It did teach me a lot, but it was kinda boring. Well, it was written in 1911 soooo. It did have a few real life experience stories, but it could have had a few more. Would recommend for those of you who are scouts !