U.S. Armed Forces Nuclear, Biological And Chemical Survival Manual

by Dick Couch, John Boswell, George Galdorisi

Experts agree that the next terrorist attack on our soil will not come in the same form as September 11. The possibility of nuclear, chemical or biological attack is increasingly likely. The U.S. Armed Forces Nuclear, Chemical and Biological Counter-Terrorism Handbook will enable its readers to survive such an attack. It contains the best practices of the United States' military, completely edited and adapted for civilian use. For example, readers will learn how to:Gain knowledge of an impending chemical attack using a simple warning system; Protect against biological threats such as anthrax with a series of inoculations; Guard against fallout from a terrorist nuke; Achieve basic protection during chemical or biological attacks with a simple mask; and Administer first aid after nuclear, chemical or biological attacks with a simple first aid kit.It's all here. This handbook is the single most effective tool for civilians to protect themselves and their loved ones against the threat looming over our homeland.

Genres: Nonfiction, Military Fiction, Survival, Reference, War

256 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2003

About the author

Mr. Couch graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1967. He graduated from BUD/S training in Class 45 in 1969. He was a case officer for the CIA.

Reviews

[cellomerl · Rating 2 out of 5]

Published in 2003 when the world was surfing on a tidal wave of fear over terrorism, this book is a bit dated. It’s got a lot of general information about survival tactics in emergencies, and whether the attack is nuclear, chemical or biological, the basics are the same...stay inside, keep your mouth covered, wash your hands with soap and water, get low to the ground, underneath big stuff if possible. The illustrations are very poor, and the author has a sort of deadly serious paranoia about the possibility of imminent terrorist attacks. There are recommendations for some quite elaborate preparations for the inevitable doomsday scenario.
At that time, we were still reeling over September 11, sarin gas attacks in the Tokyo subway, the second gulf war with its threat of WMDs, and anthrax-in-the-mail scares. So the book was apropos as the time. But it makes for surprisingly dull reading now.
Oddly enough, when I got to the appendices with descriptions of the effects of various chemical and biological agents, things started to get more interesting, but the author kind of spoiled it by injecting fifty-cent words every second sentence that I had to keep looking up because I’m not a medic. A book that’s intended for the layman doesn’t need exhaustive descriptions of technical specs for gas masks or medical-manual words. Don’t use a Greek word when a Norman one will do. 😹

[Brandon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wasn't as in depth as something which is solely and specifically about this one topic should have been. Granted there is more info in the appendix, but, I don't want to have to keep flipping back and pausing the read to get useful info on every subject. I get it that it's for people who don't have any background or experience with the subject; but still, it's good to know specifics if your trying to learn the subject at all. Plus, I found the audiobook, so I was unable to pull up the PDF on the phone most of the time while listening in the car.

Otherwise, it was well-written grammatically, etc. Couch did do his usual good job of breaking down mil-speak and med-speak into lay terms. He also did a good job of making the case for why it is important to at least have some understanding of the subject, specifically the history of chem and bio weapon usage (much more often than most people realize).

[Joel Stephen · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's a pro-US military book written in 2003. That said, provided you cross-check statements (and do some post-2003 research updates), it's not a bad-bad book. I found the appendixes fun, if only to read about how many ways there are to die. Also got to look up a lot of medical terminology...not written for laypeople without internet/dictionary [I say that only because if there's a significant attack, it'd be hard to comprehend this book (because of the jargon) post-internet].

[Andrew Ferree · Rating 4 out of 5]

Decent information with a small smattering of fear mongering.

[Rich Maneri · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too technical - not interested in the types of suits offered by the military.