Do Or Die: A Supplementary Manual on Individual Combat [Paperback]

A.J. Drexel-Biddle (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2004

The timeless techniques of the infantryman are demonstrated in this classic manual of hand-to-hand combat, which teaches soldiers how to win fights using bayonet fencing, knife fighting, jiu-jitsu, savate and boxing. Accepted as a training guide by the U.S.M.C. when it was published in 1937, it is available now as an exclusive reprint for students of combat and collectors of impossible-to-find books.

Product Details

• Paperback: 72 pages
• Publisher: Paladin Press (November 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0873640284
• ISBN-13: 978-0873640282
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.3 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,598,533 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Not recommended, September 5, 2006

By 

Tyr Shadowblade (TM) (Denver, CO) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Do Or Die: A Supplementary Manual on Individual Combat (Paperback)

Biddle is considered something of a joke, nowadays. The knife fighting techniques are adapted directly from fencing with almost no modification to allow for the much shorter blade. However, if you find a 1st edition in good condition, it is worth a lot on the collector's market.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Classic text, August 18, 2003

By 

Christopher Doner (Omaha, Nebraska United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Do Or Die: A Supplementary Manual on Individual Combat (Paperback)

I was fortunate enough to find a 1st edition of the 1937 Do or Die. A 1944 edition also exists with more information added. Topic covered are Bayonet fencing, knife fighting, jiu-jitsu and savate as well as boxing. The photos are interesting as the soldiers depicted are in WW I uniforms with the famous doughboy helmets. This book is really a great find for any student of knife fighting and combatives.

3.0 out of 5 stars DO OR DIE IS OK, April 29, 2008

By 

Troy A. Lettieri "Professional Warrior" (NC, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Do Or Die: A Supplementary Manual on Individual Combat (Paperback)

NOTE: I rate this book 2.5 stars.

This brief book is not of the same depth as other "classic" titles of combatives of the era, like "Kill or Get Killed", "Cold Steel" and "Get Tough". Although it is not as good as the before mentioned, it is however somewhat important because it is a historical record of a valuable source of original written instruction by a combatant prodigy that was influential in effecting the way hand-to-hand was taught in the U.S. military of the time. Essentially Biddle's methods became the foundation the military built their close combat programs on.

Like Styers book "Cold Steel" this title also covers bayonet fighting, knife fighting/defense (which is based on the gentlemanly art of fencing which is just absurd, as well the knife section focuses on knife-on-knife fighting which is also impractical and unrealistic), and unarmed combat. Like already said it does not cover these topics in great detail. This book is OK for the untrained or inexperienced, but is mostly recommended for its historical value.