Lights Out [Paperback]

David Crawford (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 10, 2010

Downloaded from the internet over three million times, this exciting, action-packed, survival story is finally available in book form. Lights Out chronicles the challenges of Mark “Karate Man” Turner when the lights go out over most of the free world. He must find in himself the ability to unite his family, friends, and neighbors if any of them are to survive the harsh reality that everyday life becomes when the veneer of civilization is stripped away.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

David Crawford is an avid outdoorsman who likes to hunt, fish, hike, off-road, and shoot. He is a third degree black belt with the American Society of Karate where he teaches children and adults. Residing in San Antonio with his wife, he is the father of two, and is working on his next novel.

Product Details

• Paperback: 608 pages
• Publisher: Halffast Publishing (December 10, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0615427359
• ISBN-13: 978-0615427355
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.9 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (493 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #13,418 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

189 of 202 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a long time coming. December 12, 2010

By M. Scott McCullough

Format:Paperback

This is one of those books that sticks with you. Compels you to think about what these people are going through. His characters are vivid and well thought out. The reality that he spins is concrete and understandable. The range of reactions to this very real threat are believable and don't drift into fantasy.

The basic premise of the book is of a US plunged into chaos following an Electro-Magnetic Pulse (EMP) attack. If you aren't tracking at this point, an EMP attack is the destruction of the electronic infrastructure of the country using nuclear weapons detonated in space. These weapons create an EMP that fry anything connected to the power grid and anything with complex electronics. Cars Dead. Computers Dead. Most of the things we take for granted are just switched off. This causes a cascading failure that effects everyone in the country. Needless to say this is the end of the world as they knew it. Are you ready to fend for yourself ... and your family?

Bobby Ann Mason once said that the best stories occurred when you take ordinary people and place them in extraordinary situations. LIGHTS OUT deals with a group of ordinary people who band together and form a community in the aftermath of this national disaster. The ethics of self reliance and hard work are that are missing from some arenas of modern-life are alive in this volume. The relationships are natural, they feel organic and not forced. The level of drama never takes me out of the story and aside from some lucky pre-planning and coincidental hobbies there is nothing that I think is contrived about the setting or events. I would like to have seen some greater focus on the realities beyond the community but the outside world is addressed all be it briefly. I hope to see other stories from this "world."

Having read David's work online for years, I can tell you that this guy is a writer. He produces and he learns. This is an amazing first book and I look forward to future efforts from him. Maybe a book about two guys named DJ and Gabe will be availible on Amazon this time next year. We can only hope.

90 of 97 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Preparing for Difficult Times December 12, 2010

By Browser

Format:Paperback

This is an incredibly good book. I read it almost two years ago online and it was the catalyst for getting me thinking about 'what if's'.

I had never really thought through what I might do if bad weather lasted more than a month, or an earthquake hit my area, or floods.

In this book, It is about a family, then neighborhood that faces a situation with no stable electricity and all of the problems that brings. If you're new to 'prep' type reading, this is a really enjoyable fiction book, while learning at time about multiple challenges and how this family/neighborhood overcame each one.

If you're not new to prep reading, you have probably already read this, and are here like I am to pick up a copy or two. This book has gotten so many people to become aware of how quickly life can change, and how really ill equipped most of us are to handle more than a week or so of 'lights out'

Thanks (H)... David for helping me to wake up a bit, and notice the squirrel.

118 of 129 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars LIGHTS OUT IS ON POINT! December 12, 2010

By K.

Format:Paperback

An amazing read, this book should be in your library if you're into SHTF fiction. James Wesley, Rawles's "Patriots", William Forstchen's "One Second After", and John Ringo's "The Last Centurian" were all OK stories, I have them on my book shelf along with many other good disaster, preparedness, SHTF, survival and action / adventure fictional works.

The only other books of this genre in my opinion that come anywhere close the level of "Light's Out" might be the first book in Thomas Sherry's series entitled "Deep Winter". I found the majority of the characters and scenarios fairly plausible(more so than some other novels of this genre which I've enjoyed less). I definately liked the characters being closer to "Joe Average" than "John Rambo". If you are the type of person whom would rather bury your head in the sand and pretend the world will always be a friendly and convienent place then this novel may not be the best story for you. However, "Lights Out" may help some wake up and take notice of the fact that the level of luxury and civility that we currenty enjoy in a society spoiled by such a high standard of living may not always be common practice.

If the lights go out the stores could close up, our paper money could become worthless, most would likely become hungry and desperate, your neighbors could become your biggest enemies and the proverbial gloves very well could come off if or when the "S" Hits The Fan. "Lights Out" may help get you thinking about how you would handle a prolonged bad situation and how you can start preparing now to keep you and yours better off then.

I originally read this book several years ago as an online PDF file, reading the 700 or so pages off of a computer screen nearly trashed my eyes and yet I read it nearly straight through in just a couple days with as few breaks as I could manage. If David was able to keep the hardcopy even close to as good as the online draft version(and I'm sure the updated, edited and printed version is much better) than this book is likely not to disapoint!