The Survival Retreat: A Total Plan For Retreat Defense [Paperback]

Ragnar Benson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1983

Win the battles of defending your retreat by avoiding them! Learn how to harden your city or rural refuge by locating it well and disguising it. "The best defense is obscurity, unobtrusiveness and silence," Benson writes. Chapters are Who Is the Enemy?, What If It Comes to a Fight?, Beyond Firepower and more.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Ragnar Benson is America's most-esteemed survival expert. He has written more than 20 books for Paladin throughout the years on a variety of topics covering everything from weapons to politics to survival medicine.

Product Details

• Paperback: 136 pages
• Publisher: Paladin Press (September 1, 1983)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0873642759
• ISBN-13: 978-0873642750
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #315,582 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

73 of 74 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars slim crib notes version, November 8, 2005

By 

microjoe - See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Survival Retreat: A Total Plan For Retreat Defense (Paperback)

There are many types of books on survival, this one purports to help you make a safe place to live in an emergency.

NEGATIVE POINTS: I read the 125 pages of "The Survival Retreat" in less than half an hour. It says "Total Plan" on the cover, but it is mostly outdated material and far from being total. It is more like a crib notes version. The author constantly referred to other books for information he only lightly skims on, and I like hearing about other books but he relies on this too much instead of sharing some useful information himself. What really got me was that he wrote all of these other books and it becomes this long advertisement. I am not kidding, he promotes 5 books he wrote, some of them more than once. Couldn't he just include some more info? He contradicts himself a few times too on different matters.

POSITIVE POINTS: His editorial opinions on the subject of a survival retreat are actually the strongest part of this book. For example he points out that making a retreat somewhere in the mountain or in the countryside may be a waste of your resources, since you may never get to use it. This is based on his correct suggestion that it may be impossible to get to a distant retreat in an emergency, due to a short notice or congested roads, or an unsafe environment to travel in. And he correctly points out that the danger we need a retreat for is more likely a natural disaster than an enemy from beyond, although since the book was written in 1983 many parts of the country face an increased risk of terrorism.

The author very wisely suggests the best way to defend yourself and your retreat in an emergency is not to get in a fight at all. He recommends that for those that choose to use firearms, they do not need an arsenal of weapons but a few basic items. He says to make your retreat undetected. But he points out how difficult that really is, especially since he recommends making your own home your retreat.
The author includes an interesting check list in the back of the book, but again it needs updating and I recommend you compare it to other lists found on the internet.

SUMMARY: I am not saying don't buy this book, it could be part of a huge survival library or something you buy and then trade for something else once you read it. If you are looking for info on building a safe place try "THE SECURE HOME by Joel M. Skousen", but good luck finding it as even used copies are running $100 each. One of the best survival manuals in the world is the U.S. Army Survival Guide. Because honestly the first and main thing you my need to survive is food and water, then basic shelter if you are not home. Then you can start worrying about other things. If the scenes of long lines of people waiting for food and water at recent disasters didn't teach us that, nothing will. For food storage info books that really do give you detailed info try "Making the Best of Basics: Family Preparedness Handbook" by James Stevens, or "Crisis Preparedness Handbook: A Complete Guide to Home Storage and Physical Survival" by Jack Spigarelli. And for just general all around survival information, no one can beat the "US Army Survival Manual". All are sold here at Amazon.com.

42 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars total plan? more like general principles...., February 24, 2004

By 

J. Deatherage "numberthr33" (Fort Cosmos) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Survival Retreat: A Total Plan For Retreat Defense (Paperback)

The Survival Retreat by Ragnar Benson (subtitled 'A Total Plan for Retreat Defense') is a slim volume and an interesting, if somewhat dated read that might best be aimed at someone who has never thought about serious security before. This book has several strengths and several weaknesses in my opinion. I'll outline what I consider to be the book's weaknesses first, then talk about what I did like...

Firstly, I found the book to be general in scope, so general that the content tends to contradict the subtitle. This is anything but a 'total plan', rather it is a set of general principles that one might use to assist one in thinking about how to set up a specific security plan for a survival retreat or for one's home in the event of a TEOTWAWKI event. For the well read survival enthusiast, there is nothing particularly new in here that common sense and previous reading hasn't already provided. Still, I enjoyed this book and consider it a good addition to the bookshelf.

As one of the books most forgivable signs of being dated, Rangar's worry about the Soviet Union is obviously not currently relevant in the same way as it was when the book was written, and can be tuned out accordingly as one reads the book. I personally tend to try and tune out the politics of these types of books, as they aren't usually relevant to the practical information and can either narrow or falsely over-expand the evaluation of potential threats unecessarily.

The most seriously dated aspect of the book was the context of Benson's continued advice that the serious retreat stock explosives in quantity, which he seems to consider to be easy to do. Unfortunately, nowadays it is much harder to just buy dynamite or even fertilizer components that might yield effective explosive materials. I don't disagree that explosives would be very useful to someone wanting to ensure effective security for their area of operations, it's just that I don't believe that they can be included in a realistic security plan that is feasible to create for most readers of this book. It would be better to focus on what one can do without relying on materials that most of us will never be able to legally or safely obtain. Even inquiring about some of these components now could bring some very unwanted attention upon the aspiring survivor. I think that this emphasis can be somewhat forgiven, as times have changed a bit since 1983.

Finally, a weakness of this book is its reliance on purpose-built retreat structures. While Benson does encourage the reader to make do with what they've got, his overriding focus seems to be directed to those who can afford to build a strongpoint type of retreat. While a purpose-built structure is superior for obvious reasons, I'd like to have seen more things that a homeowner could do to mitigate vulnerabilities in their existing buildings. The vast majority of readers will have to try and implement a security plan that centers on their existing house, for better or for worse. Also, there is not a lot of specific advise on how to work with your existing 'lay of the land' rather than specifically selecting a secure site, another luxury most survivors don't have.

What I really liked about this book was Benson's use of personal anecdotes that outlined some of the prinicples he discussed. I find that a real world example (or at least a plausible fictional example) can often bring to light many of the difficult aspects of this type of subject. There is no easy and perfect way to ensure that no one will attack your retreat or accidentally give you the plague as they pass by, and Benson knows this. There are inherent moral contradictions in isolating yourself by force, and TEOTWAWKI won't be a target match against inhuman zombies, it will be your neighbors, their children, sick and helpless innocents and people just like you on the business end of your security plan. In some ways, these are the most important aspects to think about when planning security, as they will likely be the sources of the most serious problems and difficult decisions you'll have.

One of the books greatest strengths is that Ragnar several times emphasizes that the best way to get out of trouble is to stay out of trouble. He mentions that firearms and combat capabilities are last resorts, especially in the case of the survival retreat. The 'casualties' you take are your family and close friends, and, thus,the survival retreat can afford to take NO casualties and still retain its function: to keep you and your family alive. He makes it clear that escaping danger is more important than standing and fighting, as long as you've made good plans for that escape. Which brings us to one of Benson's most famous quotes: "Don't become a refugee". Excellent advice and reinforced throughout the book.

Another good feature was the extensive checklist at the back of the book. It seems like it would be a good tool for the inexperienced to evaluate certain aspects of their 'preparedness' for certain types of disasters.

All in all, I liked this book and enjoyed reading it. While it hasn't made much difference in how I have planned security around here, it still is a valuable additon to the survivor's bookshelf and is recommended.

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must read for the uniformed who wants to get started., January 14, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Survival Retreat: A Total Plan For Retreat Defense (Paperback)

If you've ever thought about this topic, but weren't sure how to get started, Ragnar will give you plenty to think about. Does not contain much how to explanation, but excellent source to begin the thinking/planning process. Example: Discusses need to build a shelter to handle chemical/biological threat, but does not give any advise on what type of ventilation, door, etc. The main thing this book will help you do is develop a basic retreat defense premises, and ensure you do not become a refugee. If you already have a security mindset, but don't have any experience or application with survival training, this book is an excellent starting point. You'll need a lot more detailed information than this book provides,but the check list and Bibliography are invaluable.