Customer Reviews

U.S. Army Ranger Handbook SH 21-76

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book is the newest out and very hard to find else where.
The Military content is up to date and is what the troops are using right now. The book is made small still with very good print and pictures so you can take it into the field. Glad to know our military does not buy things just because of the size.
This book is far better than the other ranger books in print.

If Amber and her husband weren't happy with the content, then they want something else besides the Ranger Handbook. This is the real deal, it's the same copy I got when I went through in 2004. Of course, now it is covered in handwritten notes and 100 mph tape, but I still have it.

It's size is intentionally small so it will fit in the pocket of BDU's or whatever the hell they are calling them now. The utility is that it has so much info in a quick to reference manner.

So Amber, you didn't get rooked, you got the real deal. If you are upset about the price, you should know that they are giving them away for free at the United States Army Ranger School in Ft. Benning, GA.

I just recently purchased a copy of the aforementioned title due in part; the Ranger Handbook I received in 1981 in Ranger School finally gave up the ghost! For the folks that think that this small volume isn't worth every penny spent .... (go through the training instead); then you'll respect having the information this little book contains! "Not everyone is cut out to be a Ranger after all." *Peace out!*

I enjoyed this manual very much. I have no military experience so i can't attest to the accuracy of the content but compared to other manuals i own the content seems to coincide. This book has a little bit about everything such as land nav, improvised muntions, field manuevers, protocal procecedures and survival.

My only nit pick about it is that is smaller than i am used to so its a bit hard to read however it doesn't make me demote the manual as this is ment to fit into your back pocket for reference.

If your interested in a sampling of the subjects i have mentionted above this book is a great nugget of info

This is a great document. The editors distilled an incredible amount of information about being not only an infantryman, but an elite infantryman and special operator into a book smaller than a copy of Reader's Digest.

And it begins well, with Major Robert Rogers's original admonitions to his troopers ("Standing Orders, Rogers' Rangers") when they were fighting in the French and Indian War.

To quote from the editors' notes:

"Ranger techniques and methods were an inherent characteristics of the frontiersmen in the colonies, but Major Rogers was the first to capitalize on them and organize them into a permanently organized fighting force. His "Standing Orders" were written in the year 1759. Even though they were over 200 years old, they apply just as well to Ranger operations conducted on today's battlefield."

And the Standing Orders themselves:

"1. Don't forget nothing.

2. Have your musket clean as a whistle, hatched scoured, sixty rounds powder and ball, and be ready to march at a minute's warning.

3. When you're on the march, act the way you would if you were sneaking up on a deer. See the enemy first.

4. Tell the truth about what you see and what you do. There is an Army depending on us for correct information. You can lie all you please when you tell other folks about the Rangers, but don't never lie to a Ranger or officer.... "

and so on, for a total of 19 standing orders.

The rest of the book (the part Major Rogers DIDN'T write) is more grammatical, but no less down-to-earth, mostly. Lots of information about how to be a combat leader, and detailed lists of lots of things (probably not everything by a long shot) expected of a Ranger, lists of standard operating procedures of our Army's elite infantry troops - even down to informal advice on when to set booby traps and how to rig dipole antennas for long-range radios.

What's so great about this book? It allows the reader to more fully understand the way of life of troops who train so hard that many trainees don't complete the Ranger course their first try. And in this day and age that is no bad thing, because in Afghanistan and Iraq and places we'll probably never learn the names of, people who must read, mark and inwardly digest what's in this book defend us and destroy our enemies.

The Ranger Handbook got 4 stars because it is an authentic example of a rare genre, a military training document that transmits knowledge from elite warrior to apprentice elite warrior with no bureaucrats or technical writers in between. As such, it's a reasonably good, candid peek at the training of a member of an elite military organization.

Perhaps lots of military organizations have books of this sort, but the US Army Rangers seem to be the only organization whose informal in-house document is widely circulated outside its parent organization without a lot of fiddling around with the text, changes to the art, etc. Any book purporting to be "The Official US Armed Forces (whatever)" probably isn't.

This is the standard military issue and might I add, the July 2006. Made for the cargo pocket, flips up, and is all softcover. If you are not a veteran please understand that the form of military manuals is very dry and formulaic. Great book!

this book is the same book ranger trainies are issued in ranger school. the book is about 3inch by 5 in and the writing is small. it is ment to be covered in od green duct tape to protect the outside and be carried in a cargo pocket for easy access. the material is a culmination of all military and outdoorsman knowledge from the begining of time. the material is dry and typical army manual. the book also looks nothing like the picture. this book is great for any soldier, anyone interest in the military, or a manual for life in the outdoors with interesting military tactical knowledge

if its what you need or looking for this is it.

i bought it here for the $20 because the army surplus stores around the area were sold out. a week after getting it though it was back on selves for $6.95. personally i dont care because i needed the extra weeks of study time with it.

I was interested in a basic outdoor survival book and someone recommend the Ranger Handbook. The book itself is small which would make it easy to carry in a pack, but sometimes makes it difficult to read and see the diagrams. The book does include some good material, but actually includes a lot of military related information that is really not applicable to most folks. Now, having said that it is a US Army Ranger Handbook, so one would expect to find Army related information, so this makes me wonder if this is the best choice for a basic outdoor survival guide. I also felt the quality of the book was a little questionable and wonder if it would hold up very well to repeated outdoor use. At the end of the day I found the book interesting, but not really what I was looking for.

It's the amount of content inside the book. The SH 21-74 Ranger Handbook is rich in content and is a useful addition to any man's library.