The Sas Survival Handbook: How to Survive in the Wild, in Any Climate, on Land or at Sea (Paperback)

by John Wiseman (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Based on the training techniques of the Special Air Service, the famous elite fighting force, this book shows how to survive outdoors, on land or at sea, in any weather, in any part of the world. From making a pocket survival kit to knowing how to obtain safe drinking water, the SAS's Chief Survival Instructor progresses through a whole range of survival techniques and situations. From obtaining food, building a camp and administering emergency first aid to navigating your way to safety and dealing with natural disasters, the handbook could actually save your life.

About the Author
John 'Lofty' Wiseman served for 26 years with the Special Air Service and was their Chief Survival Instructor. He remains the foremost authority on SAS training techniques for civilians and his TV appearances include Lenny Henry's Big Amazon Adventure.

Product Details

• Paperback: 576 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers; 2nd edition (August 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0006531407
• ISBN-13: 978-0006531401
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 5.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (134 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #150,153 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

73 of 75 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thorough and Easy to Use, March 27, 2006

By	Wayne A. Smith (Wilmington, DE) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: SAS Survival Handbook: How to Survive in the Wild, in Any Climate, on Land or at Sea (Paperback)

I'll probably never be trapped behind enemy lives and dependent upon catching small mammals and selecting local edible plants for survival, but its nice to have a nifty, easy-to-carry guide just in case.

Wiseman's SAS Survival handbook is an excellent companion for hikers, campers and into-the-wilderness junkies. This book is extremely well written with easy to understand illustrations and excellent organization. There are color plates for easy identification of plants and animals to eat/avoid/use-as-medicine. This book has it all, or at least all I can think of. There are sections on camping, hiking, supplies, compass skills, shelter making, first aid, transport, catching and preparing animals and locating local edible foods, tool making, fishing, hunting, knot tying, general survival in different climates and environments and more.

The best part of this book is by far its terrific approachability. It is written for the layman and is very easy to understand. Either as an outdoor accomplice or a handy at home preparedness guide, this is a book to get and know.

168 of 191 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Complete and Understandable, May 6, 2000

By	Justin Coleman (Connecticut, United States) - See all my reviews

This is truly an important book for everyone to read at least once in their life. Given, most people will never end up in a situation where skills described in the SAS Survival Book will be required, but don't be cocky...learn the skills from this book and rest easy knowing that you have the background knowledge to make it in the outdoors without modern conveniences. This book covers it all -forest, desert, ocean, island, artic/arctic, mountain, tropical, temperate- you name it, this book will get through the hard times with no problem. This book HAS saved lives in the past, but many have also died in unexpected situations where the knowledge found in these pages could have saved them. I don't think anyone wants to end up classified in the latter. Get the SAS Survival Guide and read up. Someday you may look back at purchasing this book and realize it was the most important decision you ever made in your life!

309 of 371 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Comprehensive, "must have" book, June 13, 2003

By	Harold McFarland (Florida) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Sas Survival Handbook: How to Survive in the Wild, in Any Climate, on Land or at Sea (Paperback)

The "SAS Survival Handbook" is the most comprehensive survival handbook I have ever seen. Most books have some basic advice (the importance of the correct mental attitude, finding water and shelter, etc.), a handful of edible plants, and a couple of ways to start a fire. While this book covers all those areas, it also has sections on camp craft, determining directions, rescue signals, dealing with different climates and terrains, reading clouds for weather prediction, and many others. A good example of the thoroughness of the coverage would be the food section. It covers your energy needs and how they are met from various foods, testing unknown plants in desperate situations, plants to avoid, identification of plants, using animals for food, extensive and detailed trapping mechanisms, fishing, gutting and cleaning, and other advice. The number, types, and detail on the various traps are amazing. I've never seen so many different designs. It includes several that I have not seen anywhere else before. I would consider this the authoritative text on survival skills in the wild and give it the highest recommendation for anyone interested in survival techniques.