US Army Survival Manual: FM 21-76 (Paperback)

~ Department of Defense (Author)
Key Phrases: United States, North America, South America (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Army Survival Manual is the finest single source for self-reliance for all extreme circumstances. A must for anyone who wants to know how to survive in primitive conditions. The book is very straightforward with many pictures and user-friendly illustrations, written in easy to understand language. This is just some of the survival information that this book provides: All-climates: arctic, tropics, temperate forest, savannah or desert. All-terrain survival tactics. The Will to Survive. Identify poisonous snakes, as well as edible and non-edible plants. Survival Medicine. Wilderness medicine. Techniques on first aid. Survival in the hottest or coldest of climates. Survival Planning. Make polluted water potable. How to find water. Ways to trap and collection techniques of water. Covers navigation and compass use. Find direction using the sun and stars. Weapons and Tools. Recognizing signs of land when lost at sea. Building life-saving shelters. Traps and snares. How to prepare wild game to be cooked also preserving food. All types of fire making. Water Crossings. Find direction using the sun and stars. Physical and mental fitness. Disaster preparedness. Again this is just some of the survival information is this book!

Product Details

• Paperback: 285 pages
• Publisher: Department of the Army; Field Manual No 21-76 edition (October 1970)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0967512395
• ISBN-13: 978-0967512396
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (63 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #6,509 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #13 in	Books > Outdoors & Nature > Survival Skills
  #17 in	Books > Outdoors & Nature > Hiking & Camping > Instructional
  #49 in	Books > Outdoors & Nature > Outdoor Recreation

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

301 of 306 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The civilian version, and the best on the subject for regular folks, October 24, 2001

By	microjoe - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

This is the newer civilian version of the Army survival book that concentrates on the straightforward survival material a civilian going camping may need to know. It is written in very accessible easy to understand language, and you do not need to be an expert in order to use this information. The material includes chapters on: Navigation and compass use; Health & Hygiene in the outdoors to prevent sickness, including first aid; Hazards in the wild to watch out for;
Foods and where to find them including harvesting and identifying native plants and vegetables; How to fish and tons of unusual different ways to catch them with local materials that actually work; other food from fresh water sources; Trapping mammals, rodents, reptiles, insects, catching birds, and more including how to dress and prepare these; Cooking, preserving food in the wild; methods of fire making including without matches or lighter.

One of the most important chapters tells you how to find the most important element you need to survive. Water from Plants, digging for water, purifying found water, and building a solar water still. Other chapters include Climate and Weather, Travel, finding or building Shelter, Clothing, Health, Survival at Sea, Poisonous Snakes, signaling for help, what to do if you are lost, and much more ...

An extremely useful book for the camper to keep in their supplies. One very nice treat... the version sold here differs from the real surplus military version in that it offers color photos of the plants (original military version was black and white), and it is very comprehensive. While there are books available on edible and poisonous plants that are more specialized, the material here is very adequate for inclusion in this manual. All in all, one of the best books on the survival subject, well rounded and very detailed. I have a library of books on camping and camping emergencies. While one reviewer thought this book had too much info and wanted a simpler book, I would say that if you had it with you in an emergency you would be glad of its many topics. You may even want to keep a copy in the trunk of your car with your roadside tools, since you never know when you might need some help making a fire or finding water.

Oh, and remember this book has been modified for civilian use. The original title of manual FM 21-76 when it was written for the military was "Survival, Evasion, and Escape", rather than this newer version listed at Amazon that is specifically titled only "Survival". The military chapters of the original book dealing with evasion tactics and escape methods have been removed in the newer edition. If you feel you need that info too, buy an older version with the full title intact. If you are buying used, be sure to query the seller which version they have and if you are still unsure, only buy it from Amazon new.

225 of 230 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Book on Survival, July 20, 2001

By A Customer

As a Special Forces soldier, I read just about every book there is on survival. Most are hardly worth the paper they are printed on, and that especially includes the popular "survival" books which tend to contain potentially deadly errors and omissions. The main problem with these "worst case" books and others is that most readers, unfortunately, have no way of knowing what is accurate and what is fantasy. For readers who wish to stick to nonfiction, this book is your best choice.

166 of 179 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Um, You Don't Have To Pay For This., September 18, 2006

By	A Soldier's Wife - See all my reviews

This, like many other military manuals, is available online. Just type the FM number into your search box and a list of links to it will magically appear.