Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1904 in Books
• Published on: 2001-04-19
• Binding: Paperback
• 240 pages

Synopsis
Based on Mears's BBC2 survival series, this guide explains both to groups and individuals, the everyday skills required to live in and enjoy the natural world without violating it. Topics range from constructing a natural shelter, building a fire and orienteering, to identifying medicinal herbs.

Customer Reviews

Ray Mears - My idol!
This book was a very enjoyable read. For those interested in the wilderness or hands-on outdoor pastimes, it keeps you flicking forward to see what other goodies it contains for you to get stuck into, or even fantasise about. It contains many interesting activities on how to survive in or simply enjoy the wilderness, suitable even for a first-timer. It breaks tasks down into easy to follow step by step instructions, along with the more detailed paragraphs along side.
There are well-drawn black and white illistrations, which for the most part are more than adequate to help you understand. It is, however, hard to get to grips with some of the plants, and to remember their uses due to the lack of colour. They all seem to merge into one multi-use supernatural plant, and you cant remember which plant is used for what. This isn't too much of a problem, as it isn't a heavy book and can easily fit in your backpack, available for quick referance.
It lists many common British plants and what they can be used for. These include roasting dandelion roots for a makeshift coffee to what mushroom makes a good plaster.
For the average city-person, there are still many interesting endevours within this book that can be practiced while on a strole through the woods.
It is mainly writen on how to make use of your suroundings and become more self-reliant. If you are a camper, I thoroughly recommend this book to enrich your interest/knowledge of the local countryside. You can also use this book to experiment traditional methods, without having to camp. There are such activities as:
Pottering, cooking, fishing, weaving, navigation, woodworking, cordage-making and tonnes more
Very informative and well writen.

*Writen by my son*

Good introduction to outdoor survival
I liked the way the book was organised, into seasons highlighting the essentials e.g. fire, shelter etc.
The writing style is clear and easy to read, demonstrating Ray's obvious knowledge and love of nature.
As mentioned elsewhere, the illustrations are fairly basic, but I think sufficient to get the practical concepts across.
Blatantly promotes his own Woodlore equipment & bushcraft/survival courses!

Overall I would recommend the book as an introduction to outdoor survival.

Another great book by Ray
Having read most of the survival books on the market ranging from Lofty Wiseman's to Tom Brown I can say that this is very informative. It is although, after reading it aimed, more for the person who is interested in Bush craft and the primitive skills for more prolonged survival situations than those wanting skills for a short term survival situation with the possibilty of a quick rescue.

If you are interested in merely learning survival techniques for short term survival situations then you are probably better looking at Lofty's SAS Survival handbook. However, if you are looking at learning/becoming more in-tune with nature then this is certainly a book to read. The break down into different months of what resources are available I found very useful and the sections on wildlife observation and tracking were also useful.

Although not an exhaustive manuel on survival techniques it is certainly a book to set you on the path to be coming a good bushman.