I think the reader of the SAS Survival Guide would also benefit from a survival guide that focused exclusively on the readers own region. But the SAS guide presents a very fine overview of survival in just about any region and circumstance. It is a must have for any survivalist.

Jammed with critical info, buy a copy of this little book for your car, home and backpack.

I wanted a manual for an emergency pack, and I got exactly what I was looking for: A general manual, with broad topic coverage, easy to understand. Also, the small size is easy to pack. I've ordered more for all my packs now.

This book has a lot of helpful survival tips which hopefully you would never actually need, but it is interesting to read. If you like to spend a few days out "living off the land" this book can give you some help. I was a bit surprised by the small size of the book. This is a very small book which was not evident from the main listing. The dimensions are listed down in the details, but it will fit in a shirt pocket and has very fine print, so if you don't have perfect eye sight, a magnifier of some sort would be helpful. The US Army and Ranger survival manuals, also available through Amazon, are more along the lines of a larger size paperback book as far as page size goes.The SAS book will fit easily into a backpack pocket.

I'm glad to purchase this one, lots of good info packed in small size which makes it easy to carry.

This is a GREAT survival book! I saw this at Barnes & Noble and loved it for the color pictures of plants/roots/flowers/etc. that are edible/poisonous/healing/etc. and for the helpful parts on different climates, conditions, and finding your bearings (directioning ability, not the little metal balls). I still might get the regular-sized version, but this is TRULY a (cargo) pocket-sized book. The print isn't too small at all. The pictures still show fine and helpful details. DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY ON SOME OTHER BLACK AND WHITE, CHEAP PAPER BOOK! GET THIS ONE!!!

I have to say this is a great book, probably the best survival manual I have read.

Many survial books will tell stories to help fill up the pages but this book is pure survival knowledge. If you want a book that goes straight to the point of survival then this is that book.

This book is small just put it in a ziploc bag and it makes a perfect manual to carry with you. It's small, light and filled with tons of information.

This book is very small, very descriptive, and incredibly comprehensive. It is not light reading, but WILL HELP YOU SURVIVE a worst-case situation. That's what's important.

I like the book; it has VERY useful, detailed, information for anyone in a "survival" situation. However, it is 385 pages in a quite small book (approx 1"x3"x5"), and printed in VERY small font. The book size makes makes it nicely packable. BUT, if you are over 40 you'll definitely need glasses or a magnifier to read it.

I love survival and have a ton of survival references. I have both the "Survival Handbook" and the "Survival Guide", by Lofty. The Handbook is by far the best reference I have found. Most other survival books are just knock-offs of old Army survival manuals. The Guide is an abreviated version of the Handbook. The Guide is an excellent size to carry with your survival kit. Most of what is cut out of the Guide is foundation to make for easier reading and is not very noticable unless you actually compare each book side-by-side. There are a few exceptions. To save space, some of the pictures of useful plants that are in the Handbook are missing from the Guide.
Overall, a solid buy!

I recently moved back to Oregon after being away for 20 years or so and am now very passionate about hiking and nature.While I am not by any means a risk taking hiker I wanted to feel more secure in my surroundings.
This is a great LITTLE book that is easily carried in a backpack and it is packed with all sorts of useful information on outdoor survival.When you read about people that die because they got stuck in the snow it's a wake up call that you should know what to "just in case". May I also reccomend that parents should buy their children WILLY WHITEFEATHER'S OUTDOOR SURVIVAL BOOK and THE RIVER BOOK they are both excellent books for teaching children outdoor survival skills. The outdoors shouldn't be a scary place and there is no reason for people to die because they are lost or stranded after all the wilderness was our ancestors home!

This strong booklet is a well illustrated comprehensive manual of all the things you have learned as a boy scout. It concentrates on the essentials, is very useful and to the point. It helps to behave intelligently when outdoors.

When I bought the SAS Survival Guide, I was looking for a book that would help me gain some knowledge about what to do in certain survival situations along with some interesting tidbits. I initially was upset when I saw the size of the guide (my fault, no one else's) but I eventually came to realize that the size of the guide was perfect for what I needed it for.

So what's to like about this book? There's a TON of great information in this book. The major topics are:

Essentials
Climate & Terrain
Food
Camp Craft
Reading the Signs
On the Move
Survival at Sea
Rescue
Health
Disaster Strategies

There's a wealth of information in between these topics. I'll admit that I bought this book because I'm a nervous wreck when it comes to traveling and I thought this would be a good book to bring along in case something bad happens. For the peace of mind, this book is invaluable.

And what's not to like? Like I said, if you want a book that's bigger, be sure to read the dimensions and get the bigger size. Other than that, the book is great.

Adults, this is a good book to own simply for the peace of mind. In case something happens (god forbid) where you need to know information about not only basic survival skills, but more complex things like what foods are safe to eat, where the best place is to build a shelter, and how to find safe, drinkable water, it's great to have this book on hand. You can't beat the price!

I have read a few books on survival and this is the best one I have found up to this point. I have even read the U. S. Army's handbook and this is better.
I purchased the full size book first and then ordered this version so I could pack it easy in my backpack or day pack. The Gem version has all the same information the full size book has. I was going to purchase some survival cards to pack, but have purchased the GEM size book after finding out it was available through a survival seminar I attended with the Boy Scouts.

Lots of good information in a very compact package. This book fits easily into a backpack or ATV trunk

I bought this book for a class..I thought it was the full size edition but it was the pocket size and all the readings were on different pages so it was pretty much useless...other than that it's pretty good.

My husband and I wanted a little guide for our house and cars, so we'd be better prepared in case of disaster. We were hoping for something that would help in just about any situation: plane crash, getting stuck in the car in a blizzard, a natural disaster that cut off power and access to our house, and so on. This book meets that requirement beautifully. The SAS Guide (as opposed to the regular SAS Handbook) is a pocket-sized book, so it easily fits in the glovebox, and it's surprisingly complete for such a small book. I'm also grateful that it's completely free of any weird political agenda. It's just straightup information without even the slightest hint of a paranoid subtext. I'm thrilled with the purchase, and I'll buy more copies for other people in my family.

I think this book is very general in it's explanation of survival in specific areas of the world. I would recommend this book for those who are looking for suggestions on how to survive for a short time in the wilderness. There are other books out there that are more specific to certain climates and I would imagine that Lofty could even write those books knowing that he served with the SAS and probably put in a lot of field time.

I was telling my brother about this book I've had over a year now and felt a review written here would benefit others as well.

The little practical things Wiseman advises may not seem important now, but sure will come in handy if necessary.

How to tell direction with a wristwatch and the sun; Not walking a straight direction back to an abandoned vehicle, but going north or south of it and then doubling back. How to distill water in any kind of land, sea situation. They don't call him Wiseman for nothing.

The range and detail of information in this book is simply amazing. This book is so well put together I apreciate it as a work of art just as much as a handy reference book in my library. It covers surviving a broad range of environments and emergency situations for long and short periods of time. Not only does the book offer multiple solutions to problems such as fire, shelter, food and being found, but it explains the concepts behind them so that the reader can understand and improvise as needed.

The Collins Gem edition of this survival manual is a perfect size for packing along. Kids also gravitate to it for the same reason - it is really, really cute. It is also available in a standard book-sized edition, which is easier to read and study at your leisure, but not nearly as nice to pack. The small print may prove difficult to read in low light situations, but of course, after you've boned up on your survival skills, you'll be prepared to light a fire for warmth and light to read by.

You really don't have to have a 'need' for this book to find it entertaining. If you're the curious type, this has everything, from how to maim someone using only your own eyelash to how to trap, skin and cook an aardvark to more than enough reasons why you don't want to go outside, ever.

Actually, it has very useful first aid information and every page has something interesting - I take public transportation to and from work and no matter how long the trip takes I always have emergency reading material in my bag.

If you are the type who has 'bathroom books,' this is a worthy addition to your collection as well.

The SAS handbook is a wealth of remarkably useful information and startlingly devised survival techniques. Survival, in the most literal sense, is something the ordinary person needn't worry about these days. However, exploring the ingenuity of mans survival skills can prove exciting and intriguing. This handbook addresses so much survival knowledge that I have read it through and through numerous times over the years, and I still seem to be surprised whenever I dust it off for a browse. Great book...

Most everyone I know involved in Wilderness Survival has this book. I reference it many times and have read it cover to cover several times. I always seem to find something new. This book is easy to use as a reference and has more than adequate detail for beginners to advanced practitioners. Loaded with illustrations and pictures. Definitely a must have in your library!

I teach hunter education for the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish and base many parts of my lecture dealing with survival on parts of this book. I find it to the point, with great illustrations and directions. I recommend it to anyone with an interest in the outdoors.

The first time I read this book, was as a teen. I "borrowed" the copy belonging to my brother, and have never been without a copy since then.

The information contained within is aimed at surviving in the most extreme conditions. Granted, not many of us will be stranded in the North Pole - but if we were, we'd know not to eat a polar bear's liver, because the amount of vitamin A contained therein is toxic!
More usable information includes:

- Beautiful, accurate pictures of edible and poisonous plants
- How-to advice on setting up temporary camps
- Basic first aid and medical care
- How to survive a nuclear attack, war conditions, fire/ice/extreme weather conditions
- A virtually complete instruction on how to set up different traps to catch your food,
And other amazing pieces of information simply too numerous to list.

All in all, there are probably more professional, intensive survival guides - but this is by far one of the more approachable, with common sense advice that we can use even in a non-survival situation.

This book is one of four indispensable basic, general texts on the subject of survival that anyone interested in the subject should have for reference. The others are Janowsky and Janowsky, the US Army FM 21-76, US Air Force Reg 64-4. My version is the 1986 Survive Safely Anywhere: The SAS Survival Manual. The most important characteristic of a really useful book on this subject is not just the kind and quantity of information available, but the real usefulness and authenticity of the information. Wiseman's book has that, and it's greatest asset beyond that sine qua non is the generally excellent quality of illustration. It covers much of the same ground as other texts, expands nicely on some areas, and has some discussion that is generally not discussed in other books. It has quite a bit in the areas of camp craft/improvised equipment, plants, first aid, and natural disasters. The bit on vehicle operation is not the same old information, and benefits from military experience such as that of SAS Mobility Troop. This book, with the other three, is a superb general reference and a starting point for further investigations for those interested in the subject.

It is an excellent book with lots of advices and with colourful pictures in dangerous plants and animals. It is so comprehensive, gives info surviving techniques from car accident, camping to disasters.

This is the best survival manual I have ever read, and I collect survival manuals. This book is the bible, its scope,detail, and practicality is unmatched. I've had this book for years and I still find myself going back to it for techniques to practice. If you are only going to read one survival manual this should be it.

This book covers everything you would need know to survive in the woods or on a deserted island.

Amazing book! This book is quality, you will not get a better survival book than this! Survival techniques given by the best fighting force in the world - The English SAS!

Yes its true this is the finest survival book i have ever read. It was worth ever cent I paid for it and more. If u buy just one survival book make it this one. It covers a variety of situations, and it does it in a forward, easy to read, and no none sense way. I read this book just for the joy of it. A fine fine book.Thanks much

Yes its true this is the finest survival book i have ever read. It was worth ever cent I paid for it and more. If u buy just one survival book make it this one. It covers a variety of situations, and it does it in a forward, easy to read, and no none sense way. I read this book just for the joy of it. A fine fine book.Thanks much

All together a pretty good book. The book gives you a lot of useful information and is well organized. Discusses knot tying, trapping, ways to obtain drinking water, building shelters and starting fires. Covers various climates and terrain. A good basic guide but I'm still searching for something a little more detailed.

this book is exellent, it covers a wide range of topics including fire making campcraft and trapping. it explains each subject in great detail without becoming to complicated. it also has the best flora and fauna guide i have yet seen in a survival book. the book also covers survival at sea, desert survival and has a comprehensive kit guide. in short i recommend any body considering buying a book of this type to buy this one you won`t be dissapointed