Such a little book and so much information! No matter how sedate a life you lead you will find some knowledge in this book that will come in handy. Everyone should have a copy.

The SAS survival guide, is, one of the best survival guides I have ever read in my life. As a Boy Scout, I should know. It packs loads of information into a small, compact book. I would recommend it for anyone who likes the outdoors and wants to learn more about nature.

This book has to be the best survival guide available aside from the original full-size version, both of which I own and find invaluable. Lofty Wiseman answers all survival questions clearly and thoroughly in this guide, and due to it's compact size (about the same dimentions as my wallet), it has earned a place in my knapsack/ backpack/ carry-on bag anytime I travel. Aside from a knife and matches, this is THE MOST ESSENTIAL piece of survival gear one can own. Highly Recommended!

The book mentioned by the reviewer from the Netherlands is Adrian Weales "Fighting Fit".

If you like to see how to get fit the military way this is a very great book. This one is twards the sas forces. Contrary to the US forces which emphasises a lot of upper body strenght you see here the total approach. SAS troopers need to marsh endlessly. (read about their gruelling selection course). This books tells how to get fit, using circuit training, weight programms (not used for the beach boys who just wants to look pumped up, but this program is just to be prepared for the rigours of combat). More is told to train for endurance by running, swimming, cycling and of course the famous endurance marches. At the end a total programme is given for the beginner, intermediate and the advanced. This great book is finished with telling you more about nutrition (I said nutrition NOT pills for those beach bubbles) and mental approaches. I really recommend this book together with Andrew Wheales fighting fit (which gives sas, paratrooper and royal commando programmes) and Steward Smith's the complete guide to navy seal fitness.

With those 3 books you cannot go wrong and be the fittest and mental (because of this training) toughest person.

So buy these 3 and be FIT and combat ready.

This book was cool! I learned a lot from it, including how to make bows & arrows, fires and shelter. What was also usefull was the section on ebidle and non-edible plants. Also included was a health section and how to make emergency operations. This was a cool book!

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.

The British Special Air Service (SAS) is an elite military unit trained for long range patrols,sabatoge and covert operations far behind enemy lines. The U.S. Navy SEAL teams are trained on principles developed by the SAS nearly fifty years ago. SAS troops are deployed to some of the most remote regions on the planet and for this reason, must be experts in outdoor survival. John Wiseman is a former SAS survival instructor, so you can rest assured that you are receiving the best available information. The techniques desribed in this book are simple, functional and extremely clever, all hallmarks of SAS operations. The section on traps and snares is spectacular! All drawings are clear and easy to understand and the book is organized into specific geographic regions according to climate(i.e. deserts, jungles, etc.). I have spent most of my professional career in the woods (I'm a biologist by trade)and I use the information in this book on a daily basis, including training fellow employees in the basics of land navigation, improvised direction finding, and basic "woodsmanship". Additionally, I apply the SAS mindset to daily problem solving and find that it serves me well. The book comes in two sizes and I can highly recommend the pocket sized version for your pack or field bag. I can not say enough good things about this book. I have over fifty survival books in my personal library and this is the one I use as my bible. I can also highly recommend the SAS Escape,Evasion and Survival Manual by Barry Davies. It contains the same high quality info. as this book plus some additional goodies!

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.

For most people living in urban area, you may not have any chance to practice the survival skills described in this guide. However, the knowledge (e.g. how to prepare your trip, how to look for water/food in the wild, how to find shelter) may save your live in adverse situation.

Thus, I recommend this book to everyone, especially frequent travellers.

this book explains everything! after reading it there is nothing i don't know how to do. it covers shelter,food,clothing, tools,ropes and knots and tons of other stuff one need to know to survive.i reccomend it to anyone who likes the outdoors.

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!

After reading about this book, I looked high and low for it. "Written by a former SAS man after his experience in the military did little to prepare him for the dangers in civilian life." I expected a manual on self-defense, and their legal issues. (Something Nicolas Cage's character from "Con Air" could have used) After finally getting a copy, the book has little to do with what the catalog implied. The title byline reads "how to protect yourself from domestic accident, mugging, burglary and attack." Three of the four were in the same chapter! What we did get covers the dangers from stress, pollution, even lead paint to driving and safe sex to self defense and terrorism.

The book's good points are it covers amazing scope of subject matter. It doesn't linger on any one topic too long; it simply states the dangers involved with whatever hazard in a few paragraphs, then on to the next item. The book is organized very well and of course, being written like a military manual, the flow is very logical. The color sections on poisonous plants and dangerous animals are very informative. The section on self-defense is a great primer on the basics of fighting.

Unfortunately, that information will never be read. The data on household and city dangers is so vast one must wade thru the "don't do that's" we learned as a kid to find the rare bit of new and useful information. The chapter on the law is mostly for England and is ten years out of date. Especially on firearms in which the author, being former military, surprised me by having an anti-gun attitude.

The chapter on terrorism is thorough but nearly useless to people in the US. Anti-terrorism counter-measures are briefly mentioned and only for the wealthy (bullet proof vests?) who do not need this book as they have bodyguards.

As a military man myself (USMC), I can sympathize with his views on household dangers. In the military, people are briefed on how to safely handle dangerous machines and chemicals, often with mandatory wearing of safety gear (gloves, goggles, etc.) when using the chemicals. In civilian life, the only times warning labels and safety precautions are ever mentioned is in a lawsuit because of product misuse! In the military, you also know how to fight whom, while in civilian life you never know who will attack you but you can go to jail for hurting an attacker in self-defense.

However, I think the author had greatly overdone the coverage of every possible danger to ones health and safety, often to the point of paranoia. I cannot recommend this book to American readers. I gave it three stars because the information that is useful is *very* useful, but it only is only a small part of a big book. Besides, I am sure that all the good knowledge is in either the *SAS Survival Handbook (vol. 1)* or *Collins Gem SAS Self-Defence* especially the latter. It should contain everything the great self-defense section has with a little more detail.

P.s. I found it a amazing that this book, after a year of my searching never received a single review and now TWO people review it on the same day (I just knew I should have done this yesterday! :). I do not fault my follow reviewer, as being English; he or she may have found it more relevant. My review is more for American customers.

An excellent introduction to urban survival. Particularly useful chapters on personal security, self defence and securing your home or office. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in protecting themselves or their home.

This book supplements the GURPS Traveller system by describing the history, organization and tools of the mercenary's trade. Written by two veteran Traveller authors, the attention to detail is refreshing in a gaming supplement. The mercenary's life is thoroughly described in the main text and typical of the GURPS products, spiced up with lots of interesting snippets on the sidebars. New templates and new equipment will be of interest to players keen on dishing out (as mentioned in the preface) "Grade-A violence to all comers". The only (minor) fault I could find is that the sample characters are not particularly inspiring.

The original Mercenary book was arguably the most exciting of the supplements published by the now-closed Game Designers Workshop when I first started playing Traveller. This new version for GURPS Traveller is even better. Easily the first supplement I would get for the GURPS Traveller system.

The SAS Survival guide is an ok book its size makes a nice travel companion but who needs to know some of the info in it. It can give slilly common sense info such as "If you can see th waves of a Tsunami you are too close." Who doesn't already know that. If you like to look at pictures and can figure how to make the stuff they show from only pictures tis is the book for you if not find another one.

I first ran into this book about 10 year ago as a Boy Scout. Its filled with good illustrations of knots, animals and plants. We used the knot making diagrams to build a shelter at the time. It covers many basic and advanced survival techniques including improvised tools and butchering. The main problem with this book is its size. Its just to large to throw in a rucksack for a hike. Its best as a desk reference or as a teaching tool.

Talk about blatant false advertisement. This book is 156 pages long!

This is easily the most inferior book regarding self-protection I have read. It basicaly incorporates watered-down military Close Combat and incorporates it with mediocre awarness strategies. Wiseman's biggest mistake, as another reviwer noted, is his belief that non-lethal combat and compliance techniques are going to work with a criminal who may be bigger, stronger, high on drugs, psychotic, (or all of the above) is pure lunacy. He repeatedly makes statements regarding how important it is not to get too violent as to not get sued, when such matters such as lawsuits become trivial when one realizes that his life may very well be in danger. Also, I'm not a lawyer or a cop, but I've really never heard of rapists and muggers who magically find their escaped victims later on and launch civil suits against them.

If you are interested in learning real-life self-defense, then I suggest "Attack Proof" by John Perkins, a former NYPD cop who's seen and experienced first hand how fights occur and how to prevent crimes such as rape, muggings (usually it would be best to give the mugger(s) whatever he/they wants as quickly and politely as possible), carjackings etc. If you are looking for a book that is purely military hand-to-hand combat, I would suggest "Get Tough" by W.E. Fairbairn, "CLOSE COMBAT" by USMC, and "Commando Fighting Techniques" by Jim Wilson and Paul Evans. Whatever you choose, don't make the same mistake I did and purchase this truly horrible book. The only reason I did not give this book 1 star was because the book does contain bits and pieces of useful information--all of which can be found in the books I just listed.

The SAS are tough, and want to be alive after they complete
a mission. So, they should be great at writing a book
on self defense. In this case, it was mostly true. I thought
the book was excellent, but take it (the book) with a grain
of salt. If you truly want to learn self defense, join
the marines, or go to a dojo. Sparring with instructions from
a book won't prepare you for the real life situation of
panic, fear, and chaos.
The reason why I give this book high marks is for that reason:
Lofty wants you to focus more on avoiding the situation than
fighting in it. The first half of the book is devoted to avoidance. This is a book everyone should read... if you want to
learn more about fighting, get a 2nd book after this one.
This is the start of learning self-defense, not the end all solution.