Us Army Survival Handbook (2002, Paperback)

Of all the Field Manuals the Army issued to me over the years, this is one of the few that I haven't given or thrown away. It's designed for soldiers to study and to carry as a reference, especially when they find themselves in survival situations -- trapped behind enemy lines; escape and evasion situations; downed aircraft or ships in distress; etc.

I especially like the worldwide nature of its organization, covering a variety of shelter types; foods by zone; and even attitudes that help to ensure survival.

One distracting design feature, as with other Army field manuals, is the placement of illustrations and pictures on separate pages from the text/descriptions. It's a minor flaw, however, and can be forgiven when one considers the ultimate goal was to save bulk.

This is the same field manual that in its standard printing had a yellow cover (as most of the Vietnam Era field manuals did), but it includes a more exotic cover to sell it to members of the general public. Have no fear, however, it's exactly the same material...

Is this the only survival manual I would recommend? No, of course not, but I can't imagine a well-rounded Survival Library without it...