BOOKS

Fiction

There Falls No Shadow by David E Crossley

From the back cover:

"Have you ever imagined what it would be like to think you were the last person alive on Earth? Or what you might face when you realised that you weren't? What would you do, in a world stripped of everyone and every convention you have known, but surrounded by more riches than you could ever have wanted. And then add in the bodies of all those who have died. Are you in a vast warehouse of free shopping, or the vilest mortuary in the universe? Could you survive? Would you want to? Read on for the story of some who decided to live. And imagine."

An interesting work very much in the style of the Survivors by Terry Nation, but in a modern British setting. the author mixes a tale of adventure in a believeable setting, with some interesting sub plots. The book has a surprising ending which makes you eager to read the rest of the trilogy.

Available from Amazon in December RRP £6.99 or direct from the Author in PDF format for £4 at TFNS@blueyonder.co.uk

Factual

At first glance this book appears to be your typical 'coffee table' book for armchair survivalists. It is lavishly illustrated with many colour photographs and illustartions.

Upon reading I was pleasantly surprised at the content of the work. Most areas were covered in good detail with some new information. Some of the examples are region specific such as rainforest and artic survival, but most of the teckniques are practiceable in a general temperate climate.

The first part of the book deals with choosing the right equipment, including tentage, sleeping bags, knives and axes. As the book has a large format it is not suitable to be used as a field guide. A better chose would be Collins Gem SAS Survival Guide, but it still makes a good addition to your bookshelf.

This is more than a survival manual, it provokes thought on how we can live in harminy with nature rather than at odds with it.

There are many Survival books out there, but If your budget is tight I would choose this book and Ray Mears 'Bushcraft' over the rest of the competition.Based on the training of the SAS, this book details to survive in a variety of situations and locales. It discusses survival equipment, hunting and gathering food, finding safe water sources, shelter building, first aid and a wealth of other topics. The key fact is that you should learn a few emergency techniques and practice them before you find yourself in a survival situation

A true 'Gem' of a book , Based on the training of the SAS, this book details to survive in a variety of situations and locales. It discusses survival equipment, hunting and gathering food, finding safe water sources, shelter building, first aid and a wealth of other topics. The key fact is that you should learn a few emergency techniques and practice them before you find yourself in a survival situation. The pocket-size guide is Illustrated throughout with numerous black-and-white line drawings and colour photographs for identifying wild plants, animals and tracks. Invaluable when taking groups out as a guide to teaching camp craft and emergency procedures, its small size makes inclusion in a rucksac easy.

Essentail Survival

This book is aimed at ordinary people who are caught in extra-ordinary circumstances. It cover the usual survival topics, seeking shelter, building fires, obtaining water and food, but also covers survival in the street, self defence techniques and defence against Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Weapons. The Handbook discusses all the facets of survival,not in the same depth as other works but adequately. It includes tips on the mental and emotional resilience and the psychology of Survival.

VIDEOS

Protect And Survive [1971] Click on Picture or Link to view on Amazon

Originally produced in 1971 and narrated by Patrick Allen, this 90 minute tape has once again become popular as we approach war with Iraq, however the information it contains is clealy outdated. The tape contain three films (Protect & Survive, The Waking Point, Sound An Alarm). The Waking Point is a recruiting film for the British Civil Defence Organisation now disbanded. Sound An Alarm shows the staff of the UKWMO helping victims of a nuclear War. And Protect & Survive shows what to do in the event of a nuclear war. The three Public Information Films are firmly set in the Cold War Era and are an interesting collectors item in their own right. The DIY fallout shelters it suggests are a joke. For a more likely outcome see the British Film 'Threads' about a nuclear attack. The films make one thing clear that after the bomb is dropped for at least the first two weeks after the attack, you're on your own. You need to be able to fight fires, render first Aid, defend your home and feed your familys.

First shown in 1984 as a BBC drama this film stired similar responces to the first broadcasts of 'War of the Worlds'. It tells the story of two sheffield families some of whom actualy survive World War III, despite Briatin being devastated by a 200 Megaton attack. The film covers the likely events political build up, civillian preperations and the aftermath of a nuclear war, with people stumbling through ruins dealing with starvation, radiation sickness and the elements. The film goes on too illustrate what life could like a generation after a nuclear winter with the decreased protection from the ozone layer, lack of power, manufacturing and centralised government. The survivors living on Subsistence farming and hunting in isolated communities.

An american version of threads, released a year before. Shows the lives of a number of americans following a full scale nuclear strike from Russia, it is generally thought that 'Threads' shows a more realistic picture of the aftermath. the effects however are excellant especailly those of the initial heat wave destroying builddings and vapourising everything in its path. After the fallout settles some effort is made to rebuild the shattered work, but the film vividly displays the horror of radiation sickness, untreated injuries and starvation.