All of these books have been in my library at one time or another. Some are well-worn and I’ll never give them away. Others were helpful, I learned something, and then I passed them along to someone else. All are recommended for your prepper library.
Notable Prepper Fiction
Day of Wrath by William Forstchen – Terrorists attack an elementary school. A scenario I don’t want to consider.
The Jakarta Pandemic by Steve Konkoly – Excellent writer. Realistic scenario.
Lights Out by David Crawford – Excellent depiction of post-TEOTWAWKI life.
Locker Nine by Franklin Horton – l like this one because it depicts a scenario with a college-age girl and her prepper dad.
One Second After by William Forstchen – Post-EMP life. Every American should read this one.
Patriots by James Wesley Rawles – This is the one that got us started prepping. Good survival lessons, too.
World War Z by Max Brooks – One zombie book. Indulge me.
*There are really too many great prepper/survival novels out there, but these few caught my attention.
Mental Preparedness
Deep Survival by Laurence Gonzalez – In a crisis, only 10% of us stay focused. This book answers the question, “How do I become part of that 10%?”
The Gift of Fear by Gavin de Becker – Anti-second amendment but everything else is right on. Good info about being aware and detecting danger signals.
Left of Bang by Patrick Van Horne and Jason A. Riley – Situational awareness. Know what, when, and where evil lurks.
The Survivors Club by Ben Sherwood – More about mental and emotional survival. If you think you’re a survivor, you’ll be one.
The Unthinkable by Amanda Ripley — If you read one book from this category, it should be this one. It’s a study of who survives and why.
Wilderness and Outdoor Survival
Bug Out: The Complete Plan for Escaping a Catastrophic Disaster Before it’s too Late by Scott B. Williams
Bushcraft 101 by Dave Canterbury
Survive! Essential Skills and Tactics to Get You Out of Anywhere – Alive by Les Stroud
Will to Live by Les Stroud – Real-life tales with survival lessons. Very readable.
TEOTWAWKI Survival
The Backyard Homestead by Carleen Madigan
Build the Perfect Bug Out Bag by Creek Stewart – Surprisingly excellent book.
Crisis Preparedness Handbook by Jack A. Spigarelli – A classic.
Dirt-Cheap Survival Retreat by M.D. Creekmore – For the VERY tight-budget prepper.
The Doom and Bloom Survival Medicine Handbook by Joseph and Amy Alton, 3rd edition
The Encyclopedia of Country Living by Carla Emery
Gardening When it Counts by Steve Solomon
How to Survive the End of the World as we Know it by James Wesley Rawles – Classic information. More rural focused.
LDS Preparedness Manual (free download)
The Modern Survival Manual by Fernando Aguirre – Author is FerFAL of Argentina’s economic collapse fame.
Nuclear War Survival Skills by Cresson Kearney
The Prepper’s Pocket Guide by Bernie Carr
Prescription for Herbal Healing by Phyllis A. Balch
The Survival Doctor’s Complete Handbook by James Hubbard
Survival Mom: How to Prepare Your Family for Everyday Disasters and Worst Case Scenarios by Lisa Bedford – Complete family-friendly survival manual. Very readable.
When There is no Doctor by David Werner
Where There is no Dentist by Murray Dickson
Food Storage and Preservation
Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving by Judi Kingry
Cookin with Home Storage by Peggy Layton & Vicki Tate
Food Storage 101 by Peggy Layton
Mary Bell’s Complete Dehydrator Cookbook by Mary Bell
The Prepper’s Canning Guide by Daisy Luther
Books by Preparedness Advice founder, Howard Godfrey
Dear Mr. Godfrey,
Thank you for the advice re e-tools. I now realize that the entrenching tool I purchased for backpacking is a cheap imitation of military e-tools.
I am new to prepping, found your page only this evening, and wish to learn more.
Respectfully,
David Rice
I would also like to recommend:
“Six Ways In, Twelve Ways Out” by George Jasper http://usrsog.org/manu.htm
This basic skills manual by George Jasper is a compilation of training material that U.S. RSOG cadre uses to train military personnel during the Survival and Evasion course. Brief text prefacing each chapter applies to the material about cadre experiences in the field. There are over 185 pages of text and simple to follow illustrations. The manual is $15.00 postage paid. All proceeds from the sale of the manual go into the training budget of U.S. RSOG personnel. On Amazon used copies usually cost more than the list price. Order direct by sending a $15.00 check or money order to:
U.S. RSOG
4600 N. Hardesty
Kansas City MO 64117
“Survivalist Family” is written by Joe Fox of Viking Services LLC and vikingpreparedness.com. Joe has been living the preparedness lifestyle since he was a child, teaches men, women and children all over the country to prepare and survive. A former Special Forces officer, USRSOG Cadre and SERE instructor, Joe imparts knowledge you cannot get anywhere else. ISBN: 978-1-935018-25-4 Price: $19.95
http://www.amazon.com/Survivalist-Family-Prepared-Americans-America/dp/1935018256/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1306408253&sr=1-1
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Best book for the new prepper, May 21, 2010
This review is from: Survivalist Family Prepared Americans for a Strong America (Paperback) This is an incredibly easy-to-follow book, complete with lists and priorities. It emphasizes doing instead of buying and uses real life examples to explain why many tasks are emphasized over others. At 195 pages it’s not difficult to read and it won’t provide earth-shattering secrets to make you Rambo overnight. It focuses on the basics that most of us forget because we’re too busy whacking at the trees to see the forest. I have a good library and this is the book that everyone should start with. If you are already an experienced prepper then you should still buy two copies of the book. One to make sure you’ve covered the basics, and the other to give to your friends who still think the government will save them during the next natural disaster.
Not sure is anyone mentioned these two, but they’re pretty good. One Year After by William Forstchen (especially if you liked his book One Second After) and Scimitar Rising by Trey Percynter. Both of them you just can’t put down.