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Long Road to Survival: The Prepper Series

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After container ships carrying black-market nuclear bombs are detonated in American port cities, millions are killed and the country is thrown into panic.

In Greenwood, Nebraska, Paul Edwards learns about the devastating terrorist attacks on the news. As the power grid goes down, his fear is magnified by the knowledge that his wife and daughter are a thousand miles away in Atlanta.

When his prepper father-in-law, Buck, insists on being part of the rescue, things go from bad to worse. Paul and Buck have hated each other for years. Now, with deadly radiation sweeping in from the coast and the rule of law crumbling around them, the two men must put aside their long-standing feud in a desperate race to bring their family to safety… that is, if they don't kill each other first.

193 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 14, 2015

137 people are currently reading
128 people want to read

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Lee Bradford

9 books14 followers

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5 stars
160 (29%)
4 stars
185 (34%)
3 stars
129 (23%)
2 stars
48 (8%)
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18 (3%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
Profile Image for Pam Shelton-Anderson.
1,964 reviews66 followers
May 30, 2021
While the basic premise of the cause of the disasters was fairly believable, the actions and reactions of a lot of the main characters was not. Buck and Paul spent a lot of time squabbling though it seemed to be primarily a medium for discussing different POVs of the political issues. They travel a very long way yet there is very little actual detail of the trip and very little action. It all boils down to one really bad guy instead of the absolute chaos this type of event would cause. The women were a goal and a side show with more luck than common sense.
Profile Image for Gwen.
155 reviews8 followers
February 15, 2018
This is the worst book I've ever read. It's like Weber made a list of all the prepper skills he wanted to explain, then wrote a few pages of flat characters with overly detailed backstories, then cut and paste it all into a word processor and added ridiculous shit until it was strung together.

I gave up on the book when we got to the random apocalypse mariachi band.
Profile Image for Megan Berry.
Author 11 books67 followers
February 25, 2015
I have always been a fan of apocalyptic fiction in the form of zombies, this was my first foray into a book about surviving a nuclear attack and I am hooked!
I was initially drawn to this book because of the cover, and the intriguing description. I am so glad I took a gamble.
I really enjoyed both the main characters Buck and Paul- even though they fought constantly, I think it gave the reader a better sense of who they were. I also liked Susan, she was a kick ass survivor, and a strong female lead. I hope to read more about her in the next book.
One of the best things I liked about this story was how I found myself on the edge of my seat several times throughout the book- that is my biggest test to see if the storytelling is great. The author has a way of telling the story so that you genuinely care about the characters and the mission that Buck and Paul were on. I felt both their wins and bitter frustrations when things didn't go their way. Long Road to Survival also had some surprisingly funny parts that you wouldn't expect in a story about a nuclear apocalypse. One of my favorites was Bucks fight with his neighbor over land and the repercussions of that squabble while out on the road to rescue Susan.
This book was well written with great characters, and an awesome plot. Overall I think I have found a new genre that I love!
The only thing I don't like about this book is when I googled the sequel it isn't out yet and the wait is going to kill me!
Profile Image for AudioBookReviewer.
949 reviews167 followers
December 28, 2016
My original Long Road to Survival audiobook review and many others can be found at Audiobook Reviewer.

A container ship explodes wiping out most of the United States' port cities and spreading a layer of radiation throughout.  Paul Edwards and his prepper and big a-hole Buck are driving across the country trying to get to Atlanta where Paul's wife and daughter are (Buck's daughter and granddaughter).  Oh, and Buck and Paul do not get along... at all.

Johnny Heller does the narration for Long Road to Survival and does a great job.  He is a veteran audiobook narrator with hundreds of titles to his name, and you can tell why when you listen to this story.  He voices each character perfectly.  I'm sure it's almost exactly as the authors thought.

As I mentioned earlier, Paul and Buck are totally different characters.  Most of this story was fighting and bickering (mostly over stupid things).  Buck was the prepper that you imagine and might have even watched on TV.  Prepping for almost every end scenario.  Paul, on the other hand, is the polar opposite.  He's a bit of a mystery throughout and most of the book is spent exploring the potential reasoning behind why Buck dislikes Paul so much.

The story was good. I enjoyed the change of pace in the way that the story was told.  The US was destroyed in a different way than post-apocalyptic books, and the bickering/story between Buck and Paul made for a different take on an already different PA book.

Overall it was good but not great.  I will definitely be checking out the next book in the series to see what happens.

Audiobook was provided for review by the publisher.
Profile Image for Cameron.
237 reviews7 followers
March 22, 2020
With the Coronavirus in our midst, it's a little eerie to read a novel about apocalyptic times. While this book was set after a Nuclear Terisits attack the premises still rings true. While I am not a prepper I think I am at least a little prepared for the hard times that would accompany a break down of society as we know it.

This book is a super-fast easy read that kept a good flow. It was not very "deep" or over-detailed. It kind of felt like the author was an amateur writer but in some ways, I found that refreshing.

Go for it!

1 review
May 31, 2016
Simple quick read, not enough for my taste though.

Simple predictable quick read. No real depth, would not buy from this author again . What more can I say?
Profile Image for Chessy The Cat.
340 reviews28 followers
July 8, 2020
Paul Edwards’ wife and daughter are a thousand miles away in Atlanta when multiple ports throughout the United States are devastated with nuclear bombs. He is determined to bring them home to Greenwood, Nebraska before the nuclear fallout reaches Atlanta. Before he hits the road his father in law, Buck joins him on the long trek. The only problem is they hate each other.

Bradford’s and Weber’s first novel in The Long Road to Survival: The Prepper Series explorers how to complete opposites can work together for the common good. They find out that their differences complement each other, and that they are actually a pretty good team.

This story is told from the points of view of Paul and his wife, Susan. While Paul and his father in law are on their way, Susan and their daughter Autumn must fight to survive on their own. Buck provides comic relief and a wealth of prepper knowledge.

Five out of five stars.
Profile Image for James Thomas.
426 reviews1 follower
February 1, 2023
Long Road to Survival follows the story of Paul and Buck as they travel from Nebraska to Atlanta to retrieve family members and the trials they face along the way. While the book highlights the themes of survival, family, and community in a post-apocalyptic setting, it failed to live up to the standard set by classics in the genre such as "Alas, Babylon." The characters of Paul and Buck are not as well-developed as I would have liked, and their journey felt a bit lackluster. The pacing of the story was decent, but it could have been better. Additionally, the author's writing style falls short in comparison to the descriptive and evocative prose found in "Alas, Babylon." Overall, "Long Road to Survival" is a decent post-apocalyptic read, but it fails to stand out in the crowded genre and doesn't quite measure up to the likes of "Alas, Babylon" or William Forstchen’s One Second After series.

Book 2 or the second half of the omnibus continues the story of Paul and Buck as they have been herded into a bunker constructed by a pharmaceutical giant. This book is worse than its predecessor and was still not for me. This is a culmination of all conspiracy theorist’s theories combined into one. I was hoping we would find out more about life of a prepper in a post-apocalyptic world but instead I got a the world is fine once we drive the pharmaceutical greed mongers out, comedy. My recommendation, look elsewhere in the genre.



★★★★★ Great book! Can’t wait to read it again (and I will).
★★★★☆ Good book. I am glad I read this.
★★★☆☆ OK book. Nothing special but not bad.
★★☆☆☆ Not good. Why did I waste my time?
★☆☆☆☆ Lousy. I didn’t finish.

If for whatever reason, I go back and reread a good book, I will change the rating to five-star because I read it again.
Profile Image for Dan Bennett.
2 reviews
January 7, 2019
I read Last Stand before this book and found it to be quite realistic with a good bit of useful things to be aware of or think about. With primary exception being the whole invasion premise. But even that, he did a pretty good job of making it plausible all things considered.

I hope this book was written when he was a 22 year old college student, full of himself and his vast knowledge of the universe and a belly full of left wing pablum. So, so juvenile. Simplistic. Towards the end I was skipping pages just hoping it got less bad. Some books have something a the end to redeem themselves with. Not.

But if you have an interest in this genre, i highly recommend Last Stand
Profile Image for Alyssa.
27 reviews
January 28, 2025
The story would have benefited from a more exclusive focus on the perspectives of Paul and Buck. The inclusion of other characters felt unnecessary, and the initial segment featuring the reporter and terrorist cell did not add value to the overall plot. While the summary suggests a central focus on Paul and Buck, they didn’t receive enough development throughout the story. Unfortunately, all the characters felt a bit one-dimensional, which made it hard to care about them. The concept is really intriguing, father-in-law and son-in-law at odds with each other as they travel across the country to find their family, yet the execution didn't quite meet expectations.
Profile Image for Robert Chapman.
501 reviews54 followers
March 10, 2019
This book is within my favorite reading category - SHTF. I was initially skeptic that the story of a father in law and a son who did not get along would be annoyingly cliche, however, this was not the case. The dynamic between the two played out well and progressed into a relationship that pushed the story forward.

Long Toad to Survival is the first book in the series and has setup the next installments well.
311 reviews1 follower
August 22, 2022
This was a fun, super easy read about a guy traveling from Nebraska to Altlanta, Georgia with his father-in-law to save his wife and daughter after nuclear bombs his several port cities around the United States. Nothing special, but it was an enjoyable adventure and I'm on to Book 2 in the series already. Take both on your next weekend away from home!
618 reviews7 followers
April 9, 2019
Great 0430034 read!

I liked this story, nuclear explosions, anarchy in the streets, prepper road trip, does it get any better than this?
Profile Image for Cynthia Nicola.
1,390 reviews13 followers
October 6, 2021
2.5 stars. Usually I love prepper novels so this may just be a reading mood I am in. May try again later.
Profile Image for Brian's Book Blog.
805 reviews62 followers
September 14, 2016
Check out this and all my reviews at Brian's Book Blog

To find safety, they must first find common ground.


Long Road To Survival is a book that takes place as container ships in major US ports are detonated, wiping out thousands of people and covering most of the coast in a spreading layer of radiation. The story follows Paul Edwards and his prepper father-in-law Buck as they begin their drive across the country to Atlanta where Paul’s wife and daughter are (Buck’s daughter and granddaughter). The only problem is that Buck and Paul do not get along.

The narration for Long Road To Survival was done by Johnny Heller, and you can tell why he has over 300 books to his name. Heller has one of those voices that can lend itself to almost anyone. He voices Buck perfectly, giving him the manly ex-military type voice that the listener is expecting. He gives each character a new and unique voice allowing for a great flow throughout the whole story. I probably have 50+ books on my wishlist that are all Hellers — and if you listen to any of his audiobooks, you’ll understand why.

Bradford and Weber wrote a different story here. Most prepper books I’ve read usually deal with an EMP or a disease/zombies taking over the United States. This one, using nuclear bombs and fallout make this story feel different and new.

Buck and Paul are two totally different characters, and most of the story was them fighting or bickering with each other over mostly stupid things. Buck is the quintessential prepper that people think of when they hear that term. Far right winged, gun-nut, and a total hard-ass to a fault. Paul’s character, on the other hand, remains a bit of a mystery, but we find out later why Buck has such an issue with Paul (it has nothing to do with Paul at all).

Overall, the story was good. Enjoyable and a different read for me. I love prepper books, but this one felt different. And a good different. It ended a little before I would have liked, but I will definitely be reading book 2 to figure out what happens.

I was given a copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.
Profile Image for Shanna Tidwell.
742 reviews6 followers
April 6, 2016
I enjoyed Buck & Paul.... The story was good.. It does have some of the typical story lines for his type of book. You'll hear language & there is violence but if you read SHTF books then you should be use to it by now. It was a quick short story.
I did learn something.... the urine in the eyes burning thing..... I'll file that away in my mind & hope I never need the info.
The end was wrapped up rather quickly. I thought it was going to have a huge cliffhanger once the guys got to their destination. Sure the book could be continued now that their mission is complete but the story ending lets you know there could be a sequel.
I would listen to another book by this author & this narrator.

"This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of Audiobook Blast."
Profile Image for RJ.
2,044 reviews13 followers
August 22, 2016
The series follows husband Paul and father-in-law Buck on their journey to Atlanta to rescue Paul’s wife Susan and daughter Autumn to bring them home to Greenwood, Nebraska. Terrorists have detonated nuclear bombs within container ships in several U.S. cities. Millions of people have been killed, communications are out, and the fallout is coming. Paul and Buck have never gotten along, in fact they can’t stand each other, so much of their story is the bickering between them and quite possibly learning about each other. Two additional sub-plots fill the pages. The wife and daughter duo in Atlanta and a band of escaped military convicts from Fort Leavenworth. All parties soon to come together, with disastrous results for some. Not too bad of a tale. Three.point.five for the effort.
Profile Image for Autumn.
311 reviews14 followers
March 22, 2015
GSP was okay, and although a cliffhanger, there was a conclusion. Storytelling wasn't spectacular. Good for a Kindle Unlimited or .99 cents. Would not pay more, nor will I pick up the next in the series.
Profile Image for Dawn Taylor.
259 reviews
April 3, 2015
Good read

The book is very well written. You spin into the lives of a mismatched set of in laws with one common denominator the wife (daughter) an daughter ( granddaughter) and their quest to bring them to safety.
Profile Image for Brad Theado.
1,856 reviews3 followers
April 25, 2015
This should have been called a Short Road to Survival with a long conversation with bickering. A long journey with not enough happening. Just too easy too one dimensional.

Not a bad book just not a really good one.
Profile Image for Frank Sullivan.
81 reviews
November 16, 2015
I've read other William H. Webber books and this one rates right up there with the others. I enjoyed the story line and bonded with the characters! I recommend this book, and I intend on reading the second and from what I understand the final book of this series.
11 reviews1 follower
March 1, 2015
Excellent

Great story. Loved the characters. Can't wait for next one in the series. Read it late into the night at your own risk
396 reviews1 follower
April 11, 2015
Great Storyline

This book starts slow, but quickly picks up speed. Several twists you don't see coming. Can't wait for the next book.
14 reviews1 follower
April 10, 2016
Ok fiction with prepper flavor.

I like a prepper book to be more detailed on the how to with a story in the background.

Profile Image for Sheila Kanja.
37 reviews
April 14, 2016
I read this book in less than 12 hours. I, just so love prepper books! I'm on to part 2 now! Definitely recommended!
Profile Image for Talena Colley.
91 reviews4 followers
April 17, 2016
Good Book

I enjoyed this book. Great characters. Good plot and written well. There are a couple of holes in story where I thought, hmm, how did we get here? Otherwise it's not bad.
Profile Image for Pat Smith.
126 reviews7 followers
May 31, 2016
Good readl

A different approach to a disaster here in our country. I enjoyed it very much. Looking forward to the next orne of the series.
Profile Image for Kelly Wade.
175 reviews
August 13, 2016
Good book

I love to read prepped style books. Enjoying the different personalities and how they are overcoming differences and learning how to work together.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews

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