FM 21-76 Department of the Army Field Manual Survival

by U.S. Department of the Army

2010 Reprint of 1957 edition. The Army Survival Manual is the finest single source for self-reliance for all extreme circumstances. It is considered essential for anyone who wants to survive in primitive conditions. The book is straightforward and profusely illustrated with drawings and illustrations. It is written in easy to understand language. Includes information on survival in all climates: arctic, tropics, temperate forest, savannah or desert. Also includes information on all types of terrain survival tactics. Topics covered include: the will to survive, identification of poisonous snakes, identification of edible and non-edible plants, survival medicine. wilderness medicine, techniques on first aid, survival in the hottest or coldest of climates, survival planning, making polluted water potable, how to find water, ways to trap, collection techniques for water, navigation and compass use, how to find direction using the sun and stars, weapons and tools, recognizing signs of land when lost at sea, building life-saving shelters, traps and snares, how to prepare wild game to be cooked, food preservation, fire-starting, water crossings, fitness and preparedness, and much more.

Genres: Military Fiction, Nonfiction, Technical, Survival, Reference

294 pages, Paperback

First published October 28, 2010

About the author

The Department of the Army (DA) is one of the three military departments within the Department of Defense of the United States of America. The Department of the Army is the Federal Government agency within which the United States Army is organized, and it is led by the Secretary of the Army who has statutory authority 10 U.S.C. § 3013 to conduct its affairs and to prescribe regulations for its government, subject to the limits of the law, and the directions of the Secretary of Defense and the President.

The Secretary of the Army is a civilian official appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. The highest-ranking military officer in the department is the Chief of Staff of the Army, who is also a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Other senior officials of the Department are the Under Secretary of the Army (principal deputy to the Secretary) and the Vice Chief of Staff of the Army (principal deputy to the Chief of Staff.)

The Department of War was originally formed in 1789 as an Executive Department of the United States, and was renamed by the National Security Act of 1947 to the Department of the Army on September 18, 1947. By amendments to the National Security Act of 1947 in 1949, the Department of the Army was transformed to its present-day status.

Reviews

[Van Gonzalez]

The best of the best, period. A wide range of topics and extremely helpful knowledge. Well written, easy to understand/learn. Invaluable overall. I reread it every few years.

[T.J. Beitelman]

Many survival case histories show that stubborn, strong willpower can conquer many obstacles. One case history tells of a man stranded in the desert for eight days without food and water; he had no survival training, and he did nothing right. But he wanted to survive, and through sheer willpower, he did survive. — from Ch. 1: “The Will to Survive”

Perhaps he tried to make a shelter out of scurrying small brown lizards.

Maybe he ate his shoelaces.

He might’ve shat pellets in the one small pool of fresh water he encountered.

Maybe he stumbled, step by step, during the blistering day, then shivered in his sleep at night.

Not knowing the proper direction, it’s possible that he proceeded to take three steps forward and four steps backward, over and over again, so that — as a contingency — he might go in two directions at once.

And sometimes he may have sprinted in an altogether different direction. Just in case.

At the end of seven days, I can imagine him saying, aloud, to the sand, to the empty sky, If I live, who will listen to my story? Will they take it as a cautionary tale? Will they even believe it? What if they should make me into a hero?

[Kurt Rocourt]

Learned a lot from this book.