*Book List for a Prepared Library*
Books are wonderful things. They capture knowledge and store it, ready for your use when you need it. Able to enlighten, entertain, and illustrate different points of view. While CD-ROMs have become popular for storing vital information, especially preparedness information, the book still can not be topped. Books don’t require power to use, and while the storage is bulky, so much more information is out there in book form, creating a good survival library is relatively fun and easy.
Below is an organized (ok… semi-organized) list of the books I count as part of my survival library. I broke the list down into several large categories, and will spend a moment or two talking about each category as an intro to that portion of the list.
My library is always growing. In compiling this list I saw ‘holes’ in my coverage, and I would welcome any and all feedback on this list and things you would recommend I get to add to it. Also, with your own library, I would recommend covering all areas with books, even areas where you consider yourself an expert. Down the road it may not be you needing a book, it may be your spouse or child.
The listings in each category will show the TITLE, AUTHOR, ISBN NUMBER, and CATEGORY. I am listing the categories alphabetically, not in any particular ‘order of importance’. I view all of these books as important in their own way. To find a book, you can just copy the ISBN number and paste it in at amazon.com on their search engine.
CATEGORY 1: Automotive
This category should have repair manuals for your current vehicles, and general automotive books to get you through most repairs and maintenance of vehicles. Currently my list here is very inadequate. One, I no longer own the particular vehicle listed, and two, I don’t have general repair books. While I may know my way around basic automotive repair, there are plenty of people in my family that don’t, and one day I may need them to do something on there own while I work on something else.
|
Haynes Repair Manual, Chevy and GMC Pickups 88-00 |
1-56392-426-9 |
Automotive |
CATEGORY 2: Fiction
Survival fiction can play an important role by illustrating various disasters and how the people in the book deal with the situation they are put in. Some books in this category were written as a survival guide with a thin layer of story on top of it to hold it all together (see Patriots). Some stories illustrate the stress that will befall people, and the problems that can arise from personality conflict in high stress environments. Bottom line, I feel each of these books has something to offer besides the basic entertainment of the story itself. This is not a complete list of survival fiction, just what I feel is a ‘greatest hits’ of my own collection. There is doubtless something to learn from any book of this genre.
|
Alas, Babylon |
Frank, Pat |
0-553-20586-2 |
Nuclear War |
The "Granddaddy" of survival stories, outdated but a classic |
|
Earth Abides |
Stewart, George |
0-449-21301-3 |
Virus |
A chronicle of 50+ years after a virus wipes out mankind. |
|
Lucifer's Hammer |
Niven, Larry |
0-345-42139-6 |
Meteor |
Excellent on every level, touches on many topics and is a fantastic read |
|
Mother of Storms |
Barnes, John |
0-812-53345-3 |
Global Warming |
Futuristic story of rampant hurricanes, seems more likely after this past year. |
|
On the Beach |
Shute, Nevil |
0-345-31148-5 |
Nuclear War |
Heartbreaking story of the death of humanity, how people deal with disaster |
|
Patriots, Surviving the Coming Collapse |
Rawles, James Wesley |
1-56834-155-X |
Economic Collapse |
My copy has 3 colors of highlighter in it. A how-to guide with a story brushed over. |
|
Swan Song |
McCammon, Robert |
0-671-74103-9 |
Nuclear War |
Fantasy/SciFi but a realistic backdrop of a nuclear ravaged america. |
|
The Coming Global Superstorm |
Bell, Art |
0-671-04190-8 |
Global Warming |
See the movie "Day After Tomorrow"? Here is the book. |
|
The Last Ship |
Brinkley, William |
0-345-35982-8 |
Nuclear War |
A tough read but worth it, detailed character/stress problems |
|
The New Madrid Run |
Reisig, Michael |
0-9651240-1-0 |
Pole Shift |
A pole shift causes weather disaster, a "bug out" story on boats |
|
War Day |
Striber, Whitley |
0-446-32630-5 |
Nuclear War |
A journal of a tour of the USA after limited nuclear war |
CATEGORY 3: Food
This category can be filled with cookbooks, but the primary books here deal with food storage, using bulk stored foods, foraging and gardening. Canning should also be included here. We do not have the books on it yet, but I have listed a book that we will be getting ASAP.
|
Cold Smoking and Salt-Curing Meat, Fish |
Livingston, A. D. |
1-55821-442-4 |
|
Cookin with Beans and Rice |
Layton, Peggy |
none |
|
Cookin with Dried Eggs |
Layton, Peggy |
1-893519-03-1 |
|
Cookin with Home Storage |
Layton, Peggy |
1-893-519-01-5 |
|
Cookin with Processed Milk |
Layton, Peggy |
1-813519-02-3 |
|
Root Cellaring |
Bubel, Mike |
0-88266-740-8 |
|
The Amazing Wheat Book |
Moulton, LeArta |
0-935596-13-5 |
|
The Canning, Freezing, Curing, Smoking of Meat, Fish and Game |
Eastman, Wilbur |
0-88266-045-4 |
|
The Sprouting Book |
Wigmore, Ann |
0-89529-246-7 |
|
Too Many Tomatos, Beans…. |
Myers, Laura |
0-06-09857-5 |
|
Edible Wild Plants |
Elias, Thomas |
0-442-22200-9 |
|
Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants |
Angier, Bradford |
0-8117-2018-7 |
Here is the canning book to start with:
|
Ball Blue Book of Preserving |
Alltrista Consumer Products |
972753702 |
Category 4: Homestead
It turned out I’d lumped nearly half the books into Homestead, so I have broken the category down.
Category 4A: Homestead / Compilations
These books cover a large variety of topics centered around the self-sufficient household.
|
Backwoods Home Anthology 1 to 10 |
www.backwoodshome.com 'nuff said. |
|
|
Big Book of Country Living |
Seton, Ernest |
1-58574-032-2 |
|
The Encyclopaedia of Country Living |
Emery, Carla |
0-912365-95-1 |
|
The Foxfire Book |
Wiggington, Eliot |
0-385-07353-4 |
|
The Foxfire Book 02 |
Wiggington, Eliot |
0-385-02267-0 |
|
The Foxfire Book 03 |
Wiggington, Eliot |
0-385-02272-7 |
|
The Foxfire Book 04 |
Wiggington, Eliot |
0-385-12087-7 |
|
The Foxfire Book 05 |
Wiggington, Eliot |
0-385-14308-7 |
|
The Foxfire Book 06 |
Wiggington, Eliot |
0-385-15272-8 |
|
The Foxfire Book 07 |
Gillespie, Paul |
0-385-15244-2 |
|
The Foxfire Book 08 |
Wiggington, Eliot |
0-385-17741-0 |
|
The Foxfire Book 09 |
Wiggington, Eliot |
0-385-17744-5 |
|
The Foxfire Book 10 |
Reynolds, George |
0-385-42276-8 |
|
The Foxfire Book 11 |
Collins, Kaye |
0-385-49461-0 |
|
The Independent Home |
Potts, Michael |
0-930031-65-2 |
|
When Technology Fails |
Stein, Matthew |
1-57416-046-X |
Category 4B: Homestead / Construction
These books illustrate how to build and maintain buildings, barns, shelters, fences, bridges, etc. In a long-term survival situation, additional room may be needed for people, livestock or equipment.
|
Barns and Outbuildings |
Tripp, Nathaniel (ed) |
1-58574-118-3 |
|
|
Building Small Barns and Sheds |
Burch, Monte |
0-88266-245-7 |
|
|
Country Plumbing |
Hartigan, Gerry |
0-911469-02-8 |
Septic system maintenance |
|
Fences, Gates and Bridges |
Martin, George |
0-911469-08-7 |
|
|
How to Build a Junkyard Still |
Brown, Michael |
none |
Ok, so a guilty pleasure was included here and there… |
|
Nuclear War Survival Skills |
Kearny, Cresson |
0-942487-01-X |
Listed here due to comprehensive shelter construction |
|
Radiation Safety in Shelters |
FEMA |
none |
Copy of this goes with book above |
|
Shelters, Shacks and Shanties |
Beard, D. C. |
1-55821-952-8 |
|
|
The Home Water Supply |
Campbell, Stu |
0-88266-324-0 |
Getting and storing water |
|
The Homestead Builder |
Dwyer, C. P. |
1-55821-728-2 |
|
|
The Septic System Owners Manual |
Kahn, Lloyd |
0-936070-20-X |
|
|
Village and Country Residences |
Reed, S. B. |
1-58574-008-X |
Old homes didn’t have HVAC, it matters when you build. |
Category 4C: Homestead / Crafts and Skills
These skill books not only show how to make useful items, but items that could have barter value as well.
|
Mountainman Crafts and Skills |
Montgomery, David |
1-58574-066-7 |
|
|
Native American Crafts and Skills |
Montgomery, David |
1-58574-070-5 |
|
|
Old Ways of Working Wood |
Bealer, Alex |
0-7858-0710-1 |
|
|
Tan Your Hide! |
Hobson, Phyllis |
0-88266-101-9 |
Tanning, not disciplining your child. |
|
The Candlemakers Companion |
Oppenheimer, Betty |
0-88266-994-X |
|
|
The Soapmakers Companion |
Cavitch, Susan |
0-88266-965-6 |
Category 4D: Homestead / Farming
Farming, and gardening are subjects that are written about at length, but there is no teacher like actual experience. Most of these books are on farm machines, etc. from the 1800’s that make farming easier without modern power requirements.
|
Farm Appliances |
Martin, George |
1-55821-888-2 |
|
|
Farm Blacksmithing |
Drew, J. M. |
1-58574-097-7 |
|
|
Farm Conveniences |
anonymous |
1-55821-727-4 |
|
|
Farm Machinery |
Davidson, Brownlee |
1-55821-951-X |
|
|
Farm Motors |
Davidson, Brownlee |
1-58574-007-1 |
|
|
Five Acres and Independence |
Kains, M. G. |
0-486-20974-1 |
Good guide on small scale farming |
|
Handy Farm Devices |
Cobleigh, Rolfe |
1-55821-432-1 |
Category 4E: Homestead / Home Life
Ah, the catch-all of the catch-all section. These books are of various topics, but the general theme here is "inside the home" subjects.
|
Baking Soda, 1001 uses |
Lansky, Vicki |
0-916773-42-6 |
I didn’t know about 995 of these. |
|
Henley's 20th Century Book of 10,000 Formulas |
Hiscox, Gardner (ed) |
0-87781-028-1 |
Old book of formulas for household projects and repair |
|
Henley's Formulas for Home |
Hiscox, Gardner (ed) |
0-517-293072 |
Same book as above, different ISBN |
|
How to do just about Everything |
Rosen, Courtney |
0-7432-1110-3 |
At home fix-it / repair and create book. Mostly modern topics |
|
How to Figure It |
Hurr, Darrell |
0-393-31924-5 |
Good book on ‘practical’ math for the home |
|
How to Hide Anything |
Connor, Michael |
0-87364-289-9 |
Fun book on creating hiding places in and around home |
|
Make it Last |
Proulx, Earl |
0-87593-296-3 |
Home item repair |
|
Practical Problem Solver |
Proulx, Earl |
0-89909-375-2 |
Great compilation of home and farm fixes |
|
The Big Book of Revenge |
Hayduke, George |
0-8065-2141-4 |
Included for entertainment purposes only |
|
The Cokesbury Game Book |
Depew, Arthur |
none |
An old book of games from the 1940’s. They work when the power doesn’t. |
|
The Hagglers Handbook |
Koren, Leonard |
0-393-30920-7 |
A basics guide in haggling / negotiating |
|
The Morrow Guide to Knots |
Bigon, Mario |
0-688-01226-4 |
Good knot tying guide |
Category 5: Mechanical
This category has modern how-to guides as well as a few books on ancient mechanical inventions. Those books are helpful because they illustrate mechanical principles that can be applied to modern needs, especially when the electricity has gone off, maybe for good.
|
A History of Mechanical Inventions |
Usher, Abbott |
0-486-25593-X |
Nice diagrams |
|
Advanced Home Wiring |
Black and Decker |
0-86573-719-3 |
I have a plumbing book as well, good guides for everyday work. |
|
Emergency Survival Communications |
Ingram, David |
0-916661-05-9 |
Compilation of radios and their usage, good beginners guide |
|
Engineering in the Ancient World |
Landels, J. G. |
0-520-04127-5 |
Mechanical devices from romans and greeks, again nice diagrams |
|
HAM Radio FAQ |
Alvareztorres, Al |
0-87259-826-8 |
One of several books I got from ARRL.com (working on my licence) |
|
New Fix-it Yourself Manual |
Readers Digest |
0-89577-871-8 |
Modern home how-to fix guide |
|
Understanding Basic Electronics |
Wolfgang, Larry |
0-87259-398-3 |
Good beginners guide to electronics and basic repair |
|
Welding Basics |
Ruth, Karen |
1-58923-139-2 |
Good guide for beginners |
Category 6: Medical
No library is complete without medical books. Even if Hawkeye Pierce is in your Team, he may be the one that gets hurt, and with most medical emergencies you only have one chance to save somebody. Make sure you have the knowledge on hand to do it right.
|
Ditch Medicine |
Coffee, Hugh |
0-87364-717-3 |
The essential book for survival medicine |
|
Emergency Care, 9th Edition |
Limmer |
0-13-015792-9 |
From my college Advanced First Aid class, a great reference |
|
Emergency War Surgery |
NATO Handbook |
0-87947-410-6 |
|
|
First Aid and Emergency Care Handbook |
Thygerson, Alton |
0-86720-071-5 |
|
|
Heart and Hands a Midwife's Guide |
Davis, Elizabeth |
0-89087-838-2 |
If anybody on your team can get pregnant, get this book. |
|
Hypothermia, Frostbite and Cold Injuries |
Wilkerson, James |
0-89886-024-5 |
|
|
Medical Chemistry and Toxicology |
Holland, James |
none |
Book from the 1900’s, interesting sections on poison diagnosis. |
|
Medicine for Backcountry |
Tilton, Buck |
1-57034-002-1 |
|
|
Medicine for Mountaineering |
Wilkerson, James |
0-89886-331-7 |
Good sections on moving the injured in difficult locations |
|
Tactical Emergency Care |
DeLorenzo, Robert |
0-8359-5325-4 |
|
|
Veterinary Guide for Animal Owners |
Spaulding, C.E. |
0-87596-404-4 |
|
|
Where there is no Dentist |
Dickson, Murray |
0-942364-05-8 |
|
|
Where there is no Doctor |
Werner, David |
0-942364-15-5 |
|
|
Where there is no Vet |
Forse, Bill |
0-333-58899-1 |
|
|
Wounds and Lacerations |
Trott, Alexander |
0-8016-5154-9 |
Category 7: Non-Fiction
These books deal with true stories of survival. Not only entertaining and inspiring, but filled with real solutions to life-threatening problems these people encountered. Again, these are some of my ‘greatest hits’ from my collection. There are many, many books in this genre.
|
Adrift, 76 Days at Sea |
Callahan, Steven |
0-345-41015-7 |
One man alone in a leaky life raft for over two months. |
|
Alive |
Read, Piers |
0-06-077866-0 |
Better than the movie, shows the power of the group |
|
Four Against the Wilderness |
Worton, Elmo |
0-9632056-1-7 |
An adult and 3 children stranded in Alaska |
|
Into Thin Air |
Krakauer, John |
0-385-49478-5 |
Story of the "Everest Disaster" |
|
Man Against Nature |
Neider, Charles |
0-8154-1040-9 |
Good collection of short stories |
|
North to the Night |
Simon, Alvah |
0-767-90446-X |
Great story of a man who understands "buy once, cry once" |
Category 8: Old Books
Old books are great for several reasons. One, they are fun to find, and it’s cool owning a book over 100 years old. Used bookstores are great and you will generally save a lot of money shopping at one. The books also deal with a time when electricity was not a norm, and these reference books make do with equipment that would more than likely be still available in a post-SHTF situation. I have listed some of my old books here as examples of what is out there to be found. In every case, I have never spent more than $10 for one of these books.
|
A Practical Book for Practical People |
Drake, John |
1895 edition |
|
|
Agriculture for Beginners |
Burkett, Charles |
1904 edition |
|
|
Audel's Carpenters and Builders Guide 2 |
Graham, Frank |
1942 Pocket Reference Book |
|
|
Audel's Plumbers and Steam Fitters Guide 3 |
Graham, Frank |
1925 Pocket Reference Book |
|
|
Fortunes in Formulas |
Hiscox, Gardner (ed) |
1944 edition of Henley's Book |
|
|
Modern Treatment and Formulary |
Mullen, Edward |
1936 Medical Reference |
|
|
Outdoor Life Cyclopaedia |
Outdoor Life Magazine |
1942 edition |
|
|
The Universal Self-Instructor |
anonymous |
0-87806-007-3 |
1970 reprint of 1883 book |
|
The Way Things Work |
0-000-91315-4 |
translated from german, library of congress number 67-27972 |
|
|
War-Time Guide Book |
Popular Science Monthly |
1942 book to help with war time living and conserving |
|
Category 9: Outdoors
Books on hunting and trapping, hiking tips and outdoor survival. There are countless books about the outdoors and how to safely interact with it. Here are some examples.
|
Camping and Wilderness Survival |
Towrell, Paul |
1-896713-00-9 |
|
|
Complete Outdoors Encyclopaedia |
Sparano, Vin |
0-312-26722-3 |
|
|
Everyday Wisdom, 1001 tips for Hikers |
Berger, Karen |
0-89886-523-9 |
Compiled from Hiking Magazine |
|
Primitive Technology |
Wescott, David |
0-87905-911-7 |
|
|
Primitive Wilderness Skills |
McPherson, John |
0-89745-984-9 |
|
|
Ragnar's Ten Best Traps |
Benson, Ragnar |
0-87364-328-3 |
|
|
Spring Gobbler Fever |
Hanback, Michael |
0-87341-423-3 |
Good intro to turkey hunting |
|
Tom Brown's Field Guide to Living with the Earth |
Brown, Tom |
0-425-09147-3 |
Tom Brown’s books are excellent, highly |
|
Tom Brown's Field Guide to Nature Observation and Tracking |
Brown, Tom |
0-425-09966-0 |
recommend you get all three of these |
|
Tom Brown's Field Guide to Wilderness Survival |
Brown, Tom |
0-425-10572-5 |
|
|
Tracking Wounded Deer |
Smith, Richard |
0-9617407-7-9 |
Good tips on bringing the meat home |
Category 10: Survival
These books are generally compilations on all subjects having to do with ‘survival’. A lot of this material is repetitive, but there are things to learn in each book.
|
101 Ways to Survive Y2K Crisis |
Tomajczyk, A. J. |
0-312-24591-2 |
|
Emergency Preparation and Survival Guide |
Backwoods Home Magazine |
0-9718445-2-6 |
|
Nuclear War Survival Skills |
Kearny, Cresson |
0-939002-02-7 |
|
Ragnar's Urban Survival |
Benson, Ragnar |
1-58160-059-3 |
|
Surviving with Style |
Angier, Bradford |
0-8117-1717-8 |
|
The Complete Book of Survival |
Stahlberg, Ranier |
1-56980-120-7 |
|
The Survival Retreat |
Benson, Ragnar |
0-87364-275-9 |
|
The Urban Survival Handbook |
Wiesman, John |
0-00-272164-3 |
|
Worst Case Scenario Survival Handbook |
Piven, Joshua |
0-8118-2555-8 |
|
The SAS Survival Handbook |
Wiesman, John |
0-00-217185-6 |
|
The US Armed Forces Survival Manual |
Bowsell, John |
0-8129-0956-9 |
Category 11: Weapons
This group should have repair manuals for every weapon you plan on using, reloading guides if you have the equipment, as well as tactical training books. Other books in this category deal with ‘no-no’ subjects like explosives and silencers that might be handy down the road.
|
Combat |
Cacutt, Len |
1-55521-240-9 |
|
|
Disruptive Terrorism |
Santoro, Victor |
0-915179-17-2 |
|
|
How to Make Disposable Silencers |
Flores, J. |
0-918751-01-2 |
|
|
Improvised Munitions Handbook |
anonymous |
none |
|
|
Infantry Scouting, Patrolling and Sniping |
War Dept. FM 21-75 |
0-87947-262-X |
|
|
Mini-14 Exotic Weapons System |
anonymous |
0-87364-527-8 |
|
|
Night Movements |
Burnett, C. |
0-915179-79-2 |
|
|
Shootout II |
Lesce, Tony |
0-87947-447-5 |
|
|
The Anarchist Cookbook |
Powell, William |
0-9623032-0-8 |
|
|
The Fighting Rifle |
Taylor, Chuck |
0-87364-297-X |
|
|
Ragnar's Action Encyclopaedia |
Benson, Ragnar |
0-87364-801-3 |
|
|
Ragnar's Action Encyclopaedia Vol 2 |
Benson, Ragnar |
0-87364-926-5 |
Well, this is the list as it stands today. If you’ve read this far, I hope you find the list useful, and I really would welcome any comments on books or areas you think I should add for my own library. In another article I’m going to talk about how you can organize all of this information so that when you need to reference something, you can find it easily.
Ahab
www.alpharubicon.com
All materials at this site not otherwise credited are Copyright © 1996 - 2005 Trip Williams. All rights reserved. May be reproduced for personal use only. Use of any material contained herein is subject to stated terms or written permission.