A handy book that may lead to a set.

[Legionnaire]

My fiance got me this for Christmas. It covers everything, albeit sometimes briefly, that you should know about survival. The same author has also written an entire book on edible plants which I would like to add to my library. Worth picking up, even though he can sound a little too spiritual at times for my taste. http://www.amazon.com/Browns-Field-G...0918881&sr=8-2

[Zombie Axe]

Have not seen this one yet... but have several of his books on tracking and primitive wilderness skills. Tom Brown is certainly a gifted person when it comes to the old ways :)

[Rebrider]

I have 4 books that I have found very useful.

Complete Outdoors Encyclopedia: Covers everything from guns to sighting to first aid and almost everything you can think of.

Outdoor Survival: Very informative on a wide range of subjects.

U.S Army Survival Manual: Lots of good info on defense.

Dr.s Book of Home Remedies. Very useful even now.

Also have the Reloaders Bible. Great gun info.Don't use this one as much but good reference book.

[KY_Longrifle]

Tom Brown is a great resource on survival, tracking, and a variety of outdoors skills. He also wrote a book called Way of the Scout which tells several accounts of how he learned his skills from a Native American he called grandfather. I have several of his books and find them very easy to read, and quick to pick up and put down and not feel like I was missing something.
Hollywood made a movie based on Tom Brown Jr. called Hunted, it had Tommy Lee Jones in it, I'm sure most of you have seen it or heard of it. A very neat flick about Military special forces and survival training, and it has some wild knife fights in it.
He also has a survival school in east NJ, that even while I was stationed near never had the chance to attend, I'm still planning on perhaps making a special trip there to attend, but who knows.

[CountryGuy]

Thought this could use a bump...

I don't have any of Mr Brown's books yet but I'm going to keep my eye out.

a few of the ones I do have on the shelf that I'm slowly working on reading thru are:

"Primitive Wilderness Living & Survival Skills" - John & Geri McPherson

"Outdoorsman's Handbook" - Clyde Ormond

"Country Wisdom Almanac"

and from Bradford Angier -
"Survival With Style"

"Field Guide to Edible Plants"

"Field Guide to Medicinal Wild Plants"

[myakka]

Some experts think Brown is shady. His stories of the Indian father figure don’t jive with his known real upbringing.

I don’t really mind embellishment as long as the information is sound. And it seems like his is comparing it to others.

I have one of his books and thought it was interesting enough to keep.

[brewer101]

I read the Tracker and the Search by Brown. I agree a bit spiritual but definitely good reads in terms of entertainment. Haven't seen his field guides.

[Yenix]

I personally like SAS Survival Handbook by John Wiseman (not sure if its a pseudonym...). You cannot fit everything in one book, but this is definitely the one I would take with me in bug out situations.

[SonofLiberty]

That is a very good book. My advice. Get 2 copies. Put one inside 2 watertight bags inside your BOB. Take the other out to the woods and start doing the things it shows you how to do. Build the traps and snares. Make the fires. Build the shelters etc.... Until you have done this stuff yourself, you don't know how to do it. JMO, YMMV

[RICHFL]

Experience is always better then a book. The books always leave out something that occurs in your local area.

[GrizzlyetteAdams]

I cannot recommend enough, the Peterson's Field Guides to Edible and Medicinal Plants! (I also appreciate their mention of poisonous look-alikes.)

To get a healthy respect for the dangers of plant misidentification I appreciate the book, Deadly Harvest: A Guide to Common Poisonous Plants by John M. Kingsbury. (In part, here is the blurb on the back of the book: "Anyone who...would like to live off the land, will need the information contained in this book...) I value the detailed descriptions of what will actually happen to you (in some cases, hour-by-hour) if you accidentally eat the wrong plant or 'shroom. Sometimes the difference between an edible plant and a poisonous one is so slight that it takes a magnifying glass to determine the differences in flower structure to separate them!

Another book that I highly value is a little-known (but highly reviewed) publication, Basic Safe Travel and Boreal Survival Handbook by Mors Kochanski. What a treasure! It contains the best of the Wilderness Arts and Recreation magazine. Here is the blurb from the Forward page: "The guide was compiled for the benefit of Outdoor Educators and the Alberta Junior Forest Wardens movement when the articles in Wilderness Arts and Recreation magazine went out of print. The magazine was published in the early 70s and many of the articles were the basis of the content of the book, Bushcraft."

The SAS Survival Handbook by John Wiseman is a good book to study and should be required reading for any serious student of the art of staying alive in any climate and any situation.

Many years ago, I learned how to track animal sign through one of Tom Brown's books, then refined my skill with experience and field guides.

John & Jeri McPherson's entire library of books taught me a plethora of primitive living skills that I have put to practice for well over 20+ years (studied and put into practice many other publications before I "met" the McPhersons) Initially, I had all of their mini-books before they were condensed into larger books. If I lost all of my gear, I could survive, thanks to their clear, real-world instruction along with practice, practice, practice. I highly recommend their books and videos.

[tmttactical]

I like the list and the personal recommendation. These books will prove very beneficial. My plan --- If I can't be positive identify it is eatable, then I will pass on it.

[Yenix]

That is a very good book. My advice. Get 2 copies. Put one inside 2 watertight bags inside your BOB. Take the other out to the woods and start doing the things it shows you how to do. Build the traps and snares. Make the fires. Build the shelters etc.... Until you have done this stuff yourself, you don't know how to do it. JMO, YMMV

I strongly agree with SonofLiberty here in both things. I actually have 2 copies, one at my library to be taken if bugging out and the other one at my second "safe" location. And if you have kids (I have 3 kids under 10 years), it is a great adventure for them to go out and try those things in reality. We made a "build your shleter" project last holidays and until now, they remember this adveture often. So, what SoL told can actually have 3 benefits: you learn things for yourself, your kids are entertained and will have nice memories and they will learn and remember most things themselves.

[Yenix]

I cannot recommend enough, the Peterson's Field Guides to Edible and Medicinal Plants! (I also appreciate their mention of poisonous look-alikes.)

To get a healthy respect for the dangers of plant misidentification I appreciate the book, Deadly Harvest: A Guide to Common Poisonous Plants by John M. Kingsbury. (In part, here is the blurb on the back of the book: "Anyone who...would like to live off the land, will need the information contained in this book...) I value the detailed descriptions of what will actually happen to you (in some cases, hour-by-hour) if you accidentally eat the wrong plant or 'shroom. Sometimes the difference between an edible plant and a poisonous one is so slight that it takes a magnifying glass to determine the differences in flower structure to separate them!

Grizlyette, pls, those books cover just North American plants, or there are European too? I have some books about local edible plants, but they all have rather complicated structure and are difficult to be used outside.

I have also tried some phone app for recognising plants, which kinda works for the most common plants (that have most pictures in the database), but not for those where you start to be unsure.

Btw., Czech people are masters in picking edible mushrooms. During the season, literally everyone is out in the forrests, even the lazy poeple. And it is very rare that someone gets poisoned. My grandparents toaught me about edible and medicinal plants, but this knowledge is wearing off with the passing time. I regret that I was not a better listener/student at that time.

[GrizzlyetteAdams]

Grizlyette, pls, those books cover just North American plants, or there are European too? I have some books about local edible plants, but they all have rather complicated structure and are difficult to be used outside.

I have also tried some phone app for recognising plants, which kinda works for the most common plants (that have most pictures in the database), but not for those where you start to be unsure.

Btw., Czech people are masters in picking edible mushrooms. During the season, literally everyone is out in the forrests, even the lazy poeple. And it is very rare that someone gets poisoned. My grandparents toaught me about edible and medicinal plants, but this knowledge is wearing off with the passing time. I regret that I was not a better listener/student at that time.

I am so sorry to take this long to respond to your question; I bookmarked the post until I could get back to it with an unhurried answer...and completely forgot about it.

We share many of the same plants on both sides of the Big Pond. More than a few European plants have become naturalized in the United States. One of my favorites is plantain, a valuable medicine plant that was named "White Man's Foot" many years ago by Native Americans because it seemed to sprout everywhere the white pioneers went. There are many other examples of valuable plants crossing the ocean along with humanity.

Many species of plants that share the same genus are found throughout the world have many of the same healing properties. Elderberry for example...

For exploration, I highly recommend the valuable database at this site:

https://pfaf.org/user/Default.aspx

I found this encouraging quote on the "Habitat" page (https://pfaf.org/user/Habitats.aspx )

Our database groups plants into 12 different habitats. You can search it in the UK, the US or Australia. Or look at our Habitats index page.

Please keep me posted about any other resources that you happen to find. I am keenly interested in learning more about medicinal/edible plants native to Europe and Australia, especially... (I will go into the whys of that another time... )