New Book
- Thread starter Jack
- Start date
-
Hey Guest, Early bird pricing on the Summer Moot (29th July - 10th August) available until April 6th, we'd love you to come. PLEASE CLICK HERE to early bird price and get more information.
If it is relevant and we get hold of one :-D Is it to go with his new series where they try to catch him and he is on the run?
I saw it in Ottakar's the other day and had a quick flick through it. I'm surprised the publishers left in the full colour sequence of photos of how to slit a sheeps' throat and dress it - certainly haven't seen that in a book before! Overall it looked to have quite a 'military survival' angle to it but that was just my impression - I haven't read it at all.
Bob :-D
Bob :-D
Well, it's big and glossy, although several pictures are used more than once, and despite the inevitably military angle to the book it's not as bad as you might assume from the "As seen in the TV series HUNTING CHRIS RYAN" TAG, but the biggest and most obvious flaw of this book is that it completely lacks both an index and a table of contents. "Hunting Relevant Topics" might be more apt.
I shall of course be seeking professional help for my book addiction. A copy of Graves' "The 10 Bushcraft Books" arrived this week too...
I shall of course be seeking professional help for my book addiction. A copy of Graves' "The 10 Bushcraft Books" arrived this week too...
Chris Ryans survival manual is (like most other military manuals) very similar to Lofties one.
It has some good bits mind you but of course these depend on your perspective of the subject.
Good point here is something Mr Mears once told me - every book has information you can use in it - true words.
It has some good bits mind you but of course these depend on your perspective of the subject.
Good point here is something Mr Mears once told me - every book has information you can use in it - true words.
Absolutely true, Gary, and I have several books such as Hal Weiss' "Secrets of Warmth" where I may disagree with 90% of what the author says but regard them as a worthwhile read for that other 10%.
The big difference between the Chris Ryan book and Lofty Wiseman's is not so much the format, the focus or the presentation, it's the editing. Mr Ryan has been done no favours at all by the sloppy editing, poor layout and repetitive (and often low quality) illustration in his book, and of course it's very unlikely to be his fault. The link to the television series might not be a plus point on my scorecard, but I am not going to unduly criticise for that reason, I am mostly disappointed with what could have been a very good book apparently being churned out quickly - perhaps to catch the TV airings - and suffering in the process. It cheapens the whole thing, makes it harder to use and dents the credibility, which is a great shame.
The big difference between the Chris Ryan book and Lofty Wiseman's is not so much the format, the focus or the presentation, it's the editing. Mr Ryan has been done no favours at all by the sloppy editing, poor layout and repetitive (and often low quality) illustration in his book, and of course it's very unlikely to be his fault. The link to the television series might not be a plus point on my scorecard, but I am not going to unduly criticise for that reason, I am mostly disappointed with what could have been a very good book apparently being churned out quickly - perhaps to catch the TV airings - and suffering in the process. It cheapens the whole thing, makes it harder to use and dents the credibility, which is a great shame.
... some of the illustrations have been "borrowed" from elsewhere ...
Check this thread out ...
http://pub1.ezboard.com/fhoodlumsquestionsandanswers.showMessage?topicID=3208.topic
Check this thread out ...
http://pub1.ezboard.com/fhoodlumsquestionsandanswers.showMessage?topicID=3208.topic
Interesting, especially as they're low quality in the book, all grainy from being enlarged. What's a shame is that it would have only taken a little while to set the trap up for real.
Agree with bigjack - what could have been quite an interesting read was let down by poor editing, graphics, etc. Suggest it was put together in a hurry to be out in time to take advantage of the interest in the programme.
Mind you, I found the programme disappointing too as I thought it would be more like the book and focus on bushcraft and survival skills - a little niaive, I suppose: watching someone make a bow drill isn't as exciting as watching them pursued across the countryside.
Mind you, I found the programme disappointing too as I thought it would be more like the book and focus on bushcraft and survival skills - a little niaive, I suppose: watching someone make a bow drill isn't as exciting as watching them pursued across the countryside.
i got this book for christmas, i nearly bought it myself, but swmbo started growling at me in the shop, sort of a hint :shock: i'm only half way through, but here's a couple of thoughts.
according to "chris ryan" (if that is his real name)
the stuff in italics isn't quoted verbatim et literatim, i just took the liberty of paraphrasing it...
it's impossible to light a fire using someone's glasses as a lense, otherwise casualty dept's all round the country would fill up with scorched eyeballs every summer. be warned that hundreds of forest fires are started by broken bottles :-?
the bmc recommended survival bags should never be pulled over your head, you might suffocate :roll: and you're likely to get soaked by condensation. so you're better off with a space blanket :twisted:
there are a few interesting bits and pieces to befound, ifyou don't mind wading through the complete rubbish. the sheep preparation photo's would be better if they were annotated better. obviously some of the other photo's have been robbed from inet sources, one of which isn't a photo of what they think it is all the drawings look like they've been scanned from lofty's sas survival handbook, touched up in a different colour and had a couple of the twigs smoothed out.
all in all, a very poor survival book indeed. it's only saving grace being the butchering photo's. this sort of information simply doesn't exist in most survival books. of course you could save yourself the money and video the real heroes of telemark next time it's repeated, then you'll have footage of how to gut a large mammal.
cheers, and.
according to "chris ryan" (if that is his real name)
the stuff in italics isn't quoted verbatim et literatim, i just took the liberty of paraphrasing it...it's impossible to light a fire using someone's glasses as a lense, otherwise casualty dept's all round the country would fill up with scorched eyeballs every summer. be warned that hundreds of forest fires are started by broken bottles :-?
the bmc recommended survival bags should never be pulled over your head, you might suffocate :roll: and you're likely to get soaked by condensation. so you're better off with a space blanket :twisted:
there are a few interesting bits and pieces to befound, ifyou don't mind wading through the complete rubbish. the sheep preparation photo's would be better if they were annotated better. obviously some of the other photo's have been robbed from inet sources, one of which isn't a photo of what they think it is
all the drawings look like they've been scanned from lofty's sas survival handbook, touched up in a different colour and had a couple of the twigs smoothed out.all in all, a very poor survival book indeed. it's only saving grace being the butchering photo's. this sort of information simply doesn't exist in most survival books. of course you could save yourself the money and video the real heroes of telemark next time it's repeated, then you'll have footage of how to gut a large mammal.
cheers, and.
I agree Sargey. My brother bought it for someone but I managed to have a look through it before he gave it. I thought the drawings looked like exact copies of some of Lofty's and most of the photos were of him or badly pixelated.
I got the impression that someone hadn't spent time to make sure it all was in the right order. Some photos are annotated but not enough or in an irrelevant place.
I got the impression that someone hadn't spent time to make sure it all was in the right order. Some photos are annotated but not enough or in an irrelevant place.
Interesting to see that he has the wargan stick carved the wrong way round too.
But have scanned through it again I do think it has a lot to offer info wise and shouldnt be so quickly brushed aside.
Will re read it soon I think just to be sure.
But have scanned through it again I do think it has a lot to offer info wise and shouldnt be so quickly brushed aside.
Will re read it soon I think just to be sure.
well i wasn't suggesting brushing it aside, it's just that there's so much info in there that is basically wrong, someone with limited knowledge would have a hard time sorting the wheat fom the chaff. if a beginner was trying to learn from this book alone, they'd have a hard time. if they weren't just injured, chris's another one who recommends lining a trench fire with flint.
now, onto my own ignorance. wargan stick? is that the one where he suggests hanging a rock onto it if you haven't got a cook pot?
cheers, and.
now, onto my own ignorance. wargan stick? is that the one where he suggests hanging a rock onto it if you haven't got a cook pot?
cheers, and.
Cant argue about all the wrong info Sargey - problem with the world today is wrong info is as easily available as right info. Take the internet for example anybody can open a site and put anything they want on it - no matter how wrong and a novice reading it might believe it. TV is the same thing - I have worked with TV companies and know how easy it is to make the camera lie.
On the flip side of this I have learnt never to believe what i see on TV or read on the net - I always research and cross reference every thing these days and I would advise anyone else to do the same thing - at its simplest we can all make mistakes at its worst some people who lack knowledge will just copy it from else where and as such spread the misinfo until it origins is lost.
Again this is the same conversation I had with an RAF survival instructor on a course two years ago he basically claimed we could teach him nothing as he know all he needed to know - I pointed out all his knowledge (like all military instructors) was learnt from a pamphlet (army learn it from the pamphlets almost parrot fashion) and as such a little hands on wouldnt hurt. In the end I had to challenge him to light a fire (which he failed to do) before he would listen and understand my point. And my point was reading it in a book is ok as long as the information is correct many military manuals (surprisingly) contain vaste amounts of wrong or out of date info.
No book, TV programme or film will ever be able to teach someone wilderness skills like a well lead course can.
As for the Wargan stick - (my bad spelling) its the pot hanger shown on page 151 - the knotches and the hook should be on the same side otherwise when a pot is hung from it the arm will over balance and drop off the stick.
Sorry - bit of a lecture there.
On the flip side of this I have learnt never to believe what i see on TV or read on the net - I always research and cross reference every thing these days and I would advise anyone else to do the same thing - at its simplest we can all make mistakes at its worst some people who lack knowledge will just copy it from else where and as such spread the misinfo until it origins is lost.
Again this is the same conversation I had with an RAF survival instructor on a course two years ago he basically claimed we could teach him nothing as he know all he needed to know - I pointed out all his knowledge (like all military instructors) was learnt from a pamphlet (army learn it from the pamphlets almost parrot fashion) and as such a little hands on wouldnt hurt. In the end I had to challenge him to light a fire (which he failed to do) before he would listen and understand my point. And my point was reading it in a book is ok as long as the information is correct many military manuals (surprisingly) contain vaste amounts of wrong or out of date info.
No book, TV programme or film will ever be able to teach someone wilderness skills like a well lead course can.
As for the Wargan stick - (my bad spelling) its the pot hanger shown on page 151 - the knotches and the hook should be on the same side otherwise when a pot is hung from it the arm will over balance and drop off the stick.
Sorry - bit of a lecture there.
lectures are fine by me, i'll take all the free info i can get at work we have bouts of Special High Intensity Training. and the company gives us all the S.H.I.T. we can take
i have a book about pilot survival kit and clothing. in one chapter it cites the true story of an apache helicopter crashed on a moutain top. the navigator had just changed military specialities. he used to be a mountain survival instructor. they had loads of problems lighting the fire, matches in the survival vests crumbling or what ever. the ex survival instructor said he'd never had so much trouble lighting a fire, but he'd never had to do it on a mountain in the dark either!
:shock:
i suppose that like most things miltary, kit or training, it has to be cost effective in large quanities. this rarely results in their having the best of anything.
and don't get me started on the media! :roll: :-D
cheers, and.
at work we have bouts of Special High Intensity Training. and the company gives us all the S.H.I.T. we can take i have a book about pilot survival kit and clothing. in one chapter it cites the true story of an apache helicopter crashed on a moutain top. the navigator had just changed military specialities. he used to be a mountain survival instructor. they had loads of problems lighting the fire, matches in the survival vests crumbling or what ever. the ex survival instructor said he'd never had so much trouble lighting a fire, but he'd never had to do it on a mountain in the dark either!
:shock:
i suppose that like most things miltary, kit or training, it has to be cost effective in large quanities. this rarely results in their having the best of anything.
and don't get me started on the media! :roll: :-D
cheers, and.
