New Book: The Survival Handbook in Association with the Royal Marines Commandos

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Hi there and thanks for the kind words on my book. I think Ray Mears said that writing his first book was like giving birth and I now fully appreciate that statement!

malcolmc: well spotted with regards to the incorrect degree markings on the compass bezel, this was indeed an illustrator error and has been picked up for the second-print.

With regards to the representational triangle formed when plotting 3 back-bearings, the original text I wrote did explain the possibility of a positive or negative error, depending on factors such as: accuracy of the bearings being taken and transferred to the map, individual compass error (ICE), the scale of the map and even the thickness of the pencil mark being used to mark the line on the map (again depending on map scale). Unfortunately, as I came to learn, despite one's best efforts to explain everything in detail there is a constant battle in fitting all of your words into a certain space, in this instance there just was not enough room to include all of the text. In reality, if you have taken 3 bearings from 'seen' features you are probably going to be able to work out where you are in relation to the 'triangle' but I take your comments and will flag this up to amend the wording on the second re-print (subject to winning a fight with the editors:eek:). Many thanks for your comments anyways.

Just to let you know that the example pages of the book shown at the first post (above) and one of the linked pages are actually 'knock-up pages' that were used when designing the book and not the actual pages of the finished book.

Once again, thanks for your comments and just to let you know that I don't receive any royalties from the sales of the book, they go to the Royal Navy & Royal Marines Association to help our servicemen and women.

All the best
Colin

A big congratualtions on your book Colin, and welcome (back) to the forum. Great to have such a knowledgable person on here.
The fact that it's towards a good cause, makes me like the project even more, and hope lots of people show there support by buying this, really good read.
Cheers David
PM Sent
 
I'd suggest if buying it at the lowest price you can find, then donating the difference to the cause directly.

great idea! Just placed an order for two, one for me, and one for my brother in laws christmas present.... Going to donate a fiver to the cause. My Brother in laws a major in the marines down here in portsmouth, so i think it will make him chuckle!! He generally isn’t amused by my sarcastic comments, like when he was a captain, I was always calling him “captain underpants.... now he’s a “Major nuisance” lol
 

falling rain

Native
Oct 17, 2003
1,737
29
Woodbury Devon
Crap bow drill technique to be honest, Thats gonna wobble all over the place. ! and the spindle is massive !

I think technique varies from person to person. The principle is pretty much the same. Some folks like their wrist close in to under the knee cap. Others like the forearm under the knee. A lot depends on the individuals physical attributes. Long arms, short arms, legs,back etc. Some like the ball of the foot on the hearth, some like the heel, some prefer just the tip of the toes. I think in a book it's very limiting to show (especially) this technique. It really needs to be shown in person and then folks can find their own little nuances they prefer.
I personally like a long spindle about 15 - 16 inches. I just find it easier than the usual stubby cigar shaped thing you see illustrated in a lot of books.
I suppose folks learn the basic skill and refine it to their own way they find easiest.

I must have a practice. I havn't done bow drill for a while. :rolleyes:
 
Hello Colin,

When do you expect that the new version, "second-print", of:
"The Survival Handbook in Association with the Royal Marines Commandos" will be ready?

Greetings from The Netherlands
 
Hello Colin,

When do you expect that the new version, "second-print", of:
"The Survival Handbook in Association with the Royal Marines Commandos" will be ready?

Greetings from The Netherlands

A second print normally just means a second print run of the exact same book, when it starts to sell out. I may be wrong but perhaps it's not going to contain updated content. anyway this sort of content doesn't date very quickly, certainly not over a year or two.
Perhaps I've miss understood you though, maybe it's out of stock already in the Netherlands?
Good book either way IMHO.
 

Mikey P

Full Member
Nov 22, 2003
2,257
12
52
Glasgow, Scotland
Hi there and thanks for the kind words on my book. I think Ray Mears said that writing his first book was like giving birth and I now fully appreciate that statement!

malcolmc: well spotted with regards to the incorrect degree markings on the compass bezel, this was indeed an illustrator error and has been picked up for the second-print.

With regards to the representational triangle formed when plotting 3 back-bearings, the original text I wrote did explain the possibility of a positive or negative error, depending on factors such as: accuracy of the bearings being taken and transferred to the map, individual compass error (ICE), the scale of the map and even the thickness of the pencil mark being used to mark the line on the map (again depending on map scale). Unfortunately, as I came to learn, despite one's best efforts to explain everything in detail there is a constant battle in fitting all of your words into a certain space, in this instance there just was not enough room to include all of the text. In reality, if you have taken 3 bearings from 'seen' features you are probably going to be able to work out where you are in relation to the 'triangle' but I take your comments and will flag this up to amend the wording on the second re-print (subject to winning a fight with the editors:eek:). Many thanks for your comments anyways.

Just to let you know that the example pages of the book shown at the first post (above) and one of the linked pages are actually 'knock-up pages' that were used when designing the book and not the actual pages of the finished book.

Once again, thanks for your comments and just to let you know that I don't receive any royalties from the sales of the book, they go to the Royal Navy & Royal Marines Association to help our servicemen and women.

All the best
Colin

Colin,

Just to pick up what others have also said - excellent book and well done mate.

God, that was hard to say to a bootneck - I'm an ex-crab! Got a few good booty mates from Afghan and loved working with them.

Cheers,

Mike
 
May 7, 2009
6
0
Hampshire
Hi guys, thanks for the kind comments and sorry for the lack of response but I have been working away a lot recently with limited internet access.

To answer a couple of questions:

The second print should be happening quite soon as the book is doing very well, it has been officially licensed by the Boy Scouts Association of America (the cover on that version is silver - embossed to look like a survival tin - with red wording (looks quite good) and the Royal Danish Marines Korps are also licensing the book but using their own camouflage dpm for the cover. The 2nd print will have the corrections done to the artwork that were missed the first time.

The bow and drill section is written as a starting point, to give someone who has never done it before the basics so they can give it a try and hopefully make a success of it ~ I actually prefer a longer drill as I lock the bearing block into the natural notch just below my knee, it also means I get more use out of the drill before it needs replacing but it's all down to what works best for you. You could just about write an entire book on fire by friction but the publishers always give you limitations ~ I was very keen to include a section on effective methods of using the bow & drill with damp wood but we just ran out of space.

Once again, thanks for your comments and I really do intend to take a more active part in this excellent forum.
 
Last edited:

Chris the Cat

Full Member
Jan 29, 2008
2,850
14
Exmoor
Nice that you took the time to come and chat with us!
I shall be checking this book out after the above recommendations.
Happy new year!
My best.
Chris.
 
May 7, 2009
6
0
Hampshire
Once again, many thanks for your comments, someone asked when it would be published in the Netherlands ~ it is now available in German and has been translated and licensed by the Danish Royal Marine Korps.
 

Ahjno

Vice-Adminral
Admin
Aug 9, 2004
6,861
51
Rotterdam (NL)
www.bushcraftuk.com
Once again, many thanks for your comments, someone asked when it would be published in the Netherlands ~ it is now available in German and has been translated and licensed by the Danish Royal Marine Korps.

German?! That's something completely different! ;)
If it'll be published in dutch I sincerely hope the translation will be good, as they usually :censored: :rolleyes:
 

ril25

Member
Mar 16, 2010
10
0
Hungary
Does anyone know the differences between 'The Survival Handbook in Association with the Royal Marines Commandos' and the'Survival Skills' (both by Colin Towell)?
Is that one only the pocket edition, or have any other major changes?
Sample pages on the linked site shows that there are some differences in the text. I would be very curious if the errors was also fixed, or this edition contains further details in any topics.
 

Ahjno

Vice-Adminral
Admin
Aug 9, 2004
6,861
51
Rotterdam (NL)
www.bushcraftuk.com
Does anyone know the differences between 'The Survival Handbook in Association with the Royal Marines Commandos' and the'Survival Skills' (both by Colin Towell)?
Is that one only the pocket edition, or have any other major changes?
Sample pages on the linked site shows that there are some differences in the text. I would be very curious if the errors was also fixed, or this edition contains further details in any topics.

The only difference I can make up is size - as the pictures showed in your link are the same as the bigger book I have.

"Survival Skills" is a pocket sized book, while the one in association with the RMC is normal booksize.

HTH
 

ril25

Member
Mar 16, 2010
10
0
Hungary
The only difference I can make up is size - as the pictures showed in your link are the same as the bigger book I have.
There is no question that the two books are almost the same. Pictures are the same, but the text is not, however very similar. And I would like to know if the errors were also fixed as the author promised a few posts before. So if anybody had the chance to compare them please inform us. I really like this book, I bought the first edition, and I'd like to know if it's worth to get also.
 

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