The Wost-Case Scenario Almanac

From the brilliant minds that brought us the rest of the Worst-Case Scenario (WCS) series we get something which is all that it promises with a little bit more just for good measure.

This book starts with a disclaimer to protect everyone involved with the book from legal action should anyone decide to put themselves in danger because they've read a book and think they know it all.


Written in the traditional mix of humour and seriousness that we've, no doubt, all come to expect from WCS which not only makes this a good book to bring with you because of the skills it teaches but also a smart choice to carry because, in those harsh survival circumstances, it will provide some much needed moral boosting.


As for the content of the book, I can't fault it. It combines knowledge from experienced survivalists with a good variety of components. It contains "how to"s on everything from Igloo construction to building a bundle bow and arrows from sticks and duct-tape to how to find your house if you've lost your memory. It's jam packed with tables of valuable information from "Worlds largest deserts" to "forest insects" as well as tables of edible plants (where, looks, how to prepare). There are extensive sections on "The Worst Of The Worst" which profile the harshest examples of each type of place in the book, detailing exactly why these places have earned the title "Worst Of The Worst"; what they're best known for, where they are, the main dangers you should expect to find, a little known fact about each place and a range of important statistics on each place.


Add to all of this the enlightening Myths and the facts which they hide and the truly inspiring true extreme survival stories which are followed up with a piece of expert advice relevant to the story (my favourite part after the "How To"s) and you have not only a top class survival guide but a brilliant read to boot.


After reading this I must say that I'd have a hard time working out which book to pick up out of the SAS Survival Guide and the WCS Almanac.

SAS Survival Guide (Review)

This Collins gem book is brought to us by the renowned author of the "SAS Survival Handbook", John "Lofty" Wiseman. The "Guide" contains basically the same information as the "Handbook" but is more condensed and so easier to carry or include in a day pack or Bug Out Bag (B.O.B).

Mr. Wiseman spent 26 years serving in the British Army's elite Special Air Service (SAS) as Chief Survival Instructor, ensuring that every member of the regiment could survive should the worst happen. As such he is an expert on survival methods which are proven effective through both training and operations. Since then he has gone on to produce a variety of books on SAS survival techniques as unofficial (not commissioned by the SAS) guide books with the expressed intention of saving lives, an intention which has been fulfilled countless times.

As this is a Collins gem it is a perfect "carry-with" guide to survival however this benefit may be seen to be outweighed by the small print which the visually impaired may find difficult to read (though I had no problems). However this minor drawback is easy to overlook given the vast wealth of valuable information to be learned.

Despite the small size of the book Mr. Wiseman doesn't seem to have skimped on the detail, and covering everything from Bow-making and hunting techniques  to bedding down safely and relatively warmly in the icy Arctic and damp jungles and woods. There are comprehensive instructions and diagrams on just about every knot you could need, a (so far as I've seen) unsurpassed section of which plants are edible which are medicinal and which are deadly, along with a very careful guide outlining which fungi are edible, which poisonous ones they may be confused with and which to just plain steer clear of. It even includes a well diagrammed section on how to knap your own flint tools which goes above and beyond anything that my old archaeology teacher taught me.

To sum up my thoughts on the usefulness of this book, if I had to survive ANYWHERE with the minimum of things to help me I'd want a machete, my Mora and this book.