Books for Preppers and Survivalists

Introduction

In the world of prepping and survivalism, knowledge is power and may even be the difference between life and death. So we have gathered here a very comprehensive reference library that is full of wisdom, insights and practical advice.

There is a full breadth spectrum of expert knowledge here, covering everything from basic preparedness and self-sufficiency to navigating a post-apocalyptic landscape. And we have included biographies that give insight into human endurance, resilience, and the power to overcome adversity. 

You can find all these books on Amazon and we have provided links.

Must Read

This is considered by many to be the quintessential manual for preppers. It certainly sets the stage for further reading.

• SAS Survival Handbook: The Ultimate Guide to Surviving Anywhere by John Lofty Wiseman

Prepper Preparedness

Prepper preparedness is more than just stockpiling supplies; it’s a mindset, rooted in the desire to be ready for the unexpected. This category deals with the core principles of prepping, from risk assessment to contingency planning,

• Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder by Nassim Nicholas Taleb – Understanding risk and decision making and more.

• Disaster Preparedness for Women: 52 Steps to Get Ready for Anything by Diane Vukovic and Primal Survivor
• Handbook to Practical Disaster Preparedness for the Family, 3rd Edition by Dr. Arthur T Bradley

• How to Survive the End of the World As We Know It: Tactics, Techniques, and Technologies in Uncertain Times by James Rawles

• The Prepper’s Pocket Guide: 101 Easy Things You Can Do to Ready Your Home for a Disaster by Bernie Carr

• The Prepper’s Cookbook by Tess Pennington

• Prepper’s Long-Term Survival Guide by Jim Cobb

• Modern Survival Manual: Surviving the Economic Collapse by Fernando Aguirre

• The Ultimate Prepper’s Survival Guide by James Wesley Rawles

• Prepare Your Home for a Sudden Grid-Down Situation: Take Self-Reliance to the Next Level with Proven Methods and Strategies to Survive a Grid-Down Crisis by Ted Riley

• Without Rule of Law by Joe Nobody

• Survive! by Les Stroud

• The Prepper’s Water Survival Guide by Daisy Luther

• The Disaster Preparedness Handbook by Arthur T. Bradley

• The Prepper’s Pantry by Anne Lang

• When Disaster Strikes by Matthew Stein

• When The Grid Goes Down: Disaster Preparations and Survival Gear For Making Your Home Self-Reliant by Tony Nester

• Dinner is in the Jar by Kathy Clark

• Survival Mom: How to Prepare Your Family for Everyday Disasters and Worst-case Scenarios by Lisa Bedford

• The Ultimate Situational Survival Guide by Robert Richardson

• Build the Perfect Bug Out Bag: Your 72-Hour Disaster Survival Kit by Creek Stewart

• 52 Prepper Projects: A Project a Week to Help You Prepare for the Unpredictable, by David Nash.

• The Practical Preppers Complete Guide to Disaster Preparedness

• LDS Preparedness Manual by Christopher M. Parrett

• The New Prepper’s Survival Bible: [13 in 1] The Definitive Long-Term Survival Guide to Be Prepared for Every Scenario by Joseph D. Connelly

• Countdown to Preparedness: The Prepper’s 52 Week Course to Total Disaster Readiness, by Jim Cobb

• Doctor Prepper’s Making the Best of Basics Family Preparedness Handbook by James Talmage Stevens.

• The Prepper’s Blueprint: The Step-By-Step Guide To Help You Through Any Disaster by Tess Pennington and Daisy Luther

• The Prepper’s Complete Book of Disaster Readiness: Life-Saving Skills, Supplies, Tactics and Plans by Jim Cobbh

• The Prepper’s Workbook: Checklists, Worksheets, and Home Projects to Protect Your Family from Any Disaster

• Surviving a Disaster: Evacuation Strategies and Emergency Kits for Staying Alive by Tony Nester

• Survive! Essential Skills and Tactics to Get You Out of Anywhere – Alive by Les Stroud

• The Y2K Personal Survival Guide by Michael Hyatt (Still relevant!)

• Hawke’s Green Beret Survival Manual by Mykel Hawke

• When Technology Fails by Matthew Stein

• When All Hell Breaks Loose: Stuff You Need to Survive When Disaster Strikes by Cody Lundin

• Prepper Radio: The No-BS Ham Radio Technician Exam Prep Guide by Robert Richardson

• Tools for Survival: What You Need to Survive When You’re on Your Own by James Wesley Rawles

• U.S. Army Survival Manual: FM 21-76 by the United States Department of Defense

• Emergency: This Book Will Save Your Life by Neil Strauss.

• Pandemic Preparedness Guide by Kenneth R. McClelland.

• Prepper’s Survival Hacks: 50 DIY Projects for Lifesaving Gear, Gadgets and Kits by Jim Cobb.

• Prepping for a Pandemic: Life-Saving Supplies, Skills and Plans for Surviving an Outbreak by Cat Ellis.

• Catastrophe, and the End of the World by Michael Sweeney

• Prepper’s Instruction Manual: 50 Steps to Prepare for any Disaster by Dr. Arthur T Bradley.

Food Storage, Homesteading, and Self-Sufficiency

The journey towards true self-reliance often begins with mastering the essentials: food storage, homesteading, and cultivating self-sufficiency. From storing and even concealing food supplies, to preserving harvests, to setting up a thriving homestead, these guides offer a comprehensive look into creating an independent life.

• Emergency Food Storage & Survival Handbook: Everything You Need to Know to Keep Your Family Safe in a Crisis by Peggy Layton.
• A Year Without the Grocery Store: A Step by Step Guide to Acquiring, Organizing, and Cooking Food Storage
• The Resilient Farm and Homestead: An Innovative Permaculture and Whole Systems Design Approach by Ben Falk
• The Resilient Gardener: Food Production and Self-Reliance in Uncertain Times by Carol Deppe
• New Complete Book Of Self Sufficiency
• The Self-Sufficient Life and How to Live It: The Complete Back-to-Basics Guide
• The Prepper’s Ultimate Food-Storage Guide: Your Complete Resource to Create a Long-Term, Lifesaving Supply of Nutritious, Shelf-Stable Meals, Snacks, and More
• How to Grow More Vegetables (and Fruits, Nuts, Berries, Grains, And Other Crops) Than You Ever Thought Possible on Less Land with Less Water Than You Can Imagine by John Jeavons
• All New Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew and the Square Foot Gardening Foundation
• Root Cellaring: Natural Cold Storage of Fruits and Vegetables by Mike Bubel and Nancy Bubel
• 5 Acres & A Dream The Book: by Leigh Tate
• Backyard Farming on an Acre (More or less) by Angela England
• Barnyard in your Backyard by Gail Damerow
• Free-Range Chicken Gardens by Jessi Bloom
• Cookin’ with Beans and Rice by Peggy Layton
• Cookin’ with Home Storage by Peggy Layton and Vicki Tate
• Cooking With Ancient Grains by Laura B. McBride
• Cooking with Sunshine by Lorraine Anderson and Rick Palkovic
• Country Living by Carla Emery
• Prepper’s Water Purification Survival Bible: How to Find, Harvest, Filter, Purify, and Store Water Off the Grid by Johnathan Nash
• Preserving Everything: Can, Culture, Pickle, Freeze, Ferment, Dehydrate, Salt, Smoke, and Store Fruits, Vegetables, Meat, Milk, and More by Leda Meredith
• Dirt-Cheap Survival Retreat: One Man’s Solution by M.D. Creekmore.
• The Weekend Homesteader: A Twelve-Month Guide to Self-Sufficiency by Anna Hess
• Prepper’s Total Grid Failure Handbook: Alternative Power, Energy Storage, Low Voltage Appliances and Other Lifesaving Strategies for Self-Sufficient Living by Alan Fiebig and Arlene Fiebig.
• The Secret Survival Garden by Rick Austin
• Living on an Acre: A Practical Guide to the Self-Reliant Life by Christine Woodside
• Mini Farming: Self-Sufficiency on 1/4 Acre by Brett L. Markham
• Organic Crops in Pots by Deborah Schneebeli-Morrell
• Foxfire Series
• Food Storage for Self-Sufficiency and Survival by Angela Paskett
• Gardening When It Counts: Growing Food in Hard Times by Steve Solomon
• The Organic Canner by Daisy Luther
• Emergency Food Storage & Survival Handbook: Everything You Need to Know to Keep Your Family Safe in a Crisis by Peggy Layton
• The Backyard Homestead by Carleen Madigan
• The Encyclopedia of Country Living by Carla Emery
• The Amish Canning Cookbook by Georgia Varozza
• The Forgotten Skills of Self-Sufficiency Used by the Mormon Pioneers by Caleb Warnock

Urban Survival

Urban Survival focuses on the art of staying safe, prepared, and resilient amidst the hustle and bustle of city life. Understand the urban landscape and the art of blending in.

Turn the urban maze into a place of safety, opportunity, and strategic advantage.

• Urban Homestead: Your Guide to Self-Sufficient Living in the Heart of the City by Kelly Coyne

• The Urban Prepper’s Guide: How to become self-sufficient and prepared for the next crisis 

• Urban Prepping 101 for Families and Beginner Preppers: 10-Step Guide to Filter Water, Store Food, Stockpile Medicine and Create a Disaster-Ready Home

• Urban Survival Guide: How City Dwellers Can Live Well, and Frugally, Even in Dire Times

• The Urban Homestead (Expanded & Revised Edition): Your Guide to Self-Sufficient Living in the Heart of the City

• Urban Preppers with Kids, Pets & Parents: Disaster Survival for the Family 

• The Urban Prepper: A Beginner’s Guide To Emergency Survival Essentials For Modern Day Disasters 

Wilderness Survival & Bushcraft

Equip yourself with the knowledge to survive and thrive in the wilderness. This requires learning bushcraft, the ins and outs of harnessing nature’s bounty in an untamed environment.

• Bushcraft 101: A Field Guide to the Art of Wilderness Survival by Dave Canterbury
• The Complete Guide to Hunting, Butchering, and Cooking Wild Game by Steven Rinella
• Advanced Bushcraft: An Expert Field Guide to the Art of Wilderness Survival by Dave Canterbury
• Basic Fishing: A Beginner’s Guide by Wade Bourne
• The Survival Handbook: Essential Skills for Outdoor Adventure by Colin Towell
• Wildwood Wisdom by Ellsworth Jaeger
• Primitive Wilderness Living and Survival Skills by John McPherson
• Wilderness Survival 2nd Edition by Gregory J. Davenport
• The Book of Camping and Woodcraft: A Guidebook for Those who Travel in the Wilderness by Horace Kephart
• Woodcraft and Camping by George Washington Sears
• Bushcraft: Outdoor Skills and Wilderness Survival by Mors Kochanski
• How to Stay Alive in the Woods: A Complete Guide to Food, Shelter and Self-Preservation Anywhere by Bradford Angier
• The Trapper’s Bible: The Most Complete Guide to Trapping and Hunting Tips Ever edited by Eustace Hazard Livingston
• The Forager’s Harvest: A Guide to Identifying, Harvesting, and Preparing Edible Wild Plants by Samuel Thayer
• The Forager’s Guide to Wild Foods, Edible Plants, Lichens, Mushrooms, and Seaweeds by Nicole Apelian and Claude Davis
• Wilderness Chef: The Ultimate Guide to Cooking Outdoors by Ray Mears
• Edible Wild Plants: A Folding Pocket Guide to Familiar North American Species (Outdoor Skills and Preparedness) by James Kavanagh
• The Essential Skills of Wilderness Survival: A Guide to Shelter, Water, Fire, Food Navigation, and Survival Kits by Jason Knight
• Survival Wisdom & Know How: Everything You Need to Know to Subsist in the Wilderness by Amy Rost
• The Unofficial Hunger Games Wilderness Survival Guide by Creek Stewart
• Boy Scouts Handbook (The First Edition), 1911
• Deep Survival by Laurence Gonzales
• Ranger Handbook: TC 3-21.76, April 2017 Edition by Department of the Army
• 98.6: The Art of Keeping Your Ass Alive by Cody Lundin

Security and Defense

Creatie robust defense mechanisms, understand potential adversaries, and master the art of tactical response. Know how to stand your ground. Fortify your home, understand surveillance techniques, learn firearm proficiency and gain some basic hand-to-hand combat skills.

• Survive the Unthinkable: A Total Guide to Women’s Self-Protection by Tim Larkin
• 100 Deadly Skills: The SEAL Operative’s Guide to Eluding Pursuers, Evading Capture, and Surviving Any Dangerous Situation by Clint Emerson
• The Gift of Fear and Other Survival Signals that Protect Us From Violence by Gavin De Becker
• Prepper’s Home Defense: Security Strategies to Protect Your Family by Any Means Necessary by Jim Cobb.
• Street Survival: Tactics For Armed Encounters by Ronald J. Adams
• When Violence Is the Answer: Learning How to Do What It Takes When Your Life Is at Stake by Tim Larkin
• Facing Violence: Preparing for the Unexpected by Rory Miller
• Cheap Shots, Ambushes, and Other Lessons: A Down and Dirty Book on Streetfighting & Survival by Marc MacYoung
• The Useful Knots Book: How to Tie the 25+ Most Practical Rope Knots (Escape, Evasion, and Survival) by Sam Fury
• Home Security: The Secure Dad’s Guide: Easy Home Defense Techniques to Keep Your Family Safe
• Rural Home Defense: A cop’s guide to protecting your rural home or property during riots, civil war, or SHTF
• Suburban Warfare: A cop’s guide to surviving a civil war, SHTF, or modern urban combat. (Suburban SHTF Survival)

Medical and First Aid

Our Medical and First Aid book selection equips people with essential skills to address injuries and illnesses, when professional medical help is hours or even days away. The focus is on hands-on practicality that equips the pepper or survivalist to act swiftly and effectively to save life or provide comfort.

• The American Red Cross First Aid and Safety Handbook by American Red Cross
• Prepper’s Natural Medicine: Life-Saving Herbs, Essential Oils and Natural Remedies for When There is No Doctor by Cat Ellis
• The Complete Medicinal Herbal by Penelope Ody
• Wilderness Medicine: Beyond First Aid
• The Survival Medicine Handbook: The Essential Guide For When Medical Help is NOT On the Way by Joseph Alton, MD, and Amy Alton, ARNP
• Where There Is No Doctor by David Werner, Carol Thuman, and Jane Maxwell
• A Book for Midwives: Care for Pregnancy, Birth, and Women’s Health by Susan Klein, Suellen Miller, and Fiona Thomson
• Pocket Guide to Emergency First Aid by Betty Cordes and Ron Cordes
• Herbal Antibiotics: Natural Alternatives for Treating Drug-resistant Bacteria by Stephen Harrod Buhner
• Herbal Antivirals: Natural Remedies for Emerging & Resistant Viral Infections by Stephen Harrod Buhner
• Essential Oils Natural Remedies: The Complete A-Z Reference of Essential Oils for Health and Healing
• Where There Is No Dentist by Murray Dickson
• Modern Essentials: A Contemporary Guide to the Therapeutic Use of Essential Oils
• When There Is No Doctor by Gerard S. Doyle

Biography

Biographies offer a unique window into the real-life experiences of individuals who’ve faced and overcome incredible challenges. These narratives provide not just lessons in survival, but also insights into determination, ingenuity, and the will to persevere. Thepoint is that we all have it in us somewhere.

• Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand
• Between a Rock and a Hard Place by Aron Ralston
• Adrift: Seventy-Six Days Lost at Sea by Steven Callahan
• Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer
• A Long Walk to Water: Based on a True Story by Linda Sue Park
• Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing
• Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster by Jon Krakauer
• Hope and Honor: A Memoir of a Soldier’s Courage and Survival

Fiction & Post-Apocalypse

Post-apocalyptic narratives serve a unique purpose for preppers. These tales, set in worlds ravaged by disaster, societal collapse, or other cataclysmic events, offer a speculative glimpse into the challenges of survival in extreme conditions. Beyond mere entertainment, they stimulate the imagination, prompting readers to consider how they might react in similar situations. These stories underscore the importance of preparedness, adaptability, and resilience, all while exploring the depths of human emotion, morality, and instinct.

• One Second After Trilogy (One Second After, One Year After, The Final Day)
• Lights Out: A Cyberattack, A Nation Unprepared, Surviving the Aftermath by Ted Koppel
• Going Home: A Novel (The Survivalist Series) by A. American
• The Road by Cormac McCarthy
• Patriots by James Wesley Rawles
• Z for Zachariah by Robert C. O’Brien
• Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
• Breaking Wild by Diane Les Becquets
• My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George
• Lord of the Flies by William Golding
• The Knowledge: How to Rebuild Civilization in the Aftermath of a Cataclysm by Lewis Dartnell
• How to Invent Everything: A Survival Guide for the Stranded Time Traveler by Ryan North
• Nuclear War Survival Skills Updated and Expanded 2022 Edition Regarding Ukraine Russia and the World: The Best Book on Any Nuclear Incident Ever … New Methods and Tools As New Threat Emerge by Cresson H Kearny
• The Unthinkable: Who Survives When Disaster Strikes – and Why by Amanda Ripley

Conclusion

The journey of a prepper is one of continuous learning, adaptation, and developed foresight. And, while there is no substitute for  hands-on experience and practical drills,  the insights and perspectives offered by literature are really useful.  

We have listed a selection of books that range from detailed guides on specific prepping and survival techniques to imaginative tales of post-apocalyptic worlds. And each one has something useful to offer the prepper.  And every piece of knowledge acquired is another tool in your survival arsenal. 

So equip yourself with inspiration from the wisdom of experts, the experiences of survivors, and the imaginative scenarios of fiction.

FAQs:The Value of Prepper and Survivalist Literature

1. Why is reading important for preppers and survivalists?

Reading offers a wealth of knowledge, insights, and perspectives that can be invaluable in a survival situation. It allows preppers to learn from experts, understand different scenarios, and prepare mentally for various challenges.

2. Can’t I just learn survival skills from videos and online courses?

While videos and courses are excellent resources, books often provide more in-depth information, personal anecdotes, and comprehensive strategies. They can be revisited, highlighted, and referenced easily without the need for electronic devices.

3. How can fiction books benefit a prepper?

Fictional survival stories, while obviously works of the imagination, can offer insights into human behavior, decision-making, and the challenges of survival in post-apocalyptic scenarios. They can also serve as a source of inspiration and motivation.

4. Are biographies relevant to prepping?

Absolutely. Biographies of individuals who have endured extreme situations provide real-life examples of resilience, resourcefulness, and determination. They offer lessons on what to do (and what not to do) in survival situations.

5. How often should I update my prepping literature?

The basics of survival rarely change, but new techniques, technologies, and challenges emerge over time. It’s a good idea to update your library every few years or whenever you come across a book that addresses a new or evolving threat. And we will be updating our list from time to time.

6. Can reading really prepare me for a real-life survival situation?

While reading is an essential part of preparation, it’s crucial to complement it with hands-on training and practice. Books provide the knowledge, but real-world experience solidifies that knowledge and hones your skills.

7. Are there any risks in relying too heavily on books for prepping?

Books are a fantastic resource, but they shouldn’t be your only source of knowledge. It’s essential to diversify your learning with hands-on training, courses, and networking with other preppers to get a well-rounded understanding of survival and preparedness.