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Customer Reviews:- Somethimg of a disappointment - but then again...
After all the hype surrounding this book, and the many positive reviews posted here, I started to read it with high hopes - that were quickly dashed. His writing style is pedantic, his characters all talk with the same voice, in the same way - and nobody really talks that way unless they are military and on a mission. Heavy going - especially with the religiosity angle. The "gear freaks" out there are going to love this book for its endless preoccupation with gear - here and there some interesting thouhghts, but I can just see some poor survivalist types endlessly debating whether they need 9mm or .45 pistols etc and missing the bigger point which he actually covers very well: TACTICAL AWARENESS at all times. In that regard this book has been invaluable - otherwise actually reading it was akin to being dragged along to watch someone elses kid perform in a school musical....more info - Good Book!
This book came in excellent condition, is a good read and came in a timely way....more info - Fair to average
I bought this book because I heard great things about it on the web. After reading the book in 2 days I was very unimpressed. The story was standard end of the world fare. The characters while many, were uninterestiing. I didn't care about about them or what thety were going through. Characters are introduced into the story and I thought to my self "I wonder how many pages until this one dies." They were that transparent.
I think you might be able to find this story on some survivalist fiction web pages. I'd read the story there and not waste your money on the book.
Overall poor story, poor characters, poor writing. Not impressed....more info - Unrealistic scenario
"Patriots" is a survival manual written in the form of a novel.
As far as survival manuals go, it's a pretty good primer.
As far a novels go, it's pretty bad. Rawles' characters are uninteresting. With the exception of one or two, I really had trouble remembering who was who. The story took the form of an historical narration with little to keep the reader turning pages.
Beyond the bad writing I have two other major issues with the book.
The first is Rawles' perspective on Christianity. The author is a professed Christian and so are his characters. What is disturbing is that they take obvious joy in killing. I have a problem with that, but I don't think that most people are reading this as a guide to Christian morals, so I'll move on.
My major beef with this book is its unrealistic scenario. The one bright spot in the story comes early when Rawles describes the "comming colapse". His prognostication is uncanny as he sets forth a scenario that is EXACTLY like what we are seeing unfold today. The problem comes later when we see that this results in complete lawlessness with no military or police engagement. Clearly, hurricane Katrina has shown us that the military will be very actively engaged in our daily lives should "the Schumer hit the fan". This point should be taken seriously as our government has plans in place to establish martial law quite quickly should the opportunity present itself (continuity of power anyone?). It wouldn't be exaggerating to say that they are chomping at the bit. Rawles later explains, through one of his characters, that military personnel simply fled and with significant hardware at that. Really? Considering that your average soldier has a better chance of finding food, shelter and protection on base than anywhere else, I think this is highly unlikely. Also consider that such "emergency plans" by our government also includes commandeering all of the infrastructure they need and you have an almost impossible scenario.
Unfortunately, this is more than a nuisance, but is actually dangerous to the newbie survivalist. Preparing for a world where your biggest threat is in the form of "Zombie Bikers" can get you killed.
Take note: Your plans should include preparations for the immediate establishment of martial law should TSHTF. Think caching, camouflage and cover.
The picture Rawles paints is actually quite likely if we faced an all-out nuclear barrage by a major power. In that scenario, one could make the case that our military was decimated beyond recovery in the initial salvo.
I'd like to give Rawles the benefit of the doubt and hope that his first draft was a story of nuclear conflict and his editing leaves much to be desired, but I think that is a stretch....more info - A must-read
Patriots does a great job of being both a good survival manual (nonfiction) wrapped up in a believable, plausible fictional storyline. It is chock full of good information, but the story is also gripping... so much so that I stayed up late several nights as I devoured the book. Definitely a must-read for anyone into survivalism, preparing for TEOTWAWKI or TSHTF. Don't know what that means, go to http://www.survivalblog.com/ and find out.
This book is even more applicable considering current events -the ongoing financial crisis that is slipping towards the Great Depression II. I just started re-reading the book, this time with a highlighter and a note pad, and it's almost scary how close the chapter on "The Crunch" is to today's headlines.
This is definitely a book you can read, re-read, and go back to again, time after time. Read it first for the story, then go back later and take notes. No matter how well prepared you might be, or if you are just starting the journey into preparation, this book will get you thinking, and point out areas that you need to work on.
If you are the ostrich type that still thinks that Uncle Sam and FEMA are going to bail you out and save your bacon after the next Katrina, or Rita, or ice storm, or other natural or man-made disaster, and you like sticking your head in the sand, then this book is NOT for you. Go about your life, blissfully ignorant and happy. Just don't come to my place if TSHTF.
But if you would like to get some pointers on how to prepare for a major disaster, then Patriots is a good start. It'll "bake your noodle" a bit, and question some of your preparations, plans and what you have (or haven't) done to prepare for disaster. It's not the be-all-end-all survival/preparation manual, but it'll get those gears turning in your melon. And that's the point. Enjoy the ride!
...more info - Good for Women
As a woman I was impressed with how this book put all the survivalist stuff into a novel that I could connect with, and put it in one place. It made the information sink in and made me realize that some things are more important than I thought. A few items have come up on my priority list. My husband is more than happy that I read this as it has put us on the same page on many topics and items now of higher priority to me.
This book really makes you think, and made me realize there is more that is in my hands than I thought. My responsibility.
The story may seem idyllic (no kids, everyone has high-paying jobs, couples on two-incomes) but I appreciate that the author is trying to illustrate the real need to prepare and the best-case way to do it, then we can adapt it to our own life-style and income. The kids and mommy stuff does come into the story later.
The author does bring a diverse set of characters of different religions, backgrounds and marital status and shows how there is something in it for everybody, we can all prepare, and all pull our weight--even the dog.
This is not an alarmist book, and the author makes the distinction between the crazies and those who do All They Can to prepare and be self-reliant.I especially appreciate that the author explains the how-to's, and tells you where to get the stuff and what books to get on it.
We have found ourselves saying: We can buy this toy/movie/manicure, or we can get this many dollars worth of fill-in-the-blank. This makes our family a team.
As a woman,wife and mommy this book is gold....more info - Not great but not horrible either
I saw this at B&N and picked it up, it flows along the lines of so many other books in this genere, only Bible reading folk will survive, I was a little disappointed at that. It also presents what I would consider the best case in being prepared, not likely for the majority of people. The way the author presented the tactical living and preperation was good though. Overall the story flowed ok and it did keep my interest but not a "how to" book....more info - Waste of Time and Money
This book is little more than a long list of things to take with you to the bunker when the end is nigh. To call it a novel or a story or a thriller or anything positive, would be fraudulent. Characters are laughable. The degree of paranoia expressed here is breath-taking. Even if you're a world class survivalist, you'll probably find this book over the top. ...more info - Ummm Okay
Okay I wanted 2012: Seeking Closure. But this also caught my attention. I am just learning about the so called coming doomsday. I loved Seeking Closure and this one not so much. I like being scared and umm not with this book....more info - Patriots Surviving The Coming Collapse
The book was ok. However I was expecting a little more detail of day to day living....more info - Ancestors have been there, done that...
Now I know why my parents and grandparents were canners of food, gardeners, scrimpers, saved every scrap of potentially useful material they could afford...trying times are coming, and, not unlike "The Grapes of Wrath," this novel hopefully makes one think about what life could be like when history grinds on and the life as we know it no longer exists. Thanks for understanding, both to the author and to those of my neighbors who also hope for the best but prepare for the worst.
...more info - A MUST READ FOR EVERYONE WHO WANTS TO PREPARE EVEN JUST A LITTLE
I found this book a little different maybe even difficult the first time I read it because it had so much actual technical knowledge wrapped up in the storyline. The second time I read it I actually took notes as I was reading along realizing that what I found to be difficult the first time around was great information much of what I could apply to my own preparations. When a person reads this they should go into it with a mindset that the author isn't saying these things will come to pass for sure but rather he's trying to provoke the reader into thinking outside their comfort zone. We all live in areas that are prone to some sort of natural disaster, earthquake, flood, hurricane, etc., it's my opinion the author is just saying prepare, a little or a lot but at the very least prepare. I don't think one has to be a survivalist to be prepared for something that may happen, I know I'm much more comforted having read this book and taken to heart preparing a little bit. I also found it refreshing the author brought a spiritual aspect into the story in this case Christian. The author isn't shoving it down the reader's throat he's just showing that having a faith in difficult circumstances can be of great benefit and I think many people would agree, history bears out that fact! It would certainly help even just from a morale standpoint but I think it has many more benefits especially if a group of people were forced to spend any length of time together. If we look at recent natural disasters we can see that local, state and federal entities cannot be relied upon as a provider of all of our needs and needless to say in the Katrina debacle in a timely manner! Folks with what is happening in our world these days this book does almost seem prophetic, in my opinion well worth the read! I just finished reading it for the third time, took a few more notes but mostly just enjoyed reading this wonderful book!...more info - truly enjoyed this book (manual)
Very enjoyable read. No it's not a novel per se, but a thoroughly enjoyable read nonetheless. Too many people want to criticize instead of just enjoying. If they can do better I suggest they find a publisher and get writing....more info - A must read.
Get this book. Read it and take notes. I did. The events depicted in the book are eerily reminiscent of today's and tonight's headlines. If you think that this could never happen, think again. It IS happening...right now.
This book has helped me formulate a plan. And a plan is the first step on the way to being prepared. Thank you Mr. Rawles....more info - Great update to a wonderful book
This book is full of great ideas and crucial survival concepts all wrapped into a novel. I just finished my second reading and I always want to take notes but then just decide to keep it as a reference book. No matter what happens to this great country you can apply many of the concepts in this book. I'm sure some people will think that this book is too "militia" or too "Christian" but if that offends you too much to read the book then it is far more likely that YOU are the intolerant one. ...more info - Excellent Book
I enjoyed reading Patriots so much I read it twice. The story is exciting and the knowledge provided is great. It started me thinking about the future and possibilities. With the economy in poor condition, Iran and Al-Qaeda threats of blowing us up, Korea testing nukes, EMP in the news, and Obama on a spending spree, the future seems pretty shaky. Some of the knowledge put forth in the book may be really useful in the future. Thanks!...more info - Lots Of Good Info!
I have read this book a couple of times and often reference material out of it. The author is no Tom Clancy as a novelist, but the information he presents is very valuable. Remember, the author is a former US Military Intelligence officer, and sometimes his writing looks more like an intelligence report than a novel, but it is well worth it!...more info - This book possibly written by a high-schooler?
After hearing good things about this book, I decided to buy it and give it a shot. And I've got to warn you - it's really poorly written. I'm no writer, but I can tell when a hack who thinks he's more than that pushes something out before it's ready. It's almost like the writer is still in high school (or possibly just never went to college, or took any writing classes, or this is his/her first novel). Have you ever read a short story from a typical high school kid, with poorly developed characters, over-the-top descriptions, and almost no intrigue or plot. This is like that. A lot.
If you want a very technical depiction of a bunch of people in Idaho, then you might like it okay. If you're a hard-core Christian ands like reading about similar types, you might like it okay. Otherwise, skip this book and go with something of literary quality, like World Made By Hand or The Road. Patriots is Not Good....more info - MUST READ for Realist
I've read the original release of Patriots 4 times and I've highlighted, made notes and re-read those highlights more times than I can remember. The two copies of the latest release that I purchased were to give to friends because I WILL NOT loan my "marked up" copy.
Patriots is a survival manual in novel format. It is not for the average American Sheeple. It is not for those looking for "adventure reading". It is not for the Hollywood crowd. There is far too much detail to keep the average American entertained. It is NOT for entertainment. It's value goes FAR beyond the average Action Novel.
Read it and learn or don't read it and remain who, where and what you are, buy DON'T critique this book if you are anything less than a REALIST....more info - Excellent "How to" book in Novel format
I just bought the newest edition of Patriots. My original version has gotten tattered from the multiple times that I have read it.
The most recent edition has improved on the "How to" part by adding a index so you can quickly find something.
I think that the plot is well developed and that James Rawles must be able to see into the future. The book parallels what is happening right now in the economy of our nation and the world. This "economic doomsday" is a real eye opener to many people and Mr. Rawles explains in detail how the economy of the United States is really a fragile system that is based solely on the faith in the U.S Government to maintain fiscal and monetary responsibility. Once that responsibility is abandoned we face disastorous repercussions of the kind that are found in the book.
The characters are developed so that you get a feel for each person's reaction to the events. The "bad guys" were realistic in that, in a situation where the socio-economic systems are in total collapse, the roving bands of raiders will be comprised of gang members, prisoners that escaped from prison when all organized infrastructure came to a halt and the everpresent N.W.O. military that is acting on the behest of the United Nations.
I think it is an excellent book that should be read by anyone who enjoys a good story, is concerned by the fact that the country is on a path to economic failure or wants a guidebook on how to prepare for such events.
Don J...more info
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