Notes from JWR:

Now in hardback! The First Revised Edition of Patriots: A Novel of Survival in the Coming Collapse will be released in hardback on December 4th, 2012. (Although that date may be moved up to the third week of November, depending on the printing schedule.) This will be the first time that the book has ever been printed with a cloth binding. I’ve updated the novel slightly to remove some lingering temporal incongruities that had built up in the course of previous editions. I’ve also added a new introduction. As with the later paperback editions, it will include a glossary and index. There is no special “Book Bomb” Day planned, so feel free to pre-order your copies.

The ISBN for the new hardback edition is 978-1612431666. The cover price will be $24, but sellers like Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble should be selling it for around $14.25. I will only be autographing a few gift copies, and a few prize copies for the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. Case lots are also available from Ulysses Press, for you gun show table guys. (Phone 510-601-8301, for details.)

An anniversary note, courtesy of People History: “Nov 13th, 1940: The prototype for the Jeep featuring four-wheel drive, an open-air cab, and a rifle rack mounted under the windshield was submitted to the U.S. Army for approval by the car maker Willys-Overland. One year later, with the U.S. declaration of war, mass production of the Jeep began. By the war’s end in 1945, some 600,000 Jeeps had rolled off the assembly lines.”

Today we present another entry for Round 43 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand, B.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795, and C.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $350 value.) D.) a $300 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize, for any of their military surplus gear, E.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $300 value), and F.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo. and G.) A $200 gift certificate, donated by Shelf Reliance.

Second Prize: A.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training. Together, these have a retail value of $589. B.) A FloJak FP-50 stainless steel hand well pump (a $600 value), courtesy of FloJak.com. C.) A “grab bag” of preparedness gear and books from Jim’s Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $300, D.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, E.) Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value) and F.) A Tactical Trauma Bag #3 from JRH Enterprises (a $200 value).

Third Prize: A.) A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.), B.) A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206, C.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value, D.) A Commence Fire! emergency stove with three tinder refill kits. (A $160 value.), and E.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security.

Round 43 ends on November 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.