Author: James Wesley Rawles

My latest nonfiction book, titled: The Ultimate Prepper’s Survival Guide should be available in Costco stores beginning on Wednesday, August 26th. That book will be exclusive to Costco club stores until October 20th, when the general release (worldwide, including all Internet vendors) will be made. Note that the editions will vary slightly. They will all be 240 pages and hardcover, but for example, the U.S/Canada edition ($24.99) will measure 10-1/2″ x 11-1/4″, with an interior wire-o binding–so that the pages will lay flat. But the UK/EU edition (£19.12) will measure 7-1/2″ x 9-5/8″ with a more traditional binding. The second …

August 23rd is the anniversary of the declaration of the independent state of “Franklin” in Eastern Tennessee — bordering western North Carolina and Virginia — by the settlers there in 1784. Unfortunately, the Continental Congress rejected it, so the state of Franklin never became a reality. — In 1833, Britain abolished slavery in the colonies and 700,000 slaves were freed. I can’t help but wonder; Had Abraham Lincoln allowed the political process to run its course, as it did in England, and slavery was abolished by the will of the people, as it would have been, rather than executive order, …

August 22nd, 1992 was the second day of the Incident at Ruby Ridge. FBI sharpshooter Lon Horiuchi wounded Randy Weaver and Kevin Harris, and murdered Weaver’s wife, Vicki. It should be noted that in 1994, after being acquitted by a federal court, Weaver filed a federal civil rights case against the FBI and U.S. marshals stemming from the siege. In 1995 the government settled Weaver’s case for $3.1 million. It is commonly thought that had the Weaver family stayed with the trial, the award would have been the full $200 million. In true FBI style, Lon Horiuchi was not prosecuted …

In 1986, Lake Nyos in Cameroon erupted with an estimated billion cubic yards of carbon dioxide gas. The gas had apparently been accumulating in the crater lake, held down by the weight of the water. When it finally erupted, the gas cloud smothered and killed every living animal, including insects, in its path until it dissipated. Outsiders learned of the disaster when they approached the villages and found animal and human bodies on the ground. The best estimate is that 1,700 people and thousands of cattle died. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 90 of …

20 August 1935 was the birthday of former Congressman Ron Paul. Dr. Paul is to be commended for fighting the good fight for many years. — August 20th, 1866 is also the day that President Andrew Johnson formally declared the Civil War over. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 90 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: A gift certificate from Quantum Harvest LLC (up to a $2,200 value) good for 12% off the purchase of any of their sun-tracking models, and 10% off the purchase price of any of …