Category: Book, Movie, and Web Reviews

JWR’s Recommendations of the Week:

Books: Plunder and Deceit: Big Government’s Exploitation of Young People and the Future, by Mark Levin The ARRL Ham Radio License Manual Movies: I Am David (“Chronicles the struggles of a 12-year-old boy who manages to flee a Communist concentration camp.”) The Truman Show Television: How Should We Then Live? (This is Dr. Francis Schaeffer’s spectacular ten-part series on the rise and decline of Western culture from a Christian perspective.) 24: Redemption (Starring Kiefer Sutherland.) Music: Louis Armstrong: The Definitive Collection Lynyrd Skynyrd – All Time Greatest Hits Instructional Videos: FLIR Factory Trip and Thermal Discussion Franklin Armory BFSiii (Gen3 …


JWR’s Recommendations of the Week:

Books: Unbroken, by Laura Hillenbrand. (Later made into a feature film of the same name, now available on DVD.) Fool’s Talk by Os Guiness Young Men and FireYoung Men and Fire by Norman MacLean Movies: Sully. Tom Hanks plays pilot Chesley Sullenberger, who made an emergency water landing on the Hudson River, saving all of his 155 passengers. Lone Survivor. (Mark Wahlberg plays Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell.) Television: 12 Monkeys A time traveler from 2043 attempts to prevent a global pandemic that killed seven billion people, by traveling back to our present day. Originally aired on the SyFy channel. Season …


Holiday Gift Ideas, by Sarah Latimer

For so many of us who are inspired to give gifts this time of year to let our loved ones know we care, we are running out of time. However, if you have access to Amazon (and money/available credit), you still have time and I have a few recommendations. For The Homestead Gardener On Your List- Garden Rocker or the Hula Ho I look for ways to do things as comfortably as possible while also being efficient. There are two products that have been great tools, for efficiency and for saving my back and knees. They may be well appreciated …


JWR’s Recommendations of the Week:

Books: EMP-Hardened Radio Communications by William Prepperdoc. (This newly-released paperback and e-book was written by a SurvivalBlog reader. I volunteered to write the book’s Foreword, but I have no financial interest in the publishing project.) Killing the Rising Sun: How America Vanquished World War II Japan (by Bill O’Reilly) Movies: Terminator Genisys. Yes, it often seems like an “in joke” and you will have to suspend disbelief at several junctures, but this movie ties together the other Terminator films fairly well. Love & Mercy. A biography of the very talented but psychologically troubled Beach Boys singer Brian Wilson. Television: The …


Readers’ Recommendations of the Week:

Reader C.J. writes in: “I just watched “Born Fighting: How the Scots-Irish Shaped America” (I read the book several years ago and of course the book is better). Although I am of Scots-Irish descent, it would at least be interesting for those that are not of Scots-Irish descent. The Scots history of independence from England and why they ended up in Ireland and ultimately America is ingrained in so much of traditional American culture. Religious freedom, hard working, self-reliant, “give me freedom or give me death” types. o o o Recommended by Pat Cascio, SurvivalBlog’s Senior Product Review Editor: Museums, …


JWR’s Recommendations of the Week:

Books: Rodale’s Basic Organic Gardening: A Beginner’s Guide to Starting a Healthy Garden Gunsmithing the AR-15, The Bench Manual, by Patrick Sweeney Movies: God’s Not Dead Mary Poppins: 50th Anniversary Edition Television: Mossad 101 (In Hebrew, with English subtitles. Caution: Has some coarse language and immoral situations.) Available on Netflix. Person of Interest (Aired for five seasons.) Available on Netflix and also on DVD, from Amazon.com. Instructional Videos: Living Off the Grid is Harder Than You Think How To Butcher A Whole Loin Of Venison (Scott Rea) Magazines: Backwoods Home Concealed Carry Blogs: The Survival Mom Survival Cache Podcasts: The …


My 10 Favorite “Motivational” Movies For Preppers

This list is not comprehensive, and reflects my quirky taste in movies. Please note that because they depict times of deep drama that none of these are suitable for viewing by children. While the tactics and techniques portrayed are not always realistic, these films at least provide some good motivation for preppers. They each have their merits. If nothing else, they all definitely have the requisite “Oo-rah” quotient. They are listed in alphabetical order: Braveheart Defiance Farewell To The King The Great Escape Jeremiah Johnson The Magnificent Seven (The original, not the recent re-make!) The Pianist The Postman Red Dawn …


12 Important Books Every Well-Prepared Family Should Own

One question that I frequently hear from my consulting clients is: “What reference books am I missing from my bookshelf?” The following are the “must have” books that I highly recommend: The Encyclopedia of Country Living by Carla Emery (See review, below) Making the Best of Basics – Family Preparedness Handbook by James Talmage Stevens Gardening When It Counts: Growing Food in Hard Times by Steve Solomon Ball Blue Book of Preserving Cookin’ with Home Storage by Vicki Tate Where There Is No Doctor: A Village Health Care Handbook by David Werner Where There Is No Dentist by Murray Dickson …


JWR’s Recommendations of the Week:

Books: Small-Scale Grain Raising by Gene Lodgson How to Survive Without a Salary: Learning How to Live the Conserver Lifestyleby Charles Long Movies: Bridge of Spies The Way Back Music: Tempest: Prime Cuts The Waifs: Sun Dirt Water Podcasts: Gritty Bowmen (Start with Episode 173: Bear Attack.) The Wired To Hunt Podcast: Episode #49: Making A Living in the Outdoor Industry Instructional Videos: The Art of the Dynamic Handgun Practical Concealed Carry–Lenny Magill Gear: Bushnell Night Watch with Built in Infrared Monocular. (Your basic “entry level” night vission scope.) Trijicon ACOG TA31-D-100367 4x 32 Dual Illuminated Green Horseshoe Dot .223 …


JWR’s Recommendations of the Week:

Books: Come and Take It: The Gun Printer’s Guide to Thinking Free, by Cody Wilson Delorme Company State Atlases Saving Stuff: How to Care for and Preserve Your Collectibles, Heirlooms, and Other Prized Possessions Movies: Ronin The Last of the Mohicans Music: Getz/Gilberto: 50th Anniversary(Stan Getz & Joao Gilberto, with Antonio Carlos Jobim on piano) – For lovers of cool jazz and the Bossa Bova sound Piping Hot: Celtic Bagpipe Collection Podcasts: The First 40 Miles:Episode 47 “The Bear Episode” The Art of Manliness Podcast #157: Primitive Pursuits & Winter Survival Instructional Videos: Wranglerstar: A Very Bad Day Backpacking Basics: …


JWR’s Recommendations of the Week:

Books: Nuclear War Survival Skills (Updated Edition) By Cresson Kearney, et al. Earth Abides by George R. Stewart Movies: Blood Diamond Paths Of Glory Music: The Stanley Brothers – All Time Greatest Hits Andrea Bocelli: Romanza Podcasts: Oregon Public Broadcasting journalists analyze the Malheur Seven trial. Some of them feel that this might have been an act of jury nullification. They also discussed the upcoming Bundy Ranch trial and describe the bizarre tasering of defense attorney Marcus Mumford, just after the “not guilty” verdicts were read. Showing some bias of their own, they downplayed the overt bias of Judge Anna …


Pat Cascio’s Product Review: Survival Videos

I’m often asked by folks to teach them “survival skills”. This is a hot topic. Just what is meant by “survival” to one person might mean something entirely different to another. As I’ve stated many times, I’m no expert in anything. I’m just a very serious student in a lot of areas. In the past, I have taught some wilderness and street survival skills, but I’m no longer in that market. Survival skills just cover so many different areas that I don’t even know where to begin. If anything, I’m more skilled in street survival skills than I am in …


JWR’s Recommendations of the Week:

Books: The ARRL Antenna Book for Radio Communications Idaho for the Curious: A Guide Movies: Far From Home: The Adventures of Yellow Dog (recommended for children and teens) Rooster Cogburn Music: The Best of Guy Clark Gloryland: 30 Bluegrass Gospel Classics Podcasts: Podcast-James Wesley Rawles – We’re Still Headed For A Cataclysmic Event – Part 1 Podcast-James Wesley Rawles – We’re Headed For A Cataclysmic Event – Part 2 Instructional Videos: A YouTube video from VikingPreparedness about mental preparedness for Schumer Hits The Fan (SHTF) situations: “It all happened SO FAST!” YouTube Video Collection 152 Do It Yourself Projects Using …


News From The American Redoubt:

Malheur Jury Rejects the Thought Police o o o Spokane County flooded with permit requests after Supreme Court ruling o o o The good folks at Lone Wolf (in Priest River, Idaho), are now offering No-FFL required 80% complete Glock pistol frames for hobby gunsmiths. They also now make nifty AR-15 lowers that are compatible with Glock magazines. o o o If you are looking for a rifle suppressor, check out this company in Cheyenne, Wyoming: Thunderbeast Arms. o o o Soft energy markets mean more financial trouble for Wyoming. o o o Steel belting is not just for tires. …


JWR’s Recommendations of the Week:

Books: Rand McNally 2017 Large Scale Road Atlas Blue Book of Gun Values Movies: Ender’s Game RED 2 Music: Sounds of Summer: Very Best of The Beach Boys The Blues Brothers Original Soundtrack Podcasts: The Mountain Medicine Podcast The Survival Podcast: Episode-978-Fall Gardening Primer with Tips and Tricks for 2012 Instructional Videos: Firewood cutting rack DIY Firewood Storage From Pallets Gear: Nitecore i4 Intellicharge Universal Smart Battery Charger with 12 VDC Cable Israeli Battle Dressings