Survival Novel-Patriots

[Mac66]

A novel by James Wesly Rawles.

JWR has the Survival Blog online and wrote this book back in the 90s. It's about the economic collapse of the US and a survival group out of Chicago who goes to their retreat in Idaho. Kind of the ultimate how to do it written as a novel.

I read this novel years ago and while interesting at the time it's a little dated now in terms of the guns, communications and other equipment used. Like 70's and 80's trucks and cars (no electronics to zap out from an EMP).

Then there some of the scenarios that are over the top. For example from their manned observation posts they can see people coming up the road. That alerts everyone to get in their "spider holes" along side the road and confront them from all sides. That includes innocent refuges and commie, cannibal looters in one case which they promptly murdered and strung up for the crows. It would seem to me that unless they approached the locked gate at the driveway up to the house that it would be better to let people pass without exposing themselves. But hey, can't let any potential commie cannibal looters pass by.

Society devolves into a battle with "brigands" (the author loves that word) and other roving bands until they hook up with other survival groups and clear the countryside. Then its the new government run by the UN and New World Order they end up fighting with.

Anyway it gives you food for thought in terms of prepping. They have somewhere north of 300,000 rounds of ammo. Most of it 22lr and 45 acp, 308, 5.56 and 9mm. Weapons of choice are 1911s in 45, M1as and HK91s and AR15s (for the women). M1a and HKs were more available and popular during the 1980s and early 90s. The 1911s are all Colts as are the AR15s which you rarely see today. Only occasionally do they run across a Glock taken from a "Brigand".

If anything it got me to go down and inventory my ammo stash. I bought ammo by the case for years and stashed it away. At one point I was buying 22 ammo just about every week when it was $15/500. But it's been 10 years since I had to buy any ammo and I've used up quite a bit of it. If the Russians and/or Chinese don't start a nuclear war anytime soon and kill us all I'm good to go for awhile though it wouldn't hurt to start replacing some of the stuff I've been shooting up over the years. Just can't stomach the prices of ammo now.

I read this book (through the library online) after running across How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It. Tactics, Techniques, and Technologies for Uncertain Times, from 2009 another book by James Wesley, Rawles. I checked that one out as well but the loan ran out before I got a chance to read much of it. Lots of check lists in that book. I signed up to check it out again when it becomes available again.