Survival books are one of the best investments you can make.
We try to pack as much information into our posts as possible – and you can use the search function to find guides on specific topics!
But unless you have easy access to alternative energy and off-grid internet, you’re going to want a mini library of survival books!
To help you out, we compiled a list of the best ones for you – 5 survival books to read before.
Where possible, we added links to Amazon Kindle versions too.
Make sure you know how to make a DIY Solar-Powered Cellphone Charger keep your Kindle device up and running if the power is out!
1. Bushcraft 101 – A Field Guide To The Art Of Wilderness Survival
SHTFBushcraft 101 is jam-packed full of useful survival skills to practice. No matter how long you’ve been a prepper (but especially if you’ve only just started), it’s a valuable resource to have.
There’s also an advanced version, Advanced Bushcraft: An Expert Guide To The Art of Wildnerness Survival, and the supplementary The Bushcraft Field Guide To Trapping, Gathering, and Cooking In The Wild.
Author: Dave Canterbury
Price: From $9.98
Buy: Paperback on Amazon and Amazon Kindle
BONUS: Get all 3 books as The Bushcraft Boxed Set on Amazon or Amazon Kindle from $35.99.
Last update on 2026-05-20 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
2. Edible Wild Plants: A North American Field Guide to Over 200 Natural Foods
It’s always a good idea to know how to find food in the wild when SHTF before you try bugging out.
And with so many poisonous plants, Edible Wild Plants: A North American Field Guide to Over 200 Natural Foods is an absolute must-have survival book.
Authors: Thomas Elias and Peter Dykeman
Price: From $12.34
Buy: Paperback on Amazon
Last update on 2026-05-20 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
3. Hawke’s Green Beret Survival Manual
The full title is quite a mouthful – Hawke’s Green Beret Survival Manual: Essential Strategies For Shelter and Water, Food and Fire, Tools and Medicine, Navigation and Signaling, Survival Psychology and Getting Out Alive!
But if you’re only going to have one survival book in your bag, then you won’t go wrong by making it this one. Yes, it’s a lot more expensive than the other books on our list, but it’s worth it.
Author: Mykel Hawke
Price: From $50 (used) or $358.26 (new)
Buy: Paperback on Amazon and Amazon Kindle
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4. SAS Survival Handbook
This is the third edition of the SAS Survival Handbook: The Ultimate Guide to Surviving Anywhere, which includes an entirely new chapter dedicated to urban survival.
If the price for Hawke’s Green Beret Survival Manual scares you off for the time being, then this a fantastic alternative.
Author: John ‘Lofty’ Wiseman
Price: From $16.32
Buy: Paperback on Amazon and Amazon Kindle
Last update on 2026-05-20 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
5. Build the Perfect Bug Out Bag: Your 72-Hour Disaster Survival Kit
We post a lot of guides on Building A Bug Out Bag. Some of our favorites include Building A Better Bug Out Bag and The Ultimate Bug Out Bag List For Every Survivalist.
A great idea would be to print the latter out and keep it in your copy of Build the Perfect Bug Out Bag: Your 72-Hour Disaster Survival Kit – which you should keep near your bug out bag, of course.
Author: Creek Stewart
Price: From $10.57
Buy: Paperback on Amazon and Amazon Kindle
Last update on 2026-05-20 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
