The Zombie Survival Guide - Max Brooks Three Rivers Press - New York 2003 Survival is the key word to remember - not victory, not conquest, just survival. This book will not teach you to become a professional zombie hunter. Anyone wishing to devote their life to such a profession must seek training elsewhere.

This medium length book is a scholarly yet practical look at one of the greatest hidden dangers of our times. It is a seminal 247 pages that covers the discovery of the Solanum virus thru practical techniques of avoidance and combat, and preparedness. Learning how to recognize the threat is worth the price of the book alone. I particularly liked the discussion of recorded Zombie attacks reaching from 60,000 BC in Katanda, Central Africa to the near present of 2002 AD in the Virgin Islands.

140-41 AD, Thamugani, Numidia (Algeria) Six small outbreaks among desert nomads were recorded by Luciuis Valerius Strabo, Roman governor of the province. All outbreaks were crushed by two cohorts from the III Augusta Legionary base. Total zombies dispatched: 134. Roman casualties: 5. Other than the official report, a private journal entry by an army engineer records a significant discovery. A local family remained imprisoned in their home for at least twelve days while the savage creatures scratched and clawed fruitlessly at their bolted doors and windows. After we dispatched the filth and rescued the family, their manner looked near to insane. From what we could gather, the wails of the beasts, day after day, night after night, proved to be a merciless form of torture. This is the first known recognition of psychological damage caused by a zombie attack. All six incidents, given their chronological proximity, make a credible case for one or more ghouls from earlier attacks "surviving" long enough to reinfect a population.

This book dispels many myths about the zombie, and delves deep into the physiological implications of the damage caused by the virus. Also, a wide range of weapons are discussed, modern and ancient, that have been used to dispatch the creatures….not all of them were useful. I only take issue with the author on one weapon. He recommends the 30" titanium crowbar. While I agree that it is half the weight of steel and nearly half again as strong, I believe that it is too brittle to stand up to long term use.

The best bludgeon is a crowbar. Its curved, semi sharpened edge also allows for a stabbing motion through the eye socket, directly into the brain case. More than one survivor has reported killing zombies in this manner. Another benefit of the crowbar is that it may be necessary to pry open a door, shift a heavy object, or perform other tasks for which it was designed. None of these functions can be accomplished with any of the previously mentioned items. Even lighter and more durable than the steel crowbar is the titanium model, now trickling into Western markets from Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. The last few pages of the book are given over to a convenient "Outbreak Journal". This has areas for you to record suspicious events for early detection and advance preparation.

I could not recommend this book more. While zombie attacks are rare in the western world, they are still documented a few times a year. Zombies are easy to kill, but one must be able to recognize what you see, and be prepared to do what must be done. This book will certainly help you with that.

If you like this book, you might also try World War Z or the new Walking Dead, Vol 5.