Great Gift For Any Zombiephile! by Top 500 Amazon reviewer (Ursala K Raphael):
I received this book as a gift, and, even though I am located in the states, I was very interested in this handbook by Sean Page. I mistakenly thought it would be a slightly different version of The Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks, but after reading through the whole thing, I was pleasantly surprised at the originality of Page's effort.
As a result of the debates and discussions within the zombie community, the genre has been growing and evolving. However, the general public still remains unaware of the danger of potential outbreaks. Even though there have already been several guides/manuals written, most of the books do not contain practical guidelines that can be applied internationally.
Sean Page, the author, has taken it upon himself to write such a manual specifically for the UK, where it is nearly impossible to get your hands on a firearm for self-defense. He also points out that preparing for a zombie outbreak with his 90-day survival plan would appeal to the environmentally-conscientious with a "green" agenda (for example, self-sufficiency); as most zombiephiles know, if you're prepared for an apocalypse, you'll be prepared for any emergency.
Addressing the controversy over the various types zombies within the horror genre, Page defines a zombie as "a dead body that has been brought back to life by an as yet unidentified virus which leads to the body to behave in a low intelligent and cannibalistic way." He emphasizes that the cause of an outbreak is not as important as keeping yourself alive. Beginning with the history of zombies and corresponding research, Page provides basic background information for those not already familiar with the field of "zombiology," and walks readers through the science of zombie infection and transformation.
The UK guide quickly moves onto defense and disposal issues for varying levels of outbreaks, going so far as to address the concern that a zombie virus could spread from humans to animals. Readers are made aware of the tactical differences between land and water locations, while Page lays out the blueprint for his country's national defense. He describes the complications that could arise if the UK government attempted a cover-up, illustrating this with a case study of one such incidence.
The most crucial section of this manual is Complete Zombie Defence (sic), which examines the barricades, provisions and skills required for a group's survival. It tackles the who, what, why and how of the three main phases of the 90-day plan, taking lessons from past historical disasters, both man-made and natural, and including survivors with disabilities. There are a few diagrams, as well as a map of the UK, and critical details of every possible scenario are provided.
I highly recommend this book to add to any collection of zombie literature!
The best Zombie Survival book !! By Hayes Hudson (Fayetteville, Arkansas United States)
This book contains everything you need to survive the upcoming zombie apocalypse. Inside you will find basic hints that anyone new to the realization of the upcoming outbreak can use all the way to more advanced tips that even the most trained zombie killer will find helpful. Hints include the types of weapons to use, the best places to hide out and set up camp in, and even gives charts to let you know the shelf life of most common canned foods. The book is broken into many parts and is explained very well in common terms which makes it very easy to read and understand.
The book starts out giving you the basic definitions of a zombie and discusses all the different schools of thought on the causes of the zombie plague. Detailed case studies of previous isolated zombie attacks are discussed, from the first noted outbreak in the Roman Province of Atlas in 55AD to the most recent outbreak which occurred in Burma (Myanmar) in 1986. The book then goes on to discuss how the different defence forces in the UK would fare against the zombies, including the British Army, The Royal Navy, The Royal Air Force, and even the British Criminal Underworld! Very interesting stuff.
While other books about surviving zombie outbreaks are out there, this is by far the most complete, comprehensive of them all, and it is a must have if planning on surviving the inevitable upcoming zombie apocalypse.
Learn it. Know it. Live it - By Asmodeus
This excellent, fascinating and entertaining book is like a cross between the Galactic Geographic sections of Heavy Metal magazine, a Fangoria book review, a Resident Evil strategy guide, and a survivalist doctrine written by George Romero. Dark humor and satire abound, as do random acts of grossology. But it also has a very serious side. It is well-researched in the fields of history and psuedohistory alike, sometimes creating a sensation of alternate history, which should appeal to the many fans of that particular genre. So in that way, it's kind of a cross-over, a genre-bender if you will. It's educational, citing myths from ancient Africa and historical mysteries like the disappearance of the Incans, to more recent events like wars in Burma, and then tying them all together in one bloody knot. I would imagine this book took a long time to write, unless the author was a history major and a biology major with a photographic memory, and maybe a few other college degrees and superpowers, as well. He's obviously a pretty erudite dude. It's meticulously researched, and disturbingly enough seems extremely plausible at times. There are parts that read like stories from the Zombie Zoology anthology. Watch out for those Z-Sharks! The guide to weapons is particulary cool. It seems to be modeled from a Dungeons and Dragons set, with durability and damage ratings for each one. The author could probably invent a pretty cool zombie role-playing game if he wanted to, or a video game, or both. Overall, this book feels so realistic and yet so out-there that I still can't figure out if everything in the bibliography-esque section at the back of the book is real or not. It's unorthodox, it's eclectic, and it's eminently readable. Buy this book. The life-or undeath-you save may be your own.
Hope To See You After Z-Day Too! By IDGS
First off I have to say, what a book.
Sean T Page single-handedly has taken the zombie survival concept and taken it to entirely another level. What has been started in other books as open-ended questions and holes cleverly covered with excuses has been answered in THE OFFICIAL ZOMBIE HANDBOOK: UK without a single missed detail.
From the sections outlining a survival plan with a green focus to 'documented' coverups by the government of the United Kingdom, Mr. Page has all his bases covered.
My particular favourite section was the chapter rating the effectiveness of weapons both conventional and those that come out of left-field at combating the walking dead. While everyone would love to have a sawed-off pistol-grip pump to merrily blow the undead into piles of steaming innards, we're all not so lucky. Nailgun? There's a rating for that. Baseball bat? Better believe it gets touched on. From the normal to the things you'd never think of, it's just downright enlightening.
While I found this immensely entertaining, it's definately for the Zombie Enthusiast, being a real how-to guide rather than just a few nicely packaged pages of prose meant to entertain. I think everyone could enjoy and benefit from it, but those who are a bit squeamish may find it a little graphic. That being said, I'll be glad when the faint-of-heart DON'T read this, meaning I'll have less rag-tag survivors to share my gear with. I'm selfish, deal with it.
All in all, a 5-Star effort by Sean T Page, and I'll be looking forward to snapping anything else this author comes out with.
Cheers!
The Must Have Guide by Max
Been a keen follower of all things weird and Sci-fi this book jumped out at me as a `must have`. It is written from the view point that the Zombie Invasion is on its way and we (the British nation) are far from prepared. If anyone is in any doubt that this is not true, the book sets out a series of accounts that prove otherwise. Examples of pervious attacks and government cover ups that would have anyone, not just fanatics like me, reaching for there nearest blunt instrument to defend their household. The history and development of the ghouls and how we got to this stage, without the people in power defending our human rights, are proven and discussed. As real living beings we deserve to know of any dangers that could affect our households and how we should cope with them.
It is a true guide on how to deal with the Zombies, looking for the signs of the approaching doom to face to face combat. I think Sean T Page has given away some real trade secrets that if I were him I would have kept to myself and family. He has done some serious research that, if you've got the guide to hand, will save lives.
I'm a very proud British resident and I would hate to see the country on its knees to a preventable attack. The section on weapons we a real eye opener, before the book I would of headed down to the location police station looking for guns, now I am more aware of the shear lack of them, instead I would head to my garden shed or kitchen drawer. I'm even thinking of setting up a Zombie dummy in my garden and having some target practice with a spade or heavy objects from the second floor window, I'm taking no chances.
I don't want to give away too much because if you don't get the book it means I will know the best places to go and how to fortify them and I won't have to look after anyone but those I care about. Any stragglers will be Zombified and then got by the rest of us true survivors.
I’ll tell you something. If there ever were to be a zombie uprising, this is THE book I’d want on hand. In The Official Zombie Handbook, Sean Page covers everything from historical zombie attacks to what a person can do to fortify their homes once the dead have risen. Page is in the UK and that’s the focus of this book. Thus, there is little information on firearms. But a wide range of melee weapons are discussed, each rated on a uniform system as to how effective they will be against the undead.
Obviously, the book is written somewhat tongue in cheek. However, what Page has done here is write quite an effective survival manual, with information and tips applicable to a wide range of disasters. I particularly liked the sections on home fortification, as that is something often overlooked in most end of the world survival books.
Page covers all manner of preparations — food, water, transportation, medical needs, even reviewing various public and semi-public locations for places to go for shelter. Everything is discussed in a matter-of-fact form, yet very entertaining.
Honestly, I enjoyed the heck out of this book. It was a lot of fun and chock full of great information. The only downside was, being written by a Brit, there is a fair amount of terminology and slang with which I, living in the US, am not familiar.
All in all, if you have a horror fan on your gift list, or if your a fan yourself, pick up a copy of The Official Zombie Handbook. Fun reading and well worth the cover price.
