5.0 out of 5 stars This is a great manual. It's advantage over others is real world scenarios.

Reviewed in the United States on August 10, 2022 From Amazon

This is a great manual. I've read and enjoyed several survival books, put them on the shelf, and forgotten about them. This one is especially good at describing scenarios that make the lessons more meaningful, and more memorable. The added motivations have increased my interest in learning these techniques. A big part of success in hard times is developing the right mindset set as well as essential supplies. It's important to remember that the extended period of relative peace and calm in most of the world is rare in our history. It never lasts, and learning to survive those adversities is an important skill set to develop while we still have time. With this Manual at hand, even unprepared people will have a ready reference to help them adapt as needs arise. The author also provides continuing support with an excellent web site civildefensemanual, with lots of updated and useful information.

The CDM is not just another long list of expensive survival gear and equipment, nor is it advice to move to a remote mountain in Montana. The CDM is much more practical than that. In fact, Lawson’s most essential idea, the Neighborhood Protection Plan, or NPP, can be adapted to any location and situation, from the urban high-rise, to apartment complexes, to single-family homes in the suburbs, and to rural areas. The critical concept behind the NPP is that the inhabitants of an individual home, townhouse or apartment building cannot stand alone and successfully defend themselves against determined attacks by roving gangs of armed predatory thugs. It will be too late to defend your single domicile when your neighbors’ homes are going up in flames.

So, instead of buying yet another box of bullets, I strongly recommend that you invest in Jack Lawson’s Civil Defense Manual, and earn yourself a master’s degree in post-SHTF neighborhood self-defense and community survival. What you learn from the CDM will be worth a thousand times more than another extra hundred cartridges to stack on top of your already existing prepper stockpile.

Read the full review here.

Your work has really awakened us to the realities of the increasing resource scarcity, and the ensuing breakdown of civility that will escalate as circumstances worsen now that America’s enemies are in control of America’s government.

We continue to stack food, hygiene, and medical supplies, not only for ourselves but for those who will need our help; effectively stretched with a large quantity of rice and beans that you emphasize so often.

We have developed our property into a retreat location to sleep 28 people with the construction of two additional off grid cabins on our 100 acre forest property.

Based on the tactical considerations you have given in your book, we have also been able to set up a solid security plan for like-minded friends and neighbors to secure our rural valley from the marauding criminal element.

I found all of the planning considerations you give in the “civil defense manual“ so valuable, that I purchased two additional copies to give to each of my sons, and several friends have also purchased your manual at my urging.

Proverbs 27:12 says “the prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it.“  The civil defense manual gave us the tools and plans we needed to be Prudent in the face of dangerous times ahead! Once again, thank you so much for producing the “civil defense manual!“.

May the Lord our God richly bless you and your family, David P. AKA “Thunder Cat 1”

The Civil Defense Manual by Jack Lawson is a two-volume work, presented in 8.5” x 11” soft-cover Perma-Bound format. The pair of books are not sold separately. They arrived shrink-wrapped, in A-1 condition, well-cushioned in a stout USPS flat-rate box, tracked and insured. The manual is 952 pages; each volume has a glossy cover, is printed in a larger font, and has a clear and easily understood table of contents. The manual lacks an index.

Lawson draws upon his vast experience in the military, including tours in Africa combatting armed revolutionary factions, to produce a comprehensive work that covers seemingly every conceivable natural or man-made disaster, and what preparations an American citizen must take to protect himself, his family, and his neighborhood. The sheer number of dangerous scenarios and events the average person might never think of, is staggering. The detail is considerable, and there are many illustrations, photographs, charts and graphs. There is no wasted space, no non-essential filler material, or pages intentionally left blank. There are lined pages reserved for the reader’s notes after each chapter, however.

The primary thrust of the manual is the organization of the neighborhood protection plan, a concept essential to survival since evidence clearly shows strength is in numbers, and in a time of civil collapse, the person who tries to go it alone is likely doomed. In addition to his original text, Lawson incorporates articles by and citations to other authors, both civilian and military, who possess valuable expertise, acquired not only by careful research but also first-hand experience, as in life in countries that have suffered through revolutionary turmoil and chaos. Throughout the manual he also makes reference to other books which the reader is strongly encouraged to consult for further study.

Lawson cautions that dangerous times may be ahead, and that it is naive to assume the racial, religious or political turmoil that has happened in other countries can never happen in the USA. The information he presents in the Civil Defense Manual can save your life.

Well, I've been through both books twice now, well done! Your contribution WILL save lives. I'm impressed with the content, a great source for most folks, even us 30 plus year preppers. I really enjoyed the content, and will be purchasing copies for my son and daughter. This book is that important.

Two-fold, some of these guys are switched on, are serious folk. Those who aren't, need to be. This will be the best $100.00 that I’ve spent in a long time.

Well done Jack, you and your co-writers, are to be commended.