Retreat Security and Small Unit Tactics

Yeah, I gave it 3 stars but this book is definitely a must-own. I have a very high amount of respect for SP1 and everything he does for people all over the world. His ideas are honest and he has the viewer/reader's best interests at heart. In my opinion he produces the most consistently informative videos of anyone in the preparedness genre. Please read my whole review, I think you will find it helpful.A SP1 Book?! Right On!I bought the book literally the minute I found out about it. I have been watching SouthernPrepper1's videos for quite some time and was elated when I found out there was a book which could be referenced offline. When I got the book I read it in one day and in one sitting. It is written well and edited well. I think the thing I like the most about it is you can tell David it is relaying information; it has his style. The only thing that is different is that it doesn't start with, " Hello YouTube, SouthernPrepper1. Today we're going to talk about........".About The BookThis book is a really good primer on many aspects of defending a retreat. David covers some very military-specific topics but relays them to the reader so they can be understood by the general public. The nice thing about this book is that there is something for everyone. I particularly found the latter chapters of the book to be interesting because they cover a defensive approach which can be adjusted for all sizes of groups. Of all the books I have studied, I have never seen anyone relay this information and explain it in such a digestible manner.OK. I Really Like The Book. But Why 3 Stars?It's David's own fault really. After having watched and rewatched every video he has done, I have a pretty good impression about the depth of knowledge he has to share. This book, while it covers a pretty huge subject, feels incomplete. It is the "crawl" phase in the "crawl, walk, run" style of training. This information is awesome for people who have no military experience and wish they could tap into someone like David's knowledge on the subject. I was in the Army but I would like to understand even more about the infantry concepts he explains in his Minuteman series on YouTube. I was hoping for that, I still hope for that. David, I anxiously await the follow-up book, "Advanced Retreat Security and Small Unit Tactics" (HINT HINT)

When I first began reading this book I was a little upset. Here I was getting a review of the stuff that David covers in his YouTube Channel, southernprepper1 (which I am a subscriber to).Then I realized - IT'S A REVIEW OF SOME OF THE STUFF HE'S COVERED IN HIS YOUTUBE CHANNEL! Awesome! I went back and looked at some of my notes from his videos and sure enough - in this book he filled in the gaps. The authors also provide plenty of online resources to go to for more information.The second half of the book took me back to my military days - an awesome refresher course. What was really great were the pictures of the toy soldiers - I'm sure anyone who didn't serve in the military can figure out the various formations and movements from their descriptions and pictures. I wish they would have spent a little more time talking about various options for a more urban environment - you know, not big city, but housing developments with 40, 50, 80 homes.Regardless - if you are a prepper, or concerned about how to handle security, movement, etc., in a less then friendly environment, then you should get this book. It's more concise then the FM's (of which there are about 5 you would have to read to get the gist of what is covered here - and the take a ways from them still isn't as good and crystal clear as this book).It's easy to read, down to earth, and rooted in strong, practical advice. There is no fluff in this book.Buy it, read it, dog ear it, and use it. You'll be glad you did.

Clear, concise, and relevant, this guide on small unit tactics and retreat security is a must read. David and Mark waste no time diving into the material and do an excellent job of illustrating why these important topics cannot be overlooked in anyone's "worst-case scenario" planning.A tactical understanding of security is vital, and competence must be established before a situation emerges to test that knowledge. Having a foundation to build on is not only important for leaders, but also for those they lead. This book is not imposing, and is short enough to give to others without burdening them with "an assignment". Further, the book is written in a very engaging style. You will not want to put it down once you start. The authors were even nice enough to include a chapter on "urban" settings for those of us who live and work in cities. Regardless of where you live, the principles in this book can be expounded to any situation or circumstance.This is definitely a keeper in my preparedness library. I will re-read periodically and lend to others without hesitation. Highly recommended.

Retreat Security is going to become a peppers (or survivors) number one priority very quickly when the grid goes down, regardless of the reason for the fall. Operational Security (OpSec) is a very important part of a retreats overall security. It can't be overstressed when briefing people who don't have a military background. Remember the old WWII saying. Lose lips sink ships. People from the retreat should NOT talk about the retreat at all to ANY outsiders. They should also be trained not to dismiss any small incident as being too inconsequential to report to whoever is in charge. I served in the Marine Corps from 1968 - 1991 and I would have to say that of all the lessons I've learned during that time that I can use in prepping, OpSec is the most important with personal survival (in all its areas) being second.

A great little book for prepping

Bit small for the money. But don't mind supporting SouthernPrepper.

Very easy to read with detailed explanations and guides to follow and expand upon. A first class publication.

I bought this book for 16$ and it was shipped to me within 4 days.It's definetly not the end-all book on prepping. It's a short read (95 pages) but there is nothing superfluous in there.Consider it as basic security training for people who don't have any background in prepping.There is nothing about food storage or any other topic other than security. It details the basic load-out you want to have before SHTF.If you have any kind of military training (or have been involved in the subject of prepping for a while), don't bother buying this book.This would be a book to give to your neighbor who just realised that there are bad people out there and that the world is heading towards an increasingly crazier place.It details what should be done to setup a security squad and perimeter defense composed of regular civilians.For the price of 2 pints at my local pub, I don't feel ripped-off by this book.If you have a prepper background, save the money and buy some other gear instead.

I'm disappointed. The content is OK, but the Kindle version contains way too many serious typographical errors, that undermine the book's credibility. The authors should have invested in a professional editor. I'd have expected them to take more pride in their work.