Patriots: A Novel of Survival in the Coming Collapse

I do have a few problems with the story. The author writes from a very narrow prospective. Near the end of the book he opens up some more, but the correlation of say cannibalism with communism as an example is kind of narrow minded and contrived. I don't like communism and I felt that was a little absurd.
There were points were the book got really technical, but based off of my understanding, it is a survival manual written in the from of a novel so the author won't get in trouble for teaching those things.
The over all plot was interesting enough and I do not regret getting the book. It is definitely worth the read and I would recommend it to others. I am interested to see what his other books are like.
It have me a lot of great food for thought. I am not a hard core survivalist by any means, but I do have emergency preparations in the event of natural disaster. Listening to this book helped me to prioritize my gear. Again, well worth the read and the credit for the book.

Before I get into the story, the first thing you have to understand is what kind of book this is. First and foremost this is a "preppers" book. Once you understand that, the style of the book and the amazing amount of detail make sense. The author is a survival expert with many years of experience in military and civilian tactical methods as well as a respected prepper who lives how he preaches. This book is the 4th edition of a story that has been revised and expanded over two decades.

Story:
The narrative of this novel serves to bring a context to the vast amount of technical detail. It is set in the mid-west and the author uses first-hand knowledge of the region to bring the characters and places to life. I found that the story kept me very interested throughout the book, only lagging in a couple of small places. This books is filled with scenes of violence and harsh imagery. For that reason, I would caution anyone below the age of 15 to read it. The author however does skillfully weave these violent themes into the story with tact and a respect for life.

Survival information:
I feel that the main point of this novel is to provide a feasible scenario in which survival preparedness would not only be useful, but essential. The author uses an extreme level of detail in describing the weapons, food-stores, logistical material, vehicles, medical supplies, armor, and housing. At first, if you do not accept this book for what it is--a recipe on how to setup and maintain a survival retreat--you will be overwhelmed. If you are listening to the book because you are wanting a guide on survival preparedness, this is your book. If you are not and are just looking for a book to entertain, this can still be your book, but you may be better off with something like One Second After by William R. Forstchen.

More information can be found at the authors blog (survivalblog [dot] com)

Overall, I really enjoyed this book both from an entertainment and informational perspective. Although I was already of the survival mindset, this book has given me a new understanding of the level of preparation that is truly needed to survive "dooms-day" scenarios like the one in this novel.

I would recommend this book to anyone (over the age of 15).

Major Themes:
Survivalist, preppers, Christian fundamentalism, states-rights, guns rights, family values, logistics, weapons, explosives, military tactics / strategy, small-scale farming, apocalyptic, disaster, anti-U.N..

Patriots is a political novel that promotes an agenda of states’ rights populism, right wing Christianity, pro-Second Amendment rights, anti-UN views, and survivalism that is cast in the near future amidst a financial collapse, the result of overwhelming national debt, hyperinflation, and a stock market crash.


This novel focuses on many technical and paramilitary topics that may not be enjoyable reading for many – even if they share the author’s politics. Perhaps there is no way to cover such topics in an “enjoyable” manner and that the point of this book is exactly that – life in a post-collapse America, reduced to a barter economy with massive civil unrest, will be difficult, reduced to a struggle to survive.

The author avoids the “UN helicopter” paranoia found in some contemporary literature of a similar genre and uses the format of a novel, tracing the lives of characters and their families as a vehicle to present its political message. However, if you do not have an interest in paramilitary subjects or don’t enjoy extended discussions of firearms, radio communications, survivalist medicine and other issues, which comprise a large portion of the dialog between the characters; then you may wish to use your Audible credits elsewhere.


Patriots references many useful materials on a wide variety of survivalist topics that can be used for further “study” if the reader is so inclined. In the print version these references may be easier to access.


The story line is entertaining with good, but predictable, characters that are used to deliver the political message. The author presents a frightening, but believable, scenario for the future. It should be well received by many who are in tune with its message, but unfortunately will most likely be dismissed by those who could benefit most from it – those who are in denial about the issues facing our nation and a “head in the sand” attitude that such a scenario as described in Patriots “could never happen here.”

Patriots (A novel of survival in the coming collapse) is is about a group of survivalists ("The Group") who plan ahead to meet at a well-stocked retreat in Idaho in the event of some event or disaster which causes the US government to fail. By the time they make the decision to Get Out of Dodge, money is worthless, gas is unavailable, food distribution has shut down and outlaw gangs rule. The military is nowhere to be found, nor are the police. The Group, later named the Northwest Militia, meets at their Idaho retreat and each relay their own stories of what it took for them to get there. While this is a novel, this book is written to be instructional in nature and offers many details for people who want to plan their future retreats. It is quite lengthy (3 7 hour parts) and every encounter is very detailed. Someone with an interest in different types of guns/ammo and survivalist living would enjoy this book. This book is somewhat instructional on how to live frugally and off the land. The Group started out with basic food supplies (unconstituted peanut butter, wheat flour, dried meat, so on) and other than hunting and gardening and minimal bartering lived off their initial stockpile for several years. While this book could be dry at times I still thought it was a good listen all in all.

This is book is not a good choice if you are looking for an action novel. If you are interested in ideas for how to survive and End Of Days scenario, it is OK. The authors other book, How to Survive the End of the World As We Know It, Is a far better choice. Rawles may be a good survivalist, and manual writer, a novelist he is not. It does drag a bit....

I suppose it would be difficult to combine a profound story with advertising specific brands of equipment, or if not specific brands, sensible styles of equipment along with descriptions of their applications. Rawles seems to have taken on the task of combining technical analysis with a storyline. I was a bit taken back with the lack of children involvement for the main characters in this story since many people have children to look after. However, the story is quite believable, far more believable then the 1630’s Dutch tulipomania. I would recommend this novel; it's worth the analysis.

Could be the scenario we face here in the future, and if not, still a great story. Maybe too much detail on some of the guns, radios, etc., but it's also very good information if you want to prepare.

Sure makes you think about what you would need in order to survive during an economic collapse.

If you know anything about the author you probably are aware that this is a strange hybrid novel that's a little more educational than entertaining. It's almost more non-fiction in many ways, or in the very least a daydream of a best/worst case scenario of the end of the world. Ultimately, because of the strange way it's written, this may be best read in print form for its informational value and use as a reference material.

Throughout the book you get the sense that the author is a puts story and actual storytelling second to the making of lists and the describing of the technical aspects of the many pieces of equipment, procedures, and tactics. He goes in to detail about the specifics of each type of gun, (model number, caliber, etc.), foodstuff, tactical gear, and survival implement to the point where you could go online and buy each piece described yourself. This is good for someone reading it for the know-how that the author obviously possesses and is well-known for. However, it bogs down the story and takes on a strange fetishistic undertone as each brand name and its pluses and minuses are discussed ad nauseum. Once again, if you're planning on reading this as a reference material, then you're going to be pleasantly surprised as you get detail on the items you need and how to setup your survival implements. Still, if you're looking for a fun tight throwaway read, pick another book.

I also could have done without the oft-repeated religious peachiness, the right-wing paranoia regarding the federal government, and a hokey scene where bad-guy communists pop-up just for the sake of being executed. I think this was a good example of a tangential political statement that were peppered throughout the narrative and tended to turn me off.

Finally, I should mention that the narrator made some pretty awful choices in the reading that at times were distracting. Here's a tip; no one wants to hear the stereotypical over the top Midwest accent for too long, even people from the Midwest. Think of that SNL skit with Chris Farley and George Wendt all about "da Bears". After several characters pop up with these kinds of grating and offensively stereotypical accents, you start to get the sense that the narrator couldn't wait to ham it up.

Overall, I'd read another book by this author now that I know what I'm getting.

Definitely I already have

I don't know about the edge of my seat, but it was a very good listen.

It was adequate, thats about it

No

This is a good piece of fiction based upon reality. It needs to be heeded and acted upon to insure it does not actually happen.

Maybe a bit too much detail in some areas.

I rated this five stars because of the usefullness of the information. The writing style is only ok, it isn't Cormac McCarthy, but the author's intent I think is to write a primer for survival in an entertaining format. I this he is grandly successful. Considering the fragile condition of the republic, I have been thinking more about peparedness and so found this book engrossing. Good to own in hard copy, because of the wealth of specific references to gear and tactics.