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 Fascinating but flawed! June 27, 2007
1 out of 3 found this review helpful
As a survivalist manual thinly disguised as a work of fiction, "Patriots" contains much of what most gun-toting, freedom-loving libertarian types in America would feel they need to know (assuming they don't already) in terms of preparation for a militia-style stand in the remote northwestern regions of the USA, should a sufficiently debilitating crisis bring an end to the world as we know it. Given the no doubt salivatingly detailed descriptions of what kinds of gear, particularly weaponry, are best suited for the task in hand, the book cannot be faulted as a hardcore guide for survivalists of the minuteman bent.
The problems with the book, however, are manifold. For one, the author describes himself as a Reformed Christian, i.e., one who subscribes to Calvinist doctrine. Yet very alarmingly, the narrative groups Catholics and Mormons as good Christians too, in a way that would be anathema to any true blue Calvinist. Preposterously, he has a Catholic leading a Bible study attended by evangelical Protestants. As a result, a crucial plank of credibility in the author's judgment has been undermined, and of course, his own credentials.
Secondly, the story is built on too many oversimplifications. The characters are all shallow, seemingly with no extended family to worry about dispersed around the country, and all are affable yet without compunctions about killing. They never argue with each other, they never long for a restoration of nationwide peace, they all can endure years holed up in a remote fortress eating jerky, and the single guys mostly seem to have their libidinous impulses well under control. None of that could possibly ring true of the incredibly stressful backdrop to the story, however.
A further flaw I would suggest is that the ostensible enemy in the story, i.e., the Federal Government in cahoots with the globalists / New World Order, would in reality almost certainly have already made contingency plans to address the potential problems caused by the very kind of patriots described in the story. For example, if the right pretext saw the entire apparatus of the American intelligence, military and law enforcement agencies turned on these people right now in pre crash times, I very much expect they'd be mopped up with ease. Patriotic wars of attrition can only work in the USA if the ground conditions are exactly as described in the novel, i.e., breakdown of law and order. Absent that, there are any number of private citizens and lawmen who would be only too glad to disclose the whereabouts of these potential renegades.
 A partial cure for "Head in the Sand" syndrome. July 26, 1999
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
I heard the author some months ago promoting this book. As I understood him, he had compiled the practical survival info some time ago as a "how to" book for surviving a possible societal collapse in the near future. The feedback was so great that he made the info into a novel. The majority of the main characters are christian but not all of them. Given the locale of the story, I find this fact to be no more distracting than if the book had been written by a chinese author, having characters who were practicing buddhists. To focus on such matters is to miss the valid lessons in the text. If you are concerned about current events, you might want to buy this book for your personal library. If you believe that man is infallible, that there is no god, that you are a genius, that human technology will overcome nature, that the leaders of the world today really do care what happens to you, that there will always be food when you are hungry, etc. then read the book for a good chuckle. As for myself, I will study the ant.
An excellent primmer on fundamental self-sufficiency June 24, 1999
2 out of 4 found this review helpful
Patriots: Surviving the Coming Collapse".Rawles has crafted a thriller around the idea of a collapsed American civilization. "Patriots: Surviving the Coming Collapse" serves as both a wake up call and a field guide to the issues and dangers of life without our technetronic infrastructure to support ourselves. He discusses basic survival, teamwork, leadership, and the role of ethics and morality in physical isolation. Is he preaching "Doom and Gloom"? Hardly. Not long ago, everyone knew how to survive out of necessity. Well, the necessity is no lesser today than it was. unless you are either supremely self-confident or already a skilled outdoorsman, you would do well to obtain your own copy of "Patriots: Surviving the Coming Collapse".
Starts with a bang, ends with a whimper. June 11, 1999
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
Rawles starts us out on an interesting, if somewhat unrealistic, end of the world survivalist concept, and this provides the real strength of the book. If one can put aside the fact that to prepare for the end of the world like Rawles "Group" is far beyond the financial means of most folks, the preparation material is quite good, providing fairly detailed information in an entertaining manner. For this reason alone I recommend the text. It is later in the book, when Rawles begins pandering to every known New World Order/anti-government conspiracy theory that the book begins to lose its appeal, along with a somewhat over-moralistic tone that is grating at times. For example, the author continually talks about individual freedom, but seems to think it OK for his "Group" members to stop and search anybody that passes along the roadway close to their retreat, engaging in summary executions of other survivors without trials, and so on. And one must question the true survivalist mindset in many of the scenarios, where ammunition is wasted to no gain, shooting dozens of rounds into one person, for example. Patriots is worth a reading, but take it with a rather large grain of salt.
Awesome detail. Likely scenarios. Good preparation. May 29, 1999
If society collapses, as the book portends, then survival will depend on thinking 'one step ahead' of the brigands. This book shows the likely adversaries, how they will operate, and how a survivor can outwit them. There is much more, too. It will definitely make you rethink your preparations.
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