Rating: 
Summary: A good tale with an interesting scenario!
Review: Whether or not you like this book depends on whether or not you accept the basic premise that our modern society could collapse into a near dark ages chaos. If you do buy into the idea that our society and economy are fragile,and that frightening outcomes are possible,then this book is a "must read". Although rather thinly veiled as a novel,this book contains much useful and factual information that could assist a "survivor". This is not a go-out-and-kill-your-neighbor kind of book. Mr. Rawles is a sincere and religeous man and it shows in his thoughtful and generous view towards his fellow man in need (as described in the book). The characters are all pretty believable people--kinda like your next door neighbor kind people. What sets these characters apart as a group is a belief that our comfy world is about to go in the toilet. If one looks at nations and societies in a historical perspective,we look back on the wreckage of once-great civilizations and see that what we are living is perhaps a replay of Babylon or Rome or...The only unreal aspects of the Todd Gray preparedness plans that I thought were laughable was the total absence of ANY livestock,chickens in the least,or a riding horse or two. But this is simply nit-picking on my part. Overall a thoroughly enjoyable book and never really dull. Not a bad book to have on your shelf "just in case". Or maybe put it in a glass cased cabinet next to a hammer and a sign "break glass in case of...(fill in the blank)". A solid 4 stars.
Rating:
Summary: A little Paranoia is Good to have
Review: This book is unique in the sense that it is written in novel form and gives textbook details. While I found it a little redundant in character development I was fascinated by the amount of information woven into the story. For the survivalist this has to be required reading. To those of us hoping that these dire predictions never come to pass, it makes for interesting fiction. I found it easy to read, entertaining and very informative. Wesley is a good enough writer to make the book worth while. Whether it should be taken seriously or not is entirely up to you. I can only say that when the total breakdown of society finally does come to pass and it most certainly will, eventually, the people many of us consider weird will definitely have the last laugh on the rest of us.
Rating:
Summary: Exciting story, great for the closet survivalist...
Review: ...but way over the top. Full of extremely interesting 'how to' information, indespensible if you secretly yearn for that log cabin in the mountains, but are you seriously going to stock up for world war III? And does it matter whether you are shot with a specially coated left hand drive auto coffee making multi shot short barreled belt fed pistol with radar-laser-magnetic sights or a cheap and nasty, bought it from a discount store, special? But if specifications are your thing then this is the book for you, right down to the serial numbers. One aspect I found particularly tedious was the notion that the UN is the evil empire. Oh come on. Really. Having said that, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book; when the daily 9 to 5 is especially tedious, I fancy dropping everything for a cabin in the north. Who doesn't?
Rating: 
Summary: A timely wakeup call
Review: This book almost needs twp separate reviews. It stands alone as a survival/adventure novel, but it's more than that. It points out at least one of the ways in which our existing infrastructure could break down, and then shows ways to be prepared for the worst. Mr. Rawles does a fantastic job of describing the survivalist mindset, not as a lunatic fringe type thing, but as an attitude of preparedness. I sincerely hope that many people take his message to heart.
Rating:
Summary: An Outstanding Novel!
Review: This book "Patriots" is the best novel that I've ever read in the survival genre. Unlike most others, it is not just gloom-'n-doom for just entertainment. The author weaves a whole lot of useful survival tactics and techniques into the storyline. He really knows his stuff--from small unit tactics, to ham radio gear, to makeshift surgery, to long term fuel storage, to weaponry, and on and on. I ended up reading it twice. (The second time through I was taking notes!) I cannot recommend a book more highly. I'm going to buy several copies for Christmas gifts. I think that those books will motivate my stick-in-the-mud relatives to get off their butts and get their survival gear and supplies "squared away." Another recent reviewer called this novel "formulaic and predictable." I highly disagree. Rather, "Patriots" breaks the mold of survivalist fiction. Unlike those countless Ahern "Survivor"-series and Johnstone "Out of the Ashes"-series novels, this book has some really useful content. The storyline is very original. The characters are believable. And its a great read, too! My 2 cents worth: Buy it. You WON'T regret it!
Rating: 
Summary: Pure Nonsense
Review: Don't waste your time with this book. It's on the bottom rung of survival fiction. Interesting tale, but very formulaic and predictable. Definitely not very realistic, but hey, it is fiction! Go read New Madrid Run, War Day, or Lucifer's Hammer instead. Don't waste the time or money here.
Rating:
Summary: Lost sleep over this one!
Review: I Read this book till my eyeballs dropped out of my head. I've been reading "end of the world" "doomsday" genre books since I was 12 and I must say this is the best of that genre I've read. Very educational also, I would like to see detailed drawing of the survival retreat they built. Dan Fong was my favorite character and the Chapter "Dan's War" the best. Can't say enough good things about this book and I will buy anything Mr. Rawles writes, so write some more!!!
Rating:
Summary: Entertaining story of survival at all costs
Review: I originally read the unpublished, online version of this novel and have since purchased and read the finished copy. It is quite entertaining and a nice read, albeit a bit simplistic. It also provides some good ideas on building a survival retreat and surviving a major economic collapse of our society in general. I did not like how the characters claim to be Christian (and there is much reference to this in the novel), yet they freely take the lives of others in order to save their own. Some of it is unrealistic, adding a bit of hollywood action-movie flair. But there is also a lot of interesting technical detail regarding the contrustion of their retreat, weapons, defenses, etc. Generally, if you're interested in survival and enjoy 'end of the world as we know it' stories, pick this one up.
Rating:
Summary: Great Work
Review: Got to be the best reading I've done in the last 10 years. A how to..thinly disguised as a novel..will read it again.
Rating:
Summary: A good read on two levels.
Review: This book can be enjoyed on two levels. Either as an action adventure about a small group of people trying to survive in extraordinary curcumstances, or as a "how to book" to help ensure your own survival if there is a collapse of civilization as we know it. I not only enjoyed reading this book, I learned from it. Thank you Mr. Rawles!
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