Fire Making

A book that not only goes over different techniques to make a fire, but also personal anecdotes and other interesting information (from all over the world) about each technique. I do have to say that I have personally tried some of these techniques, the bow drill for one, to no avail. So I hope that maybe this book will help me figure it out once and for all.

Fantastic illustrations that show you step by step what is needed and well written detailed instructions as well. While I know many people will end up leaping right into the technique part of the book (what I wanted to do), the stories and histories are well worth the read and I'm glad I did. There are definitely some fire making ways I want to try out, and there are some that even I feel might not be worth the time.

If you're interested in bushcraft, backpacking, or camping out read this book. Skills and fun conversation topics abound.

Fire Making is not your typical instruction booklet. Daniel Hume personalizes the lessons by expounding on his history with the subject as well as defining the usefulness of different materials. He did not just say use this bit or part or material but instead teaches you the why, how and benefits or values of the tinder prior to filling your mind with how to achieve ignition. The organization of Fire Making is simple, step by step, and advances through the different techniques in such a way as to not discourage the beginner. The tales of Daniel Hume's travels and actual usage of the different fire building tactics add depth and value to the lesson he has thoughtfully shared. Disclosure: I was allowed to read a copy of this book for free as a member of NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased review. The opinions I have expressed are my own and I was not influenced to give a positive review.

If you have a fascination with fire, this is definitely a book for you to check out. Each chapter starts with an interesting, related story followed by details of that specific way to make fire. It is detailed enough to be useful, but still basic enough to be memorable and easy to read. Even if you think you know all there is about fires and making them, I would bet something in this book will be new to you, and therefore, worth reading.

Making fire without a lighter is one of those skills that is difficult to master and takes time and practice. In this book, author Daniel Hume, shows the reader many methods of producing flame without matches or lighter.

The skills are used world-wide and the author has examined this art all over. His photos show people from all continents making fire with friction and other methods. The photos are fantastic and show that it really can be done!

Some of the methods are the bow drill and the hand drill. These are standard methods that are taught in many survival schools. But, the author also gives you advice on other things as well. How to gather tinder. What sort of materials make the best tinder. What sort of kindling to use. What kind of woods are best to make a hand drill? The illustrations show you, for example, how to choose your hand drill, straighten the wood, and prepare it for making fire.

You also learn the fire piston and more! The methods get more complicated, but the idea is the same. Create a spark and ignite the tinder. You learn how to use flint and steel, iron pyrites, and more modern methods too. There are an amazing number of ways to make fire. I was surprised at how many ways there are to do this.

The author writes in a very clear style. All skills are thoroughly explained for the reader. There are great diagrams in addition to the author’s wonderful photos too. If you want to learn how to do this, this book is all you need. You can try the skills as you go along. The tips and tricks given should help you get your first coal and flame. I am eager to try out these skills as they look fun and enjoyable to learn. I think this book would be appreciated by anyone who goes camping regularly, or anyone who is into learning survival skills. Or, just learn a new method of making fire to impress your friends on your next camping trip. This is the book to teach you.

Have you ever made a firebow, it is a very accomplishing feeling but also something I personally never want to do again. That might make me a bad outdoorsy naturalist, but it is an exhausting process...luckily I have never had to undergo it in a survival setting and always make sure to have a firestarter with me when I go out on a hike, but what if I goof? I should really learn more ways to make a fire!

Reading a book on all different methods of making fire, with stories of how indigenous people all over the world are still using these techniques was both fascinating and useful. I really hope to try some of these other methods out at some point and could not help but find myself immensely intrigued by the fire piston. I think my heart will always belong to the spark striking method after discovering it by accident as a young child (as so many do.) This is honestly one of the most fascinating books I have read in a very long time.

This is from an advance review copy for which I thank the publisher.

I don’t imagine a specialist work like this will have a hugely broad appeal, but it is very informative and well-written, and covers everything you need to know about starting a flame (from a wide assortment of sources) and building and maintaining a fire, doing it wisely, and safely, and taking charge of your situation when in the wild with regard to providing a fire for safety and cooking, for warmth, and of course that general feel-good attitude when you've accomplished something!

I can see it being of value to people who are scouts, and anyone who goes camping or spends time in wilderness areas, or anyone who fears they may be at risk - perhaps because they travel a lot or maybe pilot small planes - of ending up stranded in the wild for whatever reason! It's also a valuable tool for novelists who might like to write an adventure story!

I was impressed by how much this author knows. He's the kind of person who doesn't just talk about it, he lives it (and teaches it!). The fact is that he's been there and done that, and has the ashes of a T-shirt to prove it. I'm kidding about that last bit! Seriously, though, he knows what he's talking about and he not only tells an interesting story of his adventures, but also shares endless practical tips and suggestions every step of the way. I mean, would it occur to you that fungi can burn and even be used as tinder for starting fire? Or would you be stuck looking for damp logs on the ground, an exercise that wouldn't get you started on anything but frustration?

If I wanted more, I would have like to have learned a little bit more about the cultures he's visited and learned from, but he does give a lot, and he's been to places so far off the beaten track that there's no track - other than a game trail. Personally, I'd be leery about following game trails - the operative word being game; that's where the predators are looking for lunch! But bush is bush and unless you want to hack through it, you have to go where the path is easier.

On this score, it was interesting to read of one encounter with a lion - fortunately not a close encounter - where the author and a bush guide were on their way back from observing wildlife at a watering hole - another high risk area for predation! It must have been even more scary to wake up the next morning and find lion paw prints close by your tent. The book contains many illustrative pictures. It would have been interesting to see a picture of that, but there wasn't one; however there are very many illustrating the topics throughout the book.

Talking of pictures, I should say a word about reading this in electronic format. I have my devices set to night mode so the screen is black and the text is white. In this way it saves significantly on battery life. The problem with doing this in a book like this one - with images - is that the image is then rendered negative - and interestingly enough, not even a color negative but a black and white negative!

So when I wanted to really see an image, I had to reverse the setting and change it back to daytime to see the photos as intended. That was annoying, but it's not on the author or the publisher, I don't believe. I don’t know if it’s on the makers of these devices (in my case a phone and a tablet computer) not making it possible, or on the designers of the app (in my case, Bluefire Reader, which is normally excellent), who may well take the lazy route to setting 'night' mode, by simply reversing colors and sliding into gray scale. They don’t care if images are also reversed, I guess!

Despite this being an ARC, I found very few errors in it. In two instances the term 4x4 to describe an off-road vehicle was rendered as 4?4. Why that is I have no idea, but the 'x' didn't translate! In another case I read, "The flames given off by a single flame" which quite literally makes no sense. Other than that it was fine. Very fine! I enjoyed reading this and I recommend it.

**Thank you NetGalley, you made my eldest son happy!**

I grabbed this one to read to my oldest. He's into survival skills. And this guy was all about how he figured out fire making on his own. Where he had help. And how he struggled and triumphed.

It was all pretty amazing. And the places he visited, all the different kinds of fire making in human history. He really tries to go old school in different areas of the world. It's all different, depending on where you are, the moisture, the fuel, the starters.

Best of all, his stories. This author is a great story teller. My son and I enjoyed this one.