Ex-Army survival instructor and international author specializing in everything to do with survival. Commissions undertaken for writing articles on survival for magazines, newspapers and giving advice to expeditions.

Currently, writing a new, comprehensive survival book for the military, their families and civilians who want to know how the professionals are trained in survival. The book has thirteen chapters divided into one hundred sections of detailed survival knowledge. It covers areas that no other survival book touches on. 1,350 high-quality photos and many diagrams.

Although frequently approached, please note that I do not take on documentary film work but I do act as a specialist advisor on documentary projects.

My training in survival (apart from the rigours thrown at me by life) was 23 years in the military, ten of which I spent teaching soldiers how to infiltrate, survive, fight in jungle and ex-filtrate. I spent a lot of time in a lot of jungle in Belize, Brunei, Singapore and Indonesia. When I was a soldier, I was sent at short notice to trouble spots all over the world. I was highly trained in combat and survival, so were the men who went with me. We did get into difficult situations and we needed to use our knowledge and training in order to survive. I also have spent many years in other terrain, notable the Amazon, the African bush and climbing in various mountain regions including the Drakensburgh Mountains and the Andes; in all these places my survival knowledge was invaluable.

For four years, I lived in a war-torn Mozambican village. This was a wonderful two-way learning process on survival. I was able to help the local community with my survival knowledge and I learned an incredible amount about surviving in the bush from these warm-hearted and resourceful people. The photo (right) was taken of me in the village with my two young oxen, Isaiah and Jeremiah the day before we first started using them to pull a plough. There were times when I wondered if I would survive that experience! Have you ever tried to control two powerful oxen pulling a plough? For some days they kind of went where they wanted with me dragging behind them!

My mission is to pass my survival knowledge on through my books. However much you think you know about survival, there is always more to learn, so you should read everything you can on the subject.

Publications:

James taught elite soldiers how to live off the land in any location, at any time of year. You can share this vital survival knowledge…

Find water and food – learn how to survive anywhere in the world:
Armed Services, Rescue Agencies, NGOs, explorers, extreme sports enthusiasts, or if you just want to know what to do if the worst-case scenario should happen – Disasters Happen Military Version is the book for you. Wherever you are in the world, in whatever season, this book will enable you to find food and water. It also includes excellent details on making an emergency pack that will support you indefinitely when combined with the knowledge contained in the book.

ISBN:978-1-905337-12-5

Find water and food – learn how successfully stockpile supplies and how to survive anywhere in the world:
Could you cope if water and food supplies become scarce or seemingly non-existent?  Disasters Happen is a comprehensive reference on sourcing, storing and managing supplies of food and water anywhere in the world. It deals with domestic crisis and extreme situations. A must-have for every household and adventurer alike.

ISBN: 978-1905337-09-5

James taught elite soldiers how to master their own psyche. How to survive with nothing but their own initiative. You can share this knowledge…

Your own psyche is the best survival tool you possess…
This book deals with the psychological aspect of survival. Understanding how you may possibly think and act in a survival situation is the best form of preparedness. Knowing yourself is being forearmed. Knowing what you may face is being forewarned. Dealing with the distorted aspects of one’s own psyche before a disaster occurs will vastly enhance anyone’s chances of survival. This book is easy reading, with lots of personal experiences related by survival expert and psychologist James Mandeville. Essential knowledge for everyone. Vital knowledge for the military, rescue agencies, NGO's!

ISBN: 978-1-905337-04-0

contact James

This website was updated on 17 August 2010 and all content is copyright and may not be reproduced without permission.