Review: The Zombie Combat Manual by Roger Ma

Being a fan of Max Brooks' The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the Living Dead, The Zombie Survival Guide Deck: Complete Protection from the Living Dead and World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War, I had to buy a copy of Roger Ma's The Zombie Combat Manual: A Guide to Fighting the Living Dead. I was a little worried that this book was going to be a ripoff of Brooks' work, especially given the artwork and style of the book's cover. After reading the book, however, I can honestly tell you that I was very pleased and even impressed with Ma's book.

The Zombie Combat Manual is not a mere retreading of Max Brooks' The Zombie Survival Guide. This book takes one small aspect of Brooks' book and delves deeply and broadly into it.

The Zombie Combat Manual not only discusses various weapons to use in lieu of a firearm; it also acts as a training manual for anyone in any physical condition, featuring physical assessments and exercise programs.

Of course it has the obligatory chapter on offensive and defensive equipment, which is seemingly exhaustive, but it also touches on a topic that Brooks omits, which is carrying and protecting children. Imagine being a parent of a newborn or toddler and having to not only survive but protect them as well. Being a father, I could appreciate this section greatly.

Additionally, there's an entire chapter on combat strategies and techniques for fighting the undead. With this chapter, Ma practically creates a new form of martial art with step-by-step illustrations showing how to position, maneuver, and strike with various weapons in various situations of melee combat with a zombie.

If you're a fan of Max Brooks' interviews in World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War, then you'll enjoy the interviews in this book as well. In fact, one could almost plant these same stories into the World War Z setting.

Overall, Lovers of Max Brooks' work, as I am, should not look at this book as a competing product, but instead should see Ma's contribution as a complementary product. The content of this book will only better prepare you in the event that you find yourself having to engage in melee combat with a zombie despite all of the tips and strategies followed from Zombie Survival Guide.