The Zombie Combat Manual by Roger Maisy is a self-defense manual covering techniques, skills, preparations, and tactics that are vital to fighting the living dead during a Zombie Outbreak. The Zombie Combat Manual draws many comparisons to both The Zombie Survival Guide and World War Z, as many readers are unclear whether to consider it a clone, homage, response, or perhaps even a knock-off of Brooks' notable works. Nevertheless, The Zombie Combat Manual is generally regarded as a well written manual, focusing on many corrections in situational realism that the zombie community felt Brooks' works was lacking in (such as zombie anatomy and melee combat) albeit bringing new controversial viewpoints, and notable inconsistencies (firearms) to light.
Summary of Contents[]
The book is divided into five main sections:
- Disinformation and Misconceptions
- Anatomy
- Conditioning and Preparation
- Weapon Selection
- Combat Strategies and Techniques
Additionally, throughout the text are short vignettes called "Combat Reports", which are interviews with individuals who have confronted the living dead in combat.
Differences from the Zombie Survival Guide[]
The most fundamental difference between Max Brooks' Zombie Survival Guide and Roger Ma's Zombie Combat Manual is that while Brooks' work is a parody of survival texts and guides, Ma's work is a satire of self-defense manuals, specifically those addressing hand-to-hand combat from the World War II era. In the book's acknowledgements, Ma references William Ewart Fairbairn, Eric Anthony Sykes, and Rex Applegate, three individuals who wrote several World War II-era unarmed combat books, specifically Get Tough!, Hands Off!, and Kill or Get Killed.