Many have died in the Australian bush who might have lived had they known the appropriate survival skills. Bushcraft covers all areas of survival and camping activities: making ropes and cords, building huts, camp craft, finding food and water, making maps, starting fires, tying knots, and fashioning hunting and trapping gear—virtually every technique required to stay alive in the woods. With over 400 black-and-white illustrations and photographs, this book explains how to make use of natural materials found locally in any area, conserving instead of destroying native flora and fauna. It describes many of the skills used by primitive man, adding to these the skills necessary for modern man's survival, such as methods for determining time and direction.

The author, who popularized the term "bushcraft," claims its practice has many unexpected results. By developing adaptability and honing the five senses, it will also improve your self-esteem and your ability to overcome difficulties in everyday tasks. The practice of bushcraft encourages self-confidence and counters the narrowing influence of modern living by broadening your horizons. Bushcraft is a clear, accurate, and reliable resource for anyone who wishes to face nature on its own terms with just a knife and this book.

Richard Graves created and was the leader of the Australian Jungle Rescue Detachment assigned to the Far East American Air Force. With his fellow soldiers, he conducted over 300 rescues, all of which were completed successful and without losses. After the war, Graves ran a bushcraft school for over twenty years. He was an Irish-born Australian poet and novelist who wrote over ten classic books on the topic, including The Bushcraft Handbooks. He died in 1971.