Much of the material in this book has not been published in over 50 years. A modern treatment and updating was needed and Budworth has done a good job. This book has good sections on globe knots, Turks Head Knots and mats. The early chapter on Tips, Techniques and Terms is good. I know of no other publication of globe knots since Ashley in the 40s. New developments are still being made in Turks Head Knots and globe knots. The book is already out of date.

This book is a good addition to the library of any serious knot lover. It sits next to my copy of Ashley's classic.

The revised second edition of this book is now 10 years old (1988) and into its 9th printing. Only a very good book lasts that long and Martin's "Rappelling" has passed this test of time.

This book has good chapters on body rappels, anchors, getting over, special methods and more. The chapter of harnesses should have included more types of self tied harnesses. The chapter on descenders included 2.7 gazillion different types and I guess more have been invented in the past 10 years. The chapter on psychology was useful.

Most people into rappelling these days are probably in it for recreation - weekend amateurs, summer camps, church groups, Scouts, etc. I suppose that most deaths and injuries occur in these groups. A section on crowd control, group dynamics, what to do in case of an accident, etc. would be helpful. Some accident statistics and some true stories of what went wrong with actual groups would have been a good addition. More of a slant toward recreational rappelling would be nice.

Glad I got the book.

Ashley's Book of Knots is the most amazing book in my collection. Aside from discussing about every type of knot one can think of, it is a collection of beautiful pen drawings, not only of knots, but of people in interesting situations. After 50 years, Ashley's book continues to be the most often quoted reference in the ongoing science of knot development. It is the Bible of knots.