Calls are rising for the British government to follow its European neighbours and publish a simple survival guide in case World War III ever breaks out. The push comes as France rolls out its own 20-page booklet, full of measures on how families can stay safe during war, nuclear accidents or disasters.
Sweden, Finland and Norway have already done it. Five million homes in Sweden got the If Crisis or War Comes guide last year. Its opening line sets the tone: “An insecure world requires preparedness. The military threat to Sweden has increased and we must prepare for the worst – an armed attack.”
Professor: ‘deterrence first, but prepare anyway’
Professor Anthony Glees from the University of Buckingham believes Britain should take note. He wants the government to hand every household “a short, decently written booklet” outlining possible threats like cyber attacks, drone strikes or missile assaults.
He told the Mirror: “It should stress at the outset, of course, that the whole of our national defence strategy is about deterrence, that our foreign policy is defensive not offensive and that if we become as strong as we now want to be, thanks to Starmer and his European colleagues and thanks (yes!) to the goading from president Trump, then WW3 can surely be averted.”
No Iron Dome, just trident
Professor Glees also warned Britain lacks defences that other nations rely on. “The government would have to admit that we are woefully lacking in 'Iron Dome' systems round our key cities,” he said. Britain has just five warships able to intercept missiles — but Glees claimed one or two are in the Gulf and others under repair.
“We have no fixed systems at all. Everything to date depends on our Vanguard subs (in a decade to be Dreadnought subs) and their Trident nukes. If they are fired it will be Armageddon day so no survivors,” he told the Mirror.
WWIII Survival Kit: Food, water and Snickers
If a nuclear strike is truly worst-case, Glees says the more likely danger is a standard attack that cuts off supplies. So he suggests each home should keep at least a week’s worth of food, bottled water, painkillers, battery-powered gadgets and — in his words — “loads of emergency Snickers bars.” It may sound light-hearted, but the warning is serious. Blackouts and panic buying could hit within hours.
The professor remembers school drills too. “When I was a school boy, 70 years ago, we school kids were told to take cover under our desks, having painted the windows with sour milk to keep out the radiation. I think we were far more afraid of the headmaster than the Russians — it'll be different today. More like the hippies used to say in the 1960s you needed to do when 'the bomb' dropped: ‘Bend over, and then kiss your ass goodbye.’”
How to be ready for anything?
While professors lobby for leaflets, some people prepare on their own. Derrick James, 50, lives in rural Maine, US. He has been building food stockpiles and emergency plans since 2007. He’s watched threats come and go — Covid, wars, hurricanes — but he sticks to one message: be ready before it’s too late.
“Every event that we have lived through – whether it is Covid, the Iraq war or hurricanes – brings in a new wave of preppers,” Derrick said. “Then the threat will go away and most people forget about it until another event comes along. My advice is to take a deep breath, come up with a plan that you can stick to, and don't stress yourself out. We are living in a fragile society and things could unravel very quickly.”
Seven steps from a Doomsday prepper
Derrick’s plan is simple. He urges everyone to build a 90-day food supply. Rice, beans, wheat berries, tinned meat — anything long-lasting. He says people often focus too much on water, forgetting how fast food runs out in a real crisis. “A lot of preppers will suggest starting with water and say you can live three months without food, but three days without water – which is true. But anytime you get a food crisis, food is harder to come by,” he explained. “If you have food for 30 to 90 days, you can weather any storm that comes your way.”
Cash is vital too. “In a crisis, some banks may close and limit access to your accounts.” He also warns people to have updated passports ready. If borders close, you don’t want to be stuck in a queue for paperwork.
Radios that don’t need power
Derrick’s final tip is about staying informed. “The most straightforward thing to do in an emergency is to buy a hand-cranked radio – something that doesn't rely on a battery or a power grid. You can crank them up to get power, they have lights on them, and you can use them as a power source.”
He believes this simple kit — food, water, cash, radios and an escape bag — could make all the difference.
So should Britain copy France, Sweden and others? Some say it is alarmist. Others argue that calm, honest advice helps households plan without fear. As Derrick James puts it: “Take a deep breath. Come up with a plan you can stick to.” And hope you’ll never need it.
Sweden, Finland and Norway have already done it. Five million homes in Sweden got the If Crisis or War Comes guide last year. Its opening line sets the tone: “An insecure world requires preparedness. The military threat to Sweden has increased and we must prepare for the worst – an armed attack.”
Professor: ‘deterrence first, but prepare anyway’
Professor Anthony Glees from the University of Buckingham believes Britain should take note. He wants the government to hand every household “a short, decently written booklet” outlining possible threats like cyber attacks, drone strikes or missile assaults.
He told the Mirror: “It should stress at the outset, of course, that the whole of our national defence strategy is about deterrence, that our foreign policy is defensive not offensive and that if we become as strong as we now want to be, thanks to Starmer and his European colleagues and thanks (yes!) to the goading from president Trump, then WW3 can surely be averted.”
No Iron Dome, just trident
Professor Glees also warned Britain lacks defences that other nations rely on. “The government would have to admit that we are woefully lacking in 'Iron Dome' systems round our key cities,” he said. Britain has just five warships able to intercept missiles — but Glees claimed one or two are in the Gulf and others under repair.
“We have no fixed systems at all. Everything to date depends on our Vanguard subs (in a decade to be Dreadnought subs) and their Trident nukes. If they are fired it will be Armageddon day so no survivors,” he told the Mirror.
WWIII Survival Kit: Food, water and Snickers
If a nuclear strike is truly worst-case, Glees says the more likely danger is a standard attack that cuts off supplies. So he suggests each home should keep at least a week’s worth of food, bottled water, painkillers, battery-powered gadgets and — in his words — “loads of emergency Snickers bars.” It may sound light-hearted, but the warning is serious. Blackouts and panic buying could hit within hours.
The professor remembers school drills too. “When I was a school boy, 70 years ago, we school kids were told to take cover under our desks, having painted the windows with sour milk to keep out the radiation. I think we were far more afraid of the headmaster than the Russians — it'll be different today. More like the hippies used to say in the 1960s you needed to do when 'the bomb' dropped: ‘Bend over, and then kiss your ass goodbye.’”
How to be ready for anything?
While professors lobby for leaflets, some people prepare on their own. Derrick James, 50, lives in rural Maine, US. He has been building food stockpiles and emergency plans since 2007. He’s watched threats come and go — Covid, wars, hurricanes — but he sticks to one message: be ready before it’s too late.
“Every event that we have lived through – whether it is Covid, the Iraq war or hurricanes – brings in a new wave of preppers,” Derrick said. “Then the threat will go away and most people forget about it until another event comes along. My advice is to take a deep breath, come up with a plan that you can stick to, and don't stress yourself out. We are living in a fragile society and things could unravel very quickly.”
Seven steps from a Doomsday prepper
Derrick’s plan is simple. He urges everyone to build a 90-day food supply. Rice, beans, wheat berries, tinned meat — anything long-lasting. He says people often focus too much on water, forgetting how fast food runs out in a real crisis. “A lot of preppers will suggest starting with water and say you can live three months without food, but three days without water – which is true. But anytime you get a food crisis, food is harder to come by,” he explained. “If you have food for 30 to 90 days, you can weather any storm that comes your way.”
Cash is vital too. “In a crisis, some banks may close and limit access to your accounts.” He also warns people to have updated passports ready. If borders close, you don’t want to be stuck in a queue for paperwork.
Radios that don’t need power
Derrick’s final tip is about staying informed. “The most straightforward thing to do in an emergency is to buy a hand-cranked radio – something that doesn't rely on a battery or a power grid. You can crank them up to get power, they have lights on them, and you can use them as a power source.”
He believes this simple kit — food, water, cash, radios and an escape bag — could make all the difference.
So should Britain copy France, Sweden and others? Some say it is alarmist. Others argue that calm, honest advice helps households plan without fear. As Derrick James puts it: “Take a deep breath. Come up with a plan you can stick to.” And hope you’ll never need it.
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