In warfare, a booby trap is an anti-personnel weapon that has a psychological attraction for enemy soldiers. As the word "trap" implies, they usually have some form of bait designed to lure the victim towards it.
In every case, triggering the booby trap device will kill or severely injure the victim. Boobytraps have been employed as an invaluable weapon of guerrilla warfare as well as conventional warfare. Individuals caught up in civil war have used boobytraps to protect personal property, food, and essentially themselves.
Boobytraps are not confined to any one application, nor is their use confined to one purpose.
The following range of books describe many different improvised booby traps and detail their construction.
A remarkable guide on the different kinds of Booby Traps available. Providing information on methods of building these. Discussed in this guidebook are road trap, walk trap, bangalore torpedo, homemade hand grenade, anti-personnel grenade, book trap, loose floorboard trap, gate trap, chimney trap, car trap, pipe trap, cacodyal, molotov cocktail, whistle trap & other handy devices.
Boobytraps – FM 5-31, contains procedures, techniques, and expedients for the instruction of the soldier in the assembly, use, detection, and removal of boobytraps in combat. Included are descriptions and discussions of the design and functioning characteristics of standard demolition items - firing -devices, explosives, and accessories - and missiles, such as hand grenades, mortar ammunition, artillery ammunition, and bombs.
Guide to Selected Viet Cong Equipment and Explosive Devices, supplies meticulous information on constructing grenades, mines, fuses, explosive charges and other deadly weapons and devices by using commonly available materials. Gain knowledge on procedures used by Viet Cong forces to construct equipments and explosive Devices.
This article will provide you with the basic understanding, and steps involved in making a noose trap. A great trap that is usually used to trap birds or small mammals while in the wilderness. Diagrams and detailed instruction are provided.
This guide contains valuable information on designing tripwires that work. Diagrams are provided for better understanding, along with clear instructions. If you interested in tripwires, this is an article not to miss.
Mine Knowledge Gained from Operational Experience in Vietnam, furnishes a lot of info on small unit tactics, patrolling, weapons, mines/booby traps, and leadership. This book is an excellent collection of experiences and lessons learned by the Marine Corps. Highly recommended for all junior officers, SNCOS, and NCOS who will profit from the principles presented.
Purpose of this guidebook on mines and booby traps, is to firstly introduce a range of mines and traps that are usually encountered. Secondly, you will learn ways to avoid and detect mines/ traps installed by the enemy. Furthermore, you will learn the course of action to be taken when a mine or trap is detected. This book will be a great reference for those who want to gain knowledge on detecting and neutralizing enemy emplaced mines and booby traps.
Typical Foreign Unconventional Warfare Weapons, describes typical foreign weapons which were or are commonly used by guerrilla, involved in unconventional warfare. Info supplied here concentrates on providing details on weapons that have been improvised from materials at hand or modified from standard military items. Topics covered are: Small Arms Ammunition, Small Arms, Recoilless/Rocket Weapons, Land Mines, Firing Devices, Caltrops/Boobytraps and Disguised Devices,
Unconventional Warfare Devices and Techniques guidebook, has a total of 234 pages written for U.S. Army Special Forces to be used in the field. This manual deals with subjects pertaining to destructive techniques and their applications to targets in guerrilla and unconventional warfare.
During the French and Viet Minh conflict, the Viet Minh used improvised explosive mines and booby traps effectively to harass, slow down and demoralize the French forces. The Viet Cong (VC) have improved upon their predecessor's techniques and are using emplaced munitions as an effective weapon.This manual was written to familiarize all personnel with VC techniques for improvising explosive mines and booby traps and with various methods used in the VC to employ these devices.

