Excellent. I paid 75 cents for it used; I would have paid more than full price for it new if I had known it would be well worth it.
This is more of a history book than it is a technical treatise on arms. Any technical discussion of gun details is on a level of explanation for the layman while brief enough to not tire a seasoned aficionado. Where the book really shines is the historical story-telling. Chief Kyle is able to seamlessly weave the advancement of our republic and its ideals together with advancements in firearms design, along with the tactics and histories behind them of military, law enforcement and even the bad guys. One is left with the strong impression that our great nation and the values we hold dear would have been shaped quite differently without men like Colt, Browning and even the unnamed smith working a frontier forge beside a winding creek.
Nearly every chapter starts with vibrant story-telling of an event that could be a simple historical footnote, a mere Trivial Pursuit question, but turns out to be a pivotal moment showcasing the weapon that soon comes under discussion. Each gun in the list of ten is treated as a springboard for discussion of other guns - advancements along the way and competitors - as well as relevant social, military and economic history that surrounds the gun's development and need. For example, the story of the .38 Special police revolver would not be told without a brief history of American police departments and their weapons needs, and even the later guns that replaced the .38, like the Glock 17 and others. That is one example of how each chapter delves into telling the story of America, centered on the gun. The gun is not the point - the American way of life that the gun helped secure is. Hence, I recommend this book to anyone interested in what it means to be an American, whether or not they are familiar with or even interested in guns.
The book could be slighted by some for the author occasionally (and especially in the latter chapters) interjecting himself and his experience into the story. I do not find this a detriment. Rather, it gives the book an authentic feel, more like stories told by a warm veteran uncle than a cold historian academic. And after all, who would read a book by a celebrated warrior and expect him not to share his experience?
My only minor (very minor) complaint is a matter of personal preference. I wish the references, footnotes and explanatory remarks were at the bottom of each page or at the least, at the end of each chapter. I prefer to read them along with the text, and in a way easy to cross-reference with the text. Instead, they are relegated to a back page without a really decent system of reference to the text. There are no superscript numerals, asterisks or other referencing to make reading the footnotes easy. But alas, maybe that book would read more like the cold academic in the musty library and less like the fun uncle telling stories on the back porch.
VM
05-25-2020
