American Gun
Book description
A finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize
“A magisterial work of narrative history and original reportage . . . You can feel the tension building one cold, catastrophic fact at a time . . . A virtually unprecedented achievement.” ―Mike Spies, The New York Times Book Review (Editors’…
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Why read it?
1 author picked American Gun as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
This is an extraordinary piece of non-fiction writing that adds a powerful dimension to the growing literature on the U.S. gun crisis. It presents the story of the AR-15, a firearm that has become a notorious symbol of 'gun rights' activists and other far-right libertarian groups. The narrative charts the complex and highly controversial history of this weapon, including the life and career of its main designer, its adoption by the U.S. military and its assignment to troops in Vietnam, the business models of the various manufacturers and distributors who developed and popularized the firearm, and the terrible stories of…