In a tour de force; prize-winning New York Times reporter C.J. Chivers traces the invention of the assault rifle; following the miniaturization of rapid-fire arms from the American Civil War; through WWI; Vietnam; to present day Afghanistan when Kalashnikovs and their knock-offs number as many as 100 million; one for every seventy persons on earth.At a secret arms-design contest in Stalin’s Soviet Union; army technicians submitted a stubby rifle with a curved magazine. Dubbed the AK-47; it was selected as the Eastern Bloc’s standard arm. Scoffed at in the Pentagon as crude and unimpressive; it was in fact a breakthrough—a compact automatic that could be mastered by almost anyone; last decades in the field; and would rarely jam. Manufactured by tens of millions in planned economies; it became first an instrument of repression and then the most lethal weapon of the Cold War. Soon it was in the hands of terrorists. In a searing examination of modern conflict and official folly; C. J. Chivers mixes meticulous historical research; investigative reporting; and battlefield reportage to illuminate the origins of the world’s most abundant firearm and the consequences of its spread. The result; a tour de force of history and storytelling; sweeps through the miniaturization and distribution of automatic firepower; and puts an iconic object in fuller context than ever before. The Gun dismantles myths as it moves from the naïve optimism of the Industrial Revolution through the treacherous milieu of the Soviet Union to the inside records of the Taliban. Chivers tells of the 19th-century inventor in Indianapolis who designs a Civil War killing machine; insisting that more-efficient slaughter will save lives. A German attaché who observes British machine guns killing Islamic warriors along the Nile advises his government to amass the weapons that would later flatten British ranks in World War I. In communist Hungary; a locksmith acquires an AK-47 to help wrest his country from the Kremlin’s yoke; beginning a journey to the gallows. The Pentagon suppresses the results of firing tests on severed human heads that might have prevented faulty rifles from being rushed to G.I.s in Vietnam. In Africa; a millennial madman arms abducted children and turns them on their neighbors; setting his country ablaze. Neither pro-gun nor anti-gun; The Gun builds to a terrifying sequence; in which a young man who confronts a trio of assassins is shattered by 23 bullets at close range. The man survives to ask questions that Chivers examines with rigor and flair. Throughout; The Gun animates unforgettable characters—inventors; salesmen; heroes; megalomaniacs; racists; dictators; gunrunners; terrorists; child soldiers; government careerists; and fools. Drawing from years of research; interviews; and from declassified records revealed for the first time; he presents a richly human account of an evolution in the very experience of war.
#315148 in Books Simon Schuster 2002-05-07 2002-05-07Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.25 x .80 x 6.12l; .80 #File Name: 0743223098299 pagesGreat product!
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Lightweight wartime bio of George McGovernBy CustomerThis sketchy bio of the early life and war experiences of George McGovern; the very prominent American politician; does not give much insight into anything. The author; who has had much success elsewhere; seems unable to make up his mind exactly what he wants this book to be - a bio; a wartime tale of a bomber pilot; or a close look at the B-24. Consequently it is just a bit of each.It is well edited; without the abysmal grammar found in many other Kindle editions. and so can be read quite quickly. We are left knowing that McGovern was a very brave and skilful pilot; the B-24 was a lumbering but effective pig of a plane; and the Germans were at that time still quite formidable.However I was not left thinking this was one of the great WWII novels; and maybe it was never meant to be.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Who knew George McGovern was a B-24 pilot?By Alphachief...for that matter; Who is George McGovern? In 1972 he was the Democrat presidential candidate; but he lost to Richard Nixon. McGovern was anti-Vietnam War and anti-bombing North Vietnam.Before he was a politician he was a decorated officer and pilot of a B-24 Liberator who completed dozens of bombing missions during WWII. The Wild Blue by Stephen Ambrose is primarily about McGovern; his crew and Eleanor; the B-24 they flew.I picked this book to expose myself to the writing of Stephen Ambrose. Also; I wanted to learn more details about our nation's WWII bombing campaign in Europe. By reading this book; I accomplished both. I will be back for more from the author and I gained an amazed appreciation about (so called) precision daylight bombing in Europe amidst enemy fighter aircraft and intense anti-aircraft fire.If I knew then in 1972 what I know now; I would have voted for Lieutenant McGovern.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Wonderful book; great storyBy Warren OlfertThis is a fabulous story. I've always loved Stephen Ambrose's writing and while I'd heard about George McGovern's flying in World War II; I had not read the story. Frankly; I was almost completely unaware of the B-24's role in the war; so this book was a completely new insight for me into the conflict. Ambrose has a way with not only educating us but also keeping our attention through great storytelling. He does this by focusing less on the historical aspects and more on the people; all of who have something to add. The result is a book I can't recommend more highly.
