Review - American Gun: A History of the U.S. in Ten Firearms by Chris Kyle

Title: American Gun: A History of the U.S. in Ten Firearms

Author: Chris Kyle w/ William Doyle

Pages: 320

Published: 2013

Publisher: William Morrow

List Price: $29.99

Buy American Gun here




American Gun: A History of the U.S. in Ten Firearms is former U.S. Navy SEAL, Chris Kyle's second book that aims to utilize the most prominent firearms in American history as framework to briefly summarize the history of the United States from its foundation in 1776 to modern times.

The ten firearms that Kyle discusses in the book are:

- The American Long Rifle
- The Spencer Repeater
- The Colt Single-Action Army Revolver
- The Winchester 1873 Rifle
- The M1903 Springfield
- The M1911 Pistol
- The Thompson Submachine Gun
- The M1 Garand
- The .38 Special Police Revolver
- The M16 Rifle

Pros:

+ Thorough research was put into this book. All of the subjects mentioned are carefully supported with factual information
+ Makes a potentially dry subject to some very entertaining by summarizing actual events where the firearm being discussed was used
+ Clearly describes the technological advances that enhanced the efficiency of firearms
+ Expresses the vitality of the firearm to our nation's establishment and further development
+ Chronologically timelines each firearms history and uses
+ Provides factual pros and cons of weapon systems
+ Serves as an American history book in addition to firearms history
+ Relatively easy for beginners to understand despite knowledge of firearms
+ Gives detail of the bureaucracy behind the adoption of each gun
+ Includes the technical specifications of all ten guns at the end of the book

Cons:
- Tends to occasionally wander off topic
- More technical information on the systems and operation of each firearm could have been included
- Kyle sometimes is opinionated when it comes to the superiority of certain firearms. However, it's his book so obviously he can do whatever he wants but I just thought it should be brought to light. In addition, he's a former SEAL and I'm just an 18 year old sitting at home. I'm not going to argue with his opinion :)

Conclusion

Overall, I had fun reading this book while learning a lot in the process. I appreciate the amount of work and research that Chris Kyle has put into it. Any American history buff or gun enthusiast - regardless if you're a collector, hunter, target shooter, etc. will enjoy the read. Chris Kyle points out that the gun is like any development in history; it can be used for good or evil. The gun is just a tool, it is the person operating it who ultimately makes it good or bad. Kyle definitely succeeds in expressing the significance of the gun to the establishment of our nation and that the gun could potentially be one of the main determinants of whether we'd be able to be calling ourselves "Americans" today.

A New Yorker's Rant on New Yorkers

After living in New York City for 18 years, it's hard not to find something about fellow New Yorkers to complain about. The difference between New Yorkers that are a product of society and a New Yorker like myself, however, is that I'm a non-conformist and I form my own opinions. Sadly to say, there aren't that many of us left.

The most pathetic aspect of New York society as a whole is the lack of individuality that is present. Your typical New Yorker will seek to conform into one or more of the many subcultures that exist in NYC (more on this later in the post). One who abandons their personality in attempt to gain acceptance from society can't claim to have any dignity from that point on. Conformists like these don't realize that their actions make it apparent that they're cowards with no backbone that feel the need to associate with a crowd in order to possess any type of power. A good example of this was during the Occupy Wall Street protests, where a small amount of the occupiers actually had a purpose to be there while the rest were just hipsters with nothing better to do. This same majority falsely thought that they irrepressible "menaces to society" that were causing large scale disorder and civil unrest. No, you're just a 20 year old with tight clothing and oxfords. Stop.

Typical Wall Street Occupier

Speaking of hipsters, NYC is home to many subcultures that deserve to be mentioned on this post. However, the most annoying ones by far are hipsters and what I like to call "swaggots".

Hipsters tend to inhabit "trendy" cities, or liberal cities that are overpriced and usually have an art, fashion, and music scene. They are easily spotted, as they wear flamboyant clothing such as tight jeans and shirts, loafers, and large-framed glasses. They also wear sunglasses or scarves regardless of the weather. In New York City, the neighborhoods of Williamsburg and the Lower East Side are plagued with them. Equipped with their trusty iPhones and other Apple products, hipsters are known to frequent Starbucks, content with spending more than $5 on what is possibly worst-tasting cup of coffee in the city. Since hipness is inversely proportional to notoriety and popularity, the hipster's interests are fleeting and every six months a hipster will throw out all of its collections. This raises the question: What happens when the "counterculture" ideology of hipsters becomes mainstream?

Hipster or homeless person? The world may never know.

On the other end of the spectrum, we have what I call "swaggots". As opposed to hipsters, swaggots seek to conform by means of purchasing the most valuable and "stylish" consumer goods and by following the hip-hop culture. These creatures exist on a large scale throughout the entire city of New York. They are likely to be the most materialistic and collective people you'll ever meet in your life. Although it's hard to accurately describe the appearance of a swaggot considering they wear anything their favorite rapper wears in their latest interview or endorses, they are known for particular articles of clothing. The typical swaggot will wear an Obey hat, overpriced plastic-framed Ray Ban glasses despite whether they are visually impaired or not, plain T-shirts that have a brand's logo on it (raising the price by $100), overpriced tight, saggy jeans with a $500 belt (the jeans are worn below the waist anyway, defeating the purpose of the belt) and finally, Air Jordans, even if they don't play basketball. This whole outfit is bought for them by their parents of course. I mean, when was the last time you saw a swaggot with a job? No, that time at the McDonald's drive-thru doesn't count. 

Swaggot logic

Need I say more?

                               

Introduction

I've been opposed to the idea of starting a blog for a while now, mainly due to the fact that a blog is basically a public diary. It seemed so self-centered and pointless. Even if I didn't consider it that way, who the hell would want to read about my boring life? I mean, I'm just an 18-year old New Yorker that is into guns, fitness, and travelling (which my current financial situation doesn't even permit). I don't live a life of thrills and adventure; something that would have you returning to my blog on a daily basis.

What has really broadened my perspective on blogging has been a result of networking and forming relationships with some great people online for the past two years. The majority have been gun enthusiasts like myself that I've met through firearm websites. Although it may not be a big deal to some, meeting new people and maintaining relationships with others across the country in my opinion is an amazing thing. You learn about the varying cultures throughout the country as well as the overall contrast between your home customs and those of a person who lives across the country. After living in such a huge place like New York City your whole life, you tend to forget these things. It's truly a fascinating thing.

Therefore, I created this blog to not only meet others, but to educate myself. While I may see my life as boring and repetitive, others may find it interesting to see how much my way of life here in NYC differs from their's. The way I see it, reading one's blog is ultimately the best way to, figuratively speaking, "live a life" that you otherwise would never have been able to live. Nothing gives a more accurate description of an experience than a first-person account of it.

So please,  feel free to explore and comment. I would love to hear from each and any one of you who happen to come across my blog. Thanks for stopping by.

- Tom