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.
