The gunning of America : business and the making of American gun culture

Summary: "An acclaimed historian explodes the myth about the 'special relationship' between Americans and their guns, revealing that savvy 19th century businessmen--not gun lovers--created American gun culture"--

Record details

ISBN: 9780465048953
ISBN: 0465048951
ISBN: 9780465098569
Physical Description: print
xxv, 496 pages : illustrations ; 25 cm
Publisher: New York : Basic Books, a member of the Perseus Books Group, [2016]

Content descriptions

Bibliography, etc. Note:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Formatted Contents Note:

Introduction: "The art and mystery of a gunsmith" -- The American system -- The Crystal Palace -- "Scattering our guns" -- "More wonderful than practical" -- Model 1866 -- "Gun men" and the "Oriental lecturer" -- "Spirit guns" -- "The unhallowed trade" -- The "moral effect" of a Winchester -- Balancing the ledger -- Summer land -- The gun industry's visible hand -- Learning to love the gun -- Mystery house -- "Grotesque, yet magnificent" -- Overbuilding -- The soul of the "gun crank" -- King of Infinite Space -- The West that won the gun -- "Merchants of death" -- Epilogue.