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The Gun (2010)

by C.J. Chivers(Favorite Author)

3.94 of 5 Votes: 2

ISBN

0743270762 (ISBN13: 9780743270762)

languge

English

genre

History & Biography

publisher

Simon & Schuster (NY)

review 1: An entertaining book that was clearly written by a Marine. Who else would set out to write a history of the machine gun? Starting with Gatling and his weapon, moving through successors like Hiram Maxim, and ultimately settling upon the life and times of Kalashnikov and, more importantly, the line of weapons his prize-winning design inspired and bequeathed upon generations of people. It was interesting to see the contrast between the genesis of the AK-47 and that of the American response to it, the AR-15 (later M-16). I was not aware that the M-16 was as corrosion- and jamming-prone in its early incarnations as is described in the book. (I am not ignorant to the jamming problem of an M-16 - anyone who has fired one at all can probably vouch for its often-finicky extraction ... moreand feeding process.) There were parts of the book that had me recalling the cycle of operations of the M-16A2 service rifle drilled into my head at Marine boot camp nearly two decades ago: Firing-unlocking-extracting-ejecting-cocking-feeding-chambering-locking. Beware, if you, too, are a Marine, this may happen to you if you read the book. And you should! Recommended.
review 2: This is a great book. The author delves into the history of the machine gun. He starts with the Gatling, moves onto the Maxim, covers the AK-47, then hits the M-16. The book is focused on the AK but covers those other weapons for a context of what the AK is. This books is extremely well researched and is annotated quite extensively. The book also stirs emotions related to the atrocities committed with the AK, the failures of the early M-16, and many other aspects related to machine guns in general. There are many stories of battles and gunfights interspersed in this book to give examples of how each gun has been used. A very enlightening read for anyone, not just gun lovers. less

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