A magisterial work of narrative history and original reportage ... McWhirter and Elinson, reporters at The Wall Street Journal, unspool the...story with admirable restraint; you can feel the tension building one cold, catastrophic fact at a time ... With commanding authority, American Gun lays out the unvarnished truth about an industry where the conversion of fear into profit, along with an ever-mounting civilian body count, causes few pangs of conscience. Policymakers and the public alike have much to learn from it.
Reporters Cameron McWhirter and Zusha Elinson write that America’s obsession with the Old West influenced its military strategy ... American Gun’s coverage...accrues with devastating force.
A deeply reported, engrossing account of the rifle, tracing its evolution from battlefield combat to today’s domestic carnage and culture war ... The interwoven reporting gives a broad view, though not without some contextual stumbles. Too much focus on battles over banning assault weapons plays into a false dichotomy of all-or-nothing policy ... On the whole, though, the book elucidates how the AR-15 has stirred open-carry rallies and national school walkouts, enriched gun executives, armed extremist plots at the U.S. Capitol and elsewhere, and brought death and devastation to thousands of innocent people. It adds valuable context as we reckon with the indelible and ongoing impact of a uniquely American gun.
A comprehensive, even-handed look at the AR-15’s history and the debate over gun violence, but keep the human toll at the forefront. The book includes harrowing details of some of the notorious mass shootings over the years ... Well-reported ... Vital.
Such a highly charged subject deserves a well-written analysis, grounded in facts and presented with journalistic detachment, and McWhirter and Elinson deliver on all counts.
A captivating tale ... Deeply researched ... The result is a fascinating genealogy of a weapon that has become the flash point of the contemporary gun control debate.
