Comments on: American Rifle: A Biography http://www.stanchee.com/american-rifle-a-biography/ Your Source for Great Books Sun, 23 May 2010 14:07:53 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Hal Herring http://www.stanchee.com/american-rifle-a-biography/comment-page-1/#comment-1449 Hal Herring Sat, 19 Dec 2009 00:50:38 +0000 http://www.stanchee.com/?p=1004#comment-1449 <br />Other than Native American warriors, who are fairly well represented here, no other soldier on earth has ever been expected to bear as much individual responsibility for the conduct of battle than the American soldier. The primary tool of the soldier is the rifle, and what rifle that soldier carries has decided the outcome of the majority of our engagements from colonial days to Afghanistan. Rose has hit upon this fact to produce a book that works on many levels. It is far more than a gun book. It is a window into American history. <br /> <br />My only reservation: Rose slows down to offer insight, story, character and politics in some places ( very succesfully), and fairly flies across the surface in others- American Rifle, at its weak points, is like the old timer's saying about the Powder River, a mile wide and an inch deep. But overall, it is a strong, revealing and entertaining history. <br /> <br />Hal Herring <br /> <br />author of: <br />Famous Firearms of the Old West: From Wild Bill Hickok's Colt Revolvers to Geronimo's Winchester, Twelve Guns That Shaped Our History <br /> <br /> Rating: 4 / 5 Other than Native American warriors, who are fairly well represented here, no other soldier on earth has ever been expected to bear as much individual responsibility for the conduct of battle than the American soldier. The primary tool of the soldier is the rifle, and what rifle that soldier carries has decided the outcome of the majority of our engagements from colonial days to Afghanistan. Rose has hit upon this fact to produce a book that works on many levels. It is far more than a gun book. It is a window into American history.

My only reservation: Rose slows down to offer insight, story, character and politics in some places ( very succesfully), and fairly flies across the surface in others- American Rifle, at its weak points, is like the old timer’s saying about the Powder River, a mile wide and an inch deep. But overall, it is a strong, revealing and entertaining history.

Hal Herring

author of:

Famous Firearms of the Old West: From Wild Bill Hickok’s Colt Revolvers to Geronimo’s Winchester, Twelve Guns That Shaped Our History

Rating: 4 / 5

]]> By: Evelyn Blackburn http://www.stanchee.com/american-rifle-a-biography/comment-page-1/#comment-1448 Evelyn Blackburn Sat, 19 Dec 2009 00:38:32 +0000 http://www.stanchee.com/?p=1004#comment-1448 This is a Kindle version, and my husband is enjoying it now. He really loves history, and reads it to me all the time. He's learning alot of things he didn't know about rifles. Rating: 5 / 5 This is a Kindle version, and my husband is enjoying it now. He really loves history, and reads it to me all the time. He’s learning alot of things he didn’t know about rifles.
Rating: 5 / 5

]]> By: Elwood Dowd http://www.stanchee.com/american-rifle-a-biography/comment-page-1/#comment-1447 Elwood Dowd Fri, 18 Dec 2009 23:44:12 +0000 http://www.stanchee.com/?p=1004#comment-1447 I enjoyed the book, a breezy read on a subject dear to my heart. Rose's style is similar to Edwin Tunis, within the pages of whose book "Weapons" I first cut my teeth some forty-six years ago, initiating a life-long pursuit of the subject, and to which I returned when reading "American Rifle" for reference. <br /> <br />Two amongst several errors or illogical descriptions, Rose describes Forsyth hunting birds with a ball, not shot, and refers to a percussion cap as a nipple- minor problems, but they don't build trust in the text. <br /> <br />However, glaringly, a photo of a German 1888 Commission Rifle and its enbloc clip are noted as the Mauser System and charging device, of which they are neither. <br /> <br />Also, whereas I can't back it up, Colt being cited as not having rifling machines capable of cutting anything tighter than a 18-or-16-to-one twist and thereby applying those rates to M-16's seems rather far fetched- my confidence in the information being conditioned by what I have previously mentioned. Rating: 3 / 5 I enjoyed the book, a breezy read on a subject dear to my heart. Rose’s style is similar to Edwin Tunis, within the pages of whose book “Weapons” I first cut my teeth some forty-six years ago, initiating a life-long pursuit of the subject, and to which I returned when reading “American Rifle” for reference.

Two amongst several errors or illogical descriptions, Rose describes Forsyth hunting birds with a ball, not shot, and refers to a percussion cap as a nipple- minor problems, but they don’t build trust in the text.

However, glaringly, a photo of a German 1888 Commission Rifle and its enbloc clip are noted as the Mauser System and charging device, of which they are neither.

Also, whereas I can’t back it up, Colt being cited as not having rifling machines capable of cutting anything tighter than a 18-or-16-to-one twist and thereby applying those rates to M-16’s seems rather far fetched- my confidence in the information being conditioned by what I have previously mentioned.
Rating: 3 / 5

]]> By: Bill http://www.stanchee.com/american-rifle-a-biography/comment-page-1/#comment-1446 Bill Fri, 18 Dec 2009 21:40:24 +0000 http://www.stanchee.com/?p=1004#comment-1446 I'm surprised at all the rave reviews of this book, some by readers who clearly know guns. I was expecting something great, I guess. Rose is a thorough researcher and does a good job of bringing together a history of (mainly) military U.S. rifles, but the book is marred by occasional heavy and rather self-indulgent irony directed towards some of the men who figure in this history, and, even more surprisingly, by what seems to be an unfamiliarity with firearms lore and nomenclature (e.g., referring to cartridges as "bullets," and other such gaffes). Probably worth it, but could have been better with some editing. I also wonder, has the guy been around guns? Rating: 3 / 5 I’m surprised at all the rave reviews of this book, some by readers who clearly know guns. I was expecting something great, I guess. Rose is a thorough researcher and does a good job of bringing together a history of (mainly) military U.S. rifles, but the book is marred by occasional heavy and rather self-indulgent irony directed towards some of the men who figure in this history, and, even more surprisingly, by what seems to be an unfamiliarity with firearms lore and nomenclature (e.g., referring to cartridges as “bullets,” and other such gaffes). Probably worth it, but could have been better with some editing. I also wonder, has the guy been around guns?
Rating: 3 / 5

]]> By: Kenneth A. Attorri http://www.stanchee.com/american-rifle-a-biography/comment-page-1/#comment-1445 Kenneth A. Attorri Fri, 18 Dec 2009 20:27:57 +0000 http://www.stanchee.com/?p=1004#comment-1445 The book concentrates on how armories and private companies responded to the US Army's evolving, and sometimes conflicting, rifle requirements. The prose is dry, scholarly and probably best suited for those with a passion for the subject matter who can appreciate the author's detailed research. But as a general interest reader and occasional weekend shooter, I found the book to be rough sledding, and was ready for it to be over 1/2 way through. Rating: 3 / 5 The book concentrates on how armories and private companies responded to the US Army’s evolving, and sometimes conflicting, rifle requirements. The prose is dry, scholarly and probably best suited for those with a passion for the subject matter who can appreciate the author’s detailed research. But as a general interest reader and occasional weekend shooter, I found the book to be rough sledding, and was ready for it to be over 1/2 way through.
Rating: 3 / 5

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