Arms
The Culture and Credo of the Gun
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- 15,99 €
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- 15,99 €
Beschreibung des Verlags
After a fifteen-year hiatus from the world of guns, journalist, sports shooter, and former soldier A.J. Somerset no longer fit in with other firearm enthusiasts. Theirs was a culture much different than the one he remembered: a culture more radical, less tolerant, and more immovable in its beliefs, “as if [each] gun had come with a free, bonus ideological Family Pack [of political tenets], a ready-made identity.” To find the origins of this surprising shift, Somerset began mapping the cultural history of guns and gun ownership in North America. Arms: The Culture and Credo of Gun is the brilliant result.
How were firearms transformed from tools used by pioneers into symbols of modern manhood? Why did the NRA’s focus shift from encouraging responsible gun use to lobbying against gun-safety laws? What is the relationship between gun ownership and racism in America? How have the film, television, and video game industries molded our perception of gun violence? When did the fear of gun seizures arise, and how has it been used to benefit arms manufacturers, lobbyists, and the far-right?
Few ideas divide communities as much as those involving firearms, and fewer authors are able to tackle the subject with the same authority, humor, and intelligence. Written from the unique perspective of a gun lover who’s disgusted with what gun culture has become, Arms is destined to be one of the most talked-about books of the year.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Somerset (Combat Camera) tackles the murky, polarized world of pistols, rifles, and shotguns from the unique angle of a former soldier and present hunter who thinks the current gun culture in North America is deeply troubled. By digging deep into history, brushing off dusty lawsuits, and pounding some pavement, Somerset manages to avoid all of the clich s about North American gun politics and overturn everything that is held to be gospel. This is a brilliant piece of investigative journalism and surprisingly entertaining given the dismal subject matter. Somerset shrewdly crafts arguments against the most paranoid and fervent gun owners and their worldview, compelling readers to follow his line of thinking. He traces the fascinating development of the knotty concept known as "gun culture" as it follows a twisted, deluded path strewn with racism, inflated egos, and consumerism. Just as readers pat themselves on the back for their deep dive into North American attitudes toward gun violence, Somerset alters the dialogue again, suggesting that the solution to gun-related problems, including both gun violence and the related cultural divide, is extremely complex.
