B-Zone : a Novel of the Gun [Paperback]

Al Voth (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 15, 1999

This is a novel of the gun. It tells the story of a hunter and competitive shooter who is pushed too far by evil men and deceived by government. It explores what happens when the line separating the professional and sporting use of firearms becomes blurred and deception collides with honor. A young man with an amazing ability as a competitive shooter attracts the attention of a stranger who offers him entry into a contest that seems like a dream come true; an event that will test his speed and accuracy against the best in the world. It proves, however, to be an encounter that will take him deeper into the world of the gun than he has ever been, where the entry fee is courage, the goal is survival, and he becomes the prize.

Editorial Reviews

Review

... a heck of a good read. Once I started it (B-Zone) I was pretty useless until I finished. -- Bryce Towsley, Guns & Gear magazine, June 2002

Al Voth. . . knows both the sport and it's people and weaves a fascinating story of an up-and-coming IPSC shooter and a mysterious sponsor looking to find the newest IPSC hotshot.
Ivan Runions -- Diligentia, Spring 2000

Entertaining from first to last . . . solid IPSC content . . . would make an excellent made-for-TV movie script. -- Front Sight Magazine, Nov/Dec 2000

Let the bells ring and the banners fly, this book romances the gun, and members of the gun culture deserve it...The plot of this novel is plausible and exciting...I read the book through in almost one sitting; it is a page-turner. Let me inform you that any book that does that for me rates 5 stars...This book is written for gun owners and as such will not appeal much to the Liberal/Socialists in our midst. I also found it very satisfying to read a suspense novel that had all the real world aspects of guns technically correct. All too often in books and especially TV this is not so. Considering Al's background this is not surprising. I found one fault with the book, it ends with you wanting more and it obviously begs for a sequel. Happily Mr. Voth is working on it as I write this. -- Mike Toma writing in Access to Firearms, August 1999

On Sept. 3rd, 1999 Al Voth was sitting at the table of a Chinese restaurant signing his book B-ZONE, for all those who had the good fortune of winning one at the PPC Championships earlier in the day. I was intrigued as to the meaning of the inscription he was writing on the inside cover, "sooner of later, we are all tested." By Sept. 10th I was totally aware of what he had meant. I had great difficulty in putting the book down until the last page of this easy reading novel. Nathan Burdett, the hero and raw talented IPSC shooter was on a roller coaster ride of international action. Al's writing style and the incorporation of accurate firearms information greatly added to his story telling. Just to be sure the novel was as good as I thought, I asked a veteran reader of thousands of novels to have a go at it. I was concerned my knowing Al would bias my opinion. Not only did I receive the same feedback, I was asked to pass on to Al that "he is a very talented writ! er with a unique style." The only thing different, is my reviewer took merely two days to read the book and only put it down to eat and sleep. I am very much looking forward to the sequel. One big thumb up! -- Ed Plitz writing in The CPCA PPC Annual, 2000

From the Publisher

Generally speaking there are three users of firearms in the modern world: the criminal , the professional (mainly military and law enforcement) and the sportsman. We have observed that all the books and movies, with a major firearms related action theme, include only the first two groups. It's always the criminal versus the police, military or ex-military etc. The sportsman never gets mentioned; and when he does it's always in a negative tone (the killer of Bambi's mother, a drunken red neck slob or a psycho). When was the last time you read a book or saw a movie where the sportsman was the hero? Additionally, if the writers of these story lines need a character who has a high degree of skill or knowledge with/about firearms they always pick from the professional group. Again the sportsman is ignored, even though it is invariably he who has the highest skill level with and knowledge about firearms. B-Zone is a book that begins to correct this state of affairs by making the sportsman the hero. He's a competitive shooter and a hunter who encounters the bad guys, meets the girl and is caught in the center of a swirling conspiracy that requires all of his wits, skills and abilities to survive. And it scores a few political points. We are proud to make it available to the public.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Trigger Press International (June 15, 1999)
• ISBN-10: 0968505007
• ISBN-13: 978-0968505007
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,054,900 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A View Into A New World, September 19, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: B-Zone : a Novel of the Gun (Paperback)

B-Zone totally opened up a new world to me! I always saw guns and the people who make them a part of their lives as on the fringe and dangerous. This book not only showed me the perspective of gun owners but it entertained me as well. It is a gripping story that had me up all night on the edge of my seat. Everyone should read it, if not to gain a new perspective than to just be thoroughly intrigued by an excellent novel.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great First Novel!, January 9, 2003

By 

James R. Mckinley (San Diego, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: B-Zone : a Novel of the Gun (Paperback)

Not only was this a great first novel for anyone, it was a great book period. As an avid shooter, I believe all of the technical details of the firearms and related competition to be technically correct. The cover photograph featured a Model 1911 variant in competition trim resting in what appeared to be a Kydex holster. Some IPSC targets lay beneath the handgun, appropriately perforated with multiple head-shots. B-Zone: A Novel of the Gun is Mr. Voth's first attempt at a fictional novel. Reading through the first pages, you soon come to realize that this is not your average work of fiction by a person outside the shooting community; someone who uses firearms as props to further their plot, but has little actual interest in or knowledge of them. Thankfully for the reader, Al Voth knows firearms very well. He is both a competitor and a hunter, is a former member of an Emergency Response Team, and is currently working in a forensics lab. It's always refreshing to see an author put a level of detail into his work that indicates a true love of the gun, and I'm happy to say that Al Voth does just that. Much to my amazement, I even laughed out loud when he correctly used the term "magazine" instead of the time-honored BONEHEAD mistake so many well-known and respected authors make: "clip." Obviously, Al is a shooter first and author second. You will find no glaring errors of firearms nomenclature here!

It all rings true in both the competitive and instructional aspect. Few authors put this level of familiarity into their work. With respect to firearms competition, and law enforcement training, everyhting rings true. The plot itself is quite interesting, simple, and yet well paced. It takes several turns that keep you reading right through the evening and into the night. If you appreciate action novels dealing with criminals, Emergency Response Teams, and firearms training, you will certainly enjoy this work. It is fast paced, accurate, and manages to put you right into the characters' minds with comfortable ease. B-Zone: a Novel of the Gun is, in my opinion, an excellent first novel. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the culture of firearms ownership that we, as readers, inhabit. It feels real, tastes real, and leaves you wanting more. If you have attended advanced handgun training or competed in any of the defensive pistol sports, you will feel like you are attending a homecoming as you read these pages. There is much room for future plots and I, for one, cannot wait to see them develop. My impression is that Al Voth has launched himself on a new career, and in the future you will be seeing his work growing into a series specific to the main character of this book, Nathan Burdett. Like many other action adventures, Voth keeps the pace well. The defining difference here is that Voth actually gets the details he chooses to include RIGHT. Well done!

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Extremely Accurate Details Make the Novel, September 19, 2003

By 

R. V. Tuite (Greensburg, PA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: B-Zone : a Novel of the Gun (Paperback)

Before you understand why this book is so much fun to us gun nuts, you have to understand that it is numbingly painful to read and watch references to guns (books, movies, CNN, etc.)which are so ridiculously wrong. It's like watching a movie on WWII and the writer accidently making the germans the winners. It's painful.

The fun part of this book is how accurate and nuanced the writer gets right guns and the people who like to shoot guns. There were many times that I actually laughed in pleasurable astonishment at how right this author "got it". For example, the protagonist of this story gets a gun pulled on him and he can't help but wonder for a moment if the gun is a Beretta or a Taurus clone. That's not something a non-gun person would get.

Even with the amazingly accurate details, the writer does lack a little bit of imagination as it comes to charectors and plot. They are very stock as another reviewer mentioned. They're not bad. They're just not that great or memorable.

If you're a gun person who is looking for a fun read that doesn't portray gun owners as drooling psychos - definately get this book. It's a quick read and you'll enjoy it.