Colt: The Making of an American Legend [Paperback]

William Hosley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1996

A profusely illustrated social history explores the origins of America's gun culture through the life of Samuel Colt and his wife, Elizabeth, who started America's gun industry and transformed pre-Civil War Hartford. Simultaneous. UP.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This companion to the Wadsworth Atheneum's exhibit of Colt miscellany in Hartford, Conn., is a rich social and political history of 19th-century America. It is also a joint biography of Samuel Colt, an enigmatic inventor and industrialist, and Elizabeth, the strong, resolute wife who carried on his dreams and life's work. Hosley, the Koopman Curator at the Atheneum, follows Colt's life from his strange beginnings, successes and failures, to the ultimate perfection of the firearm that would be adopted by the U.S. Army. In exploring the personal lives and excesses of this wealthy 19th-century couple, Hosley presents a particularly colorful history of the times. After Samuel's death in 1862, Elizabeth Colt's ongoing efforts to immortalize her husband's accomplishments and their name led her to build memorials and statues and to create a philanthropic legacy for the city of Hartford. Elizabeth's taste often went to the extreme, as seen in their mansion, Armsmear. "Armsmear's reception room epitomizes the kind of blunt ostentation that was the trademark of America's Eurocentric nouveau riche during the 1880's." On a larger scale, Hosley also shows how Colt fit into the culture of war and violence that would be so beneficial to his fiscal concerns. "The good people of this wirld [sic] are very far from being satisfied with each other," wrote Colt, "& my arms are the best peacemakers." Rich in illustrations and photographs (204 images, 72 in color) of the Colts' firearms and art collections, Hosley creates a fascinating story that far exceeds the simple history of that famous gun. BOMC dividend; History Book Club alternate.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

The Colt name is now a legend in the field of firearms. This is the story of how, through personal efforts, Sam Colt, along with his wife, Elizabeth, turned an idea into a manufacturing empire and transformed himself into a household name. Beginning with Sam's early failures, it traces the evolution of his now famous revolver. The key to Sam's success was demanding a high standard of precision manufacturing backed by vigorous and imaginative marketing. The result was one of America's first major export industries. Elizabeth Colt was the person most responsible for maintaining the legacy her husband had created. Upon his premature death, she launched a 40-year campaign of civic memorialization as a patron of the arts by endowing parks, museums, and public artworks. Unlike most books on Colt, the only guns illustrated are primarily from Sam's personal collection, while the vast majority of photos depict art and memorabilia. A large-format book with a social-history approach that distinguishes it from other volumes on the subject. Fred Egloff --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: University of Massachusetts Press (November 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1558490434
• ISBN-13: 978-1558490437
• Product Dimensions: 11.5 x 9.6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,185,178 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's a must have for any Colt SAA fans..................., August 11, 1998

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[e-mail] (CA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Colt: The Making of an American Legend (Hardcover)

My wife bought this book for me, wow what a great book. If you are a lover of Colt SAA's or any of the Colt products for that matter, it's covered in here. This book includes dates of production and numbers produced. It also has beautiful pictures to illistrate some of their finest work.