Customer Reviews

Fireworks: A Gunsite Anthology

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Fireworks is Cooper at his best; with tales ranging from battles and hunts to tequila making and returning home from war. Cooper knows how to tell a story right; leaving in the details that breath life into every sentence. Whether making a carbine exciting or describing some of the best history of the twentieth century, Cooper draws the reader in with his masterful use of the English language. Originally purchased for my husband, now one of my favorites!

This Gunsite anthology from Jeff Cooper is full of the wit and wisdom that he singularly possessed. From philosophical examinations of violence in the historical heroes of American lore to good recipies for tequilla (or mezcal), this work gives a little more insight into the mind of a real American icon. I wish I could've met this great man.

Fireworks is a typical Jeff Cooper book, being primarily a compendium of previously published magazine articles and essays. "To Ride, Shoot Straight, And Speak The Truth" has more coverage of shooting-related topics. This one covers a much broader range.

Someone commented that this book is a series of disjointed essays. True, but they are really good essays! Each chapter is its own unique story. Kriegsoberst!, the tale of Hans-Ulrich Rudel, is among my favorites.

Even though coverage of shooting topics is spotty, this is my favorite Jeff Cooper book, to be read simply to enjoy the tale!

This book is similar to Cooper's "Another Country" or "C Stories." It is an anthology of essays, memoirs, and short fiction. Some of these have also been printed in other volumes, but most of it can only be found in this book.

Some of the stories are a little dated and have lost some of their relevance, but most are still quite timely, or in many cases, timeless. If you are a Cooper fan, this is good stuff.

This books has little or nothing to do with Jeff Cooper's famous Gunsite training range and appears to rely only on that famous connection to sell itself. Do not be fooled. Most of the stories are reprints from other sources and vary from histories of the old west to modern times. Cooper's personal philosophy is much in evidence but few of the stories are actually about shooting and those which deal with hunting are few in number. As someone who admires Cooper's other books I feel like I was trapped into buying this one as it is both mediocre and boring and I wound up just leafing through looking for the few good stories it contains. Not worth it.

From the stories of Kreigsoberst to La Llorona, when I read this book it expanded my horizons in unexpected ways.

The book unlocks insight into what the ancient Greeks called "arete," meaning, excellence, partcularly in the sense of fulfillment of purpose, and how it manifests as a virtue in a person's life.

Students of history, martial arts, cultural differences, may all find stories in this book which make it a most worthwhile aquisition.

While there are a few good essays in this book, the whole is disjointed. For fans of Cooper it'll be an insight into the man they will likely enjoy.