Customer Reviews

In the Gravest Extreme: The Role of the Firearm in Personal Protection

5 star:		(105)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

While there are some technical aspects of firearms law that are clearly outdated, the principles are thought-provoking and still apply. What I found interesting is that the author repeatedly states that it is preferable to avoid situations where one would have to use a defensive firearm. That is stated throughout the book. And he backs that up with situations where one could be charged with various degrees of murder, manslaughter, etc.

For example, you're walking down the street and someone insults you. Do you get into it with them, or just keep going? He explains that since you are carrying a firearm, it is your responsibility to avoid having to use it, if possible. So getting into an arguement with some punk because he called you a name, which could escalate into something which might cause you to draw your weapon, must be avoided. Legally, it could be devisitating.

But he doesn't shy away from using it when absolutely necessary. One carries a firearm for a reason, and that is to avoid death or serious injury.

Also bear in mind that when this book was written, some very fine firearms hadn't been developed and/or used much, like the Glock. The same goes for calibers of ammunition, like the .40 S&W.

Read this book because the principles still apply. Afterwards, do some further reading about various state and federal laws which now apply. Also, research the various handguns that are available today.

In this no nonsense work Ayoob deals with the most terrifying situation you can imagine and how to deal with it.

If there is only one book in your library about self-defense with a gun, this should be it.

I was fortunate to be among those admitted into Massad's very first class for civilians way back in 1981. Since that time I have steered away from several potentially deadly situations based on his common sense (a rare thing) advice about "staying safe".

If you are interested in "how to kill the bad guy and get away with it" read elsewhere. This book is not for you. If you want to learn how to keep safe and out of trouble and the grief associated with grave decisions, read this book. It is the best of its kind.

Massad Ayoob grew up with weapons. His father was a jeweler who was maimed by an armed criminal--whom he killed, and whose accomplice he crippled.

Massad claims he began to use firearms at age four, and won his first of several hundred pistol awards as a teenager. He was captain of a first string pistol team at the age of twenty-two. Then he became a policeman in 1972.

In his career, he has become recognized internationally as one of the world's leading authorities on police weaponry, and regularly serves as a consultant and courtroom expert on firearms and shootings.

He has been the handgun editor of "Guns" magazine, and is a regular contributor to several other leading journals.

In this book, Ayoob advises the reader on the legal implications of firearms use in self-defense, and the whole subject of keeping, storing, carrying and using firearms.

He talks about basic gunfighting techniques, the calibers best suited for personal protection and how to choose a weapon, "common sense" as it relates to firearms use, and the deterrent effect of defense handguns.

This is a very good book, and it comes highly recommended by most knowledgeable shooters.

Now, if you are a beginner, about to buy your first handgun, or a police cadet or a new correctional officer in training, and are seeking a book which will help you to pick out a firearm, or to safely use the one you have, let me recommend a better one: "George Tooley's Beginner's Book on How to Handle Firearms Safely," also available on Amazon.com.

This is a very good book. Buy it, too. But the late George Tooley's book is even better, although less well known. He had 45 years in corrections and law-enforcement, most of it teaching firearms use.

Joseph Pierre,
Author of THE ROAD TO DAMASCUS: Our Journey Through Eternity

An excellent book, but should be read with an understanding of the writers perspective (northeastern US) and the time in history. In 1980, when this book was published, licensed concealed carry was rare in the US. There were few small concealable firearms available to most citizens, i.e. Chief Special, Detective Special and PPK, and hollow point ammunition was new on the market. Jimmy Carter was president, Iran was holding our citizens hostage and the Mariel boatlift was in progress. We were in a period of high taxes, inflation, crime, etc...

All that said, this book still offers excellent advice and great stories. Ayoob definitely has a talent for presenting information and then explaining why things are the way they are. He does not just dump his opinions into your lap, he helps you to understand.

If you read this book and then stop, you will have a good working knowledge of the issues concerning concealed carry in 1980. If you read this book and follow up with more current ones (i.e. The Complete Book of Combat Handgunnery), then you will have a better understanding of the issues relevant to today.

Should be part of everyone's library, along with Cooper's Principles of Personal Defense, but definitely should not be the only reading you do on the subject.

Ayoob has no axe to grind. He is a professional firearms expert who has written a book providing the unvarnished truth about the use of firearms for civilian, amateur self-defense . Those who think "the higher the caliber, the better" or "my little derringer will save me" will have their misconceptions corrected by a man who knows from experience.

Buy this book if, like me, you want the odds in your favor if you own a gun and think you may use it for self-defense. Also, this book should be read by those that think guns should be banned - it has no political agenda, but just provides the truth about firearm self-defense.

This book is consistently pushed in the firearms press as "the" one book to get if you are considering a gun for self defense. Several of the other reviewers have rightly stated that it is seriously outdated and in need of a revision, but they don't tell much as to why. The main reason I remember is Ayoobs recomendation of certain reloads for self defense. He has vehimently changed this stance as much as ten years ago. A jury may very well convict you because you home brewed some super man killer handload and it showed premeditation on your part that you wanted to kill somebody... Ayoob and the pushers of this book are irresponsible to their readers for not at least presenting this caveat when recommending it.

Now, the other reason I find it less than all it's cracked up to be, is Ayoobs "New England" view on all liability issues. In much of this country, where we don't have laws requiring us to seek every means of escape from our own home if someone invades before we can use force to defend ourselves, Ayoobs comments are somewhat out of place. In Oklahoma, if someone has broken into your home, you can kill them with no charges ever being filed. You aren't required to make force escalation decisions at 2:00AM on whether you have the right to defend the lives of your loved ones, and similar law applies in much of the western states. Ayoob also goes into the after effects of a justifiable homicide to a great degree based on psycology. I don't argue that it can be bad, but everyone responds differently. And those of us who grew up around guns and the expectation that the only decent, moral and ethical response to a threat against your life or that of your loved one is self defense up to taking the life of the attacker, don't all go Holliwood bonkers squemish like the disarmed victims of New York, D.C., Mass., M.D., etc. In my opinion, Ayoob should give a better coverage of the whole nation and not just worst case scenario.

That said, I have the deepest respect for Mr. Ayoob and his writing, especially his later work. He is getting around the country much more as his reputation has spread and I believe he's broadened his view. Like Chuck Taylor, he is to be commended for continuing to evolve his tactics based on experience, and it does one well to seek out his current writings in lieu of a revision to this book. I tend to think when his latest "The Gun Digest Book of Combat Handgunnery 5th Ed." comes out, we'll all finally get the revision we've looked for, and this little book can rest in peace. By the way, Chuck Taylor's version of the above book in it's 4th Ed. is excellent, and along with the writings of Jeff Cooper, Gabe Suarez, Clint Smith, Walt Rauch, Louis Awerbuck, and some others, you will be well served.

In the Gravest Extreme is the most popular book Massad Ayoob has ever written. Copyright 1980, within 18 months of initial publication it was into its fifth printing - nearly unheard of for a privately published book with almost no advertising. It's been widely endorsed by police officers, lawyers, even judges. What made the book special, then and now, is that while there've always been plenty of how-to books for beginning shooters, there'd never before (or since) been one that so well addressed the legal, moral, and practical considerations of integrating a defensive handgun into your life.

Let's examine just one chapter to see why this book is so good for novice gun people. Chapter 1, Self-Defense and Lethal Force addresses the important question, "When can I pull the trigger?" The central premise of this chapter, indeed the book as a whole, is that which inspired the book's title: you may only use a firearm in self-defense when in the gravest extreme of immediate, unavoidable, deadly danger.

If I could level one criticism at In the Gravest Extreme, it's that the chapter on Women and Guns is extremely dated, and more than a little sexist. Ayoob's advice to women: choose a .22 for its light recoil, and "If you do work up to a .38, lean way forward into the recoil, unless you're a big girl." Oh, please. It's worth noting, these days Ayoob recommends things like 1911 .45 autos for the well-trained female shooter. I just wish this book reflected his awakened understanding of women's capabilities.

Many firearms instructors make reading In the Gravest Extreme a prerequisite to graduate from their course, or even factor providing the student a copy into the class fee. Anyone who contemplates owning or carrying a gun should have this book, and reread it frequently. In the Gravest Extreme demystifies the process of owning a gun, and replaces it with solid knowledge and hardheaded common sense. In the world of the defensive handgun this book occupies a unique place; it is THE definitive, indispensable beginner's text. If you only ever buy one gun book, it should be this one.

If you have the slightest feeling that you may one day use a firearm for self-defense, you should buy this book and read it. There are some caveats though.

Laws concerning guns and self-defense change constantly, and vary from state to state. The state-of-the-art in firearms has changed a good bit since this book was written, i.e. most modern defense pistols work well with hollowpoint ammunition, and hollowpoints are leaps and bounds better than they were.

Take the information on guns and ammo in the book with a grain of salt. I still reccommend this book because the state-of-mind type stuff still applies, and there aren't a lot of places to get this kind of information. This book could very well save you lots of money and trouble.

If you are going to buy this book you should really consider buying the last two volumes of Combat Handgunnery and get yourself a subscription to Guns and American Handgunner magazines. Check your local laws on self-defense, and check to see if your state has a "Castle Doctrine" law. There are a few states where you have an obligation to retreat before shooting an intruder, even in your own home.

This book was required reading for a defensive handgun course I took nearly 20 years ago and still remains relevant today. My copy is all dog-eared and marked-up, as I have referred to it many, many times over the years. Among other things, it answers the all important question, "when can I pull the trigger and stay out of jail." This tome is well written; sound advice by Massad Ayoob, one of the world's leading authorities on weaponry. It covers several important subjects such as common sense about carrying guns, guns in your store, guns in your car, guns in your home, guns on the street, how to choose a defensive firearm, basic gun fighting techniques, what caliber bullet is appropriate for self-defense, and gun safety. The aftermath of violence section is also outstanding.

There are two minor drawbacks to this otherwise outstanding tome. The first, which could be easily corrected with a visit to your local gun shop for more information (or an update to the book), is that technology has changed a bit since it's original release. For example, the Glock handgun, the 40 S&W caliber bullet, and pre-fragmented self-defense ammunition all did not exist at that time. The second is that the section on women and guns is somewhat sexist and not particularly accurate. For example, it suggests that "...if you do work up to the .38, lean way forward into the recoil." My 110-pound wife shoots a .357 just fine, thank you very much.

Overall this is an outstanding work that all gun owners should read.

Lawrence Kane
Author of Surviving Armed Assaults, The Way of Kata, and Martial Arts Instruction

Massad Ayoob is an excellent teacher, trainer and a pretty good writer. That's why I'm so surprised that this book hasn't been updated. Some of the material in it is so out of date that it's dangerously misleading now. Instead, pick up a copy of Jim Grover's "Street Smarts, Firearms and Personal Security" and Ayoob's "The Truth About Self Protection." Both are considerably better.