Gun Crusaders: The NRA's Culture War [Hardcover]

Scott Melzer (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0814795501 | ISBN-13: 978-0814795507 | Publication Date: October 1, 2009

Nothing conjures up images of the American frontier and a pick-yourself-up-by-the-bootstraps view of freedom and independence quite like guns. Gun Crusaders is a fascinating inside look at how the four-million member National Rifle Association and its committed members come to see each and every gun control threat as a step down the path towards gun confiscation, and eventually socialism. Enlivened by a rich analysis of NRA materials, meetings, leader speeches, and unique in-depth interviews with NRA members, Gun Crusaders focuses on how the NRA constructs and perceives threats to gun rights as one more attack in a broad liberal cultural war. Scott Melzer shows that the NRA promotes a nostalgic vision of frontier masculinity, whereby gun rights defenders are seen as patriots and freedom fighters, defending not the freedom of religion, but the religion of individual rights and freedoms.

Editorial Reviews

Review

The author aruges a very credible thesis: that the National Rifle Association (NRA) is more than a single-interest group defending the right to own and bear arms. The NRA should also be understood as a social movement organization dedicated broadly to preserving traditional, conservative values.-CHOICE,

"This book is well written, and raises interesting issues about the transformation of interest groups in a period of polarized politics."

-Clyde Wilcox,Political Science Quarterly

“Melzer brilliantly integrates deep personal observation with data and theory to construct a three-dimensional portrait of the modern gun rights movement. In a wonderfully written, engaging, and scrupulously fair narrative, Melzer’s book makes a major contribution to our understanding of this tumultuous social movement and also happens to be a really good read.”
-Robert J. Spitzer,author of The Politics of Gun Control

“Melzer takes us inside the NRA to reveal that more than gun control — much more — is at stake: a way of life and a definition of manhood that members feel is disintegrating in their hands. . . . [This is] a book that is both balanced and brave, critical and yet compassionate to men who have so lost their way that their guns offer their last tenuous hold on their identity.”
-Michael Kimmel,author of Guyland

About the Author

Scott Melzer is assistant professor of sociology in the department of anthropology and sociology at Albion College in Albion, Michigan.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: NYU Press (October 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0814795501
• ISBN-13: 978-0814795507
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 1.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,326,934 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #94 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Current Events > Gun Control

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Albion College should be ashamed, July 12, 2010

By 

J. W. R. "Pre-ALPHA Tester" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gun Crusaders: The NRA's Culture War (Hardcover)

This sophomoric book portrays NRA members as homophobic women haters.
I am member of the NRA and an Albion College graduate - now I am embarrassed of the latter.