Handguns and Freedom: ...Their Care and Maintenance [Paperback]

Joe Pierre (Author), Joseph H. Pierre (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 3, 2002

Of what good are the freedoms spelled out in the Bill of Rights if the people lack the power to enforce them? As Thomas Hobbes Noted in 1651, in his book, Leviathan,Covenants without the Sword are but Words, and of no strength to secure a man at all.The attempts by liberal forces in this country in the last few decades to deprive the American people of their private firearms, and thus to deny them their constitutionally guaranteed right to own and carry private means of self-defense is an old and infamous pattern of conduct, dating back centuriesa common practice of tyrants.If the people do not resist this effort we are in dire danger of losing not only our other freedoms, which are enumerated in the Bill of Rights, but also the blessings of liberty, which the Preamble proclaimed was one of the main goals of the government established by that document.This book is intended to serve as an alarm, both to the well meaning but misled who are unwittingly being used by sinister forces who would destroy our freedoms, but also for those who are oblivious to the battle for the palladium of our freedoms, the Second Amendment to the Constitution.

Editorial Reviews

From the Author

I have been considering writing this book for some time now. There are, of course, many good books on the care and feeding of firearms--many of them on handguns--by some highly qualified people. Several of them are more qualified than I to write on the subject by virtue of their experience in the field of firearms training and long years of use in the military, law enforcement and competition. Yet, I have some things to say that have not been said, perhaps, and that are worth expression. While I'm at it, I'll repeat some things that have been said because they bear repeating, and because some of my readers may not have read all of the other books on the subject.

This book is about privately owned firearms--particularly handguns, because with them the public may arm themselves unobtrusively--and freedom. In it I would like to clarify some common misconceptions concerning both the use and care of firearms and the natural right to self-defense which is affirmed in our Constitution, in the Second Amendment.

About the Author

Joe Pierre lives in the Pacific Northwest.

Product Details

• Paperback: 151 pages
• Publisher: iUniverse; 1st edition (December 3, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 059526056X
• ISBN-13: 978-0595260560
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.4 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: #2,815,727 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Concise Summary Geared Toward the Uninitiated, March 5, 2003

By 

Steven Fantina (Phillipsburg, NJ USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Handguns and Freedom: ...Their Care and Maintenance (Paperback)

Joe Pierre has put together a good overview of important issues relating to handguns. Ranging from tips in picking the right gun to shooting pointers to a brief discussion of gun control issues, the work summarizes several topics without delving to deeply into any. The book even includes a glossary of gun terms which novice and moderate users should find beneficial.

The book's usefulness will depend greatly upon various readers' needs. Those new to gun ownership will find it easy-to-read and readily understandable. Those with some, but not much experience will likely pick up a couple of bits of helpful information, but may find a more detailed treatise on a specialized subject more advantageous. Little will be gleaned by the experienced shooter for whom this book is obviously not intended.

A curious appendix features several liberty-themed quotes. Many are extracted from antiquity. If you're a quote collector (like me) you'll find this section a delightful bonus. Otherwise it may be seen as extraneous and desultory.

An unanticipated lagniappe is a series of drawings the appear throughout the pages--all were done by Mr. Pierre himself.

At less than 150 pages Mr. Pierre's works accomplishes what he seems to have set out to achieve. He's created a readable synopsis of an salient handgun-related topics. While no aspect of handguns is painstakingly appraised here, this volume provides a very good first step for anyone wishing to explore the intriguing and at times controversial subject of handguns and their correlation to personal freedom

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Valuable shared first hand experience, January 12, 2003

By 

Joe D "RealGuns.Com" (Raymond, ME) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Handguns and Freedom: ...Their Care and Maintenance (Paperback)

Unlike a number of purely academic works where the author becomes preoccupied with a narrow slice of dry legal or statistical support for gun ownership, Joe Pierre provides a positive professional, technical and cultural overview of firearms use and ownership. There are chapters that define the dynamics of the current gun ownership debate, there are also very practical passages covering firearm selection, pros and cons of various designs, right to self defense, Constitutional assurances, and even basic firearm maintenance.

While the book draws heavily on the author's personal experience and exposures, there is a good deal of reference material that I found enlightening, such as Senator Thomas Dodd's interpretation and subsequent use, of the Nazi Weapons Law as his basis for the Gun Control Act of 1968. Joe Pierre did a great job of offering a life time accumulation of firearm related knowledge in a form that could be shared by the rest of us. A valuable effort on the part of the author and greatly appreciated.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Common sense gun talk, January 9, 2003

By 

Beverly J. Moore "sieghi" (Woodridge NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Handguns and Freedom: ...Their Care and Maintenance (Paperback)

Finally, a book with a reasoned regard for the second amendment. Joe Pierre fills this slim volume with an encyclopedia of experience and practical information on handguns. Mr. Pierre not only provides photos and detailed descriptions in clear, conversational language, he makes a persistently logical and appealing argument for responsible gun ownership.

For years, my husband has urged me to carry a handgun and to keep guns in our home 'for protection.' For years, I acquiesced but with the fear that I would be harmed by my own weapon. If ignorance is at the heart of fear, then Joe Pierre has taken me lightyears into the arena of comfort with gun ownership, for myself and for any responsible owner. I stress responsible, as does Mr. Pierre. He repeatedly, but with engaging wit and illustrations, emphasizes the obligations of safety and care in handling a personal weapon.

I found this book to be surprisingly convincing in its informative and personable dialogue with the reader. It is also a magnificent reference to the Bill of Rights, and an inspiring motive to citizenship. There should be a place for this tiny little text, packed with common sense, clear explanations, and great humor, in the social studies curriculum of all high school students. It offers a worthy sanctuary of readable, useful, and objective information against shifting politics and unreliable media content that forms so much of our cultural backdrop.