To Ride, Shoot Straight, And Speak The Truth [Paperback]

Jeff Cooper (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 1998

Combat mind-set, proper sighting, tactical residential architecture, nuclear war - these are some of the many subjects explored by Jeff Cooper in this illustrated anthology. The author discusses various arms, fighting skills and the importance of knowing how to defend oneself, and one's honor, in our rapidly changing world.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This new collection will delight those who thought 'Fireworks' didn't have enought gun stuff. There is gun stuff galore in these pages, and the ideas are new, and thought-provoking, and exciting. Naturally, they are also beautifully written." --Mark Moritz --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Jeff Cooper's accomplishments in the field of firearms are almost too numerous to list. They include founder of Gunsite Ranch, editor-at-large of Guns & Ammo magazine, rangemaster emeritus of the U.S. Practical Shooting Association, and Outstanding American Handgunner

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Paladin Press (March 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0873649737
• ISBN-13: 978-0873649735
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #64,417 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #49 in Books > History > Military > Weapons & Warfare > Conventional
  • #75 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Hunting & Fishing > Shooting

More About the Author

Jeff Cooper was born in Los Angeles, California, in 1920. He was educated at Stanford University and took his advanced degree from the University of California. He was commissioned in the Marine Corps in 1941 and served throughout World War II in the Pacific, achieving the rank of Major. Recalled to active duty for the Korean War, he moved up one rank to Lieutenant Colonel before leaving the service.

Cooper became a shottist at the age of eleven. In 1958 he originated the sport of practical pistol competition. From this activity he formulated the Modern Technique of the Pistol, now generally observed throughout the world. For the next thirty years he was active in teaching the new method throughout the Western World.

In 1976 Jeff Cooper founded the International Practical Shooting Confederation. In 1977 he founded the American Pistol Institute at Gunsite in Arizona, where he lived until his death in 2006.

He served as editor-at-large of Guns and Ammo magazine, for which he wrote a monthly column. After having served many years as a director of the National Rifle Association of America, he was elected to the Executive Council.

Jeff Cooper spent a long and active life reading, shooting, hunting, fighting and teaching. Internationally respected as the "Gunner's Guru," Jeff Cooper is a philosopher, moralist, and political commentator -- a true modern Renaissance man. It is to the benefit of his many readers that he developed the passion at an early age to write it all down.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

77 of 81 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Real McCoy not some fictional Rambo type, July 10, 2004

By 

MotherLodeBeth "MotherLodeBeth" (Sierras of California) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: To Ride, Shoot Straight, And Speak The Truth (Paperback)

It is so hard to improve on the five star reviews that have been written. But it was when I read 'Combat mind-set, proper sighting, tactical residential architecture, nuclear war - these are some of the many subjects explored by Jeff Cooper in this illustrated anthology. The author discusses various arms, fighting skills and the importance of knowing how to defend oneself, and one's honor, in our rapidly changing world' that I knew it would be a book I would read and use. In my personal opinion he is the best author on firearms and their use. The real McCoy and not some fictional Rambo type.

I know he is a former Marine Lt. Colonel who served in WWII and Korea,
history professor (Ph.D.) and an ongoing student of history, philosopher, adventurer, author, and shottist. Being an English language connoisseur I love that he uses words like shottist. So many people have noted to me that what sets the author apart from so many gun or firearm authors is his no nonsense, common sense approach to teaching about guns and gun uses. And how he teaches that they are tools and not recreational toys. Like the NRA and the Ducks Unlimited gun course I took he teaches that All firearms are loaded, keep your finger off the trigger unless your sights are on the target, never let the firearm point at anything you are not willing to destroy and
be sure of your target and what is behind it. He teaches and writes about the most
effective methods to learn for engaging and hitting human antagonists or game animals with the proper firearm. He is a common sense, no nonsense teacher which I would like to see cloned!

Back in 1975 he founded the American Pistol Institute API which taught rifle and shotgun pistol, usage and then the name was changed to Gunsite (gunsite.com). He is also the founder of the International Practical Shooting Confederation (ipsc.org), a member of the NRA Board of Directors, and Editor-at-large for Guns & Ammo magazine. I belong to the NRA (nra.org)and subscribe to and recommend Guns and Ammo magazine which you can subscribe to via Amazon.com.

Art Of The Rifle and his Principles Of Personal Defense are also excellent books.

36 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This Book is for anyone, September 17, 2005

By 

Mr. Ryan Jones (Perrysburg, OH USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: To Ride, Shoot Straight, And Speak The Truth (Paperback)

This is not a "Gun Book" though it certainly contains a hefty amount of gun info in it. It is just a good book, by the man who literally changed the way police officers train in this country. (If you have ever seen a cop hold a gun with two hands, thank Cooper for it)

Cooper is an excellent writer, and while some readers may find parts of this book uninteresting, there is something here for everyone. I even read a few of the passages out loud to my pre-teen daughters in front of a campfire a few weeks ago; they were riveted to their chairs. (The Passage titled "Survivor" should be standard reading to every school age student; it brings a certain amount of humanity to WWII in a way that is shockingly personal.)

I read this entire book in a 6 hour period and then read it again a second time in one day. If you like guns, you will love this book, but if you don't there is still enough interesting info here to keep you interested.

I recommend this book highly.

76 of 82 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I thought it was a How to Shoot Book... It is and It Is Not, February 29, 2004

By 

Greg Perry (Oklahoma) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: To Ride, Shoot Straight, And Speak The Truth (Paperback)

I get this book to help my shooting skills.

The book did that. But it's not a book on shooting skills.

It's a book on shootting but also on personal defense. But it's ALSO a book on defending your home. But it's ALSO a book that is designed to create real men, not the Hollywood lie but real men who are honest, who defend honor, and who know how to protect their families and themselves.

The book is a pro-active defense book meaning that it teaches you how to KEEP from becoming a victim. But it also shows you how to change your mindset to be a better man.

This book reads like a book of short stories. That's what it really is, although some of the "stories" are detailed instrictions on what it means to protect one's family and exactly how to do so.

I didn't shoot until I had read this and then I shot a lot. As you may have read in my Disabling America (ISBN: 0785262253) I have many problems with my hands. As you'll also read there, I overcome them and Jeff Cooper and his training and the people around him have (and will) continue to help me learn how to use what I have to defende what is right to defend.

I strongly encourage you to read this if you are a man... or if you want to become a real man.