Story of the Gun [Hardcover]

Ian V. Hogg (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 15, 1996

Tracing the evolution of firearms from the earliest medieval "hand cannons" to the high-tech laser weapons of today, this book records the inventions that changed the face of warfare, using graphics to demonstrate how they function. It discusses and illustrates each major milestone, from muzzle-loading to multiple-barrelled machine guns, and from powder and ball to the modern self-contained cartridge. Inventors from Puckle and Ferguson to Browning and Garand have their place in the story, and the importance of their contributions to history are highlighted.

--This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press (August 15, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 031214895X
• ISBN-13: 978-0312148959
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 7.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,952,812 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Very Informative Work, September 4, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Story of the Gun (Hardcover)

Written as a companion piece to Arts and Enertainments special The Story Of The Gun this book is very well written, researched and even witty in places. My only complaint is Mr. Hogg gives very detailed descriptions of how many of the weapons work and in the case of machine guns etc some diagrams would have been very helpful. Other then that its an excellent addition to any gun buff's library.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good work for the subject, July 28, 2003

By 

J. G Scott (United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Story of the Gun (Hardcover)

This book is a very good primer for those who viewed the A&E documentary on the gun. It even contains some basic interior ballistics to whet the reader's appetite for more - you may even be tempted to dig very deep to improve your understanding. I thoroughly enjoy the author's style of writing; you can definitely tell his love for the subject.

It starts with the early days of the matchlock and progresses very well to the modern day weapon. It reads very easily, not getting bogged down in the minutia of interior ballistics, and can be finished in almost an evening or two. One point of note - this book deals almost exclusively with personal or small team served weapons. If you want artillery see Mr. Hogg's other books (there are plenty to keep you busy).

This is a must have though for any gun buff.