Armed and Female: Twelve Million American Women Own Guns, Should You? (Mass Market Paperback)

~ (Author) "'ALL THE TIME I was locked in the trunk, I could hear him yelling from the driver's seat about what he was going to do..." (more)
Key Phrases: Massad Ayoob, New York City, Second Amendment (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Relating her own and others' experiences as victims of crime, the former anti-gun lobbyist argues that Mace and karate are ineffective protection and discusses the ethics of using weapons, how children can be kept safe from guns owned in the home, which gun to buy and the gun laws of each state. PW called this a "disturbing, controversial book."
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"Very readable...Responsibly teaches women how an when to use these weapons."--Cybill Shepard

"In the women's gun movement, Paxton Quigley is the great persuader."--Morely Safer, "60 minutes"

"Directly addresses an all-American concern."--Wall Street Journal
-- Review

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 283 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks (March 15, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312951507
• ISBN-13: 978-0312951504
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #199,978 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

46 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You don't have to be a victim!, May 1, 2000

By	Helen E. Faria (Macon, Ga) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I just finished reading Paxton Quigley's Armed and Female. It is a well-written, easy to read book, written by a woman for women about firearm usage, safety, and training. I learned a great deal from this informative book and I would highly recommend it to other women who may be thinking of obtaining a firearm for self and family protection (even for women whose husbands already have firearms in the home but have never handled them), and for women interested in target shooting.

In this age where gun safety is correctly emphasized for the initiate. You will learn the rules of self-defense as well as safety from both a legal and philosophic perspective. I think this is a must read for all women who have made the decision to take responsibility for their and/or their family's protection with a firearm. The reality is that the police cannot be everywhere at all times to protect everyone, particularly women, the elderly, and the disabled---all of whom are viewed as special targets by criminal predators. Contrary to conventional wisdom the police do not have a duty to protect an individual citizen, but only respond once a criminal act has been committed. Police protection, legally, is only owed to the community as a whole, but not to single individuals. The book is an eye opener and I highly recommend it.

Helen E. Faria Managing Editor, Medical Sentinel of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS)

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For Men and Women, June 23, 2000

By	David A Duncan (Utah) - See all my reviews

I, too, bought this book for my wife, who has at times mentioned getting a gun. I decided to read it before I gave it to her. I learned a lot. Every man with a wife and/or daughters should read this book. It makes a powerful case for women to carry guns. As a relative beginner, I also learned a great deal about shooting for accuracy and self-defense. I am even going to have my 13 year old daughter read it. I debated that, because there is a brutal section on rape, but I decide that it is better to have her know what really can happen out there, and how to prevent it (even without a gun), than to leave her ignorant and increase the chance that it will happen to her.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Mostly excellent, a few dated references, March 16, 2002

By A Customer

Excellent introduction to firearms, self-defense concepts, and attitude. Instruction on what kind of weapons are suitable for a woman, how they function, and how to practice with then.
I frankly skipped the chapters on the dangers of rape, the inefficacy of fingernail files against a determined assailant, and a few others because I was more interested in the practical material, not in deciding whether self-defense is appropriate.
My one caveat is that there is no indication that any information has been revised since the paperback was published in 1990. Consequently, information about specific products and possibly some laws is outdated. The pistol the author prefers, for example, was replaced in its manufacturer's lineup with a new model in 1997.