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Deadly Force: Understanding Your Right to Self Defense Paperback – November 21, 2014
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In a long-awaited update of the world's most authoritative work on the subject, Massad Ayoob draws from an additional three decades of experience to educate responsible firearms owners about the legal, ethical, and practical use of firearms in self defense-the armed citizens' rules of engagement.
Deadly Force discusses:
- Understand the legal and ethical issues surrounding use of lethal force by private citizens
- Learn about the social and psychological issues surrounding use of lethal force in defense of self or others
- Preparation and mitigation--steps the responsible armed citizen can/should take
- Print length240 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherGun Digest Books
- Publication dateNovember 21, 2014
- Dimensions6 x 0.5 x 9 inches
- ISBN-101440240612
- ISBN-13978-1440240614
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.
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Editorial Reviews
Review
“After forty years as a practicing criminal defense attorney, I know that what Mas says, teaches, and writes is the best, state of the art knowledge you can get.” – Jeff Weiner, Former President, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
“If you are interested in self protection, you need to understand the legal restrictions placed on your ability to defend yourself. The book Deadly Force provides that information. It belongs on your bookshelf.” – Greg Ellifritz, ActiveResponseTraining.net
About the Author
Massad Ayoob has published thousands of articles in gun magazines, martial arts publications, and law enforcement journals, and authored more than a dozen books on firearms, self-defense, and related topics.
During his distinguished career, Ayoob has won several state and regional handgun shooting championships, appeared as an expert witness for courts in weapons and shooting cases, and currently appears in numerous television shows. He founded the Lethal Force Institute in 1981 and served as its director until 2009, and now trains through Massad Ayoob Group.
Product details
- Publisher : Gun Digest Books; First Edition (November 21, 2014)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 240 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1440240612
- ISBN-13 : 978-1440240614
- Item Weight : 9.6 ounces
- Dimensions : 6 x 0.5 x 9 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #652,322 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #362 in Sports Reference (Books)
- #452 in Sports Encyclopedias
- #461 in Shooting in Hunting
- Customer Reviews:
About the author

Massad Ayoob is one of the pre-eminent fighting handgun trainers in the world. He operates the Lethal Force Institute, which trains both U.S. and international clients. His methods of reflexive, high speed yet accurate shooting has been adopted by the U.S. army as part of its standard pistol-training course. Massad has written many books for Krause Publications, including Combat Handgunnery, The Gun Digest Book of Sig-Sauer, and The Gun Digest Book of Beretta Pistols.
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Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find the book engaging and educational. They appreciate the valuable information and key points it provides. The writing is concise and understandable, with detailed explanations of when and not to use deadly force. Readers find the material well-stated and credible, covering legal considerations and Biblical advice.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers find the book engaging and educational. They say it's a must-read for anyone regularly carrying a gun. The author is an entertaining writer who provides a comprehensive, pragmatic analysis on firearm use.
"...It is worth reading through once, and then revisiting those parts where you feel a need to further clarify your understanding of what you must -and..." Read more
"...This is a good read and has good examples and explanations that anyone taking on the responsibility of self defense will benefit from reading this..." Read more
"...writes in an accessible, readable, and relatable way; this is no dry academic text...." Read more
"This book is superb. My only complaint is that it is printed on low quality, light grey paper...." Read more
Customers find the book provides valuable information and support for understanding conflict avoidance. They appreciate the author's knowledge and experience, describing it as comprehensive and useful for gun owners. The book contains eye-opening case studies and is a good reference for those who haven't read anything about firearm safety.
"...It's fiction, folks! This book is one, solid and sobering antidote of reality...." Read more
"...The book does support people understanding that no one should ever want to get into a conflict they have to defend themselves...." Read more
"...This is ESSENTIAL information for any gun owner in the U.S. Reading this book might very well be the difference between acquittal and conviction if..." Read more
"This has a lot of information, but presented in such a way that keeps your interest and allows a casual reader or person with a casual interest in..." Read more
Customers find the book's writing clear and concise. They appreciate the valuable details and case studies for anyone who uses a firearm. The author provides clear examples and real-life situations in plain text. Overall, readers describe the book as well-rounded with an accessible and relatable writing style.
"...Overall, the book is quite well-written, moves along in a logical sequence, is very clear, and fully authoritative...." Read more
"...This is a good read and has good examples and explanations that anyone taking on the responsibility of self defense will benefit from reading this..." Read more
"...Yet he writes in an accessible, readable, and relatable way; this is no dry academic text...." Read more
"...The author explains very clearly how the law treats the issue of self-defense. Massad Ayoob knows his stuff and is an excellent communicator as well...." Read more
Customers find the book provides in-depth explanations of use of deadly force, along with case law examples. They appreciate the practical guide and real-life examples. The author covers the legal system, your rights, and important topics like concealed carry. Overall, customers describe the book as a useful and outstanding guide on the topic.
"...after an incident and even if by the facts it was a perfectly justified use of force, an impartial jury could convict you and do it is best to avoid..." Read more
"...book was published somewhat recently (2014) so it includes fairly recent examples from case law and demonstrates familiarity with contemporary..." Read more
"I really liked this book as the rating indicates. It draws from a number of court cases and expert testimony that really helped me to look at..." Read more
"...one available for home defense, this book will thoroughly describe how deadly force can be used and the consequences of doing so...." Read more
Customers find the book's material quality good. They say it's well-stated, credible, and respected. The concepts are solid and the book is in great condition with no marks or wear. Readers appreciate the appropriate material being selected.
"...It's fiction, folks! This book is one, solid and sobering antidote of reality...." Read more
"...on some reprinted material as complete chapters, but the selected material was appropriate and not out of place or time for the purpose it was used...." Read more
"...He was an expert even then, and his content today is as solid and as rigorous as anyone could hope for...." Read more
"...both the quantity of knowledge the book provides it's reader and the quality, detail, and depth of the authors teaching points...." Read more
Customers find the book helpful for understanding their rights and responsibilities. They mention it covers legal considerations, carrying concealed safely and legally, as well as Biblical advice. The book helps them understand gun laws and how they apply in real cases.
"...and a professional in explaining use of force and the legal consequences therefrom." Read more
"...It will be priceless, legally and financially, if you ever have to consider self defense against a lethal threat for you and your family." Read more
"...Massad Ayoob is an expert and has written an excellent book on the rights and responsibilities we have in defending ourselves with deadly force...." Read more
"...Aspects of law and trial cases illustrate have well or badly things can go for the armed citizen in court. A must read for any gun owner!" Read more
Reviews with images
Amazing!!!! Very impressed. I highly recommend this book!!
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Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on September 3, 2017As an NRA handgun instructor for over three decades, and an experinced state-certified instructor in concealed carry, I heartily endorse this book as recommended or even required reading if you envision using a weapon for self-defense. As the title should make clear, the book is not written only for those who carry a firearm for self-protection. The topic is deady force. That's a broad and sensible approach.
Overall, the book is quite well-written, moves along in a logical sequence, is very clear, and fully authoritative. It is worth reading through once, and then revisiting those parts where you feel a need to further clarify your understanding of what you must -and must not- do. In reading it, I suggest would my students pause and imagine how they would apply what they are reading to situations in their own lives in which they might face a potentially lethal encounter. Do you regularly drop by a "stop-and-rob" store in the evening for gas or a snack? How about visits to the ATM? Or what if a shooter opens up at the mall and you have your young kids (or grandkids) with you? (As one of my favorite bumperstickers irreverently asks, "What would Scoobie-Do?")
Too many people go to the 'Net for basic information on self-defense, or unconsciously absorb and confuse fiction on television shows and films with the "real thing." Bad choice. It's fiction, folks! This book is one, solid and sobering antidote of reality.
Reading this book will help open your eyes, and may very well keep you from needlessly entering a world of hurt. It will certainly cause the thoughtful reader to re-evaluate her or his various plans of action. For that reason alone, it is worth buying, reading, and sharing with others. It belongs up on the shelf along with Ayoob's great, but now somewhat dated classic, In Gravest Extreme.
Ultimately, it takes quite a while to cultivate the right mindset for surviving potentially deadly encounters. You'll know you're nearly there when you begin to see a firearm, knife, or even pepper spray, as but one of your many tools for survival. You will realize the only point is to survive intact in every sense: physically, legally, economically, socially, and psychologically intact.
Too many people focus almost exclusively on their firearm, and become like the carpenter who only has a hammer. As the story goes, if you have only a hammer, everything starts looking like a nail! No, the tactical, survival mindset is much more than one tool; it is a cultivated approach one develops that fosters the habit of avoiding conflict while also quickly recognizing when it is regrettably unavoidable and thus calling for immediate and fully justifiable use of deadly force. This book will help you work your way down that very personal path.
Now stop reading reviews. Buy the book and read it!
- Reviewed in the United States on July 22, 2023This is a good book to build understanding of your right to self defense. It covers the essentials of when self defense is justified and other practical matters of self defense. The book does support people understanding that no one should ever want to get into a conflict they have to defend themselves. An important point he makes is you are not in control of your future after an incident and even if by the facts it was a perfectly justified use of force, an impartial jury could convict you and do it is best to avoid conflict except for an absolute necessity. I encourage every individual to be careful and be extremely cautious and responsible with a gun.
This is a good read and has good examples and explanations that anyone taking on the responsibility of self defense will benefit from reading this book.
- Reviewed in the United States on May 26, 2017Short Version: If you own a gun, buy this book. Now.
To continue...
There are many experts who can teach you how to handle your firearm and survive a gunfight, and Massad Ayoob is one of the best.
But Ayoob was the first man to recognize that when the gunfight is over and you've survived, that's only the beginning of the fight. Mr. Ayoob was the first to address what happens *after* the smoke clears. Everyone else stopped once the bad guy was stopped. But some 36 years ago, in his book "In The Gravest Extreme," Mr. Ayoob addressed the rest of the story for the first time: The emotional and especially the *legal* aftermath of a self-defense shooting. You survived the attack, now how will you survive the legal process?
Massad Ayoob covers what happens: The "Mark of Caine" syndrome, the police, the courts, and what you should expect and what you need to do before, in preparation, and after. There is no better authority on the subject. Yet he writes in an accessible, readable, and relatable way; this is no dry academic text. It is backed by his experiences in the field and in the courtroom.
Now, some "hoplophobes," as the late, great Colonel Jeff Cooper called them, might argue that this is a book about how to get away with murder. That couldn't be further from the truth. If anything, this book is about how *not* to shoot somebody when you shouldn't. If every gun came with a copy of this book instead of a cheap gun lock, I would argue that more lives would be saved. Seriously.
If you own a gun and you are looking to learn, buy this book first. In fact, splurge a little and buy In The Gravest Extreme too, and read it first. Everything there is as relevant as the day it was published decades ago. Deadly Force expands upon those concepts and relates them to current events.
This is an absolute essential, and I give it my very highest recommendation.
- Reviewed in the United States on September 22, 2020This book is superb. My only complaint is that it is printed on low quality, light grey paper. Normally I would deduct a star for that, but since I would give this book six stars if I could I figure it balances out to a five-star review.
This is ESSENTIAL information for any gun owner in the U.S. Reading this book might very well be the difference between acquittal and conviction if you ever have to use a gun in self-defense. The author explains very clearly how the law treats the issue of self-defense. Massad Ayoob knows his stuff and is an excellent communicator as well. This book was published somewhat recently (2014) so it includes fairly recent examples from case law and demonstrates familiarity with contemporary perspectives on guns and self-defense.
I will be giving this book as a gift to all my gun-wielding family and friends this year. Seriously, one of the most important books I've read.
Top reviews from other countries
B. MccartanReviewed in the United Kingdom on May 1, 20174.0 out of 5 stars Very impressive!
Very good, very clear and concise. I don't hove it all read yet but it is very impressive. I'm not sure it will apply here!
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jamjr86Reviewed in Brazil on January 27, 20165.0 out of 5 stars Leitura obrigatória!!!
Massad Ayoob é uma das maiores autoridades do mundo no assunto e nesse livro faz o leitor passar por vários tópicos pertinentes ao uso de força letal com a finalidade da legítima defesa. Questões legais, religiosas, éticas, psicológicas e técnicas são abordadas de uma forma objetiva e clara com indicações para leituras posteriores. É um manual completo para se entender o uso de armas de fogo para a defesa da vida.
Se você está interessado nesse assunto, não pode deixar de ler esse livro.


