WHERE GUN ISSUES AND CULTURE INTERSECT
AMERICA’S GUN WARS
A Cultural History of Gun Control in the United States
by Donald J. Campbell
“As a non-gun owner, I may not be the target audience for this impeccably written book about America’s gun culture, but it opened my eyes to so much surrounding the history of gun possession and control. The book begins in precolonial England and works its way to present day. Each of the chapters is well focused and annotated. Donald Campbell did an impressive job of remaining unbiased in his presentation - something sorely lacking in most publications. This, I feel, truly distinguishes his book.”
“A highly accessible history of gun control and the cultural divergence of the ‘two Americas’ we hear so much about. It’s hard to see how these cultures find common ground, especially on an issue that has become as contentious as the gun control debate, but this book is invaluable in understanding each side’s thinking and the historical events and developments that brought them to where they stand today. The author’s balanced and scholarly approach avoids the typical polemics and presents both cultures fairly – a must read for anyone interested in this seemingly intractable political and cultural issue.”
“The history of gun control in America, then, is really a narrative of the shifting values and beliefs that took hold as She grew and matured. It is the story of how two opposing value systems have competed for primacy on the national stage. And while professor Campbell explores rational reason for (and against) gun control, he also demonstrates why statistics, studies, and anecdotes prove little.”