Life Explores History Of The Rifle

LIFE Explores History of the Rifle begins with a bang with the discovery of the explosive combination of charcoal, potassium nitrate, and sulfur. From 10th Century China to the United States, this special edition details the evolution of the weapon including innovative modifications such as improved ignition devices allowing single shooters to aim, fire, and hit targets. Although the innovation of the rifle improved efficiency and efficacy, the smaller, sleeker, and more sophisticated model of the rifle posed a threat, including increased crime and conflict. Traverse the Old World, the Civil War, and the Wild West and explore how the evolution of this firearm has changed warfare, society, and history irrevocably

TIME-LIFE presents the History of the Rifle from the first hand-held versions were Chinese fire lances invented in the 10th century through the Americans and their expansion westward, who refined the weapon and redefined its place in culture and society.

With graphic prints, photographs, a timeline, and a glossary, this engaging and insightful technography sheds light on one of the most important inventions in the history of the human race.

A fascinating look into the history of the firearm and how and why it has had the impact it has on American culture and society. Few inventions have had more of a profound impact on the course of civilization than guns: The first hand-held versions were Chinese fire lances invented in the 10th century, though it was Europeans who were credited with creating the handheld weapons that we recognize today. Americans and their expansion westward were the ones who refined, and helped define innovation and the development of an industry. Starting with Samuel Colt and the "revolver revolution," Americans took the lead in moving gun development forward. Names now well-known including Wesson, Winchester, and Browning helped create weapons that helped move a nation forward and ushered in the industrialized warfare of World War I. Now, TIME-LIFE, in the next book in the success "500 Photographs" series, following World War II in 500 Photographs and The Civil War in 500 Photographs, brings readers The History of the Gun in 500 Photographs, which traces the fascinating evolution of firearms, not just as tools of security, but as ingenious feats of science and engineering. This book contains over 500 photos that take readers on a historical and visual journey of the gun, not just as a weapon, but as a constantly-evolving artifact that has shaped America's culture and mindset.

From the École Polytechnique shootings of 1989 to the political controversy surrounding the elimination of the federal long-gun registry, the issue of gun control has been a subject of fierce debate in Canada. But in fact, firearm regulation has been a sharply contested issue in the country since Confederation. Arming and Disarming offers the first comprehensive history of gun control in Canada from the colonial period to the present. In this sweeping, immersive book, R. Blake Brown outlines efforts to regulate the use of guns by young people, punish the misuse of arms, impose licensing regimes, and create firearm registries. Brown also challenges many popular assumptions about Canadian history, suggesting that gun ownership was far from universal during much of the colonial period, and that many nineteenth century lawyers – including John A. Macdonald – believed in a limited right to bear arms. Arming and Disarming provides a careful exploration of how social, economic, cultural, legal, and constitutional concerns shaped gun legislation and its implementation, as well as how these factors defined Canada’s historical and contemporary ‘gun culture.’

Explore Lansing's role in the war to preserve the Union and end slavery When war erupted between North and South, the capital of Michigan was ready to serve. The population of Lansing in 1860 was only 3000, but by the spring of 1865, over 500 men from the Capital City had enlisted to fight. These citizen-soldiers left the farms, factories, shops and schools of their youths to fight to uphold the Union and end slavery. Many of these boys would be wounded, captured, or killed, and those fortunate enough to return, came home changed, permanently maimed, and often haunted men. Using primary sources, including letters and personal diaries, author Matthew J. VanAcker unfolds the story of uncommon valor that offers a glimpse into the lives of the soldiers, their families, and the city they left behind.

From one of America’s smartest political writers comes a “captivating and comprehensive journey” (#1 New York Times bestselling author David Limbaugh) of the United States’ unique and enduring relationship with guns. For America, the gun is a story of innovation, power, violence, character, and freedom. From the founding of the nation to the pioneering of the West, from the freeing of the slaves to the urbanization of the twentieth century, our country has had a complex and lasting relationship with firearms. In First Freedom, nationally syndicated columnist and veteran writer David Harsanyi explores the ways in which firearms have helped preserve our religious, economic, and cultural institutions for over two centuries. From Samuel Colt’s early entrepreneurism to the successful firearms technology that helped make the United States a superpower, the gun is inextricably tied to our exceptional rise. In the vein of popular histories like American Gun, Salt, and Seabiscuit, Harsanyi takes us on a captivating and thrilling ride of Second Amendment history that demonstrates why guns are not only an integral part of America’s past, but also an essential part of its future. First Freedom is “a briskly paced journey…a welcome lesson on how guns and America have shaped each other for four hundred years” (National Review).