Book recommendation: History of Firearms

[Prion]

I would appreciate a good book recommendation on the history of firearms. Both a technical history of the development of firearms from inception to the modern rendition and a firearm history as they pertain to and have effected world history. When, where, and how did major firearm advances come to be and what was their effect on human history?

Thanks in advance for any and all recommendations. I'm still reading the last batch of books recommended on war and combat. Great stuff! Thanks again

 

[DAdams]

Books

The Standard Catalog of Firearms by Schwing (yes, it is really the man's name)
Is a reasonable starter that covers virtually all guns with a reasonable price. Light on deep history. This one you should be able to find at Books a Million.

The Standard Catalog of Smith and Wesson speaks for itself.

A couple of good books, not quite perhaps what you have in mind but a good combination and good man den coffee table books.

Warrior by R.G. Grant

The Illustrated Directory of Guns by Miller

Between the two you could anchor a small boat.

 

[Hud]

Go here to download a couple.
The first two on the page.
One by Townsend Whelen & one by Charles Winthrop Sawyer.
Both very old, but good none the less.

http://www.archive.org/search.php?query=American Rifles AND mediatype:texts

Hud

 

[appaws]

A fairly recent book I picked up after hearing an interview with the author on Tom Gresham's podcast turned out to be really good.

American Rifle: A biography
by Alexander Rose

 

[mudstud]

American Rifle is an excellent book! Highly recommend!

 

[JohnL2]

I have been meaning to read "Guns, Germs, and Steel" by Jared Diamond.
I heard it was good. It is on my 'to read' list.

 

[22-rimfire]

The book Small Arms of the World by W.H.B. Smith and Joseph E. Smith is a pretty good starting point. It is commonly available on ebay, sometimes in the cheap stacks at Books A Million and other retail book sellers, sellers that specialize in gun books, as well as via Amazon sellers.

If you are interested in specific arms manufacturers, there are frequently books which detail their history and products.

 

[workingdog]

I can't remember the details but I've not forgotten the title. I had to read "The Social History of the Machine Gun" in college. It's available from Amazon.com.

 

[Jmacalpine]

++++++++1

for Guns, Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond. Also, Collapse, the followup. They are both very thick books, but excellent reading. Not particularly on topic, except in the analysis of how technology (ie firearms) allowed European culture to dominate the world. As in, why was Pizarro able to sail across the Atlantic and crush the Incas, whereas they had never even thought about invading Spain?

Read it.