New, Good Book on U. S. Military Rifles

[Kleanbore]

When I was much younger, there was an illustrated book on the evolution of U. S. service rifles entitled From Flintlock to M1 by J. W. Shields. I thought it was pretty good when I was a kid. The title pretty much says it all, except that the book also discusses the post-M1 T20, T44 (prototype of the M14) and T47 (FAL) rifles evaluated to follow the M1. The book was published in 1954 ( before the adoption of the M14) and is out of print.

There's a new book on the subject. American Rifle, a Biography, by Alexander Rose, published by Bantam Dell, November 2008, covers the same ground and continues on to cover the M14, M16 and M4 and some of the rifles that have gone by the wayside in recent years.

Unlike From Flintlock to M1, Rose's book gets into a lot of the personalities involved, including U. S. Presidents from Washington (actually covering him in the French and Indian War) to Kennedy who were involved personally in rifle evaluations, and several of the heads of U. S. Ordnance.

For those interested in U. S. military rifle history, I heartily recommend this book.

I hope this proves helpful to forum members.

 

[hak]

+1

funny, i'm part way through it and thought of posting about it, may be a good stocking-stuffer gift for a gunfan/history buff out there.

and the historical perspective goes back to the basis for the 'kentucky' rifle, bringing together the german immigrant craftsman, and the british dimensional influences, and how the rifle (and production of and the supporting powder, and projectiles) was key to colonial dynamics.

recommended as well.