American Rifle

A Biography

By: Alexander Rose

Narrated by: Joe Barrett

George Washington insisted that his portrait be painted with one. Daniel Boone created a legend with one. Abraham Lincoln shot them on the White House lawn. And Teddy Roosevelt had his specially customized. Now, in this first-of-its-kind audiobook, historian Alexander Rose delivers a colorful, engrossing biography of an American icon: the rifle.

Drawing on the words of soldiers, inventors, and presidents, based on extensive new research, and encompassing the Revolution to the present day, American Rifle is a balanced, wonderfully entertaining history of this most essential firearm and its place in American culture. In the eighteenth century American soldiers discovered that they no longer had to fight in Europe's time-honored way. With the evolution of the famed "Kentucky" Rifle - a weapon slow to load but devastatingly accurate in the hands of a master - a new era of warfare dawned, heralding the birth of the American individualist in battle.

In this spirited narrative, Alexander Rose reveals the hidden connections between the rifle's development and our nation's history. We witness the high-stakes international competition to produce the most potent gunpowder…how the mysterious arts of metallurgy, gunsmithing, and mass production played vital roles in the creation of American economic supremacy…and the ways in which bitter infighting between rival arms makers shaped diplomacy and influenced the most momentous decisions in American history. And we learn why advances in rifle technology and ammunition triggered revolutions in military tactics, how ballistics tests - frequently bizarre - were secretly conducted, and which firearms determined the course of entire wars. From physics to geopolitics, from frontiersmen to the birth of the National Rifle Association, from the battles of the Revolution to the war in Iraq, American Rifle is a must listen for history buffs, gun collectors, soldiers - and anyone who seeks to understand the dynamic relationship between the rifle and this nation's history.

©2008 Rosewriter Inc. (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

Great Read!

Great history of the American infantry rifle. I'll buy the hard copy for my library.

Sighting in American history through its firearms.

Would you listen to American Rifle again? Why?

From the Kentucky rifle to the M-16, one gets a clearer picture of how firearms development helped America gain its independence, grow as a nation and become a world power. For much of United States history, civilians were better armed than our government's forces. Until the early 20th century, civilian development of firearms lead to innovations we now take for granted. Innovators like Sharps, Henry, Winchester, Browning, Gatling, and Maxim are presented as to their historical and business relevance during both peace and war. There has always been money to be made selling guns.

What about Joe Barrett’s performance did you like?

Joe Barrett's voice made me feel like I was listening to a wise gunsmith and historian. He added character to the narration.

A Lot of History that You Haven't Heard Yet

The good aspect of books that go several levels deeper than cursory introductory histories of the usual events and people is that they are guaranteed to present a lot of history and detail that the average person will not have known about (which is a good thing).

A Nation of Riflemen

What did you love best about American Rifle?

Completeness of information, especially some of the political manuvering between factions in the military and civilian government in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The 1903 Springfield!

What about Joe Barrett’s performance did you like?

Easy to listen to.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It just made me smile.

Any additional comments?

Overall, a thorough presentation of the rifle and especially its significance in the development of America. I have been an amateur scholar of American military firearms for decades. The information presented here added to my knowledge.

outstanding book, perfectly narrated

I am incredibly surprised to have found this book as compelling as any historical work I have read in the past decade. I postponed reading it, but now wish I hadn't done so. The author perfectly weaves together an understanding of the arms themselves and the historical environment in which those arms were produced and used. most fascinating to me is the continual thread the author weaves throughout it, from the musket versus rifle debates of the late 1700s all the way to the model M4 rifles of this century. outstanding scholarship, and deft craftsmanship.

Great book

Does an excellent job following the historical narrative of the rifle in American Military History.

for those with a deep love of firearms history

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

By far, the best start for anyone wanting to take a deep dive into the history and performance of American military infantry rifles. It is a great primer for anyone wanting to learn more about the subject.

What was one of the most memorable moments of American Rifle?

There are many but to sum it up, Mr. Rose does not mind dispelling long held dogma about how great this rifle was or how because G.Is had such and such rifle they were able to win this battle, yet he does so without being iconoclast about it and inserting his own opinions about it.

Have you listened to any of Joe Barrett’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

The narrator was fine and well suited to the subject matter

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No, it's not a behemoth but it is long and is a biography after all

Any additional comments?

One of the best resources for information I have read in a long time.

Well done!

Very good read for any patriot, historian, and/or service men and women! Mr. Barrett is a wonderful tour guide on this journey.

Detailed history of US rifle.

This book takes readers through the history of US army rifles. Goes into details from early days of muskets to the modern M-4, the technical details of how they work, the trails of development and how they were produced.

AR15 Changes to create M16

If you could sum up American Rifle in three words, what would they be?

Excellent Book, almost

What other book might you compare American Rifle to and why?

A Bright Shining Lie: John Paul Vann and America in Vietnam. Both illustrate how politics, career advancement and Not Invented Here philosophy have adversely impacted military decisions.

Which character – as performed by Joe Barrett – was your favorite?

Abraham Lincoln.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The moment when Ordnance changed the number of rifle twists and powder in AR15, apparently without consulting the designer, Eugene Stoner.

Any additional comments?

The author discusses the changes made by Ordnance to Stoner's original design and powder. These changes resulted in rifle fouling and subsequent deaths of American soldiers. The author then dismisses the incident as a normal consequence of introducing new technology. This subject is also discussed in the book National Defense by James Fallows. Unfortunately National Defense is not available in audio format.