The Hidden History of Guns and the Second Amendment

The Thom Hartmann Hidden History Series

By: Thom Hartmann

Narrated by: Scott Brick

Thom Hartmann, the most popular progressive radio host in America and a New York Times best-selling author, looks at the real history of guns in America and what we can do to limit both their lethal impact and the power of the gun lobby.

Taking his typically in-depth, historically-informed view, Thom Hartmann examines the brutal role guns have played in American history, from the genocide of the Native Americans to the enforcement of slavery (Slave Patrols are in fact the Second Amendment’s “well-regulated militias”) and the racist post-Civil War social order. He shows how the NRA and conservative Supreme Court justices used specious logic to invent a virtually unlimited individual right to own guns, which has enabled the ever-growing number of mass shootings in the United States. But Hartmann also identifies a handful of powerful, commonsense solutions that would break the power of the gun lobby and restore the understanding of the Second Amendment that the Framers of the Constitution intended. This is the kind of brief, brilliant analysis for which Hartmann is justly renowned.

©2019 Thom Hartmann (P)2019 Thom Hartmann

Interesting

I thought it was very informative. I had no idea the early history of 2nd amendment. I can’t wait to listen to the next book in the series.

The Hidden History of Guns

Outstanding work culminating decades of research and fact finding. He provides a viable roadmap for corrective action.

The truth will....

The truth will set you free, piss you off, or both. Unless you don't like facts... 🤷🏽‍♂️. Thank you again Thom.

Extremely biased to be called "The" Hidden History

Instead of being called "The Hidden History," it would be more accurately titled "Here is my opinion, and here are events and quotes that support it."

Like many who write "histories," the facts and incidents can be very misleading when other sides aren't presented. Instead, the author has clearly started with the premise, "Guns are bad," and goes from there. In many more words than are written here, the author goes through this book illustrating that guns have been used to propagate slavery, genocide, racism, and have been the deadly tools of the suicidal and mentally troubled. This is true, but they have also been used to fight against many of these things, which is conveniently not addressed.

In thinly-veiled insinuation, the author then seems to suggest that unless you are suicidal, mentally troubled, racist, or a mass-murderer, you don't need guns. In a few places, it even seems to suggest that those who own or advocate for guns are perpetuating those ideas, even if it's through unintentional ignorance.

However, would I suggest this book? Yes. Why would I, after railing about it's single minded perspective? Because it is a well laid out view of that perspective, and as I believe in presenting multiple sides of an issue, I feel that someone would gain a good view of that perspectivefrom thisbook. I would only remind readers (or listeners) that this book is not is any way an objective truth on the subject.

Really twisted the truth

Not a balanced version of the facts, very left wing point of view. Trying to compare the US with other non democratic countries is pointless.

Anti guns

Against my beliefs. I tried to get through it and could because of mis information.

Too Biased

It seems to me that the author has had a bad experience from a friend who had a gun and no will to live. This pain has to go somewhere so he blames the gun. I will say I quit reading this book early.
Thankfully it was a free credit on Amazon.

Socialism

it was obvious he is a socialist & against freedom and just wants to find ways to take away our firearms

Please Read if You Consider Yourself as Politally Unbias

I really wanted to like this book. It looked like it would cover American history of firearms and the 2nd Amendment without bias. This was exciting because I absolutely LOVE learning about both view points of controversial subjects. Honestly, I don't write reviews, but I felt the need to warn about this book particularly for a few reasons. It opens by claiming to be completely unbiased and centered. Yet according to this book, if you support the 2nd Amendment as an American today, you automatically support the genocide of Native Americans over the last few centuries and that the 2nd Amendment is only in place to keep slaves as slaves. He goes on to suggest that guns themselves cause school shootings, which they are used in by horrible people, but also used to stop them by good people, every time. No mention of the North using firearms to help abolish slavery in the United States, or the world's allied forces using them to stop the nazis from taking over the world. He then blames guns for the war on drugs somehow. He can not separate guns from racism in his brain. He just focuses on hatred and racism the entire book to try to convince people an inanimate tool is enharently bad. A gun is like power, a safe thing in good hands, a dangerous thing in bad hands. This auther seems to imply throughout the entire book that the only way to be a decent human being is to be anti-gun. Very one sided, politally motivated, skewed view on such an important and multifaceted matter that I would go so far as to describe this book as irresponsibly ignorant. Very disappointing that someone would release something like this, the very last thing this world needs right now, more politally motivated dogma. We will never have truley reasonable gun laws if people like this, and pro-gun people of the same conviction, want to talk about important subjects like this without regard for the other view point. Very sad that this is taken seriously within its political bubble.
This is the liberal equivalent of Fox News.

Deceptive

The gun debate is not so black and white but this book tries to make it seem that easy. It takes the low road to call out all gun owners white nationalists.