Glock: The Rise of America's Gun

A Reporter's Journalistic View of Gun and GLOCK Culture in America

Glock: The Rise of America's Gun is not the work of a Glock fanboy like many of these gun books are. It is the gun version of Cod: A Biography of the Fish that Changed the World. Of course it is an historically-accurate representation of the life and times of Gaston Glock and everything GLOCK, Inc., and its line of handguns.

It is also a complete history of the Second Amendment to the US Constitution, a history of gun-related politics and policies, and also a very accurate and sober portrayal of America's love for and of guns.

In the same way you read Cod even though you're not into fish or fishing, you really should read Glock. If you're anti-gun, you'll learn both about the culture of firearms in America and how powerfull and intelligent -- savvy -- a force your enemy really is. If you're pro-gun, the Glock revolution will blow your mind, especially in contrast with how pathetically every gun manufacturer in the world performed against GLOCK, especially poor Smith & Wesson, a company that watched as GLOCK came in and single-handedly replaced every .38 Special revolver in every police station in America with not only a high-capacity, semi-automatic, magazine-fed pistol, but with a Glock 17.

I can keep on going. Each story is more amazing than the next. The chutzpah of Gaston Glock is only bettered by the cajones of his right hand man during the early days in Atlanta, Mr. Karl Walter, a man who turned the conservative and serious world of arms sales and arms dealing in America into a discoteque, into a circus, into a strip club, into a world of Hollywood action flicks, rap music videos, and an army of Glock devotees that is only bettered by those mad men and women who are obsessed with their 1911.

So, in an exemplary blogger outreach campaign, Mr, Barrett sent me a Galley copy to read. And I read it. I consumed it and was mesmerized. I was mesmerized by how much I didn't know about these United States, about gun legislation, about gun bans and bans on high-capacity magazines. I was flabbergasted by the loopholes in these bans that were so big you could taxi a 747 through them,

I was not mesmerized by the typical fanboy depiction of their favorite gun and gun maker, I was mesmerized by a book writen by a in investigative journalist who dig into the GLOCK empire, and its ripple effects on not just Law Enforcement but popular culture, rap music, politics, television, and hundreds of movies.

I really didn't know anything about the history of firearms in America or how they're sourced and have been banned; how they're imported -- or, rather, sourced and then assembled -- and how they're marketed and sold.

And that's not even scratching the surface of all that is GLOCK, Inc, and its illustrious founder, Gaston Glock, an Austrian nerd who ended up developing, designing, and producing the most iconic pistol since the Colt 1911:

If you liked Cod: A Biography of the Fish that Changed the World, Salt: A World History, The Big Oyster: History on the Half Shell, Banana: The Fate of the Fruit That Changed the World, or Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies, you'll love Glock: The Rise of America's Gun by Paul M. Barrett.

14 out of 15 people found this review helpful.

Investigative journalist provides good, unbiased account

I liked this book's account of GLOCK's the good, bad, and the ugly. I appreciated the author's objective comparison of GLOCK's reliability compared to similar products. Equally intriguing was the behind-the-scenes shady promotions that ranged from suggestive marketing to out & out fraud.

All in all, my opinion of my GLOCK pistol on my hip as I type this is somewhat changed after reading: a reliable product whose reputation is tarnished by its manufacturer's unsavory business practices & founder' s greed. A great read that appears objective and well-researched.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Eye opener

Wow! As a 1911 owner and NRA Certified Instructor this is an eye opener to the GLOCK empire. This book tells you how the company got started, the marketing strategy, politics, and in-fighting at this world-wide gun maker.

I still think the GLOCK is a very, very dangerous pistol to own.

It is not something the renowned father of modern combat pistol shooting Colonel Jeff Cooper would endorse.

Yes, it goes bang everytime. Buy there is no slide mounted safety. So maybe it will go bang in the wrong places, as history can tell. And it is the ideal "spray and pray" pistol. Marksmanship not necessary here.

1 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

An excellent book

Was an excellent read, which didn't last over a weekend. Very informative on the founder of GLOCK, writings that have been limited to a few articles in news magazines and the yearly column in the GLOCK autopistol magazine. How the handgun became such a great success in the US. As a GLOCK fan, was surprised with the strip club section, and the money spent at the Gold Club in Atlanta. An interesting read for anyone that enjoys the GLOCK empire. Really would like to see a biography of the founder to come out someday.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Absorbing, Powerful and yet Frightening

I didn't grow up with guns. However, the constant presence of them in the U.S. is hard to dismiss. Barrett writes exceptionally about the history of American gun makers and the unassuming entry of Gaston Glock-Austrian- into this market. How Glock was busy making curtain rods and was apparently at the right place at the right time when he designed the Glock 17 from nothing; the gun with the least amount of parts and made out of hardened plastic. We learn about all the players and discover Glock treats women as crudely as he treats Americans-even his own daughter. Glock has become the gun everyone wants; Hollywood, FBI, Police Departments, Oklahoma City Bomber Timothy McVeigh had one and Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords owned the very same gun that injured her last year-a Glock. The dark side of this tale is that Glock, the company continues to have record profits and questionable accounting practices which shield millions of dollars away from taxes. But we knew it couldn't be a perfect Cinderella story.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

I'm Glocked!

Never liked the look of them. Now that I know the history, I will be investing in one. Good reading.

Easy Read, Entertaining, and Very Informative

This was a great look at the history of the GLOCK and how it has become one of America's most popular firearm manufacturers. The book provides a lot of insight into firearm legislation over the years, and how certain requirements and laws are the way they are.

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