Arming America: The Origins of a National Gun Culture

Readers who see this new edition of "Arming America" may be quick to assume that 1) a book that bad can't be corrected and 2) it's wrong to reissue it. I would urge readers to take a look. First, it is not true that the first edition of Arming America was "all lies" as some of its critics would have us believe. There were a set of errors that became commonly identified and these were limited to probate record analysis, some specific quotations from primary sources, and other data such as the census. In the new edition, each of these areas is addressed and where correction was warranted, revised. The aspect of the book that many perceive as false, the book's thesis, is an interpretation of evidence. If based on poorly collected evidence, the thesis might be false, but isn't necessarily. If based on perfect evidence, some theses won't convince a particular person who takes a different view. The thesis of this book had a foundation that did not rely solely on the parts of the book found to contain errors. Whether readers will agree with the thesis now that data has been corrected remains to be seen, but it is all the more reason to read the book. The thesis of "Arming America" offended many people, though it is really a simple one: a gun culture developed out of historical circumstances much later than is generally presumed. Some people took it to mean that the second amendment didn't mean the citizenry as a collection of individuals assumed the right to bear arms. "Arming America" is not an attack on the Second Amendment, but rather a study of Americans' relationships with guns. Around the world Americans are identified with having guns. How we came to be so closely identified with this object is fascinating, and the new edition of "Arming America" deserves a fresh reading for the explanation it offers, and the evidence it presents. I applaud the effort to answer the critics and I think the new edition is a sign that debate can produce a better result.

I'll just add this footnote to the grave of this sad event:In January 2003, the publisher announced that it was ceasing all sales of Arming America and ending its contractual relationship with Bellesiles.

This book should be made a part of your collection along with articles about Mr. Bellisles firing for fraud and the retraction of the books' academic award. Of course it about guns. The gun banner's have been using fraudulent propaganda since the Gun Control Act of 1934. We owe Mr. Bellisles a debt of gratitude for his acts of fraud.