Bellesiles, in a meticulous study, traces "gun fever" to its European origins, documents the rarity of firearms in early America, covers technological advances, and details the strange series of developments during the Civil War that helped make the gun an integral and deadly fixture in modern American life.
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Bellesiles, in a meticulous study, traces "gun fever" to its European origins, documents the rarity of firearms in early America, covers technological advances, and details the strange series of developments during the Civil War that helped make the gun an integral and deadly fixture in modern American life.
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Seller's Description:
The item shows wear from consistent use but it remains in good condition and works perfectly. All pages and cover are intact including the dust cover if applicable. Spine may show signs of wear. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting. May NOT include discs access code or other supplemental materials.
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Seller's Description:
Very Good Condition. No Dust Jacket. Book is used in good condition. Text appears clean, binding is tight. Cover and pages have minor wear, corner bumps and dings. Multiple copies available this title. Quantity Available: 2. Shipped Weight: Under 1 kilo. ISBN: 1932360077. ISBN/EAN: 9781932360073. Pictures of this item not already displayed here available upon request. Inventory No: 1561047579.
It's worth noting that although this book was awarded Columbia University's Bancroft Prize in 2001, you won't find it listed among the winners (http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/eguides/amerihist/bancroftlist.html), because Bellesiles falsified (misrepresented, cherry-picked and in some cases fabricated) his data.
The award was rescinded for scholarly misconduct (see, e.g,. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bancroft_Prize). Bellesiles was also forced to resign from his position at Emory for the same reason.
Laurence
Dec 16, 2007
More than a controversy
Illuminated by the approbation of the Bancroft prize Michael Bellesiles? Arming America tramples America?s myth of the armed frontiersman. It slashes away at the humbug of the perennial armed pioneer, replacing it with the pastoral farmer whose grasp on his disintegrating musket slips as wood rot destroys the stock and rust corrodes the barrel. He, consequently, appears empty handed at militia musters, accordingly carouses at these yearly encounters and makes a travesty of the armed militiamen who saved America from British peril. Alas, the resulting controversy turned from approbation to opprobrium when, like Iraq?s mysterious weapons of mass destruction, archive sources failed to corroborate the meager number of firearms found in probate records. Despite substantial evidence of poor militia performance, the consequent superiority of regular troops and the significant expense of hand made weapons weak presentation of court records toppled an otherwise considerable argument. In this case the smell of oil did not support the naysayers. It was the cry for academic integrity. Despite such criticism the book is a whacking good read that illustrates the deficiencies of scholarly minutia over a superior general argument.
