Leonard J. Arrington: A Historian's Life - Hardcover

Gary Topping (author)

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 087062363X ISBN 13: 9780870623639

Publisher: University of Oklahoma Press, 2008

Synopsis

The history of American firearms is inseparable from the history of the United States, for firearms have played crucial roles in the nation’s founding, westward expansion, and industrial, economic, and cultural development. This history unfolds in compelling words and images in A Legacy in Arms, a volume that draws upon the collections of the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City to trace the business and art of gun making from the early national period to the turn of the twentieth century. With more than 200 images—almost all in full color—A Legacy in Arms not only documents the inspiration and innovation of arms makers from individual artisans to mass producers, but also describes the development of decorative expression in the gun maker’s art.In an account both entertaining and enlightening, Richard C. Rattenbury details the development of commercial arms making, from the genesis of the Kentucky rifle to the arms of such iconic manufacturers as Colt, Remington, Smith & Wesson, Sharps, Marlin, and Winchester. Into this narrative he weaves the particulars of design evolution and the impact of mass production via the “American System.” The accompanying photographs and illustrations stand as eloquent testimony to the range and richness of the gun maker's craft—and its rightful place in the story of American industry and culture.

About this title

About the Author:

Gary Topping is Associate Professor of History at Salt Lake Community College in Salt Lake City, Utah and Archivist of the Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake City. Former Curator of Manuscripts at the Utah State Historical Society, he is the author of Glen Canyon and the San Juan Country.

About this edition

• Publisher: University of Oklahoma Press
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 087062363X
• ISBN 13: 9780870623639
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 260