Guns Books

During the Depression, sign painter Carl Wilcox has earned a reputation throughout the Dakotas for solving murder mysteries, which is why Pastor Bjorn Bjornsen invites him to lunch. Bjorn and his nephew Sven offer Carl $100 to discover who raped and murdered the pastor's niece Gwendolyn in their church basement.

Carl begins his inquiries by talking to the cop on the case, Officer Driscoll, who has unofficially given up on the case, but does provide Carl the needed information. Carl follows up with discussions about the victim with her teachers, friends, and family. As he continues to look into the brutal death of a child with no seeming enemies or anyone with a motive to hurt her, Carl begins to wonder if even he can solve this mystery.

The fifteenth Wilcox depression era who-done-it keeps the freshness that has constantly made this series one of the best historical mysteries on the market. The story line fits the period, making it seem much more alive than fiction normally produces. However, it is the talent of Harold Adams to brilliantly describe a host of characters as seen through their varying relationships with succinct and abrupt Carl that makes NO BADGE, NO GUN and , for that matter all the Wilcox books, must reading for sub-genre fans.

Harriet Klausner

It's a good time for Harold Adams, whose novels about itinerent sign painter ex-cop Carl Wilcox had been languishing, garnering critical raves but little in the way of sales. Walker & Company, a publishing house becoming known for literate, sometimes off-beat mysteries, has released four books so far in trade paperback and published new ones in hardback. This is a series well worth investigating.

Wilcox reminds me of every boy's favorite uncle, the one who's a black sheep to the women of the family for not settling down, who stops by when he needs a bed and a few square meals, bringing with him a whiff of sin and a few great stories. He travels the small towns of the Dakotas and Minnesota during the Depression, taking on sign-painting jobs for grocery stores and law offices when they're available, and camping by the side of the road in his modified Model T. When the jobs are few on the ground, he'll take on a murder investigation.

In "A Way with Widows," his sister asks him to come to Red Ford, North Dakota, to help clear a neighbor of killing her husband, who was found on the stairs of another woman's house. In "No Badge, No Gun," a minister who has heard of Wilcox's reputation as an investigator asks him to solve the murder of his niece, found dead in the basement of a church. Wilcox's investigating style consists of wandering around town, talking to people, gathering threads of facts and weaving them into a plausible story. He's suspicious, but not cynical. Told about the perfect character of a churchgoing man, he observes, "Nothing in this world raises more doubts in my mind than apparently perfect young men."

Yet Wilcox is also a flawed man. He makes mistakes and is perfectly capable of being turned by a pretty widow with something to hide. His attempts at seduction sometimes succeed, but more often fail, which makes sense at a time when a woman's reputation could be affected by who she's seen with.

One hopes for better things for Adams and Wilcox, but if it doesn't happen, it won't be the fault of the publisher. Like most of Walker's books, these are beautiful to look at -- details from Edward Hopper's paintings appear on most of them, which is a nice change from the usual blood and skulls that passes for art on most mystery covers -- and the $8.95 price tag is more than reasonable for these absorbing tales of small-town crimes of passion.

For some of us too young to know better, the world of the Depression can seem as foreign a place as Moscow or Outer Mongolia. It was, after all, a half-century ago, before computers, television, the Interstate Highway system and couple of major wars.

Which is why following Carl Wilcox, part-time bum, former convict and itinerant sign painter as he travels from town to town in the Dakotas so fascinating. In addition to painting signs and doing what he can to bring body and soul a little closer together, he sometimes investigate cases in small towns like Hope, Jonesville and Greenhill.

For the most part, these are pretty quiet stories about small towns where there's not much to do, and where murders are few and far between. Adams's books describe a Depression-era Dakotas of quiet small towns where private reputations and public behavior mattered. His Wilcox is a quiet man, willing to work when he needs money and loaf when he doesn't. His constant pursuit of any semi-willing women would be off-putting were it not realistically depicted (i.e., he doesn't succeed very often).

One added bonus can be found in the design of the books, whose covers sport art by Edward Hopper and Thomas Hart Benton. Not your usual mystery book design.

Excellent service and turnaround time! Would definitely deal with this seller again!

This is an excellent book.

Mr. Young devotes only a few pages of this thick volume to his own opinions, mostly just allowing those alive back in Constitution-making days to speak for themselves about the Second Amendment. And speak they do. Truthfully, I've never read the whole book straight through, but every time I crack it open to some random page I am amazed at the attitudes people had back then. How different from our modern sheep-like mentality, or the version of history we're fed by today's pop culture.

This book ought to be in every public library and on every citizen's bookshelf.

The book reprints approximately 500 documents from the period surrounding the introduction and ratification of the Second Amendment. Included are newspaper articles, pamphlets, letters to the editor, debates from the federal Constitutional convention, debates from the state ratifying conventions, and Congressional debates.

Author David Young has brought together, for the first time, all of the original source material regarding what the Second Amendment meant to the nation which enacted it. The book opens in the summer of 1787 with the federal Constitutional Convention debating Congressional powers regarding the militia.

One of the final major documents of the book is a January 29, 1791 article in the Independent Gazetteer (a Philadelphia newspaper), in which the author, who identifies himself only as "A Farmer" warns: "Under every government the dernier [last] resort of the people, is an appeal to the sword; whether to defend themselves against the open attacks of a foreign enemy, or to check the insidious encroachments of domestic foes."

In between the first and last documents are a treasure trove of American history. Leafing through these pages, you encounter the great men who founded our Republic, and whose words speak to us today. Wrote Tench Coxe, James Madison's friend, in the Feb. 20, 1778 Freeman's Journal: "Who are the militia? are they not our selves...Their swords, and ever other terrible implement of the soldier, are the birthright of an American."

Hear Patrick Henry thundering from the June 5, 1788 Virginia ratifying convention: "Guard with jealous attention the public liberty. Suspect every one who approaches that jewel. Unfortunately, nothing will preserve it but downright force. Whenever you give up that force you are inevitably ruined."

The men who speak to us through The Origin of the Second Amendment harbor no fear that government would interfere with "sporting" guns or hunting. They express the greatest apprehension of select, uniformed military forces, such as the standing army.

As The Origin of the Second Amendment makes unmistakably clear, the great object of the Second Amendment was to preserve liberty by ensuring that the American people would have in their individual hands the weapons with which to resist federal tyranny. The "well-regulated militia" included almost every able-bodied free male.

In addition to collecting an excellent selection of documents, author David Young also provides a good introductory essay summarizing the historical context of the debate and ratification of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, as well as an appendix giving the full text of all state Bill of Rights from 1787-89, and a very detailed index.

Besides supplying many hours of pleasure to anyone interested in American history, the book would also make an excellent gift to a local library

Overall enjoyable read. General Ferraro did a great job of pulling in information from many leaders and leadership makers. Short and to the point. This one's definitely one that I'm going to keep and use for future reference. Thanks for writing this. I especially liked the personal stories the author shared which made the leadership points go from theory -- to reality!

A must read! I enjoyed this book very much. I was looking for direction in my leadership and this book was just the ticket!

This book is the CliffsNotes for moral leadership--a necessary reference for any career development library. General Ferraro skillfully mixes 40 years of personal leadership experience with the best offerings of many other successful and famous leaders.

"Lew," as he was known to me, Sgt Leptien, did an outstanding job puting this book together. Everything that was wrote was real, and accually gave me a few 'flashbacks' to somethings I once forgot. My family appriciates the book very much, since it was the best way for them to know what we did. Good Job Lew! Road Hunter 16

I thought this was a great book. It did a good job of making the experience real to the reader. You get a real sense of how things are over there for the soldiers and what they are going through.

Being in Iraq with James and being a part of one of the Roadhunter Teams, James does a very good job of telling how life in Iraq was for us. This book gives a first hand view of the good we encountered and the "pain in the butt" moments. It also shares the moments when we all wish we could be home with our loved ones.

Gosh, this was a pleasant book to read. The only negative I recall was the lack of detailed information about all of the photographs scattered throughout the book. I admit I was hoping to read a little more about some of the business failures and reasons why some firearms did not go into production. However, we don't need to focus in on the negative when it comes to Mr. Ruger's wonderful life! Other than my desire to want a little more description about the photographs and business dealings, this was an absolutely wonderful book on Mr. Ruger.

This book is perfect for anyone interested in the history of Sturm, Ruger and Co. The information is presented in a very organized fashion. I highly recommend this book at twice the price.

From the first Standard Auto, to Flatgate Single Six's, Flattop Blackhawks, Hawkeye's, Bearcat's, Model 77s, Redhawks, you name it, it is all in here. I love this book. It is the best book on Ruger firearms that you can buy.

A phenomenal book. DOnt know why it is not more common, should be sold at newstands

This well-written, easily accessible book takes the reader on a historical journey through the basis for the Second Amendment, establishing the reasoning of the Founding Fathers for including the Second Amendment in the Bill of Rights. From the ancient Greek and Roman philosophers and statesmen to the European tradition, the Second Amendment Primer will eliminate any doubt in your mind that the Second Amendment is a necessary clause protecting citizens not only from criminals and foriegn invasion, but from the government itself, should the need ever arise.

Furthermore, this book denounces, with excellent documentation, the "collectivist" idea that the Second Amendment is only meant to protect so-called "militia members". Instead, this text provides historical context for the crafting of the Bill of Rights, in the form of original writings of the Founding Fathers, showing that they fully intended the Second Amendment to cover the rights of every individual citizen.

Overall, this book is a great read if you are interested in learning about the history and necessity of the Second Amendment, especially if you are having trouble making up your mind.

This book is outstanding. I really appreciate the unbiased and objective content that the author has written. All too often, books on this subject are biased and lack solid facts. Also, the book is easy to read, as the author placed side notes in the margins describing the subject matter as well as highlighting points. Regardless of where one stands on the issue of gun control, etc, this is a worthwhile read, and it is the best book I have read on the subject.

I am a retired law enforcement officer and really enjoyed reading some of real facts about the Old West. Many of the stories we read and see on TV have been embellished to make it seem more interesting, but the truth is often more fascinating that the fictional accounts. And Sven dug out the truth through research and interviews and provides us some wonderful, great stories about Los Angeles during the times of the Gold Rush, Civil War, and the beginning of the LA Sheriff's Department. He brings to life the desperadoes and the racial problems, offset by strong government leaders and the heroic deeds of the early lawmen. An excellent chronicle of the wild and wooly days out West.

This is a historical account of the earliest days of Law Makers and Breakers in the L.A. area... Quite violent and deadly...Quite interesting! Purchased for a friend who was in the Mounted Posse division of the L.A. Sheriff's Dept. for over 20 years, I still have it and am almost finished! Very informative, engaging and entertaining.

As a history of Los Angeles and of LASD it hits on all counts. Written by a Deputy Sheriff it provides a unique prospective on the subject. A must read for history and law enforcement buffs.

Another good episode of The Trailsman.A little gold mining town tries to grow in spite of a bunch of outlaws trying to take control.Thanks to others, and with the help of The Trailsman, the good succeed.This is a well written story with just enough doubt to keep it exciting without being bogged down and convoluted like a who-done-it.Must also comment on the excellent descriptions in the book as well as the great artwork on the cover.A great recreational read.

This book is full of action and keeps you turning pages. That's what I look for. books I can't put down. I rate it up with Savage heat, Fantasy Lover, and Anything, My Love by Cynthia Simmons. All books you can't help but love.

This book has plenty of action and a nice mystery plot. Skye Fargo is a great hero.

This book should be required reading in all large companies. I liked the author's style of writing -- felt like he was talking to me in plain english, not typical lawyer-talk. I am Sales Manager in a large marketing firm and most of the things that the author writes about were already happening in our firm. Now we will be able to take immediate steps to correct them. I don't understand why our outside counsel never admonished us about these things. Mr. Tapper's advice is so much more valuable than the cost of this informative guide to the world of litigation. He really does show you how what you don't know CAN hurt you and your company. Get this book, and keep it handy for continual refreshers.

I just finished reading this highly informative book, and recommend it without reservation. What I liked about it was its no-nonsense approach to showing you how easy it is to say and do the wrong things in your everyday work routines. It's written in plain-speak, laymen's terms. The author is an expert in advising you how to avoid the trouble spots that can make your words backfire. We all use emails and never think twice about their effect, but this book will change all that if you heed the author's advice about the traps in email use that can cause you and your company a lot of trouble, particularly when your company gets sued and your emails are resurrected during the discovery and document production phases of litigation.
What's nice is the realization that you're getting advice from a former in-house counsel who has seen the effects of managerial blunders, so the perspective is from the inside. You're not only alerted to email trouble spots, but to all kinds of concerns involving voicemails, how you handle confidential information, including laptop negligence, access to computer records, the way you write up reports, and an alarming wake-up about how we don't think twice about giving outsiders carte blanche to walk through our offices at night, touch our loose papers, and maybe even copy them--these are the janitorial service crews who clean our offices at night and empty the wastebaskets that may contain very confidential information as throw-aways. The chapter discussing this is worth the price of the book.
It's also a great read to learn about what your company should have in its Email and Internet Use policies, and how you can adopt a legally recognized program for "document retention," which allows you to clean out the accumulation of old, unneeded files and records. There's also a review of the McDonald coffee burn case and the Firestone tire defect debacle to show you the contrast of how to handle a media public relations crisis the right way, and how to keep trial lawyers from achieving punitive damage awards against your company.
I'm in an electronics firm with a staff of 10 supervisors and managers, and I'm buying a copy for each of them. It just makes sense for them to know how their words can have far greater consequences than what they think at the time they write them.

It's a wake up call on how to deal with your colleagues and the public. Loaded with useful information that s/b required reading for any mgr to avoid major problems in today's corp. environment. It is well written by someone who obviously has seen executives put their foot in their mouth.
I passed on my copy to my CEO and HR Head and told them to read this book asap. It was my recommendation that we weave the contents of this book into our mgmt training program.
I am a SR VP with a financial services firm and and had it instantly change my methods on dealing with people.

I've enjoyed Lordon's mysteries in the past, but this one is just a super read. I loved it. It's characters are interesting and fun, it's plot exciting, and it's tone refreshing.

A must for anyone who loves to read and anyone who loves to read mysteries.

There is a lyric from a Bruce Springsteen Song which goes something like, " Simply The Best, Better Than All The Rest. "
That sentiment is an appropriate description of Randye Lordon's newest Sidney Sloan mystery, SON OF A GUN. While all of Ms. Lordon's novels are marvelous and entertaining, this one stands out like a sparkling diamond on a bed of perfect pearls. The reader is immediately immersed in the center of a fascinating police drama. Familiar characters from previous novels in the series are joined by interesting new personalities. Suspense builds and builds until you completely forget that you are reading. This novel is not only captivating and educational, it also contains something generally unexpected in this type of fiction. There are some poignant insights into the frailties of human relationships that we will all identify with. Ms. Lordon is at her literary peak in Son of a Gun, and we can only hope she will continue to produce these literary marvels. This one, however, will be hard to beat.

Domestic cases are the type that normally intrepid New York City private investigator Sydney Sloane avoids though not out of fear of being physically hurt. These scenes are too much like what her family life has always been, so mentally to difficult to deal with for some minor pittance. Although in reality, involuntarily Sydney seems always embroiled with dangerous scenarios involving members of her family from sister, brother, father mother, uncle to niece. She thanks god everyday that she is a lesbian or else she would add husband, boyfriend, and child to her list; so far her lover Leslie has made no sleuthing demands on her.

Someone shoots New York Police Department Captain John Cannady, the father of Sydney's godchild. Not long afterward, as John lies in a Manhattan hospital in critical condition, his spouse Peggy receives a death call from someone insisting he is the son she gave away as a teen; the sinister caller insists murder of her and her loved ones will follow. Sydney voluntarily investigates the adopted child of Peggy while vowing to keep John's family safe, not realizing how dangerous her pledge is.

This is a fabulous private investigative tale starring one of the bright lights of the Manhattan sleuthing universe. Sydney is a fantastic as she struggles with finding the lost son, keeping everyone safe, and dealing with family crisis like Aunt Minnie's latest plumbing issue all while Leslie is in California. The who-done-it is cleverly handled so that the audience sees Sydney at her best trying to resolve the case and having other woes. Randye Lordon provides another winning Sloane mystery.

Harriet Klausner