Guns Books

Very well documented - good reference on cartridges to get them shooting again!

This kind of book is a bit hard to find in England but I discovered a copy at a local arms show and am quite pleased with it.

We British do not have much opportunity to shoot guns but those of us who favour them, collect for military history. Steve Frey's book is a surprise.

Here, we would expect an American gun book to devote some pages to "The Right To Keep and Bear Arms", but Frey doesn't do that.

Instead he offers what many British men like to read - not so much the terminology of guns, but the distinguished HISTORY of guns and military accoutrements.

Considering my nation's long and gorious history of military campaigns, I can vouch that many of my fellow Engishmen will read Frey's work with interest. I shall certainly recommend it to my ex-military friends.

There are many old soldiers looking for a good read on a subject we knew well in our youth but seldom do we find one as right-on as this work. Sincerely, C.B.A.

››› A friend told me about this book. What a gem it is!

››› I'm a retired engineer, gun collector, and sometime basement gunsmith. I like to shoot the old rifles I buy, quite cheap, on my 100 acre weekend farm. But it's very hard to buy ammunition for those vintage guns, So Steve Frey's guidebook is just the reference an eager gun buff should have.

››› Truly, his introductory chapters on "Making Ammunition" followed by Caliber Adaption, Powder Types, Cartridge Cases, Bullet Sizes, etc, have proved to be heaven-sent to this long-time mechanic and shooter.

››› Author Frey's book is a gem in another way. Besides the many illustrations and descriptions of antique guns and military rifles, Frey balances his gunsmith jargon with scholarly vignettes of important battles in world history.

››› This makes for good reading despite my ususal "gun greasy" hands - and in that respect I must praise the author for his foresight for putting his pages into a spiral-bound, lay-flat volume. It surely is the best format for a mechanic's reference book.

››› I think this book is very well done - well-written and thoughtfully constructed. Sincerely, Edw. Julian.

Steve Frey's "Imported Military Firearms 1866-1899" is a wonderful reference on oddball guns of this period, and loaded with tips on their care and repair, and his personal recipes for improvising ammunition for obsolete calibers, even pinfires. I do not recommend or endorse his methods as safe or effective, but point them out as interesting information, such as his indication that .32-20 cases can be the basis to make 8mm Lebel pistol cartridges.....If the gun doesn't have much collector value, and you mainly want to shoot it, then go ahead and read up on polishing and reblueing and that sort of thing. There is a great section on somewhat primitive gunsmithing, refinishing and reloading with really basic equipment. It is useful for the bargain basement bow-wows that most of us cannot resist because they are cheap. With a little practice on these, you can progress to the more sophisticated methods described in the more technical books, and slightly more valuable guns.

Part II of this book lists and describes in detail military arms of 17 nations from Argentina to Switzerland, and the entries are well explained when the author says, on page 1, "This book is dedicated to Francis Bannerman (1851-1918), who popularized arms collecting and saved many rare artifacts from the smelter". The arms of each nation are shown in oustanding old drawings and/or photographs, and described in detail as to action types and cartridges...

But there is much more: the author expects the owners of these arms to want to shoot as well as collect them, so Part I tells about cases, powder(black, of course), bullets, primers, the transitional breechloaders, proof marks, and Mannlicher clips!..

The appendices tell of the Franco-Prussian War (where many of them started), how to restore an old gun without its looking restored, antique revolver repair, hot bluing. There are detailed cartridge drawings (3 pages, 46 cartridges from .45 Martini Henry to 6mm U.S. Navy), 3 pages listing 380 case forming dies from Huntington (RCBS of Oroville,CA) which can be used to make the cases for these old guns, and a 25 item list of sources of parts and supplies. These places are indicated in the text by an asterisk after the name (GRAF*), but the purpose of the asterisk is not told in the text, so the reader must look all through the book to find it! The author is a long-time shooter of these "Bannerman" guns, so the information he gives comes from practical experience.

A great WWII eyewitness book. The author served onboard the USS Maryland, one of the battleships sunk at Pearl Harbor, then raised and repaired to rejoin the war with her crew burning for revenge. Sauer tells what it was like to serve during the height of the war and the amazing single-minded training it took to prepare for the moment when it was do-or-die: What it took to load and shoot the Big Guns, firing trajectories, how you "turn" an enormous convoy of huge ships... The absolutely best chapter takes you front row center at the battle of Surigao Strait in October of '44 -- U.S. battleships, destroyers, cruisers, and torpedo boats against the biggest guns of the Japanese navy. A catastrophic defeat for Japan, which retaliated with ferocious kamikaze attacks. Truly riveting stuff. Lots of pictures and other visuals including a diagram of the battle and the last crossing of the "T". I only wish there were more books like this! Obviously highly recommended.

Wonderful book. God I love our Veterans and our Military. Must reading for WW2 buff

written by a non-literary type, the book is in a straight-foward manner with no diversions, not even for the dead. It is the history of the WW11 battleship "Maryland". One of the ancient ships raised from the mud of Pearl. For a flavor of WW11 sea battles it serves a purpose. It is as advertised, "An eyewitness account".

I've read this book from front to back numerous times and each time I pick more and more visual out of its pages. Howard spent a great deal of time gathering and putting all of this together. Thank you Howard for your effort!

The title is misleading, there is a chapter that very briefly narrates what went on onboard the Maryland during the battle, but there is little else. While the discussion of the life on board the Maryland is interesting, there is little in the way of substance.

An excellent oveview for starting a pointing dog puppy. Uses techniques from various trainers. Highly recommend.. It works too!

The basics of this book are exellent although sections of book such as callback pens are not applicable to new zealand

I ordered this book in hopes of receiving an up to date training book. I was somewhat disappointed. The book looks like it is a new updated training book; and even states inside that it contains the authors older material with new updated training methods, but I found it to be only dated marerial. The pictures are from the 70's, and not good ones at that. I do feel like the methods would work for a person training a pointer; I was trying to obtain information in the training of a lab for upland game, and this book was lacking in that reguards. If you are looking for a newer material, you may want to check other sources. I am trying The Labrador Shooting Dog next.

This book is good. It provides some basic technics on methods of training. I personally prefered "how to help gun dogs train themselves". But, this was a good book with good training ideas.

This book is GREAT! My husband got me interested in training bird dogs after going on a quail hunt recently. I reviewed the books on Amazon that were available on the subject and chose this one to get an idea of what bird dog training would entail. I was skeptical that I could actually do this. I am hooked. This book made so much since to me! I am ready to get started with a puppy today. It is a lot of work I know but this book is an excellent way to get started. I know it will be an excellent resource after I get my pup. I have talked with a few folks that actually raise and train pointing dogs and they say I'm on the right track. I highly recommend this book.

A good reference book. This book should have been better printed, and, the photographs and the drawings are of poor quality. There should have been more, and better quality, exploded drawings.

This book truly offers a lot of information but however, it should be mentioned that the pictures generally are of a very low quality as a result of which the distinguishing of (important !) details is hardly possible. The (few) drawings are of an even worse quality. Also the chapter covering the P88 and P99 is inadequate (notably for the P99)and the subtitling of the pictures sometimes is completely wrong. Nevertheless this book has to be considered worth its price because,again, it offers lots of info (especially on prewar models) and the book reads in an agreeable way (courtesy of the author)

I thought the book was pretty informative but some of the pictures were real dark therefore not being able to show complete detail and his serial numbering dates were a little vague

This is a rather well thought out book...IF you're a collector on the vintage pistols.
Although the photos could have been of a better brightness and contrast, they do serve to show a fairly comprehensive history of the Walther pistols. It would have been nice to see some movie and TV tie-ins to show how prevalent the Walther name has been on the large and small screens.
What I would take exception with is the way the P99 was handled. An updated edition is warranted and would serve to remedy this oversight. The same can be said for the Walther line of airguns, be they pellet or BB pistols.

Not a bad book, considering there is nothing else on the market that delves into the history and legacy of the Walther name in firearms.

This book offers a lot of info but however, it should be mentioned that the pictures are generally of a very poor quality as a result of which the distinguishing of (important !) details is hardly or not at all possible. The (few) drawings are of an even worse quality. Also the chapter covering the P88 and P99 models is inadequate (notably for the P99)and the subtitling of the pictures sometimes is completely wrong. Nevertheless this book has to be considered worth its price because, again, it offer lots of info (especially on prewar models)and it reads in an agreeable way.

I picked up this book and couldn't put it down. But I'll make sure the glue gun doesn't leak all over my hands before I pick it up next time.

It delivers just what it says it will. The projects are whimsical, have a wide ease and difficulty range, leave much to the imagination while inspiring your own creativity. I can't imagine what the previous reviewer expected to find and didn't. I've been very happy with the projects I have worked on so far and look forward to exploring more in the coming months.

If you are interested in making junk then this is the book for you. Kids could have created better items than this. I cannot believe someone thought this would make a great book. Keep your money. Or buy it and use the paper to create even more junk.

Although I wouldn't want most of these items in my cellar, the IDEAS are quite innovative. I got lots of great ideas and basic directions to easily modify for wonderful gifts.

I really liked it ... very warmly written and innovative

Wild with a Glue Gun has been on the top of my Amazon Recommendations List for quite awhile now. After finally reading the book description, I had to have it! A friend and I have been wanting to get together a stitch and bitch type of group with our other friends, co-workers and such and this great book proved to be the kick in the pants we needed to get it together. Initially, we started to meet twice a month, but everyone was having so much fun crafting together and talking that we've upped our sessions to once a week. We revolve around to each others houses so that no one feels they are hosting too much and it's been working great. Crafting time spent with friends really is quality time.

Thank you Kitty Harmon and Christine Stickler for such fantastic ideas on getting us all together!

An excellent production, with exceptional workmanship to provide high quality photo's. The anatomy section is more for the artistic crowd then the hard metal group. Would have liked to see more information on making the cuts and shading, as well as depth control and designs. Overall a good learning book with great coverage of making the proper tools and maintaining them

This book is on the shelf of almost every firearms engraver in America. It is probably the most used text book in firearms engraving courses, and perhaps in any type of engraving. It is full of basic information, and helpful hints that make engraving much easier. Not a lot of pretty pictures, but enough illustrations that you can get the idea even if you don't take formal instruction. Configuring tools is always difficult and I don't think any book can teach you that art - so with that one exception, there is everything here that you will need to know to start Hard Metal engraving. And, of course, if you can engrave Hard Metal, you can engrave Easy Metal like silver, brass, etc. Whenever I pick it up and just kind of peruse it again, I still find myself amazed that I can say: gee, I forgot THAT little trick! A must for any engraver.

I have read this book cover to cover twice. For someone who wants to learn how to engrave, like me, it is a true reference book. For others who simply want to better appreciate engraved items this book is just as useful.

Many illustrations done for the book were actually cut in black plexi-glass to provide the best quality images.

This book has a perminate place in my library.

Enjoy...

As a complete beginner I found this book disappointing. There is quite a bit of information, history and biography regarding the ART of engraving on firearms (hence the title), but what there is about the actual PRACTICE of engraving in general is sparse and located rather helter-skelter around the book.

There is no chapter on sharpening, for instance, but there are sections on sharpening scattered about. There is a page with a full list and drawings of the various gravers, but information about which one to use for what is hard to pin down.

There is a discussion on the technique of chasing using a hammer, which is very good. However, there is really very little about using a hand graver. I wanted an explanation of when to use a hammer and when not to, which seems to be missing. There is a section on vises which is useful, etc.

I wanted a chapter titled "How to engrave metal". That is what is missing. Additionally, the book is dated 1973, and mentions many specific products. One wonders how many of those are available today.

I think that someone with at least some experience in engraving would have an easier time with this book than I did.

This book contains a wealth of information on how to engrave. topics include: scroll design, layout, inlays, and tool sharpening. I would have liked to see more information on gold inlays in print and pictures. It even has a section on power engraving. Overall this book is helpfull to the expert and novice alike.

I'm a huge C.S. Forester fan, so you will know where I'm coming from as I write this. If I could give it 4.5 stars, I would, but I shall round up. The only negative aspect of this short novel is the very thing that makes it quite unique; instead of having a compelling charector such as Hornblower, Captain Peabody or Rifleman Dodd, the central charactor is... you guessed it... a gun. I certainly did not find this story as compelling as some of his other works (since it is somewhat difficult for a gun to be compelling), but I did appreciate it as a different approach to the story of war. The story begins and ends with "the gun" and follows the many charactors whose lives revolve around it. If you like either C.S. Forester or War Stories in general, I highly recommend this tale.

One interesting note; I just read this in the first edition published in America (right in the middle of WWII); it was great to have it compared to the Hornblower "Trilogy." Even though I've always become sad when ending the Hornblower series, I am so grateful that Forester returned to write many more than the original "Trilogy." C.S. Forester is dead... Long live C.S. Forester!

I read this one many years ago, and like his other works, Forrester fall flat. The characters come across more like cartoons than people, There are a number of inaccuracies in this one like so many of Forrester's works. The idea of Spanish guerrila troops with an oversized cannon wreaking havoc on a Regular Standing Army smacks of a lame Hollywood movie plot.
If you are a fan of Forrester and like to throw your money away, have at it. If not, pass this one by

Here is a book that is not exactly a novel, not exactly a history, not exactly an adventure tale; in fact, the main character is literally three tons of finely worked brass. I prefer to view the work as an examination of the use of force. Not being particularly well read or skilled in military strategy, I will leave it to other reviewers to judge as to whether it succeeds as an exposition of method but I will say that it was a very interesting read.

The Gun is, of course, the force. Dropped along a mountain road by a retreating army it is picked up by Spanish guerillas fighting against the French occupation of Spain and the later history of the Gun becomes the book. What is startlingly modern about this book is that it demonstrates conclusively that war requires the will to match forces. When one side is allowed to retain an advantage the fighting concludes. For some reason not quite explained, the French have been allowed uncontested possession of a fertile plain in the south of Spain. When guerillas manage to obtain this huge piece of artillery, figure out how to obtain ammunition, as well as how to move the thing, they promptly upset the balance of power by assaulting the hitherto untouchable French fortifications. Their efforts throw both sides into disarray. The Gun provides a focus to the Spanish attack as well as the necessary power to press the advantage. Instructively, the very existence and control of power, i.e. the weapon, is itself the source of further power--the allegiance of other irregulars who are emboldened by their newfound ability to succeed. The means whereby the Gun is brought to bear are thought-provoking and lead one to ponder on the usefulness of modern weaponry given the utter lack of societal will to bring any force to bear on the problems at hand. The will to fight with nuclear and chemical weapons (chemical weapons make a surprising and gruesome appearance in this work) is thankfully gone--but have we risked descending into a perpetual detente only to be nibbled continually at the edges by less-circumspect powers?

Perhaps some readers find the denouement of the book somewhat unsettling. The ending is quite abrupt. But by the time you reach the end you realize that you have been exposed to various styles of leadership--some more successful than others, various kinds of battle--again with varying degrees of success, siegecraft, the use of artillery, etc. Forester is a gifted author--his narrative decisions are purposeful and directed towards an end that seems to be lost on many readers. In my opinion the author's purpose was to use this interesting episode in a very long conflict to invite debate on leadership styles and the very nature of war itself.

I found the book fascinating and it has sparked a desire to read more military history as it is clear that as a country and people we Americans at least are continuing to place ourselves into situations that require an historical context in order to understand the value of the position. Absent a context in history, we risk being diverted from worthly goals by a cost that is misunderstood. Wars are fought for a reason that has not disappeared with the rise of modern technology. We cannot win merely by churning out fantastic weaponry--"The Gun" teaches that it is not enough to merely possess force, once must understand how best to press the advantage thereby created.

The tale of a large cannon that falls into the hands of Spanish Guerilla's during the Napoleonic war. This books provides great insight into the conditions during the Peninsular War. It is not a dry history and not your typical Forester book. It focuses on the cannon's impact on many people instead of one individual like the Hornblower series. I have enjoyed rereading this book several times over the years.

This is a much overlooked novel by the author. Most people are familiar with the Hornblower novels, but the author also wrote other novels set in the same time period including "Rifleman Dodd" and "The Gun."

I first read this novel many years ago, and the plot has stayed in my mind (the sign of a good novel). A large gun is acquired and moved with great difficulty to assault a fortress. Alas, the best made plans of mice and men... The story is in the attempt, rather than its success or failure.

This book has almost the same title as one written by John Lachuk and published in 1978. Since I consider John Lachuk's book to be the best written on this subject, it makes for a good reference and source to compare to. In my opinion James House has done a very good job writing this book. It is sort of an updated version of the 1978 book. Very informative with lots of information on past and current 22's with test firing results. There isn't an area that James House doesn't touch on. Even though he has written other articles and books on weapons, I did not know of Mr. House before this book. Don't let that fool you. This book is well researched, well thought out, well laid out and well written. It might not overtake John Lachuk's book as the best on the subject, but I'd hate to have to live on the difference. Highly recomended.

An excellent all round review of what modern rimfire sport shooting is all about if you are interested in getting aquinted with that, and I would have given it 4 stars if it gave a more comprehensive review of past rifles and handguns manufactured since the cartridge evolved. But it succeeds 100% as an introduction for laymen starting out.

I am an avid .22 rimfire fan. I've bought books on the .22 rimfire years ago and have been waiting for something more current. Good book covering some of the .22's out there and ammo testing along with info on the new .17HMR and .17M2 calibers. The author repeated himself over and over across several chapters the same information. A lot of the photos were reprinted across several chapters. This book could have been about half the size if the author had not repeated information throughout the book. Most of the guns covered in the book were from the author's own collection and did not really cover the various manufacturers offerings. Several good chapters on sighting in and ammo ballistics but overall I was disappointed in this book. If you are looking for a "little new" information on the .22 rimfire there is some here. If you are looking for more in depth information you will have to wait until someone else comes along and writes a better book.

I found this book to be lacking in details for the advanced shooter who is looking for information on individual rifles and pistols .the author did not go into much detail ,this book would be ok for a beginner who knows nothing about firearms.It was not what I was looking for.

For background, I am a rifleman of sorts as well as a ballistician.I also have a Ph. D. James E. House has a Ph. D in Chemistry and his extensive technical background is evident all through this work. This book is encyclopedic in scope and I have found no significant errors in it. I would observe that he does not discuss nor explicate ballistics tables from which ballistic coefficients are derived. I would have preferred that at least some of his more accurate rifles were tested using ten round groups at 50 yards but his use of five round groups is reasonable (multiply five round group size by 1.414 to estimate ten round group size.) I also wish he had devoted (more) attention to rimfire bench rest competition. This may be a bit more detail than the beginner will wish but for anyone with a serious interest in rimfire cartridges and shooting, this book is a must-have. Doc D.

Somehow, if I had spent the time reading the book a little before purchasing, I wouldn't have bought it. He talks extensively about competition rigs, rules, etc. which I had no interest in. I have yet to see a gun rag writer talk honestly about guns. Ever see a bad review in ANY of the gun magazines?

Quite honestly I found this book mediocre at best. It's something of a "Jack of all trades, master of none" effort. If you're a big 1911 fan then you might consider this book, but if you're not, spend your money elsewhere. One good point, there are detailed examinations of 23 different kinds of 1911 pistols which is great if you want an STI or an Auto Ordnance, but where are the various Colt models in detail?

This is a MUST have for anyone interested in the 1911 pistol.

Read more than the table of contents! Some people have obviously rated this book without reading it. The Author explains why some guns are included in the test and others are left out (in 2 Places in the book). The author also talks about and praises his personal "Colt" 1911's. So you Rampant Pony fans should not feel left out. This book is obviously not ground breaking as there have been many books about the 1911, but it is very informative (gunsmithing, tactical course, competitions,& reloading). It provides an indepth comparison of the wide variety of the modern makes of the 1911.

Buy this to learn more about your 1911 pistol. I really followed some things written here and presto!, My gun worked better. (with the help of my gunsmith)
Knowing your pistol can save your life and money. And knowing your pistol means that it is safer to handle and carry.

On the face of it, A Gun For Sale by Graham Greene is a genre thriller, featuring a crime committed by a confessed and declared villain, followed by a police pursuit. In the hands of a great writer, however, even clichés such as this can be transformed into thoroughly satisfying novels.

First published in 1936, A Gun For Sale is set in a Europe over which war looms constantly and threateningly, casting a shadow of fear and even depression over all human interaction. Graham Greene appears to use this context to allow the book to make a significant, yet very subtle point, an assertion that conflicts, even grand conflicts like wars, are pursued by interests, instigated by an intention to profit. The grander the conflict, the greater the potential gain. As individuals vie for influence, prominence, control and dominance, so do societies, groups, companies, even countries. And some of the protagonists play dirty, rarely receiving the comeuppance of justice. When they do, we are gratified, sensing the same rightness that a happy ending might provoke.

A Gun For Sale has several important characters, more than a review can list. Raven is the first we meet, the blackness of his name immediately suggesting a functionality for the plot, for he is the anti-hero, the hired gun who completes the bloody assignment in the book's first pages. Hare-lipped and ever resentful of his disfigurement, both physical and, as a result of a painful upbringing, psychological, he suggests a figure that the reader might be invited to despise, perhaps a pantomime bogeyman of genre fiction, always accompanied by a threatening, trademark fanfare.

But Graham Greene is not that mundane a writer. We eventually come to know Raven well. Though we are never actually invited to like him, we eventually sympathise with his plight, if only by virtue of the fact that there are some apparent social heroes who in reality are a darned sight more deserving of our contempt. Raven is double-crossed and sets out to track down the perpetrator of his humiliation.

Raven leaves a trail and a policeman, Mather, takes up the pursuit. By chance Mather's girlfriend, Anne, boards the same train as Raven from London to Nottwich, an industrial town were she will appear in the chorus line of a pantomime. Raven and Anne meet and, viewed from the distance of the pursuer, become accomplices.

Mather's fellow copper, Sanders, is an interesting foil to Raven. Both are disfigured. Raven's problem is with appearance and he yearns to be rid of the hare-lip that disfigures his face, a disfigurement that Anne plays down, thus engendering his trust. The policeman Sanders, on the other hand, stammers. He is quick of wit, but not of voice, and is aware that his impediment has cost him promotion.

Mr Davis, also known as Cholmondley, amongst other things, is the greasy lackey employed by Sir Marcus. The latter is an industrialist, owner of a steelworks in Nottwich, a business that has seen better times. Mr Davis is a right cad, regarding theatre girls as fair game, regularly picking them up and persuading them into the grubby room he rents from a truly surreal couple in order to protect his reputation. The freemason Sir Marcus is barely clinging to life, but he retains sufficient pride, or malice, perhaps, to inflict untold suffering on others, merely to retain his own status in a future he does not have.

And so Raven pursues Cholmondley, who answers to Marcus. Mather and Saunders pursue Raven, and Anne seems to be on everyone's side. And it all works out.

But Graham Greene does much more than tell a tale. Through simple language and structure, and via a plot that would grace a b-movie at best, he penetrates his characters' psyches, locates them in social class and history, and manages with a deft lightness of touch to convey a remarkably strong sense of place, setting and context. Through his simply constructed prose, we see people, places and events from a multiplicity of perspectives and are left with a complexity of associations with every character. And that, precisely, is why cliché is left far behind.

Mine is clearly a minority opinion, but I think this novel is actually more complex and interesting than many other critics and readers do. I remember first reading it in a college British literature class and finding Greene's juxtaposition of a typical crime novel, the backdrop of international intrigue and the paranoia conspiracy of traitors everywhere, Raven's disfigurement, and what was for me a very moving relationship between Raven and Anne a wonderful and engaging read. I just reread it for a critical study I've been doing and, while I agree there are holes in the plot, I'm not sure they are anymore distracting than the series of coincidences that drive Brighton Rock. I read BR recently also, for the first time, and I see why critics rate it higher--the psycho-sexual pathology of Pinkie, the moral-religious issues of his "Roman" identity, but I have to say I find lonely Raven a more memorable character in many respects.

Murder didn't mean much to Raven. It was just a new job. You had to be careful. You had to use your brains. It was not a question of hatred. He had only seen the minister once : he had been pointed out to Raven as he walked down the new housing estate between the little lit Christmas trees--an old rather grubby man without any friends, who was said to love humanity. -Graham Greene, This Gun for Hire

Raven is a hired killer with a harelip. His profession and his deformity combine to give him a passion for privacy. But when he's hired to kill a socialist minister who's active in the peace movement and ends up also shooting an elderly woman from his household staff too, he's suddenly one of the most sought after men in England. And when the man who hired him, Mr. Cholmondeley, pays him off in counterfeit notes, he becomes an easy man to track. In addition, his strong sense of professional ethics lead him to try and find Cholmondeley and whoever's behind him, rather than simply hiding out.

Through a circuitous set of circumstances, Raven is helped in his search by a young woman, Anne, whose boyfriend just happens to be the lead detective on his case. She recognizes how dangerous Raven is, but feels sorry for him and, with Europe sliding into war, thinks she can use him to strike back at the shadowy forces who wanted the peace loving minister dead.

Though it lacks the universal moral tension of some of Greene's better work, this is an entertaining noir thriller. The plot depends on a few too many fortuitous twists, but if you take it in the spirit of say The 39 Steps or a Hitchcock movie, the implausabilities aren't unbearable. Perhaps the most interesting reading of the book is as a forecast of the central ethical dilemma of WWII. Think of Raven as the USSR and of Anne as the Allies. She accepts Raven out of sympathy for his physical and spiritual deformities and assumes that he, despite his amorality, can be twisted to serve her own noble purposes. In the end, a lot of folks die as a result of her naiveté.

GRADE : B-

This seems more to be a book of psychology than actions. I found it difficult to become interested in the plot, which had continuity but lacked spark. Greene emphasizes the inner bitterness of the main character, but the personal transformation was not as touching or dynamic as it should have been. The grossness of Raven's deformity sticks with the reader, and the scenarios are painted expertly, as usual, but this one just lacks...Oomph.

'A gun for sale' is considered a minor Graham Greene work, two years before his acknowledged first masterpiece, 'Brighton Rock'. Admittedly, the book is hugely flawed - the plot becomes increasingly implausible; the dialogue is sometimes false; the characterisation, especially in the central relationship between Raven the runaway hitman and Anne, sometimes doesn't quite ring true. But there is so much that is excellent - the mixture of dusty, fish and chips realism with almost whimsical fantasy, precise detail clashing with a nightmare-world of physical grotesques; the brilliant control of language, in which a deliberately limited vocabulary is used to imprison characters in a social and implicitely metaphsical destiny. The first half is a superb, almost intolerably nerve-wracking, thriller, and the second, as Raven seeks revenge during a practice gas raid, is dottily surreal. The allusions to fairy tales, history , poetry, popular music, drama, philosophy etc. open the book from its generic base, and makes it infinitely richer than it first appears. It should be read anyway by anyone who loves the cinema of Jean-Pierre Melville, who based his masterpiece 'Le Samourai' on it. A flawed, yet fascinating work.