Covering the history of firearms and gun control in America, this two-volume work presents original documents and helps readers understand these documents in relation to the social and political context in which they were written. Offering the most complete collection of primary documents on the subject of guns and gun politics, this two-volume set will give readers a comprehensive, unbiased understanding of the complex and often-surprising evolution of gun ownership, gun culture, and gun politics in the United States. This fascinating history is examined through approximately 150 primary source documents from the Colonial era to the present day. Each section opens with an informative headnote that provides important context for understanding the social and political milieu in which the document was created. The chronologically arranged set begins with Colonial laws regulating firearms, then proceeds through debates regarding the Second Amendment and laws that prohibited slaves from possessing guns. The use and regulation of firearms in the "Wild West" is explored, as is the era of Prohibition and organized crime in the 1930s. Later chapters cover the impact of 1960s-era racial and political violence and assassinations on gun laws and attitudes; the struggles over gun control and gun rights in the Reagan, Bush, and Clinton administrations; the increased clout of the NRA during the Bush administration; and the impact of events ranging from the Sandy Hook Massacre to the Supreme Court's District of Columbia v. Heller decision. Documents include laws, speeches, court decisions, Congressional debates, and more, giving college students and other interested readers the opportunity to evaluate each document—and each period—for themselves.

February issue includes Appendix entitled Directory of United States Government periodicals and subscription publications; September issue includes List of depository libraries; June and December issues include semiannual index

Lucid annotations and discriminating selection distinguish this timely bibliography of 1,098 U.S. government documents published between 1975 and October 1986. Full bibliographic data include Su-Docs number, a time save for depository libraries. Classified under eight broad subject headings, materials cover the criminal justice system, crime and criminals, law enforcement, the courts, corrections, juvenile justice, security, and special resources. . . . [Since] the government has been a principal force in the analysis of crime and its prevention, the importance of a fully annotated guide to its wealth of publications is evident. Booklist