A fast-paced, fascinating and hard-hitting investigation of the gun's lifespan and into our hugely complex relationship with firearms and their undeniable impact

* A brilliantly researched journey, capturing the gun's strangely accepted place in human life and, far too often, death -- JON SNOW * A gripping book that's as disturbing as it is enlightening -- Charlie Burton GQ * A shocking book about the terrible realities of war and weapons Scotland's Sunday Mail Relentlessly engrossing... The Spectator * Shocking... Overton has supped full of horrors and is not reticent about sharing them Newsweek * Adventurous...thoughtful... contains moments of great poignancy Financial Times * Iain Overton's starkly controlled prose allows us an insight into the emotions that come when we witness a shooting, and puts a human face on what often becomes just another statistic... one of the most thought-provoking books you'll read this year The National