Since today, March 2, is National Read Across America Day (inspired by the birthday of the beloved children’s author Dr. Seuss), I thought it might be fun to do a book roundup for gun owners and 2A enthusiasts. Of course, this list by no means exhausts the amazing titles that are available (and relevant). But it’s a decent start!
No matter if you are young or old, experienced or new, I attempted to offer a variety of genres and styles, written for everyone from competition shooters to children. Some of these books I have read and even reviewed previously on the blog. Some of them are on my growing “to-read” list. But each of them offers a great opportunity for the responsibly armed to continue firearms and self-defense training and learning.
Here they are in alphabetical order by author!
With Winning in Mind: The Mental Management System (Lanny R. Basham)
Challenging and eye-opening, with sound, ready-to-apply tactics for reaching success.
While I have yet to read this one myself, my husband recommends this book to everyone. And he has talked about it so many times I could probably write a pretty decent review. The focus of this Olympic gold medalist’s work is on the mental game of shooting. And whether or not you’re even involved with shooting matches or competitive sporting events, the insightful and useful tidbits from this book can help any shooter at any level learn to recognize and overcome mental roadblocks. That’s something extraordinarily useful both on and off the shooting range.
A Time to Kill: The Myth of Christian Pacifism (Greg Hopkins)
Very deep. Very thorough. Not an “easy” read but an incredible reference tool.
For Christian gun owners who are questioning whether they could (and should) be armed, we can learn from this book that protecting the innocent from the wicked is supported in Scripture. A former attorney and firearms trainer, Hopkins uses skills and experiences from both worlds to offer a challenging and refreshing study of how protecting life within our legal limits is not only allowed by God but also encouraged and justified. Full of research, specific verses and detailed examples, this book challenges the falsehood that Jesus was a pacifist and that Christians need to be nonaggressive at all times. It also provides moral clarity to those who question whether their support of self-defense is also supported by the Bible.
Free of Malice (Liz Lazarus)
Hard-to-put-down legal thriller that highlights responsible gun ownership and training.
Lazarus’ first novel (which is based, in part, on her own true-life experiences) is an entertaining and educational tale. And it provides a poignant reminder of how important it is that responsibly armed Americans are safe, vigilant, alert and (fittingly) free of malice. While this page-turning storyline holds its own, Lazarus does an outstanding job of presenting pieces of the story in a way that teaches the reader essential information, such as the importance of firearms safety and training, the seriousness of using a gun for self-defense and the potential horrors of the legal system. Because of this, Free of Malice could actually be a great gift for the anti-gun person or the new gun owner in your life. Or gift it to anyone who would enjoy a good book that just happens to teach sound firearms fundamentals!
The ABCs of Guns (Yehuda Remer)
Fun and easy to read … and re-read. Great for kids of all ages!
Tired of teaching your kiddos the old, worn-out “A is for apple” and “B is for bat”? How about “A is for ammunition” and “B is for barrel”? While this book was definitely designed for a child’s learning and entertainment, The ABCs of Guns holds a place of honor for many gun enthusiasts. Remer’s book, which teaches the alphabet right alongside aspects of the Second Amendment, is just a fun, all-around favorite. My 7-year old daughter and 11-year old son both love this book … and have learned a thing or two about firearms! Buy this fun read as a gift for a child or for any gun owner. I assure you that both will enjoy it equally well.
Good Gun, Bad Guy (Dan Wos)
Great research and preparation for deconstructing the mass media narrative and for dealing with those who are anti-gun.
As a self-proclaimed word nerd, I really appreciate Wos’ in-depth look at the tricky language and rhetoric of the anti-gun world. He also reveals and breaks down the dishonest (and sometimes radical) methods and fake statistics the mass media often uses to misinform and mislead the public. Essentially, Wos takes the “debate” out of “gun debate” by weeding out feelings and focusing on facts. But the author doesn’t just offer one book. There are actually three volumes of the same name, each adding even more details to the narrative that all responsible gun owners need to know.
