Lethal Passage: The Story of a Gun by Erik Larson

Lethal Passage: The Story of a Gun Reviews

• 
  Samantha

  In the interest of full disclosure, I didn't make it all the way through this book. I really like the author's other books but this one was not what I expected. I was more interested in hearing the story of this kid and the school shooting but that turned out to just be mentioned for maybe one graf per chapter if that. The rest is just facts and dates about gun production and gun laws. It might have been interesting still, but it was just so incredibly biased and one-sided. I felt insulted as a reader - like Larson just used this one shooting as an excuse to cram his agenda on gun control down my throat and didn't expect me to notice. I don't really have a firm stance on gun control issues but I definitely think that the arguments used in this book are unfair and seem more like scare tactics than reason-based logic. One of my major gripes with Larson in this book is that for all of his amazing research skills as an author, he seems to completely misrepresent the issue at hand. If I were going to write a book about gun control in America, I would have at least sought to acquire a basic understanding of what the 2nd amendment is about. Because even I know it's not about hunting as the book suggests.
• 
  Matt

  I have decided to embark on a mission to read a number of books on subjects that will be of great importance to the upcoming 2020 US Presidential Election. Many of these will focus on actors intricately involved in the process, in hopes that I can understand them better and, perhaps, educate others with the power to cast a ballot. I am, as always, open to serious recommendations from anyone who has a book I might like to include in the process.
  
  
  This is Book #2 in my 2020 US Election Preparation Challenge.
  
  
  While the gun debate in the United States Has long been making headlines, it takes on new dimensions when Erik Larson is at the helm. Larson uses his strengths in pulling history together and offering intense analysis to provide the reader with something about which to think before making a decision on a matter. Using a little known school shooting in December 1988 as a launching point, Larson looks at some of the factors Around how Nicolas Elliot could bring a gun to school and end up killing a teacher. However, it is so much more than this, as Larson explores the history of guns in America and how they became 'the cool thing to have' as well as being so readily accessible. Larson discusses how guns made their way into American Western literature and movies, as well as many television shows from as far back as the medium was an option. As Larson posits, guns have become something society is so accustomed with that it is hard to see a United States without them. Even toy commercials marking something as seemingly innocent as ‘the super soaker water gun’ as being a weapon to permit retribution for a committed wrong.
  
  Larson also explores the politics of guns, which is itself a murky venture. From a discussion of the many pieces of legislation—both state and federal—to the emergence of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF), much has been done create an apparent government presence in the discussion of gun ownership. Larson effectively argues that laws about the sale of guns are still flimsy and ATF agents are not 'gun police' but rather enforcement after a violation has taken place. Issues around straw purchasers (people who purchase guns for others) prove the central issue and tie in directly with the aforementioned Elliot school shooting, where the boy's cousin purchased the gun for him, in front of a dealer who feigned ignorance. All while the National Rifle Association (NRA) stood by and used their pithy catchphrases to point the blame elsewhere, a stance that came into effect when the group politicised themselves in the latter part of the 20th century. At present, politics is surely not on the side of protecting the citizenry, but rather keeping guns in the hands of those who want them (even if they are not entitled to them, under the law). Larson offers the reader some great ideas about how one might help create a buffer to ensure rules are tightened to protect the victim, while not impeding the rightful owner of guns from exercising their inherent 'right to bear arms'. While Larson does not discuss this, it is clear that many who beat the drum on their 2nd Amendment right are as deluded as the politicians who cite their hands are tied while funnelling NRA monies into their own coffers. An eye-opening look into the world of guns for the curious reader and surely another winner by Erik Larson. Recommend to those who enjoy learning about some of the controversial topics floating around the American political world these days, as well as the reader who enjoys Larson's in-depth exploration of history and tragic events.
  
  I always come away with something stellar when I finish an Erik Larson tome, feeling myself better educated on the subject and ready to engage in a thorough discussion. This was a different type of Larson book for me, seeking not to retell the intricate details of a single historical event, but rather to offer a 'soap box' presentation of an issue as a whole. I applaud Larson for his detailed research on the matter and found that the presentation was done in such a way as to make it highly impactful. Layering facts about gun sales and violence between portions of the Nicholas Elliot story was masterful, permitting the reader to see the parallels where they do exist, as well as using a single event to tie the discussion together. This frank discussion of events offers a sobering look at the issue while also forcing the reader to take a side, or at least pushing them to feel something related to the matter at hand. The other books penned by Larson that I have enjoyed were more focussed on a single historical event, making this one quite unique. I learned as much, if not more, as I traversed the world of guns and their role in the American psyche. While the book may be somewhat dated, its information is still relevant and offers the needed 'call to arms' (if you pardon the poor pun) to make a difference. While perhaps not a key presidential issue in 2020, one ought to understand where the two candidates stand on gun control and how their leadership will shape the approach to control and violence over the next four years. Think about it and choose wisely!
  
  Kudos, Mr. Larson, for another great piece of historical analysis. I can always count on something that gets to the heart of the matter.
  
  Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
  
  http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
  
  A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge:
  https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
  
  
  
• 
  Jeffrey

  Erik Larson, in 1993, wrote Lethal Passage, and asked his audience what would it take for America to recognize the need for gun regulation. 20 years later, the book is still relevant, although gun violence has only continued to increase.
  
  On page 228, Larson writes, "In discussing this book with my editor and her marketing associates, we all came to the same conclusion. This book would never lack for a promotional tie to a national news event because a new massacre was bound to occur within the viable lifetime of the book, and this massacre would be more horrifying than the last." Sadly, this statement has proven to be accurate beyond measure. Larson targets gun dealers as primarily responsible for arming individuals who otherwise shouldn't possess a weapon, and he uses the story of Nicholas Elliot to illustrate his point.
  
  If you are a defender of the Second Amendment, I ask you to read this book and answer one question - is Larson's Life and Liberty Preservation Act truly unreasonable?
• 
  Chaz

  I think given the passage of time, I would consider this book to be... Quaint. Yes, that's a good word. Quaint. It harkens back to a wistful time when school shootings only happened a few times a year and when body counts rarely exceeded a half dozen... You know... Stories that were a big deal in the early 90's but barely cause a ripple in national news today. The fact the this book ends on a positive and hopeful note, yet was published five years before Columbine, is just so very... Depressing.
  
  Well written, well researched. Not the best Larson book maybe, but still worth reading.
• 
  Sebia

  scary, educational and engrossing
• 
  Fishface

  An excellent read. The author traces the progress of a single semi-automatic pistol from its point of origin to the scene of a school shooting, using the stops along the way to illustrate what is wrong with a system that allows anyone to buy a gun and use it any old way, as one dealer, distributor, engineer and government office after another steps up to deny any responsibility in the mayhem that follows.
• 
  Patricia

  This book is disturbing and infuriating. Also informative.
• 
  Dan Downing

  Five Stars here, for Erik Larson: Minus values for the American public, the American legal system and if there were justice, a death penalty for our legislatures. Larson begins with the school shooting and killing in 1989. Then he traces the manufacture of the gun, the sale of the gun, the laws regulating gun sales. Larson keeps a level head, joins the NRA, goes to gun shows, takes firearm training. In the end he offers a recipe for laws and regulations which he thinks would save countless lives and he also knows there isn't a chance in hell of anything like it ever seeing passage.
  
  I joined the NRA in my early 20s, after having almost ten years of experience with firearms. I own them. And I have been reading the horrible crap that the NRA and other 'rights' organization peddle to stifle 'gun control' for years. They have no logic, no sound reasoning. They spew nonsense and fools suck it up. (Noted: many NRA members, myself among them, obviously, disagree.) We do not stand behind bans, not confiscation, merely rational guides to keep firearms away from the crazy and the incompetent.
  Twenty years after the events described by Larson, there was ANOTHER mass school shooting in Virginia Beach. We have seen horrors unfold in our papers and TV screen but we continue to let a few greedy, insane individuals run roughshod over our lawmakers and ourselves. We are idiots.
  Highly Recmmended.
• 
  Suzanne

  First of all, I don't personally like guns and I never have. I do understand why people want them and enjoy shooting them. I like that this is not an anti-gun or a pro-gun book. With this book being 25 years old and me never having any interest in buying a gun, I don't know if it's as easy now as it was then, but I can see no reason why a person should be allowed to buy more than 1 of the same gun at once or more than 2 different guns at one time. I also agree with the author on some of his suggestion. If we are going to make a person demonstrate they can safely operate a car and follow the requisite laws of the road, and make people obtain a license to hunt or fish or sail a boat, why aren't we making them demonstrate they can safely operate a gun and have basic gun safety knowledge? It doesn't infringe on anyone's "rights" to have some regulation.
  Furthermore, if a bartender can be held personally liable for the later actions of a person they served a drink to, why can't a gun dealer? (Let me be clear, I don't think either of those is fair or just but where is the consistency?)
• 
  Sandy

  This is the story of American gun culture told through the story of bullied schoolboy Nicholas Elliot, who plots his revenge by acquiring a handgun and then opening up on his teachers and classmates in a private Christian school in Virginia in December, 1988. Larson traces the history of the Cobray M-11/9 from its creation to its arrival in the hand of an angry young man in the context of (deliberately) lax legislation that makes it easier to get a gun than to get a driver's license in the United States.
  
  Larson challenges the myths that suggest that gun ownership is part and parcel of the American character by citing statistics that show how our permissive gun culture undermines the safety and security we crave.
  
  Larson does his research and tells one compelling story.
• 
  Dan

  A lot of the reviews for this Larson were disparaging. This isn’t my favorite Larson book but I really enjoyed it. Additionally, I highly recommend this read to anyone interested in learning more about gun violence in America. I feel it important that instead of relaying hearsay in discussions about guns that we focus on self education and kindness.
• 
  Mark Singer

  Like the previous reviewer stated this is still relevant, unfortunately. People who want to argue the second amendment are missing the point, besides being clueless.
• 
  Julie Christiano

  Like his later works, a masterpiece. However, this one tears at the heart because we know the ending.
• 
  Matthew Ochal

  Like everything I've read from Erik, this is a super interesting and well written read. It is worsened slightly simply due to its age (and the fact that not everything covered is the exact same 26 years later). Hence the 4/5. Despite that, it gives an interesting and well examined look into what is still an ongoing issue.
• 
  Wild

  This might be my least favorite Erik Larson, it just didn't have the grip that all the other books had. Still, I think it has critical points, especially these last years in America but it didn't bring more points of view.
• 
  John

  This somewhat dated book (1992) provides much scary information about American society’s gun culture. Author intersperses story of how a deranged teenager was able to carry out an assault on a Virginia Beach school using an automatic pistol with facts about how gun dealers and the National Rifle Association have intimidated legislators into legal irresponsibility. Even weak existing restrictive laws have many loopholes. Mentioned also is how the NRA distorts the U.S. Constitution’s 2nd Amendment; they scoff at the qualification that the right to keep and bear arms applies only to members of a well regulated militia. Book was written before the infamous Columbine, Virginia Tech and Tucson assaults. The chilling, creepy gun culture remains with us.
• 
  Judy McCarver

  I have to admit when I picked this book up, I had no idea the copyright was 1994. That was the middle of my years in law enforcement. So much of it was so familiar and rang true for that period of time. Sadly, if Erik Larson would do an updated version of this book, how much more needless death and carnage that has happened since, could be reported. This book chronicles the journey of a gun, traces that gun, and how it got into the hands of a 16 year old boy who shot up his school in Virginia Beach December 16, 1988 killing one teacher and critically wounding another, traumatizing the school and students forever.
  
  There is a constant debate going on all around us about the need or not for gun control. I wish everyone on both sides of the coin would read this book. Just a few inside notes from the book: "The lack of uniform system of federal regulations allow traffickers to shop jurisdictions for the easiest commercial conditions..." Erik Larson; What this means that if you say for instance: "Chicago or Washington DC have the strictest gun controls and the highest level of gun violence," what you're not telling your listeners is how many of the guns used in those crimes were easily obtained outside of those jurisdictions. "Buying a gun should be the most difficult consumer ritual in America. instead of one of the easiest.......The right laws moreover can even give gun buffs a greater appreciation for the dangers inherent in the weapons they buy and demonstrate society's conviction that owning gun imparts a monumental rersponibity to the owner." Erik Larson;
  
  Personally I hear these three arguments ALL the time about why we should NOT consider better legislation for keeping guns out of the wrong hands and they go like this: 1 If they take our guns, they will take everything from us. 2 If they would enforce the laws they have, then guns would be controlled and bad guys wouldn't have them. 3 It's my God given right to own a gun.
  
  With regard to #1: We have to stop linking gun control measures to socialism. We have largely the NRA to thank for this. Their propaganda with regard to this matter has been going on since the early 20th century. I'm conservative and not for socialism in healthcare or education or gun control for that matter. Socialism in government is reckless and dangerous. It is on its face not characteristic of a free country. Period.. Oh my could we talk about this for hours? However, even so, I practice good common sense when I look at the carnage of loosey goosey gun laws allowing minors, the unstable, criminals and the like to get a gun easier than they can get a pack of cigarettes for God's sake. Let's take our heads out of the sand and try to save lives while not taking guns away from legal owners. Can we already?
  #2 You have no idea what you're talking about. The laws as they exist, are simply not comprehensive enough and do not allow for unstable individuals to be prevented from getting guns. The private dealers are equal to or far outweigh the federally licensed dealers, not that the FLL's are following guidelines above board. It's as easy to become an FLL as it is to get a drivers license. (Both should be much harder than they are in this country) And private sellers are absolutely prolific. Do you honestly believe that legal gun owners making private sells of weapons are corporately following the rules and practicing good ethics in that affair with regard to who they are selling their weapons? Maybe a handful at best.
  #3 It's my God given right to have a gun. This isn't in the bible. Quit already. And when you have time, read Micah 6:8 Please quit mixing your religion with politics. It points people away from Jesus.
  
  In case you are wondering, the author does thankfully address both Americans’ and the Entertainment Industry's obsession with violence, blood spilling and carnage both on prime time tv and movies. Ironically some of the largest voices for gun control come from individuals in the entertainment industry. But much like manufacturers and distributors and FLL’s they claim 0 responsibility for the amount of violence happening in communities across this land. As well as the young children who are drinking up their relentless and copious amounts of tv and movie violence. Larson did not discuss video games but let's face it, kids younger than 10 are exposed to so much violence through these media sources that it is extremely disturbing. And I would ask, where are parents in all of that? Are parents screening their kids screening time? I’m afraid not. Not nearly enough.
  
  What bothered me the most in this book, is the lack of responsibility or accountability that anyone is willing to accept for their part in the death and dying and violence that happens as a result of major fire power being easily delivered into the hands of those with evil intentions. From manufactures, to distributors to FLL's to private sellers, (and less you think that these three goups are all above reproach and adhering to the letter of the law, think again. Some of them are of course, but there are 1000s of them who are not) and also down to us, me, the person who simply lives here in this great country. We have become so accustomed to gun violence that we only take a minute to move on to the next thing in our life, unless of course it happens to us.
• 
  Chuck Nantz

  Larson, as usual is very readable and holds your interest. Still, his draw to me is the depth of knowledge he has and research he does. This book doesn't have that. He's basically taken one side of an issue and presented it without any consideration of the other side. The preachiness wears thin.
• 
  Beth Peninger

  I wasn't raised around guns. I wasn't raised to hate them or love them. I was wholly indifferent to them. Guns entered my world through an accident involving my brother and a toy gun...or what he thought was a toy gun. Fortunately, the accident didn't end in death or even serious injury but all of a sudden everyone in our family was a little more aware of guns. Then, in my home state of Colorado, on April 20, 1999 the Columbine High School shooting occurred. With each subsequent mass shooting my awareness of guns was heightened. I didn't even know, until this month when reading this book, about the December 16, 1988 shooting that happened at a school and resulted in one death and one critical injury. It's that shooting that caught the attention of author Erik Larson and gave him the idea to trace the life of the gun that 16-year-old Nicholas Elliot used.
  
  Nicholas obtained a Cobray M-11/9 and several hundred rounds of ammunition because he was fed up with the bullying he was receiving at school. He didn't really know what he was going to do with the gun and ammo but he was sure he wanted to scare the boy who was bullying him and show everyone else that he should be feared. What he ended up doing was critically injuring one teacher and killing the one teacher who had been kind and generous with him. His bully, and everyone else, was spared due to consistent jamming of the gun and its trigger.
  
  Larson didn't write this book because he's anti-gun. He wrote it because the topic of gun control, in the early 1990s as it is now, was contentious. And he was curious about those against gun control and those for it. In an effort to do due diligence, Larson obtained a federal license to sell guns, joined the NRA, started attending gun shows, and began seeking out and interviewing gun advocates. He also researched the history of firearms in America and the journey our nation has traveled from the implementation of Amendment 2 to "today" (today being 1994 when this book was published). Larson told the story of Nicholas Elliot, what drove him to obtain a gun (illegally), and the day of the shooting.
  
  I find other reviews of this book that claim that Larson is biased and one-sided on the issue of gun control baffling. And yet, those against gun control of any kind would find Larson's thorough book exactly that due to the fact that they can't see beyond their "personal" right to carry AK47s and other military-issue weaponry. Ridiculous. What Larson does, after doing due diligence to understand and enter into the side of those who are against gun control of any kind, is propose really reasonable, logical, and smart requirements. It is beyond my understanding how proposing such requirements is a restriction of personal liberty etc. While Larson kept an even tone and a neutral position (and he truly did keep neutral in issue overall) I couldn't help but say several times, aloud, "what in the actual fuck is wrong with these people?" Listen. Nobody and I really mean NOBODY, needs to carry the kind of weapons anti-gun control people say people would be allowed to freely carry and wave around. Seriously. Larson was able to stay neutral so I'll say what he didn't. What the fuck is wrong with people?
• 
  Rachel

  This is a difficult book for me to rate. I totally agree with the books recommendations and am passionate about the topic. Also I consider many of Erik Larson's other books my all time favorites.
  
  But the book didn't work for me. Larson's penchant for extensive research and excruciating detail came through, but it didn't work for me in this book. I'm sorry but a 38 page chapter on the myth of the old west and Hollywood's influence on our gun culture? Really?! Sometimes it was just lists of evidence proving his point over and over and over again.
  
  And the tangents were frustrating. I'm sure Larson came across lots of seedy characters and fascinating parts about our violent culture, but did he really have to share everything interesting that he learned. The whole LONG section on Palladin Press and bomb makers was tangental at best. The book really would have benefitted from more discipline on content.
  
  The book also spent really little effort on the story of Nicholas Elliott and the shooting which was very interesting and I would have appreciated more on that story. Instead of a story, it read like a 285 pages news article. Lists of facts as evidence to prove his point. I found myself skipping large sections of text because of boredom and almost gave up on the book in its entirety. (However I didn't because I'm behind on my Goodreads challenge and I need all the credit I can get for my reading).
  
  Some positives though. I am amazed at how effective Larson was at getting people to open up and the thoroughness of his research. He is clearly a class A investigative journalist but needs more discipline as a writer. I found the section on ATF interesting, not terribly surprising though. I also found his overall argument as summarized in the last chapter compelling and well done. He certainly is prescient about things to come. He also certainly got my dander up about these actors who lack scruples and their justification that if they didn't sell this crap then someone else would.
  
  I'm certainly passionate about this topic and also welcome a read that informs me more on the topic, but this book was a slug. If you want to read a book about gun control, I recommend looking elsewhere. If you are a fan of Erik Larson like I am, skip this one and read his other books, the Devil in the White City, In the Garden of Beasts or the Splendid and the Vile. These are all magnificent books and his details enhance the story not detract from it. Even Dead Wake was a much more enjoyable read.
• 
  Ben

  This seemed like an ok book. That being said I’m giving it 4 stars for now but may someday upgrade it to 5 because of how thought provoking it is.
  
  I’ve liked everything else by Erik Larson so this was on my to read list for awhile, an allure being added that it was difficult to find as an audiobook, only available on Audible. Now onto my thoughts on the book. Excuse me if they are a bit scattered or rambling.
  
  When I first started the book I didn’t realize that it was 25 years old. I was a little kid then and gun violence really wasn’t a big part of my world. It wasn’t until Columbine in ‘99 that it came to my forefront. In the past 20 years it seems gun violence has become even more common than the author made it seem. Truthfully I don’t know enough about a lot of the rules, stats, and specifics that were discussed but I’d like to think there’s been some improvement. At least I hope so.
  
  That being said I’m not really sure if there has been. My more personal story with guns is years ago my ex-wife who was heavily into guns and pushed me to get a pistol permit. By taking a weeknight course I was able to get a permit that would have allowed me to legally purchase a gun. I know as with anything you need to continue to practice but after getting the permit I felt totally unprepared to use a gun without supervision. Then a few months later her and I went to a one day course and were able to get a non-resident Utah permit. So now a person who really had no idea how to use a gun could carry one in over 60% of the country.
  
  I am very much a libertarian but prior to reading this book and even more so afterwards I think we need some serious but sensible gun control. I liked that the author wrapped up the book with a plan of action and while I didn’t completely agree with all tenets of it, plenty of his points made sense. It baffles me that the pro-gun side is so adverse to any changes since the changes do not truly effect law abiding citizens. It’s been long enough the populace has relied on the gun manufacturers, dealers, and owners to govern themselves and clearly they’ve proven that they cannot do so safely for the general public.
• 
  Pamela Paterson

  The sad thing about this book is that it was written in 1993 and nothing has changed, if anything things have gotten worse with the introduction of the internet and the expiration of some gun regulations. School and mass shooting body counts seem to be higher and if the shooting at Sandy Hook didn’t bring some gun control then I don’t think much will. Probably the only thing that works with the PTB is when it hits their wallets. Time and time again we see that politicians, lobbyists and corporations value the almighty dollar over peoples lives.
  
  The gun culture in the US is one I just cannot wrap my head around. Why do people feel the need to have weapons of war locked in their gun safes in their basement. When Larsen said that he applied for a license to sell guns and was asked what level of license he required, 9 being the highest which would allow him to sell explosives and incendiary devices my only question is why. Why does someone need these things not to mention AK47s, high capacity magazines and anything else that’s main goal is to kill as many people as possible? I am completely baffled!
  
  I am also sick to death of hearing the Gun Rights groups bleating on about if we have gun regulations then they will come take all your guns. That is not going to happen. If gun control came in the form of someone wanting to register me and my guns then I say absolutely. If you have a problem with this then questions need to be asked about what you have to hide. I sure they will whine on about their rights. If there is a mass shooting in any other country the governments and the people are united in their calls for gun control. What happens in the US, gun sales go up, the Gun Rights groups double down on the ‘they’re coming for your guns’. It’s disgusting.
  
  Now I’m off my soap box I will say that this is a book like every Erik Larsen book has an incredible amount of information, some of it is a bit repetitive but then I listened to it on long distance trip and sometimes a recap in a regular book is needed.
• 
  Patrick

  
  I read the 1994 edition with its 1995 afterword (First Vintage Books Edition). This historical narrative begins with incidence of 16 yr old Nicholas Elliot and a Cobray M-11/19 having magazines that fire 20 or so rounds in a second or two. Larson’s research finds where the gun came from - retailer, distributor and manufacturer. He demonstrates how easy it is for anyone to buy a gun of any type, how easy it is to get a gun-dealer license and bypass all the rules for retail gun purchasers, and how many guns are sold from person to person and there is no check at all. At conclusion, he outlines a proposed “Life and Liberty Preservation Act” that would limit some of the most common acts that put guns in the hands of criminals, the insane, the despondent, etc. Then, he readily admits it has no chance in hell of ever passing. He then gives analysis is of the NRA and its influence on legislation related to gun ownership. His main points: The HQ of the NRA is adamant against any new regulation on gun control. Although most members do not object to regional registration, most also are not entitled to vote for the officers who do all the lobbying. Only those who have been members for 5 years or are life members get to vote. There is a great turnover in membership as people join to get a course, get instructors to a civilian course, and various legitimate reasons. The NRA, he reports, has about as many membership cancellations each year as they have new members. So, a few in DC control the ideology. This book is a very interesting revelation of some little known facts regarding the gun industry. It is not as riveting a “page-turner” as some of Larson’s other historical narratives (White City, Lusitania, etc.), but perhaps his most important for Americans to read and understand in view of today's many tragic and horrific mass shooting incidents.
  
• 
  Israel

  The most interesting aspect of this book is this story is twenty years old but still relevant today. Erik Larson approaches a school shooting in Virginia back in 1988 by telling the story of the shooter Nicholas Elliot and the gun he used the Cobray M – 11/9. The first thing that struck me about this book is that Larson spends so much time telling the story of the Cobray and not that of the shooter. I’ve just become accustomed to the detailed profile of school shooters and not of the weapons they use. On the other hand this is a theme of Larson’s writing that I noticed when I read another of his books “The Devil in the White City”. In “Devil” Larson would write long chapters about the development of the landscaping for the Chicago��s World’s Fair and other assorted details while on the other hand only giving the reader short chapters about the serial killer living in the midst of the World’s Fair. In “Lethal Passage” its more of the same long chapters dealing with ATF regulations among other details and only short chapters dealing with the school shooting and shooter. In both cases I feel Larson sacrifices the emotional side of the story for the analytical side.
  
  While I think the choice to develop the analytical over the emotional in “Devil” in many ways hurt the book in “Lethal Passage” it strikes just the right tone. Larson goes into great detail about the development, production, and marketing of the Cobray and opens my eyes to many aspects of gun development and marketing. For example gun manufactures will make guns that meet the very letter of the law but with only minor modifications can become lethal killing machines. In many cases these modifications are so easy a high school kid can do them with only little instruction, and instructions can be found almost anywhere from gun magazines to gun shops to most certainly the internet today. Larson then turns his attention to the gun dealers and the way in which guns are sold. This part of the book provides more insight in to the lengths to which gun shops will actually bend or break the law to sell guns to those that by law aren’t allowed to own guns. The laws that gun dealers must be in compliance with to sell guns are extremely lax (at least in 1993 they were) only $30 for a dealer permit and gun shops are required to keep detailed records but there is little no no accountability for shops that don’t keep the required records. An example Larson uses is of a gun dealer in Michigan who refused to keep the required records for years and it took the ATF 15 years of administrative action and two administrative appeals to revoke the license of just one gun dealer.
  
  Larson also discusses the media influence on the gun culture in America and how that culture continues the gun violence even today. Larson goes into detail on the gun media that sells their handbooks and gun parts in classified ads in the back of gun magazines. One publisher in particular: Paladin sells a variety of handbooks such as Breath of the Dragon: Home built Flamethrowers, Ragnar’s Guide to Home and Recreational Use of High Explosives, and Hit Man: A Technical Manual for Independent Contractors. It is this type of media Larson asserts that turns law-abiding gun owners into gun crazed militants and young kids into gun owning killers. Larson also attacks Hollywood movie producers for telling stories with large amounts of gun violence and for pushing the idea that when a character in a movie has a problem he/she gets a gun and the problem is solved. I thought about this when I saw two movies this weekend (The Great Gatsby and The Place Beyond the Pines) in both movies characters who encounter problems use guns to solve their problems. One only of the two movies ended in murder at the hand of a gun but I leave you to guess which one.
  
  Lethal Passage challenges the reader to confront the willful disregard for moral reasoning in America’s gun debate. Gun manufactures follow the letter of the law on one hand but provide limitless amounts of information on how to skirt the law with the other. Most gun dealers don’t follow laws that apply to their shops because there isn’t any accountability for breaking the law intentionally or unintentionally. Most gun consumers and owners don’t understand the responsibility of owning a gun and the damage it can inflict because the media glorifies gun ownership and shows the results of using guns to solve problems as all American. Larson uses his last chapter to propose a new gun law he calls the Life and Liberty Preservation Act (LLPA). I won’t go into detail on the LLPA only to say that many of the proposed regulations proposed by Larson are smart, practical, and in the long run could change the gun culture in America for the better.
  
  Everyone in America needs to take ownership of the moral imperative surrounding guns and gun ownership. Manufactures need to own the fact that when they produce a gun for the military, and then try to market that gun to the public, the results are in many cases are tragic much like the school shooting described in the book. Gun dealers need to own the fact that they must take more responsibility when selling their guns to the public. Many gun dealers in the book say “I’m not going to judge my customers” and that is their right, and I would agree with them, but they do have the right to refuse to sell guns to anyone and they should use more common sense when confronted with a questionable customer. In the case of a questionable sale many gun dealers will just sell guns to customers with out-of-state licenses, no identification at all, or older customers buying guns for children like what happen with the gun used in the shooting highlighted in thew book. Gun owners and consumers need to own the fact that guns are dangerous and shouldn’t be threatened by regulations that modify gun sales and ownership. In many cases these regulations will save lives and saving lives is the moral imperative surrounding the gun debate in America.
  
  Larson describes a discussion between his publisher and distributor about “Lethal Passage” in which a prophetic conclusion was reached. They determined that “This book would never lack for a promotional tie to a national news event because a new massacre was bound to occur within the viable lifetime of the book, and this massacre would be more horrifying than the last”. When I read that passage all of the gun massacres that have happened since 1993 crossed my mind (the last massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary actually motivated me to read this book). The only question I could think of is how much longer will we ignore the moral imperative and willingly allow this kind of destructive gun violence to continue?