The revised third edition of the landmark Guns in American Society provides an authoritative and objective survey of the history and current state of all gun-related issues and areas of debate in the United States.

Guns in American Society: An Encyclopedia of History, Politics, Culture, and the Law is a comprehensive and evenhanded three-volume reference resource for understanding all of the political, legal, and cultural factors that have swirled around gun rights and gun control in America, past and present.



The encyclopedia draws on a vast array of research in criminology, history, law, medicine, politics, and social science. It covers all aspects of the issue: gun violence, including mass shootings in schools and other public spaces; gun control arguments and organizations; gun rights arguments and organizations; the firearms industry; firearms regulation, legislation, and court decisions; gun subcultures (for example, hunters and collectors); leading opinion-shapers on both sides of the gun debate; technological innovations in firearm manufacturing; various types of firearms, from handguns to assault weapons; and evolving public attitudes toward guns. Many of these entries place the topics in both historical and cross-cultural perspective.










Serves as the most comprehensive single source on the gun issue published to date, drawing on a vast array of research in criminology, history, law, medicine, politics, and social science in more than 400 entries




Places topics in historical, political, and cross-cultural perspective




Carefully cross-references and appends entries with suggested readings, representing the best of current scholarship




Provides a chronology of important events and developments related to guns in American society




Include appendices on federal gun laws, state gun laws, and organizations involved in gun debate (on both sides)