Gun barons

In this riveting work of narrative history, veteran reporter John Bainbridge vividly brings to life five charismatic and idiosyncratic men who, living within 90 miles of one another, changed the course of history through the invention and refinement of the repeating firearm - the precursor to today's automatic weapon. We follow these men as they compete ferociously, each trying to corner the market for repeating weapons in the years running up to the outbreak of the American Civil War and during the war itself. In this wide-ranging work, Bainbridge tells a gripping story of tenacity, conviction, innovation, debauchery and pure heartless greed.