What's on your bookshelf?
Good Books
By Kathy Jackson
So you want to learn more about self-defense, but you're on a tight budget
and can't afford a professional firearms training class right now. What
to do? Get your hands on any or all of the following books.
The books are not listed alphabetically, nor by author. They are listed
in the order in which I would purchase them if I were starting out as
a new gun owner today.
In the Gravest Extreme by Massad Ayoob
An oldie now, but still the definitive before/during/after the shooting
book. Most firearms books deal only with what you might need to know during
a deadly force situation. This one explores the decisions you must make
beforehand, the tactics and techniques you may need during the attack,
and the fallout you may experience afterward. Essential information for
the well-prepared citizen.
Effective Defense by Gila Hayes
Written by a woman for women, this book walks someone who is thinking
about getting a gun for self defense through the mindset, talks about
making The Decision, discusses firearms and equipment selections, nomenclature,
ammunition, grip/stance/sight picture, and more. Probably the best overview
of the "deciding to be a gun owner" process out there, and the
mindset discussion is particularly sane and well-directed toward ordinary
human beings who are not wannabe warriors.
Gunproof Your Children by Massad Ayoob
A must-read if you have kids at home, whether you own firearms or not.
It also makes a good gift book for dubious relatives who might otherwise
worry about your children's safety when you decide to purchase a firearm.
Safe, Not Sorry by Tanya K. Metaksa
The Truth About Self-Protection by Massad Ayoob
Principles of Personal Defense by Jeff Cooper
This classic little book discusses seven foundational principles without
which a defender is unlikely to prevail. It is written in plain speech,
with the Colonel's charmingly old-fashioned style. Many other personal
protection books deal with the details and outward flourishes of firearms
or defensive tactics. Cooper's little book is unusual because it cuts
right to the heart of the issues, and instead discusses the foundational
principles behind every successful defensive plan. Instead of giving the
how of personal defense, this tiny volume explains why
to select one defensive tactic rather than another.
Stressfire: Vol I by Massad Ayoob
A good introduction to the fundamentals of defensive shooting. If you
cannot take a class from an accomlished instructor, this book is your
next best bet.
The Ayoob Files by Massad Ayoob
Ayoob provides a dozen stories of armed citizens who defended themselves
with firearms, with a careful after-action analysis of what went right
and what went wrong in each case both during the events and in the legal
sphere afterward.
The Best Defense by Robert Waters
True stories of ordinary people who protected themselves with firearms.
The book is lively and well-written, while the stories themselves manage
to be both empowering and sobering at the same time. Waters worked from
original source material, court transcripts and police incident reports,
and interviewed each of his subjects individually. The result is a fascinating
and energetic look into the thoughts, actions, and feelings of those who
fought back and prevailed.
Into the Kill Zone: A Cop's Eye View of Deadly Force
by David Klinger
This book is a heavy dose of sober reality as it appears to dozens of
police officers who have killed people in the line of duty. Klinger draws
a few conclusions, but mostly lets the officers tell their stories in
their own words. While this is not light or easy reading, it promotes
honest thought and provides a good and necessary reminder of exactly what
it is you intend to happen when you pull the trigger. Not a good first
book, but perhaps a necessary one for honest balance once you have accepted
the burden of being armed for self-defense.
Guns, Bullets, and Gunfights by Jim Cirillo
A pleasant and upbeat counterbalance to the above, though the topic remains
just as serious. Cirillo was an NYPD Stakeout Squad officer who was involved
in over a dozen shootouts during his career. He tells his tales with style
and humor, and leaves you to draw your own lessons from them. If you ever
have a chance to meet this man in person, or take a class from him, do
it. He's a national treasure.
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this web site © 2006-2008 by Kathy Jackson. For permission to quote, please
contact author.
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