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Reviews were generally favorable. Reviewers contrasted the broad scope of the book (automatic rifles) with its nominal scope (the
Kalashnikov rifles), and noted the coverage of both technical aspects and social impacts and that the narrative is a human story, involving inventors, generals, and
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casualties. According to reviewers, Chivers' experiences as Marine, journalist, and weapons expert informed the work. The most common criticism was that some topics were considered diversions by reviewers who took the central topic to be the development of the
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the principal activity of the Cold War, and automatic rifles would prove the most lethal weapons of the Cold War.
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Roughly the first third of the book is devoted to the history of the development of
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Roughly the final third of the book covers the contest between the AK-47 and the
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450:"The Gun: The AK-47 and the Evolution of War by CJ Chivers – review"
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or the contest between the AK-47 and the United States'
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Chivers deconstructs the Soviet origin mythology of the
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A history book about the AK-47 rifle and its variants
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481:"Top Gun: How the Kalashnikov conquered the world"
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602:AK-47: The Weapon that Changed the Face of War
236:. Chivers draws in part from his interview of
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638:"Q&A with C.J. Chivers About 'The Gun'"
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593:Article from 2016 covering related scope.
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543:"Book review: 'The Gun' by C.J. Chivers"
389:Keefe, IV, Mark A. (October 29, 2010).
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332:"The Flesh and Blood Behind the AK-47"
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298:Chivers, C. J. (12 October 2010).
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417:Kim, Robert (October 16, 2010).
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228:Invention and distribution
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182:first Soviet nuclear test
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306:. Simon & Schuster.
659:At the Internet Archive
424:The Wall Street Journal
664:registration required
541:(November 26, 2010).
632:Simon & Schuster
517:The Wilson Quarterly
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512:"Armed for a Fight"
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271:Kalashnikov pattern
238:Mikhail Kalashnikov
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643:The New York Times
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574:(August 4, 2016).
368:The New York Times
363:"Arms and the Man"
337:The New York Times
328:Hennessey, Patrick
206:automatic firearms
547:Los Angeles Times
313:978-1-4391-9653-3
234:Kalashnikov rifle
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139:/aboutthegun
81:Oct 12, 2010
539:Rutten, Tim
279:Vietnam War
254:Vietnam War
218:Paul Mauser
210:Hiram Maxim
56:Non-fiction
675:Categories
285:References
194:proxy wars
190:unwinnable
156:about the
359:Boot, Max
244:Aftermath
135:cjchivers
124:795609613
66:Publisher
600:(2006).
178:Cold War
168:Synopsis
162:variants
44:Language
20:The Gun
627:The Gun
302:The Gun
277:in the
264:Reviews
252:in the
200:Origins
149:The Gun
130:Website
47:English
650:May 2,
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552:May 2,
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180:: the
34:Author
486:Slate
158:AK-47
96:Pages
52:Genre
652:2018
606:ISBN
589:2019
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137:.com
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