Search results for ""Author Bruce Wexler""

The History of America—And Our Guns The history of the United States is, like it or not, interwoven with the history of firearms. The young colony needed technologically advanced arms to hunt for food for survival and to maintain a secure base in the face of Native American opposition to European settlers. As the Vikings discovered several centuries earlier, the Indians were tough opponents expert in the use of bladed weapons and bows. The advent of firearms gave European settlers an advantage, although it was only a matter of time until the Native Americans gained access to firearms themselves. Ironically, this was often through unscrupulous white traders. Because these superior weapons gained them their freedom, the principle of the right to bear arms remains etched into the American psyche to this day.   Since then, the US has been through a terrible Civil War, at which time many different guns were invented and deployed against brot

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Relive the Old West with illustrated biographies of Western luminaries like “Buffalo Bill” Cody, Charles Goodnight, Bill Pickett, William and George Calloway, Joseph McCoy, and more! The glory days of the Old West cowboy lasted for only a couple of decades, but during this short time the cowboy's reputation became a fundamental part of the American mythos. The Cowboys delves deep into the world of these iconic men. It gives an intimate insight into the tough working conditions of the cowboy's working kit, which has now achieved iconic status. This book even investigates the legendary Cowboy Code that governed the conduct and behavior of these rough-hewn men.The Cowboys examines the wider social impact of the nineteenth-century American cattle industry, which not only encouraged the building of railroads and new cattle towns in the western states, but also drew many different kinds of men to the frontier. Investors, freed slaves, crooks, ex-soldiers, and other would-be adventurers all took the opportunity to make a new start as cowhands and ranchers in the Wild West. The Cowboys investigates the life of the average cowboy and tells the stories of some of the most successful cattlemen. Even today, American culture continues to evoke the iconic persona of the cowboy through rodeos, movies, television, toys, books, and music. The Cowboys is a celebration of all aspects of the extraordinary cowboy legend.

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Buckle Up and Get Your Kicks on Route 66​! Originally paved in the 1920s, the 2,451 miles of Route 66 have been a staple of the American Road Trip and have become an iconic thread running through the life, history, and culture of America. Spanning a total of eight states and stretching from Chicago all the way to the Pacific Ocean, Route 66 was appropriately named the "Mother Road" by John Steinbeck. An icon of American Folklore, Route 66 details slew of old gas stations, restaurants, diners, rest stops, and other attractions. Each must-see vestige is peppered with the history of the area. Route 66: Ghost Towns and Roadside Relics takes the reader along the whole length of the most iconic stretch of road in the world. The book brings the essence of the Mother Road to life as it swings by nostalgic towns, faded motels, vintage gas stations, dilapidated signs, and famous landmarks on the route. So buckle up and Get Your Kicks on Route 66!

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