“A skillful mix of Bertie Wooster and James Bond . . . A thoroughgoing pleasure from beginning to end” (Booklist). From the multitalented British actor, beloved for his roles on Blackadder, Jeeves and Wooster, and House, this is a spot-on spy spoof about hapless ex-soldier Thomas Lang, who is drawn unwittingly and unwillingly into the center of a dangerous plot of international terrorists, arms dealing, high-tech weapons, and CIA spooks. “There is mystery, intrigue, sex, and violence, all of which Lang tosses off with sarcastic wit and remarkable poise. Laurie’s humor hits home. Although the subject is serious, even plausible, much of this comedy-thriller is laugh-out-loud funny.” —Library Journal “Suspenseful, hilarious, witty, surprising, ridiculous, and pretty wonderful . . . A delightful novel.” —The Washington Post Book World

Traces the history of the AK-47 assault rifle, from its inception to its use by more than fifty national armies around the world, to its role in modern-day Afghanistan, discussing how the deadly weapon has helped alter world history.

A deluxe paperback reissue of British actor (comedian, musician, and writer) Hugh Laurie’s acclaimed spy romp—starring Thomas Lang, a hapless ex-soldier who is drawn into the center of a dangerous plot involving international terrorists, arms dealing, and CIA spooks. Featuring an introduction by Hugh Laurie, and a foreword by Stephen Fry! Retired Army officer Thomas Lang would love nothing more than to live out the rest of his existence drinking whiskey and riding motorcycles, and is content to make ends meet with mercenary jobs—just never murder. Not even when he’s offered a fortune to assassinate American businessman Alexander Woolf. Lang opts to warn the target instead. But Lang’s good deed does not go unpunished. When he finds not Woolf, but Woolf’s alluring daughter, Sarah, and another less scrupulous mercenary closing in, Lang becomes entangled in an international conspiracy that lands him in the sights of both the Ministry of Defence and the CIA. Lang takes on rogue CIA agents, aspiring terrorists, and high-tech arms dealers to prevent an international bloodbath—and save the femme fatale he’s falling in love with. Robert Ludlum by way of—well, Hugh Laurie, THE GUN SELLER is a whizz-bang novel of suspense, espionage, and humor, perfect for crime fiction and comedy fans alike.

Lord Hideyoshi, the regent of Japan at the time, took the first step toward the control of firearms. It was a very small step, and it was not taken simply to protect feudal lords from being shot at by peasants but to get all weapons out of the hands of civilians. He said nothing about arms control. Instead, he announced that he was going to build a statue of Buddha that would make all existing statues look like midgets. It would be so enormous (the figure was about twice the scale of the Statue of Liberty), that many tons of iron would be needed just for the braces and bolts. Still more was required to erect the accompanying temple, which was to cover a piece of ground something over an eighth of a mile square. All farmers, ji-samurai, and monks were invited to contribute their swords and guns to the cause. They were, in fact, required to. -- from publisher description.

Twenty-first-century private detective Conrad Metcalf has a dead doctor on his hands, a monkey on his back, and a kangaroo in his waiting room in a first novel with a sharp-edged, funny vision of the future.

The basics are just the beginning. In fact, it's the first book on the entire field of .45 caliber arms and cartridges. Dean A. Grennell shows you the .45 Long Colt, .454 Casull, the .45 Winchester Magnum and such experimental cartridges as the .45 Super. 1911 Colt autoloader, too.

David Carr was an addict for more than twenty years -- first dope, then coke, then finally crack -- before the prospect of losing his newborn twins made him sober up in a bid to win custody from their crack-dealer mother. Once recovered, he found that his recollection of his 'lost' years differed -- sometimes radically -- from that of his family and friends. The night, for example, his best friend pulled a gun on him. 'No,' said the friend (to David's horror, as a lifelong pacifist), 'It was you that had the gun.' Using all his skills as an investigative reporter, he set out to research his own life, interviewing everyone from his parents and his ex-partners to the policemen who arrested him, the doctors who treated him and the lawyers who fought to prove he was fit to have custody of his kids. Unflinchingly honest and beautifully written, the result is both a shocking account of the depths of addiction and a fascinating examination of how -- and why -- our memories deceive us. As David says, we remember the stories we can live with, not the ones that happened.