Bruce Wexler – författare

Popular music in the 1920s called out for a guitar sound that was more dominant. Early experiments with steel cones or resonators, Hawaiian electric guitars and the first Electric Spanish style 6-string guitar in 1936 made musicians suddenly realise that it was possible to produce notes that could be amplified to any desired volume and this gave birth to the new less restrained style of playing. Finally the guitar could take the lead part and as rock music evolved the guitar was a natural choice of instrument. This stunning book traces the development of the instrument and the artists who achieved fame with it over seven decades, from Bill Haley to Jimi Hendrix.

The History of America—And Our GunsThe 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 brother Americans, each one playing a part in the eventual outcome of the war. After the Civil War came a period of frontier establishment when the country consolidated itself from coast to coast. The outside world knows this best as the Wild West, and again guns played a big part in civilizing unruly parts of the nation. Two world wars also tested America's ingenuity in ensuring that its troops were competitively armed. The invention of automatic weapons by John M. Browning made this a reality. In the post Second World War period the country has had to fight its way through Korea.Vietnam, and numerous other conflicts in the Middle East and Asia. Gun development has not stood still at any time in United States history, and this book illustrates fifty examples that form essential parts of that story.50 Guns That Changed America will explore the most significant American weapons from the early days of firepower to the amazing modern guns in use today, including: Simeon North/Hall pistolDimick plains rifleSpencer carbine rifleWinchester Model 1866Smith & Wesson Army revolverColt PeacemakerM60 machine gunArmaLite AR-18 machine gunEach firearm is illustrated in full color with archive photography of the manufacturers and the guns in action where possible.

Learn About the Guns that Brought America WestCarving a single nation out of a massive continent is not easy. The British, German, and Scots-Irish settlers that disembarked on the Eastern Seaboard of America needed to find a way West to unlock the full potential of their new country. Their first challenge was to find a way across the great mountain ranges of the East, including the mighty Appalachians. The mountain men were the first Americans to carve pathways through the mountains to the West. Beyond these massive peaks lay the Indian tribes forming a human barrier to western expansion. War with the indigenous peoples was quickly followed by conflict with Mexico as the American settlers fought for the lands of Texas and the Southwest. These military campaigns gradually drove the Frontier westwards. Ultimately, the country was united from the Jersey shore to the Pacific. Every mile of this American territory had been hard fought for, often using the firearms featured in this book. The guns featured date from the century between 1800 and 1900. Not only was this the most fascinating period in Frontier expansion, but also in gun design and manufacture. Guns of the Wild West also explores how the Civil War resulted in an explosion of both firearms technology and in the American population’s familiarity with guns and shooting. This created a potent cocktail that exploded into the truly “Wild” West.

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!

Of all the wild characters of the Western frontier, gunfighters were certainly the most feared and the most legendary. Was it their bizarre moral code, their depravity, their charisma and good looks, their temper, or their precise marksmanship that made them so memorable? The Gunfighters takes a closer look at the most famous Wild West gun slingers, such as Doc Holiday, Wyatt Earp, Jesse James, Billy the Kid, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and Wild Bill Hickok. The book explores the truth and tall tales surrounding their lives, and the tools of the “shootist’s” trade—some of the most iconic weapons ever discharged in the West.