Glock: The Rise of America's Gun

Book is an incredible history of the famous Glock pistols, from the background on inventor Gaston Glock, an Austrian genius, to the hijinks of getting the pistol adopted by police forces and militaries around the world. Thoroughly enjoyable, whether a Glock pistol owner or student of history.

First, to be perfectly honest, I am not a Glock guy. I bought this after Gaston passed away just to learn more about him. The book is, in all honesty, a very well written book, and very informative. The only reason it doesn't get 5 stars from me is because the author put his 2 cents in about gun control, actually saying he didn't see nothing wrong with a ban on mags over 10 rounds. Before he said this, the rest of the book is very fair and balanced, the author not taking sides one way or the other. I assume in an attempt to appear "reasonable" he had to go ahead and spout off about that. The rest of the book filled me in on a lot of behind the scenes intrigue at Glock. It truly is a facinating story how Glock became the success that he was and the company is. He sure was no angel, but then again, none of are. Like him or not, he pretty much changed the face of the gun industry, in that everyone makes their version of a Glock these days.

Interesting read, good storytelling. Is there any ethical businesses. Greed seems to have a hold on people. Shame shame shame

Glock: The Rise of America’s Gun is an interesting look at the Glock empire. I enjoyed the book from start to finish.

So, I had this book at work, and offered to loan it to a co-worker after I had finished reading it. The conversation went like this:Me: "Want to borrow this book? It's a good read."CW: "GLOCK isn't America's gun."Me: "I think by being top in sales they are."CW: "MADE IN AMERICA! A Springfield 1911 is America's gun, MADE IN AMERICA here in Illinois!"Me: "You do know that Springfield makes a lot of their part in Brazil and just assembles the guns in Illinois?"CW: "Still better than plastic parts from Germany."Me: "Austria, not Germany."CW: "Whatever, it's the same country."Me: *facepalm*Yeah, I guess I have that effect on people.Anyways, this book is a pretty darn good read. I'm no fantastic literary critic, but I enjoy books that are clear, concise, and give me a good insight into things that I didn't experience firsthand. GLOCK pistols were only becoming the favorite gun of Hollywood when I was in my teen years, so I wasn't in a position to become anything like a GLOCK enthusiast until the pistols were into the 3rd generation of production (starting in 1998). This book gives a very nice run-down of the start of GLOCK, entering into marketing, and becoming the dominant sales leader.Does the book cover everything is as good a detail as a lot of people might like? No, you're just not going to get that information from Gaston Glock. One of the benefits of being the owner of a private company is that you don't have to divulge sales numbers, profits, or any other inside information. Herr Glock knows quite a bit that he's keeping to himself and probably will take to the grave. Therefore this book just can't cover the details that I was clamoring for, and others might like to read as well. I'd say that small defect would bring this down to a 4.5, but I'll round up to a 5 since it isn't the author's fault.

Great read with more than a handful of great lessons applicable to any business or entrepreneur. The author does a great job at making a dry subject fun and memorable with direct quotes from the people involved.The only problem was the binding came undone exactly halfway through the book as you can see. Not the author's fault. I still recommend the book!

I find it puzzling that there are negative reviews that slams the author for passages/facts that of course do not agree with these reviewers ideology....which explains to me that there are those that do not want to know the truth behind a perceived icon of a distorted view of the 2nd Amendment.I have firearms and build them/service them/reload/habitually practice/etc...so for anyone saying or replying that I am anti gun...just stop right there and this is not the case. As it is said...know your enemies and friends alike and keep both of these close to you....friends are sometimes your worst enemy. Are there gun owners that do not want to know the truth? Of course.This book shows both sides of the isle...Pro Gun and Anti Gun...there is no sides taken in this book as some reviewers want you to believe in their review/post.....this book just brings to light as to why Glock pistols became "America's Gun". Of course this book cannot be a blow by blow playbook of events and time frame from the beginning of Glock pistols...it does give you the "Why's and How's" of the birth and propulsion of the Austrian made pistol and the man behind it all...and the host of characters that pulled strings and pulled shenanigans (And Gaston Glock is no saint as well!!...just read the current state of affairs and the legal problems for Gaston Glock being brought to light these days!)..a lot of it very suspicious and bordering on being downright illegal....the sex club...the pay offs...the money laundering....the anti gun screw ups and back tracking and lies/fabrication of facts as well....come on! This book just lays it out there! And some posters find this book biased? There isn't one shred of bias input here...it is just a straight up brief over course of the Glock pistols rise to dominance. I found the writer to be honest and simply shedding light on sequence of events that led to the success of Gaston Glock's firearm.Yes...I have read current event articles in current news that correlates to facts published in this book...so forget about this being a fantasy book.I have Glock pistols...I have other pistols but l am in the process of selling most of my other non Glock brand pistols/firearms so I can buy more Glocks. I do find it disturbing that the exposure of both insider ideology of gun control...and the NRA in particular...rally only cares about the "Bottm Line" money/fund raiser wise which this has been known for years and years...but again...this book isn't out to take sides...this book is just lays the foundation as to why Glock's are.."America's Gun".

I purchased this book as a gift for a friend who is a firearms collector. He enjoyed it immensely.

for all GUN & TECHNOLOGY LOVERS.Readable/enjoyable and then it becomes a little slow like a DOCUmentary.Great insight into GASTON GLOCK and his PISTOL.

Nice, easy to read about the history of the most famous pistol ever : Glock. Some history, some facts, some reports this book is a fun to read.

Wer kennt sie nicht? Die Glock-Pistole, Symbol für moderne Feuerwaffen! Was der Colt Single Action Army für den Western und der Colt Government für unzählige Kriegsfilme, Krimis, Gangsterfilme ist, ist im moderne Krimi und Actionfilm die Glock!Dieses Buch hält sich nicht lange mit Vorgeschichten auf, sondern springt direkt ins Geschehen der frühen 1980er, berichtet wie der Österreicher Gaston Glock seine neue Glock-Pistole konstruierte und diese schließlich durch geschicktes Marketing und Preispolitik ihren Siegeszug antrat. Dabei wird auch deutlich, wie einfach und schnell in den USA sich Polizeibehörden für eine neue Waffe entscheiden können und welche Kaufkraft ein Land mit einem liberalen Waffengesetz hat. Denn als deutscher Leser fragt man sich doch, weshalb die Glock 17 nicht von deutschen Unternehmen entwickelt und erfolgreich vermarktet werden konnte? Zwar gab es zuvor schon ähnliche Waffen wie die VP70 oder die P7, beide von Heckler & Koch, die aber nicht annähernd solch einen Verkaufserfolg hatten wie dieGlock-Pistole in ihren unterschiedlichen Ausführungen.Zwischendurch berichtet der Autor auch von zivilen, amerikanischen Waffenbesitzern und ihren Erfahrungen mit der Glock-Pistole und belegt anhand tragischer Ereignisse, wie schnell unbewaffnete Zivilisten zu Opfern werden können, etwas, dass die deutschen Medien grundsätzlich ignorieren und schönreden, egal wieviele unbewaffnete Bürger Opfer von Verbrechen und Gewalttaten werden.Aber der Autor berichtet auch von den Schattenseiten dieser neuen Entwicklung:Die neue Pistole mit ihrer hohen Magazinkapazität rief schnell Waffengegner auf den Plan, die entsprechende Gesetze nach sich zogen, was aber den Verkauf der Glock-Pistolen nur noch mehr förderte. Das Buch zeigt eindrucksvoll, was durch geschicktes Marketing erreicht werden kann. Während sich heute viel zu viele Waffenhersteller wegducken und vor links-pazifistischen Medien und Politikern einknicken, zeigt dieses Buch, wie dem durch geschickte Öffentlichkeitsrabeit begegnet werden kann.Eindrucksvoll belegt ‚Glock - The Rise Of America’s Gun’ wie wenig Politiker und Medien gegen eine Sache ausrichten können, wenn viele Bürger und Wähler samt einer schlagkräftigen Organisation eine Sache vertreten. Und so leben weiterhin viele Amerikaner den zweiten Zusatzartikel zur amerikanischen Verfassung aus:Gut, dass das Recht auf Waffenbesitz und einer wohl geordneten Miliz Bestandteil der amerikanischen Verfassung ist. In Deutschland fehlt ein solcher Zusatz im Grundgesetz - noch, denn auch hierzuland erfreuen sich endlich wieder mehr Menschen amSchießsport und sehen im Angesicht neuer Bedrohungen in ihrem persönlichen, täglichen Umfeld die Notwendigkeit einer Bewaffnung ein, um ihr Leben, Gesundheit und Eigentum zu verteidigen! Das Buch zeigt eindrucksvoll, was für eine interessante und nützliche Sache der Waffenbesitz sein kann, wenn man sich nicht ständig von linken Weltverbesserern ein schlechtes Gewissen machen läßt, sondern einfach Freude an der Sache hat!Während in Deutschland fast nur negative Berichte und Dokumentationen veröffentlicht werden, meist von Journalisten, Pazifisten und Wehrdienstverweigeren, die von Waffen eh nichts verstehen, zeigt ‚Glock - The Rise Of America’s Gun’ eindrucksvoll wie sich zum Thema Waffen ein interessantes Buch schreiben läßt, in dem eben nicht Waffenproduzenten und Waffenbesitzer aufs Korn genommen, sondern positiv dargestellt werden. Daran sollten sich die deutschen Medienvertreter und Waffengegner mal ein Beispiel nehmen, hier könnte echte Toleranz bewiesen werden.‚Glock - The Rise Of America’s Gun’ ist klasse geschrieben, ohne sich allzu sehr in Details zu verzetteln. Dabei ist das Buch interessant, niemals langweilig und einfach interessant zu lesen.

A great, well researched journey from ideas, to manufacture, to distribution and ultimately to defining and leading a market. Not a huge gun fan, but from a business strategy and execution perspective, some fantastic lessons, approached and perspectives. A good read...