“The Guns of John Moses Browning” by Nathan Gorenstein joins “John M. Browning: American Gunmaker” by John Browning as authoritative biographies for the world’s most prolific firearm designer. (Photo by Michael Anschuetz)
I once learned that Gen. George S. Patton read every book in a library. I was a young man, and that feat seemed impossible. However, the statement had a profound impact on my psyche. I began to consume military history books from the school’s library starting around 5th grade. I looked forward to public library visits with Mom, sometimes as often as every two weeks when returns became due. It didn’t take long for me to exhaust the library’s collection and explore other topics. One of my first stops at the library was the magazine rack, and even then, I poured through the pages of Guns & Ammo.
Perhaps I inherited Dad’s paranoia that those who didn’t...