Recommended Reading
As you have probably figured out from the rest of this website I have a serious interest in shooting, defensive tactics, and firearms laws. I've read a lot of books on these topics and I frequently get asked to recommend books for others to read. Here are my top picks.
Self Defense
In the Gravest Extreme - Massad Ayoob. Probably the best thought out philosophical book on the legal & moral issues with self-defense with a handgun
Principles of Personal Defense - Jeff Cooper. His best work. Skill training is meaningless without the proper mindset, and Cooper's Color Codes have become universally taught, even in self-defense courses that *don't* involve firearms.
The Tactical Pistol - Gabriel Suarez. Saurez is an Southern California police officer and SWAT team member, Gunsite graduate and firearms trainer. He manages to teach the art of gunfighting without succumbing to Col Cooper's excesses and self-indulgence. Not a treatise on the merits of 'the proper Weaver stance' but some very truthful down-and-dirty info about gunfighting from someone who has been there. Copies ordered directly from the Saurez website are autographed by the author.
The Concealed Handgun Manual - Chris Bird. Bird was the police reporter for the San Antonio Express News, and he's also a knowledgeable gun owner trained in defensive shooting. The book is an excellent companion to the Texas Concealed Handgun training course but is also filled with solid, basic knowledge useful to any concealed-handgun carrier.
On Killing - Lt. Col David Grossman. Army Ranger and West Point psychology professor explores the psychology of the use of deadly force. This book covers such topics as developing a survival mindset, how training can overcome our natural reluctance to use violence and still teach restraint in use of force, and the effects that extreme violence in our entertainment media have had on our culture in general.
A Matter of Personal Protection - Doug Briggs. Briggs' book is the best reference on Texas law (much better than the 'Texas Gun Owners Guide', which was written by people in Arizona), and it has an excellent overview of home and personal defense options.
Not An Easy Target - Paxton Quigley. Not as well known as 'Armed and Female' but a far better book on home defense, crime statistics, psych profiles on criminals, and other topics.
Gun Proof Your Children - Massad Ayoob. A good primer on dealing with guns in the home. A good companion to the Eddie Eagle program.
Shooting Techniques
Practical Shooting - Brian Enos. Simply put, the best book on the technique of handgun shooting ever written. Not about 'gunfighting' but the complete mastery of the pistol, from point shooting to 50 yard slow fire group shooting. It can be utterly perplexing on the first read, and only makes sense when combined with serious, focused practice. To shooting what 'The Tao of Jeet Kune Do' is to martial arts. After 10 years of national-level competition and hundreds of thousands of rounds downrange I am still learning things from this book. This book is now available directly from Brian on his web site.
Competitive Shooting - A. A. Yur'yev. Reprinted by the NRA, this book by the Russian Olympic Shooting coach is the companion to Enos' book. This book is extremely technical and is a must-read for any serious slow-fire bullseye/rifle shooter. The Russians took a very scientific approach to training shooters. The book includes diagrams tracking heart rate & performance, use of specific muscle groups in different shooting stances (figures like in Gray's Anatomy), and results of various experiments. For example: most shooters close one eye when shooting -- yet Russian experiments proved that closing one eye reduced visual acuity with the open eye by an average of 20% (not to mention decreasing peripheral vision and depth perception). This book is available directly from the NRA.
Fast and Fancy Revolver Shooting - Ed McGivern. Until the advent of IPSC and Rob Leatham, McGivern was probably the fastest, best shot who ever lived. Despite being written over 50 years ago his book still contains valuable knowledge about revolver shooting techniques.
Politics
More Guns, Less Crime - John Lott. A controversial book detailing Lott's research into the relationship between gun ownership, carry permits, and crime.
Point Blank - Gary Kleck. The best book on gun control and gun laws. A great overview of previous laws and a fairly impartial evaluation of various gun control schemes. The original source for the often-quoted claim that '2.5 million defensive uses of firearms occur every year, 90% of which occur without shots fired'
The Samurai, The Mountie, and the Cowboy - David Kopel . A comparison of firearms in foreign cultures and America. Kopel's thoroughly researched This book was recently awarded Book of the Year by the American Society of Criminology, Division of International Criminology, for it's outstanding scholarship.
That Every Man Be Armed - Stephen Halbrook. An excellent review of the legal, political and philosophical history behind the Second Amendment. Halbrook is a philosopher, scholar, and attorney who has recently and successfully argued firearms law before the U.S. Supreme Court.
Places to Buy
GunBookStore.com - run by the Second Amendment Foundation
Brian Enos' web page
Dillon Precision - one of the best places to find Enos' book, which is out of print. Many other titles in stock.
Amazon - the net's biggest bookseller
Police Bookshelf - run by Massad Ayoob
Gabriel Suarez' home page
LWC Books - run by martial arts author Loren Christensen. He also has books on firearms and other topics.