Glock

The Rise of America's Gun

By: Paul M. Barrett

Narrated by: Kiff VandenHeuvel

Based on 15 years of research, Glock is the riveting story of the weapon that has become known as America’s gun. Today the Glock pistol has been embraced by two-thirds of all U.S. police departments, glamorized in countless Hollywood movies, and featured as a ubiquitous presence on prime-time TV. It has been rhapsodized by hip-hop artists, and coveted by cops and crooks alike.

Created in 1982 by Gaston Glock, an obscure Austrian curtain-rod manufacturer, and swiftly adopted by the Austrian army, the Glock pistol, with its lightweight plastic frame and large-capacity spring-action magazine, arrived in America at a fortuitous time. Law enforcement agencies had concluded that their agents and officers, armed with standard six-round revolvers, were getting "outgunned" by drug dealers with semi-automatic pistols. They needed a new gun.

When Karl Water, a firearm salesman based in the U.S. first saw a Glock in 1984, his reaction was, “Jeez, that’s ugly.” But the advantages of the pistol soon became apparent. The standard semi-automatic Glock could fire as many as 17 bullets from its magazine without reloading. (One equipped with an extended 33 cartridge magazine was used in Tucson to shoot Gabrielle Giffords and 19 others). It was built with only 36 parts that were interchangeable with those of other models. You could drop it underwater, toss it from a helicopter, or leave it out in the snow, and it would still fire. It was reliable, accurate, lightweight, and cheaper to produce than Smith and Wesson’s revolver. Made in part of hardened plastic, it was even rumored (incorrectly) to be invisible to airport security screening.

Filled with corporate intrigue, political maneuvering, Hollywood glitz, bloody shoot-outs - and an attempt on Gaston Glock’s life by a former lieutenant - Glock is at once the inside account of how Glock the company went about marketing its pistol to police agencies and later the public, as well as a compelling chronicle of the evolution of gun culture in America.

©2012 Paul M. Barrett (P)2012 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“This book - from a top-notch reporter - will enlighten you about both gun culture and business culture. It’s fascinating, even-handed, and packs considerable punch!” (Bill McKibben, best-selling author of The End of Nature, Deep Economy, and The Age of Missing Information)

“ Glock is a riveting tale with masterful pacing and meticulous research. Paul Barrett knows his subject intimately, and it shows.... It’s a must-read for anyone with an interest in handguns or the firearm industry or even American pop culture.” (Cameron Hopkins, editor in chief, Combat Tactics magazine; American Rifleman’s Industry Insider blog)

“With his customary insight and crystal-clear style, Paul Barrett has told the story of how a simple toolmaker from Austria came to be the dominant force in the manufacture and sale of pistols in the United States.... Glock is not at all just for the gun enthusiast. This book is for anyone concerned about the level of gun violence in America, and that should be all of us.” (Richard Aborn, president, Citizens Crime Commission of New York City; former president, Handgun Control, Inc.)

Very informative & intriguing!

Where does Glock rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I give this audible book an excellent rating as the narrator was clear and kept the interest and intrigue of the listener.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Glock?

The synergy of his company that set the pace for the flood of sales targeted to police departments in the US along with his brilliance in engineering such a phenomenal weapon that made GLOCK a recognized name in America

Which scene was your favorite?

There were many and not one in particular

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Story behind the world of GLOCK

A great book on guns!

This book is essential for understanding the gun culture in America!
It is the best book I have purchased so far.
R H

Nice Job realistic view..

Great performance as far as the read I agreed with 90% of the authors views pretty good in my world...

Glock Rocks

Great book enjoyed it, Very interesting on how the Glock became America's gun. Can't wait to buy another one

Great Background Knowledge

Really gives you a inside look at the transition from revolver to semi automatic handguns. Informative and revealing. Makes you think about the industry and insider deals. Worth the listen for sure.

bad quality recording.

bad quality download. lots of glitches. good story and narrative, just bad quality audio. maybe I should have re downloaded it.

Good history of Glock, his company and his pistols

Good overall history of Glock and his company and the many factors that made him a success in the US. Very interesting until the last few chapters when the author interjects his opinions about gun control. In his defense, he does state in several places that crime and gun statistics are very difficult to interpret objectively.

Authors, Please Get It Right!

Where does Glock rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

80th percentile.

Have you listened to any of Kiff VandenHeuvel’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Sit still for 8 hours? I don't think so!

Any additional comments?

This book was filled with interesting facts and figures regarding the Glock pistol and the narration was first rate. I consider myself a gun guy and maybe I'm picking nits here, but the author occasionally uses the term "clip" interchangeably with "magazine". To call a pistol ammunition magazine a clip in this otherwise fine book is, to me, akin to watching a fine symphony performance while a guy in the corner is scratching his fingernails on a blackboard!

All you want to know about the Glock

This book was recommended by someone I follow so thought I would give it a try. I was interested because all types of books I read, from spy stories to murder mysteries,the Glock is mentioned, As I knew nothing about the Glock I thought this book would educate me, which it did. This book is well researched and gives an in-depth history of the gun. It goes into the business of gun manufacturing and sales in great detail. I found it interesting when the request went out for a new gun design the established companies looked at the requirements and said it could not be done and the outsider with no gun knowledge Gaston Glock designed a gun to meet the government requirements. A good lesson for old established companies that you have to hire new engineering blood and keep pushing the R/D departments. The book also covered the gun culture in America and a company must have something Americas want to buy as the rest of the world has less interest in guns. The book also covered the gun politics in the USA. I do hope that Smith and Westin, Colt and the other US gun manufacture get it together and design guns to compete. Kiff VanderHeuvel did a good job narrating the story.

Thorough and Entertaining

The book was informative and engaging. The author took the time to get hands-on experience with the subject, and deftly handled more politically charged chapters of Glock's history.