Dan Baum (courtesy tateredcover.com)

Dan Baum is one of those “I support the Second Amendment but—” guys. Where he differs from the other gun rights appeasers: Dan is a master wordsmith. As I said in my review of Gun Guys, A Road Trip, Baum’s tome is “one of the best-written books about firearms enthusiasts I’ve ever read. To shun Gun Guys simply because its author fails to understand the true meaning of his subject would to be miss out on some wonderful literature.” And now you can delight and aggravate yourself in equal measure with the dramatically cheaper paperback version. Oh, and Dan may not be a friend of ours but he is a friend of mine. I sincerely hope that he rethinks his decision to turn his back on guns and gun rights and once again provides fresh meat for our commentators brings his amusing and passionate voice back into the “debate.”

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40 COMMENTS

  2. Anyone who has a hankering for 313 pages of limp-wristed, condescending claptrap should definitely read “Gun Guys.” They won’t be disappointed.

  4. I have read the book and liked it. Yes, he may not get that the only reasonable gun laws would be similar to those in Arizona and Vermont, only better, but no book can change my mind on that anyway, so I was able to enjoy the rest of it.

  5. Can’t…read…it…no…time…got…to…keep…training…got…to…stay…in…condition….red….trust…no…one….stay…awake…and…alert….need…more…guns…need…more…ammo…

  6. I read Gun Guys and liked it very much. I didn’t agree with everything in it, but the man is not a dolt and his words flow nicely. The most boring thing in the world to me is reading a book with which I agree completely.

  7. I have a copy of this book, but haven’t gotten around to reading it yet.

    I gotta say, though, I don’t think he could have taken a more douche-y photograph. I don’t know if it’s the hat, or the Mauser, or the shirt, or the asinine smirk, or some combination thereof, but every time I see that photo, I just want to smack him. He could be a fire-breathing 2A absolutist, and that photo would still stir in me a deep, primal urge to inflict a beating…

    • I don’t think he could have taken a more douche-y photograph.

      That’s how I feel about every photograph of Tom Clancy on the back cover of his books.

      Military unit ball cap, aviator sun glasses, leather flight jacket, and posing with his arms-crossed.

    • ….I just want to smack him.

      I don’t feel the urge to smack, but he does give off a serious ‘dilettante gun hipster’ vibe. It’s very easy to imagine him saying something like “Polymer pistols are just so mainstream.”

  8. Read the Kindle version. Excellent writer, great subject matter. We disagree on some very foundational issues (I suspect even the author now cringes at some of his flippant comments praising Obamacare), but nonetheless an enjoyable, entertaining, and in some ways even informative read.

    • I once read Chairman Mao’s Little Red Book. Hideous, as it turns out, but at least Mao said “all political power comes from the barrel of a gun”.

      Did Baum say anything like that? I didn’t think so.

  9. I read his book (courtesy of The Pirate Bay, because I will not financially support someone who does not respect our rights) – it’s well written and some of his interviews are good, but every chapter is dripping with condescension towards gun owners and anyone who is not a Democrat.

  11. You know who else is a Gun Guy, Alton Brown… seriously. I’d LOVE to see an interview with him!

    Regarding Dan Baum, I read a few chapters of the book and didn’t really have a problem with it. He at least gets most of his facts right. So if people pick it up hoping to laugh at gun owners, they’re also going to learn how much their own preconceptions about gun control are totally wrong.

  12. I liked the book for several reasons, but to me it is a very well written, accurate, and enjoyable collection of observations of the many diverse types of gun owners across America. You don’t have to agree with any of his opinions, or conclusions to enjoy the book.

  14. I know Dan to be a good writer, and at this point more than half the comments (once you take away the 5 from WB) say it was good, so I suppose I’ll check it out.

  16. Are you going to tell us when it gets to the dollar table too? Seems like there might be better guns books to showcase… So, Metcalf gets slaughtered, and this guy gets the TTAG puff job?.. interesting in itself.

  18. Good writer? Yes. Good read? Overall, yeah. Favorite chapters were Hogzilla and the Mosin story. His bias bleeds through but I can let it slide – he’s nowhere near as condescending and know-it-all patronizing about guns as some of the people in my CUNY grad school. Exit question: Guns With Dan Baum & Hickock 45 on Outdoor Channel?

  19. I read it and liked it. Good insight into the mind of a committed liberal who is at least willing to confront his bias. Reminds me of the quote: a conservative is a liberal who has been mugged by reality. I think Dan was a bit roughly treated in comments here but he also got caught a couple times in traps of his own illogic… Takes a big man to admit when you are wrong and hope hd will come back.

    • “Reminds me of the quote: a conservative is a liberal who has been mugged by reality.”

      Sounds more like a liberal that carries a guns has been mugged by reality. I’m a conservative and not ever lost touch of reality let alone get mugged by it.

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