" ... Most comprehensive reference book available to collectors, enthusiasts and sportsmen alike. Organized A-Z by country and gunmaker's name, the book ... shows the development of the gun from its roots in the 14th century in Europe, perhaps earlier in China and the East, and catalogs its evolution during the 18th and 19th centuries, when output and technology advanced enormously. It shows the different types ... the world has used to hunt, wage war, break and defend its laws, hone its sharpshooting skills, and fire purely for the fun of it ... Each section has an introduction to narrate the individual history of the type of weapon illustrated with archive photographs ..."--Inside flap.