That Every Man Be Armed: The Evolution of a Constitutional Right [Minkštas viršelis]

"A revised and updated edition of Halbrook's 1984 book discussing the Second Amendment and the individual right to bear arms"--Provided by publisher.

Halbrook, a lawyer and gun enthusiast, presents a historical analysis of gun-ownership and the laws regulating them. Specifically he examines gun-rights in the context of the US Constitution and the history of gun-ownership in securing American freedom. This leads him to consider English common law, the American Revolution, the Civil War, Ancient Greek philosophy, and Supreme Court cases that subtend American gun laws. In an afterword on public policy and the Second Amendment, he argues that "overly restrictive interpretations of the Second Amendment are associated with reactionary concepts in several respects, including elitism, militarism, and racism." Paradoxically, in this revised and updated edition, "the text has not been materially altered," though a new epilogue "shows the progress of the [ Supreme] Court leading to the recognition of Second Amendment Rights." Annotation ©2013 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

That Every Man Be Armed, the first scholarly book on the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, has played a significant role in constitutional debate and litigation since it was first published in 1984. Halbrook traces the right to bear arms from ancient Greece and Rome to the English republicans, then to the American Revolution and Constitution, through the Reconstruction period extending the right to African Americans, and onward to today's controversies. With reviews of recent literature and court decisions, this new edition ensures that Halbrook's study remains the most comprehensive general work on the right to keep and bear arms.