The nineteenth was a century of acceleration, especially in
America, as the nation began to take hold of its “manifest
destiny”. It was the age of invention which propelled the
engine of change and expansion westward, perhaps
none more so than the six-shooter Colt revolver.

As author Jim Rasenberger wrote in the opening pages: “Compared to other great
innovations of the ear, such as Cyrus McCormick’s reaper, Charles Goodyear’s
vulcanized rubber, and Samuel Morse’s telegraph – in which Colt played a small but
significant part – Colt’s gun, a few pounds in the hand, was a featherweight. But it did
as much, if not more than, those others to make the world that was coming.”
His initial conception to actually getting his invention widely accepted and into the
marketplace took considerably longer than one might expect as stops and starts, design
flaws and the like had to be dealt with. Colt himself seemed rather undisciplined at
times, throwing away money he didn’t have to spend. In some ways it’s amazing he ever
successfully got his invention out there in the first place.

The book highlights a fascinating time in history – the 1800s, the century of
acceleration. Samuel Colt rightly deserves recognition for his contributions, despite his
personal shortcomings. For good or bad, his invention helped tame and civilize the
American frontier.

i really enjoyed learning about Samuel Colt, it was informative and fun to read. I could tell that the author had a passion for the topic

I've always admired Colt-the-company, not only for the famed "Peacemaker" worn by every self-respecting Hollywood cowboy but also for the AR-15 that morphed into the M-16 rifle and its descendants that have equipped the US Army for more than fifty years. But I knew little about Samuel Colt, a wild lad who went to sea and was flogged for stealing sweets; invented the modern pistol, with "a rotating cylinder containing several chambers" that would "discharge through one barrel"; raised the money to develop it by staging demonstrations of laughing gas; and acquired British and American patents for the device -- all by the time he was twenty-one -- and in the process more or less invented the "American System" of the assembly line and interchangeable parts. To be sure, this is subject to debate, thanks to Colt's habit of fabulizing, but Mr Rasenberger makes a formidable case for his version of the story. And he writes so well, swooping with apparent ease through wars both domestic and foreign, but especially those that so changed the United States in the second half of the 19th century. He irritated me by apologizing for choosing to write about a weapon, and by referring to "muskets" in the hands of American soldiers during the Civil War, by which time any shoulder weapon with a grooved barrel was called a rifle. But those are small sins in one of the best biographies I've ever read.

Revolver by Jim Rasenberger has been described as a “sweeping, definitive biography of Samuel Colt” – the inventor of the Colt revolver. However, it’s much more than that. It is also a snapshot of American history at a time of expansion in the western part of the United States and the beginning of the industrial revolution in the eastern half. It is the story of Samuel Colt, ambitious and innovative, who lived life completely. When he died at the age of 47, he was one of the most famous men in the country and also one of the wealthiest.

Revolver is well-researched and informative. I found it to be quite interesting, although the writing style is somewhat dry and often felt like an academic exercise. I would have preferred a storyteller’s approach, which would make the story more reader-friendly and, in my opinion, more interesting, exciting, and compelling.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.

olt is one of the most recognizable and authoritative brands of firearms in present-day America. They are a household name here in Texas, my husband’s grandfather even had a picture of their founder framed and hanging in his office (he was a gunsmith). The South and revolvers are so deeply entrenched in each other’s history it’s hard to picture one without the other, but how did this marriage happen?

In “Revolver: Sam Colt and the Six-Shooter That Changed America”, Jim Rasenberger excavates the life and unbelievable story of the inventor of the revolver (or six-shooter) and founder of the Colt’s Manufacturing Company, Samuel Colt. Sam had a rocky, yet well-connected upbringing. He was able to get a job sailing on the Corvo, where he would make the first prototype for his gun, and by selling nitrous oxide hits to crowds of people, he was able to save money and file for a patent. Colt’s company is initially a failure, but with the help of Texas’ war for independence and the California Gold Rush, he eventually achieves success, becoming a progenitor of industrialization, an embodiment of Manifest Destiny, and one of the most wealthy men in America.

This story is extraordinary, sometimes unbelievable, celebrity-riddled, and bloody. At several points I questioned what I was reading. This story is as wild as the west it partly takes place in, but Jim Rasenberger manages to hold on to the reins and guide the reader through the flurry that was America in the early-to-mid 1800’s. He takes a (somewhat) unapologetic view of the people and events in Sam’s life, with a directness that is refreshing.

Some of the more technical aspects of Rasenberger’s writing such as gun part measurements were a bit slow and clunky to read but they’re short and easy to get through. What I really appreciated from him was the willingness to admit that he didn’t know. A lot of times in writing biographies or other works of nonfiction, people try to fill in the gaps with rumors or speculation to write a cohesive story, but he is quick to let the reader know if something is just a rumor, or if he was unable to find information on a particular person or event. One thing I wish Rasenberger would allow his reader to do is sit with how uncomfortable history can be. There are many instances of racism and genocide in the story of Sam Colt; this is the time of Texas independence and western expansion. I felt like he added a qualifier if anything too ugly happened. You can’t polish a turd, as they say in Texas.

This book was honestly a joy to read. It had all the excitement and outlandishness of a western film but with the right amount of “what the *bleep*!?” that is the tell-tale of a true story. I lost count of the instances of me reading parts to my husband because of the audacity and reach of the people in Sam Colt’s life. This isn’t to say Colt didn’t do some audacious things himself. One of my favorite authors, Edgar Allen Poe, was inspired by the suicide (or murder?) of Sam Colt’s brother John, while he was on death row. The crime he was convicted should be a book of its own. Needless to say, besides the glossing over of some tough history, I highly recommend this book. Order it today. You won’t regret it.

Samuel Colt lived just forty-seven years, but in that time, he made a profound impact on the settling of the West, warfare, and American manufacturing. He made his fortune by being brash, ruthless, and clever. He could also be stubborn, indulgent and petty. All these qualities define a man who had a vision for his invention, but then needed to marshal financial and political resources to achieve his success. His accomplishment was quite stunning given his lack of formal education and role models. He traveled throughout the States and abroad to create his empire. In every sense he was an American success story garnering friends and enemies, supporters and nay-sayers; frequently using friends and family to meet his needs.

But the author does much more for the reader than to give a profile of this man. Colt’s greater achievement may have been in establishing the beginnings of assembly line manufacturing based upon specific machinery to produce standard parts. Rasenburger also gives a great historical background to the time period that enabled Colt to succeed. The author deftly touches upon the rise of Texas, the development of Westward expansion, coming conflicts with Native Americans, the demise of the buffalo, bloody Kansas, the beginnings of the Civil War, Mexico, and colonial and European Wars.

For those expecting a moral treatise or a glowing account about the revolver, they will not find that here. This is history; moralizing and praising comes in hindsight (although there are some who had inklings about what would evolve). Lastly, there is the unexpected: romance, a scandalous murder and a mysterious woman.

Highly recommended. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

The true story of a man whose life had a huge impact on history. Sam Colt was a larger than life character in an era when many men were making huge changes in the lives of everyday Americans. While the title is Revolver, Jim Rasenberger's excellent story is on Sam Colt, the man. We learn how his invention of the "six shooter" swept across a growing nation to provide the tool used most by lawmen and ranchers in the era. But we also see how this one invention allowed Sam Colt to write his own ticket to success. If you did not know this was non fiction, you could easily rank the story as one of the best western fictions written today. An outstanding tale of an era that would influence history across the continent. It is also a very entertaining read of a very entertaining character.

I don't usually read books about this time period but I'm really glad I did. I really feel like I learned about sam colt. Highly recommended

I thank Scribners for providing me with a review copy of Jim Rasenberger's "Revolver: Sam Colt and the Six-Shooter that Changed America." This text takes Samuel Colt's creation of his iconic revolver in the first half of the nineteenth century and uses it as a nexus and a sort of literary device to examine the industrial revolution and the ways in which this particular weapon influenced American society and the developing popular culture of the expansive young Republic. I must admit that upon first gazing upon the title I rather misunderstood what was to come. That it to say, I have a fascination with technological history and thought that this would be more tightly focused on the technological history and development of the revolver itself. It isn't that elements of this are not present, but they clearly take a back seat to a close focus on the wild ride that was the life of Samuel Colt. In fact, one would not be remiss in classifying this as more of a biography than a technological history. Nonetheless, it is a fascinating read, and the influence of Colt, both through his weapon itself and through his marketing and industrial activities, makes for a useful critical approach to the development of the American economy in the years prior to and just after the War Between the States. I recommend it to anyone interested in studying the development of our economy and the "American Dream" in the first half of the nineteenth century.

This book is well researched and well written. The author’s writing style is engaging and brings history to life on the pages. The book is a biography of Samuel Colt and his development of the revolver that bears his name. It reveals some of the myths surrounding Colt - some of which he started. He was an interesting character who was able to get several people involved in his dream.

This is a very good book and I recommend it to anyone who is looking for a good read about the development of the iconic american six-shootes

I received a free Kindle copy of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher with the understanding that I would post a review on Net Galley, Goodreads, Amazon and my nonfiction book review blog. I also posted it to my Facebook  page.

I received a free ARC from Net Galley

Wonderful, wonderful TRUE book on the origins of gun control, because those in control have them! Here is what really defeated the mighty Indian nation and actually changed the balance of national and world power and it fit in your hand! . The inventor a man who lived several lives (at least it appears), and the invented, the first weapon that could fire multiple rounds without reloading. Insightful in what made America American, in industry and in battle. Very well done. Make the time!