Armed America: Portraits of Gun Owners in Their Homes

In 2004 after a fractious election in which the gun argument played a significant part, photo-journalist Kyle Cassidy hit the road to learn why so many people owned so many guns. His search for answers took him on a journey that extended over two years and 15,000 miles. Ultimately, more than a hundred gun owners opened their doors and their lives to him, answering the single question he asked: "why". The result is a collection of striking and thought provoking photographs.

Few issues generate as much debate as firearms. Without taking a pro or con stance, Armed America shows the faces of American gun owners and gives voice to each individual "why"... without ancillary comment, editorializing, or judgment. These "everyman" portraits reveal people from different backgrounds, living in various locations, with one common connection. "I tried to remove 'gun owner' from my mind as much as possible when making the actual photograph," says Cassidy. "I would go into someone's house and immediately start thinking 'how can I capture this person or this family fairly?" While it would be very easy for any photographer to pose a man with a military weapon in a stern and menacing way, light it dramatically and come away with a shocking photograph, Cassidy chose another more accurate and startling route. "I would ask myself 'What's this guy like every day? How do his friends and family see him?' He's a guy who owns a parakeet, or two cats, or a poodle, he's got two kids -- he doesn't frown all day long because he's got a gun." This riveting collection of over 100 photographs will capture every reader's attention and voyeuristic intrigue -- whatever their stance on gun control.

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All Customer Reviews
Average Customer Review:
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

Interesting, and a bit terrifying..., but very eye-opening, 2008-11-02
I've always been interested guns and war (and human horror), but it's just very interesting to see the diversity of people who own guns and their reasons why.

It's really interesting to try to read the different people, what they say, and they way they pose to try to gain some understanding into different American's psyches.

It's odd that so many of the subjects talk about guns as a "reset" button for democracy. If we had a better political process, it might not come to that. I can't tell if those subjects want it to come to that. They love shooting after all. It's also a bit disturbing when the subjects compare them to tools, because I don't see people posing and cherishing their hammers. A better comparison might be how people identify with their cars, which are arguably more dangerous.

Ayoob writes about the distinction between being a sheepdog and a helpless sheep, and the risks of turning into a wolf from the empowerment of guns.

All in all, a great book, especially if you are anti-gun. Being put out of your comfort zone and trying to understand is a really fun experience.

Ironically, I didn't get a gun until after this book.


0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

puts a face to the 57 million firearm owners in the US., 2008-07-01
Great pictures showing the diversity of firearm owners across the country. This is a great book to show your friends if they are of the "all gun owners wear camo and drive pickup trucks" mentality. My only gripe is there are no firearm owners from Illinois in the book, When Illinois suffers from deep-seated stereotypes that law abiding citizens work hard every day to overcome.


0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

A Look Inside Americans and their firearms, 2008-07-01
Excellent book. This book presents average people from all areas of american culture and their reasons for owning and using firearms. Some for defense, some for hunting, some for target shooting all humans. This isn't a portrait of "crazed madmen" running bazerk with their automatic weapons. They are real people with real interest in firearm ownership. None of which are used for gang violence, street killings or criminal activity. People who are conscience and responsible gun owners. A great book with a very non-biased view of the people and their firearms.


2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

Gun-totin' folk and a few pets, 2008-06-17
Kyle Cassidy got the inspiration for this fascinating book while at his vet's looking through a copy of `Hunting Dogs: a Photographic Tribute'. If Krause could publish that then they might publish his book, which was just an idea at that stage. I was very pleasantly surprised when I first flipped through it because the publishers are known for mostly doing books for collectors and hobbyists which don't have the same design criteria as art photo titles. The book looks the part with one large photo on each right-hand page, printed with 175 screen on matt art paper.

As other reviewers have noted Cassidy pushes no point-of-view with his photos and this, I think, is one of the strengths of the book. Here are average folk in their homes with their pets, books, furniture and guns. I doubt that the photos would have quite the same impact if they were taken outdoors, while the owners were hunting or at a target range because the interiors reflect the personalities of each person and this contributes another strength: these photos are a snapshot of how many Americans lived at the start of a new century.

The photos are taken in a no-nonsense style: no fancy angles, soft-focus or other techniques because it's just not necessary. The people and their homes have enough visual pull to grab you as the pages are turned and a nice extra, on each page facing the photo, are their views on firearms. Another neat idea, in so many of the photos, was to include family pets and Cassidy seems to have captured them as relaxed as their owners.

With 198 impressive photos I thought Armed America worked as a perfect photo book and it could turn out to be a classic as the years go by.

***FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer images' under the cover.



0 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

Disappointed :(, 2008-06-09
Did not do a good job in answering his own question. Good idea with bad execution.

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