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Her Best Shot: Women And Guns in America
The gun-toting woman holds enormous symbolic significance in American culture. For over two centuries, women who pick up guns have disrupted the popular association of guns and masculinity, spurring debates about women's capabilities for violence as well as their capacity for full citizenship. In Her Best Shot , Laura Browder examines the relationship between women and guns and the ways in which the figure of the armed woman has served as a lightning rod for cultural issues.
Utilizing autobiographies, advertising, journalism, novels, and political tracts, among other sources, Browder traces appearances of the armed woman across a chronological spectrum from the American Revolution to the present and an ideological spectrum ranging from the Black Panthers to right-wing militias. Among the colorful characters presented here are Deborah Sampson, who disguised herself as a man to fight in the American Revolution; Pauline Cushman, who posed as a Confederate to spy for Union forces during the Civil War; Wild West sure-shot Annie Oakley; African explorer Osa Johnson; 1930s gangsters Ma Barker and Bonnie Parker; and Patty Hearst, the hostage-turned-revolutionary-turned-victim. With her entertaining and provocative analysis, Browder demonstrates that armed women both challenge and reinforce the easy equation that links guns, manhood, and American identity.
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The gun-toting woman holds enormous symbolic significance in American culture. Laura Browder examines the relationship between women and guns in America and the ways in which the figure of the armed woman has served as a lightning rod for cultural issues. In an entertaining and provocative analysis, she looks at women including Deborah Sampson, who disguised herself as a man to fight in the American Revolution; Pauline Cushman, who posed as a Confederate to spy for Union forces during the Civil War; Wild West sure-shot Annie Oakley; African explorer Osa Johnson; 1930s gangsters Ma Barker and Bonnie Parker; and Patty Hearst, the hostage-turned-revolutionary-turned-victim.
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Utilizing autobiographies, advertising, journalism, novels, and political tracts, among other sources, Browder traces appearances of the armed woman across a chronological spectrum from the American Revolution to the present and an ideological spectrum ranging from the Black Panthers to right-wing militias. Among the colorful characters presented here are Deborah Sampson, who disguised herself as a man to fight in the American Revolution; Pauline Cushman, who posed as a Confederate to spy for Union forces during the Civil War; Wild West sure-shot Annie Oakley; African explorer Osa Johnson; 1930s gangsters Ma Barker and Bonnie Parker; and Patty Hearst, the hostage-turned-revolutionary-turned-victim. With her entertaining and provocative analysis, Browder demonstrates that armed women both challenge and reinforce the easy equation that links guns, manhood, and American identity.
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The gun-toting woman holds enormous symbolic significance in American culture. Laura Browder examines the relationship between women and guns in America and the ways in which the figure of the armed woman has served as a lightning rod for cultural issues. In an entertaining and provocative analysis, she looks at women including Deborah Sampson, who disguised herself as a man to fight in the American Revolution; Pauline Cushman, who posed as a Confederate to spy for Union forces during the Civil War; Wild West sure-shot Annie Oakley; African explorer Osa Johnson; 1930s gangsters Ma Barker and Bonnie Parker; and Patty Hearst, the hostage-turned-revolutionary-turned-victim.
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304 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2006
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
August 25, 2018
NRA Feminism is a “short-cut” feminism. It does coincide with equal pay, equal opportunity, access to day care, employment flexibility and so on. You cannot shoot your boss to get to equal pay.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 18, 2008
Fascinating slice of history that needed a stronger-handed editor or coauthor.
The best parts of the book deal with the relationship between women and firearms during the last 15 to 20 years, yet these are also the most problematic. For instance, Browder asserts that Sara Weaver became an object of fascination in the white supremacist community after the Ruby Ridge standoff, yet she fails to provide even slight textual support for this (were white power zines and websites running articles, photo spreads, and interviews gushing over her, or what?).
Even worse, in the last chapter, during what feels like an extremely rushed-to-press discussion of the Iraq War, she writes that the only female soldier to become visible during this conflict was Lynndie England. Uh, Jessica Lynch anyone? How the hell did Browder and her editor miss that? Lynch's story conflates our concepts of "hero" and "victim"; while that's not exactly new or unique to her (the 9/11 mythos suffers from this conflation as well), her portrayal as both a hero and as a cute, blonde damsel-in-distress -- while her story fits neither categorization neatly -- is extremely relevant to a feminist discussion of arms and combat.
I'm glad I checked this book out from the library rather than purchase it, but despite its lack of thoroughness, this is an extremely compelling read and a good starting point for anyone doing research in this area.
The best parts of the book deal with the relationship between women and firearms during the last 15 to 20 years, yet these are also the most problematic. For instance, Browder asserts that Sara Weaver became an object of fascination in the white supremacist community after the Ruby Ridge standoff, yet she fails to provide even slight textual support for this (were white power zines and websites running articles, photo spreads, and interviews gushing over her, or what?).
Even worse, in the last chapter, during what feels like an extremely rushed-to-press discussion of the Iraq War, she writes that the only female soldier to become visible during this conflict was Lynndie England. Uh, Jessica Lynch anyone? How the hell did Browder and her editor miss that? Lynch's story conflates our concepts of "hero" and "victim"; while that's not exactly new or unique to her (the 9/11 mythos suffers from this conflation as well), her portrayal as both a hero and as a cute, blonde damsel-in-distress -- while her story fits neither categorization neatly -- is extremely relevant to a feminist discussion of arms and combat.
I'm glad I checked this book out from the library rather than purchase it, but despite its lack of thoroughness, this is an extremely compelling read and a good starting point for anyone doing research in this area.
August 8, 2009
This wasn't a great book on the subject, though it contains some interesting information and references here and there, the auther's observations and conclusions seemed very disjointed, she at times was clearly trying to make arguments fit with her information that really just didn't. This poor reasoning made the book read in a confused and broken sort of way.
October 21, 2018
A very informative book about women and guns in America with photographs and description of every woman from the 1500 to our days who held a gun
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews