To Ride, Shoot Straight, and Speak the Truth

by Jeff Cooper

Combat mind-set, trigger control, tactical residential architecture, nuclear war - these are just some of the provocative subjects explored by gun guru Jeff Cooper in this classic illustrated collection of essays. Cooper squarely faces the facts of modern life and concludes that the armed citizen is the correct answer to the armed sociopath. to that end, To Ride, Shoot Straight, and Speak the Truth focuses primarily on the various aspects of shooting - technically, socially, sportively, and historically. Knowledge of personal weapons and skill in their use are necessary attributes of any man who calls himself free. And nobody can speak so eloquently and forcefully to that fact better than Jeff Cooper - one of the greatest spokesmen, writers, philosophers, and practitioners of skill-at-arms in the twentieth century.

Genres: Nonfiction, Philosophy, Outdoors, Adventure

405 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 1, 1988

About the author

John Dean "Jeff" Cooper was recognized as the father of what is commonly known as the Modern Technique of handgun shooting, and one of the 20th century's foremost international experts on the use and history of small arms.

Cooper was commissioned into the United States Marine Corps prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor. During World War II he served in the Pacific on the USS Pennsylvania (BB-38), and then was recalled to active duty for the Korean War, resigning his commission as Lieutenant Colonel in 1956. He received a bachelor's degree in political science from Stanford University and, in the mid-1960s, a master's degree in history from the University of California, Riverside.

In 1976, Cooper founded the American Pistol Institute (API) in Paulden, Arizona (later the Gunsite Training Center). Cooper began teaching shotgun and rifle classes to law enforcement and military personnel as well as civilians and did on-site training for individuals and groups from around the world.

Cooper died at his home on the afternoon of Monday, September 25, 2006 at the age of 86

Reviews

[Samuel Kordik · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jeff Cooper is a legend, and for good reason. His teaching on how to shoot personal small arms has fundamentally altered the way those who make a living carrying a gun use their weapons. If you've seen a police officer shooting with both hands on the gun—that's thanks to Col. Cooper (he was a full-bird colonel in the USMC).

To call this book a memoir, or a book about guns, or about shooting, would be an understatement. It is all of those things but is much more. A loosely organized collection of brief essays, “To Ride, Shoot Straight, and Speak the Truth” is a distillation of Cooper's philosophies and teachings on subjects ranging from personal defense to the offensive employment of small arms to big game hunting.

The first part deals with topics of personal defense, ranging from the philosophy of protecting oneself to proper employment of bodyguards to residential architecture. Cooper mourns the change in attitudes that has taken place in the last fifty years where we (collectively) have gone from a country proud of our weapons and ready to stand up for our rights to a country where gun owners are viewed with suspicion and we are expected to be quiet victims. He talks about the lifestyle and attitude of a fighter—of someone who is willing to protect those around him. This section is packed with useful ideas and a simple philosophy of being better men and women. Cooper's work “Principles of Personal Defense” goes into more detail on the ideas of attitude and doctrine that he explores in this part.

The second part deals exclusively with the pistol, explaining that this is a gun you wear, not carry, and its use as an almost exclusively defensive weapon. In addition to general tactical ideas, Cooper explains the basics of effective handgun shooting.

The third part deals with Cooper's personal love: The rifle. He explains how the rifle can be effectively employed, principles of shooting it, and talks at length about ideal rifle setups. He finished with a chapter on using a shotgun for defensive purposes (he considers it to be a supremely effective tool in this role) and a chapter suggesting the use of a .22 rimfire sniper rifle for riot control—taking out the leaders, silently and from a distance, by winging them but not killing them.

The fourth part of this book is a lengthly exploration of hunting and is almost entirely memoir. Cooper tells stories of great big game hunts in Africa and North America. Gripping stories filled with observations on how to hunt well and what rifle and cartridge combinations work well.

Overall, this is a fantastic work and well worth reading. Cooper has an engaging, small-town writing style that is at once believable and friendly. His tactical recommendations are backed with solid experience and have been proven time and time again in the past few decades Cooper has taught in. Definitely a recommend on this book.

EDIT: After reading some other reviews, I feel the need to comment on Cooper's personality and his particularly controversial positions on some issues. Cooper was a World War II veteran and a true southern gentleman. He came from a particular place and time in history, and when reading his works, one must remember this. He holds some viewpoints that might be considered racist, and he certainly has some strong things to say about women's role in society, the military, and law enforcement. These positions are completely out of step with today's world but entirely understandable coming from his background. Even though we may disagree with his statements in these areas or even find them offensive, they don't spoil the rest of his work. His discussion of defensive tactics are not predicated on his beliefs about women; his stories of African adventure are not spoiled by his old-fashioned sentiments. So don't read this book if you can't filter out useful truths (which there a lot of) from anachronistic belief systems (of which there is comparatively little, although it is pervasive).

[Geoffrey Benn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jeff Cooper is perhaps the most well-known name in the world of firearms from the second half of the 20th century. He was a veteran of both World War Two and Korea, a leader in developing modern pistol techniques, the founder of IPSC (a popular action pistol sport), and, perhaps most relevantly, a prolific writer of articles in shooting and outdoors magazines. “To ride, shoot straight, and speak the truth,” is a compilation of those articles, ranging in subject from self-defense techniques, to changes in military equipment and strategy, to recollections of hunting trips. I found the first half of the book, which focuses on self-defense techniques and equipment, to be somewhat condescending and rife with the sort of fear-mongering that is still found in many gun magazines today. I realize that Cooper was an expert on these matters, but I feel that this section could have benefited from a more measured approach that focused on statistics and examples, rather than relying solely on Cooper’s authority. In contrast, I quite enjoyed the second half of the book, which was mostly a series of articles about hunting trips that are rich in detail about the habits and habitats of the animals being pursued. My favorite article in the book was something of a surprise – it presented Cooper’s recollections of his childhood trips across the Atlantic on cruise liners during the 1930s. “To Ride, Shoot Straight, and Speak the Truth,” is certainly worth a look from readers interested in firearms or hunting, though reading selected articles might be advisable over a complete reading.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had originally read this book long ago and still own that copy, but ended up buying another while attending a class at the school founded by the author.
The essays on shooting technique are still valid and the author's writing style are still just as clear and enlightening as before.
A fine work that I'd recommend to anyone without hesitation.

[Ryan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Where to begin. First of all, I was only reading this collection of essays for the information about pistol shooting. Unfortunately that section was the shortest in the book and only a handful of the essays related directly to information I was hoping to get--stances, presentation, form, etc. There was a bit of good info, but not nearly as much as what other reviewers have stated.

Honestly when I started reading the book I started right at the beginning and nearly put it down after just a few pages. The author is an elderly ex-Marine who has very strong opinions about the state of our country. He believes that America is a country of spineless pansies and that most of our society ills can be directly attributed to the breakdown of the nuclear family. He is also of the variety of gun nut who elevates firearms to a fetish object. A huge portion of the book is devoted to essays about his globe-trotting hunting expeditions, a section I skipped. I don't have anything against ethical hunting (for food), but it was obvious that the author gets a hardon from killing stuff.

So there ya go, full-blown nut with a bit of good info for pistol enthusiasts.

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book reads like the rantings of an old white grandpa, who doesn't actually care if his opinion is relevant to the subject he wishes to expound upon or useful to anyone in particular.

There are a few chapters which are a little useful in terms of thinking about structure defense and ballistics, but his willingness to cozy up to SS soldiers, write a lengthy defense of South African Apartheid, and a slightly longer story about a battle between Germans in Namibia and Herero tribesmen (centering on the Germans, of course) with zero interrogation of what the hell the Genocidal Germans were doing in Namibia in the first place, make this as much a closet white nationalist screed, as it is a book about firearms or anything relevant to their use.

I give it 2 stars for the more useful bits of its content... but there's nothing between the covers of this book that you can't find better and more recently updated info on over the internet.

[Bernard Chen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author of this book, Jeff Cooper, is "recognized as the father of what is commonly known as "the Modern Technique" of handgun shooting." (Wikipedia)

The book itself is a bunch of essays on the history of the uses of force, personal defense, military offense at the level of the individual, and an most centrally exploration of pistol vs rifle shooting. It's like a "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance", with a pistol in the place of a bike.

I've read other books by ex-military folks, and this is more a collection of philosophical treatises than it is a memoir by Richard Marcinko. The essays tend towards the calm analysis of a well-trained warrior-scholar. It's a good read.

[Greg · Rating 5 out of 5]

The quintessential guru of shooting, Col. Jeff Cooper, speaks to things of hoplophilia, politics, and philosophy. Focuses on the essentials of shooting and self-defense, including technique as well as social, sport, history, philosophy, and politics. He speaks honestly and forthrightly, refusing to shy away from sensitive or politically correct topics, and speaks his mind. Central to his thoughts is the dictum that knowledge and skill in the use of personal weapons are necessary attributes of any person who calls himself free. Highly recommended!

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

An outstandingly entertaining and well-informed commentary on a variety of subjects. Cooper calls to mind Theodore Roosevelt in his descriptions of African hunting, firearms prowess, and foreign relations. One of the most interesting books I've read in some time.

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is an overview of firearms, shooting, and the shooters of past and present. Additionally, about half the book is Cooper telling about hunting trips or war stories he's heard. It was an OK book but not a must read by any means. It's an interesting look at Jeff Cooper as a person though.

[Matthew Dambro · Rating 5 out of 5]

It simply doesn't get any better than this. This compilation of essays taken from various firearms publications is akin to sitting down with the Colonel over a snifter of cognac and a Cuban cigar. He always shoots straight and he always tells the truth.

[Bryce Beattie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has some fantastic ideas on self-defense mindset and shooting. Jeff Cooper revolutionized how the world shoots handguns.

[Brent]

Col. Cooper was an old-school gentleman, soldier and scholar. Good miscellaneous essays and articles about hunting, shooting, self-defense and the good life. Recommended.

[Melvin]

Not a bad book but kind of dry.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little to the right a times but worth reading. From the man who defined modern pistol shooting.

[Jeremiah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book, touches many subjects. All around interesting reading.

[Fredrik · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok book. got me into shooting IPSC