Ak-47: the Story of a Gun

In the sixty years since General Kalashnikov created the AK's distinctive silhouette, the gun has been at the centre of conflicts across the Middle East, Africa and Latin America. The weapon that made him a 'Hero of the Soviet Union' has also appeared on t-shirts and vodka bottles, featured in videos and song lyrics and been re-fashioned in crystal - a gift from Putin to George W. Bush. Power, politics and passion combine in the story of a weapon that has shaped the modern world. Using testimonies of people who have experienced the gun at first-hand - including a Sudanese child soldier, a Vietcong veteran, and Yorkshire student - Michael Hodges provides a compelling account of how the AK47 became an icon that ranks alongside Coca-Cola as one of the most recognizable brands in the world.

in The 60 Years Since General Kalashnikov Created The Ak47’s Distinctive Silhouette, The Gun Has Been At The Center Of Conflicts Across The Middle East, Africa, Europe, And Latin America. The Weapon That Made Kalashnikov “the Hero Of The Soviet Union” Has Also Appeared On T-shirts And Vodka Bottles, Starred In Videos And Song Lyrics, And Been Re-fashioned In Crystal — A Gift From Vladimir Putin To George W. Bush.
focusing On The Testimonies Of The Men And Women Who Have Experienced The Weapon Firsthand — Including A Sudanese Child Soldier, A Vietcong Veteran, And A French Photographer Who Has Documented The Carnage In The West Bank — Michael Hodges’s ak47: The Story Of A Gun Tells The Fascinating Story Of The World’s Most Ubiquitous Gun, From Its Origins In The Soviet Union, Through Its Rebirth In The Hands Of Third World Revolutionaries, To Its Current Status As The Brand Leader In International Terrorism.

The Barnes & Noble Review

The Global Age Demands A Global Weapon. And As Journalist Michael Hodges Makes All Too Clear In This Dispiriting Account, The Weapon Of Choice From South Central Los Angeles To Baghdad Is The Ak-47. Light, Easy To Handle, With Only Eight Movable Parts, The Ak-47 Can Survive The Worst Environments, As It's Proven In The Tropical Jungles Of Vietnam, The Sand Dunes Of The Middle East, And The Muddy Terrain Of Numerous African Hot Spots. Invented By Amateur Russian Designer Mikhail Kalashnikov -- The K Of Ak -- In 1947, The Gun Is Automatic, A Word That In Russian Also Begins With An A. He Hoped His Dependable Assault Rifle Would Contribute To The War Against Fascism And Instead Lived To See His Creation Turned Against The Soviet Union By The Mujahedeen In Afghanistan. The Years In Between Witnessed The Proliferation Of His Invention Across The Globe, Updated And Modified By Factories In China, Hungary, And Other Countries Capable Of Replicating Its Inexpensive Design. Hodges Brings Life (and Plenty Of Death) To His Tale With Chapters On A Legendary Vietcong Soldier Who Downed A U.s. Plane With His Ak; A French Photographer Who Becomes Obsessed With Photographing The Weapon In Palestine; And A Sudanese Boy Soldier Turned Rapper Who Records His Story In Song. A Symbol Of Third World Revolution In The '60s And Among Sandinista Supporters In The '80s, This Handy Automatic Weapon, Which Should Be Outmoded In Our High-tech Times, Nowadays Surfaces In Gangsta Drive-bys And Bin Laden Videos. And Worst Of All, It's The Preferred Weapon For Insurrectionists In Iraq, Where Hodges Experiences This All-purpose Killing Machine Up Close And Personal. An Explosive Account Of The Ubiquitous Gun. --thomas Depietro

"Power, politics, and passion combine in the story of an invention that has helped shape the modem world. Using the individual testimonies of men and women whose lives have been forever altered by the weapon - including a Sudanese child soldier, a Vietcong veteran, and two Yorkshire students who attended terrorist training camps in Pakistan - Michael Hodges tells the fascinating story of the world's most ubiquitous gun, from its origins in the Soviet Union, through its rebirth in the hands of third world revolutionaries, to its current status as the brand leader in international terrorism."--BOOK JACKET "In the sixty years since General Kalashnikov created the AK47?s distinctive silhouette, the gun has been at the center of conflicts across the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and Latin America. The weapon that made Kalashnikov “The Hero of the Soviet Union” has also appeared on T-shirts and vodka bottles, starred in videos and song lyrics, and been re-fashioned in crystal?a gift from Vladimir Putin to George W. Bush" -- inside cover