C.J. Chiver's "The Gun: The AK-47 and the Evolution of War" is already in the UK, but I'm still waiting for the price to go lower before I grab one to read. It's right now available at Amazon for a discounted price of £17.29 hardcover editiion. The reviews of the book have been glowing, that I'm looking to getting one very soon, to make my own book review for Popular Airsoft. I just hope that the a paperbook copy comes out very soon, or an ebook, before the year ends.

C.J. Chivers has been busy in the book promotion circuit, and he has been active writing about his subject, the AK-47. Excerpts of the book are available for those who haven't gotten a copy yet. In his article in the latest issue of Wired Magazine "How the AK-47 Rewrote the Rules of Modern Warfare" he gives a three-part story on how the most influential rifle in history evolved.

The article itself is interactive where you can mouseover parts of the rifle to know more about its design; or how the rifle was used in rebellions, revolutions, jihad, and massacres. It also indicates how it's part pop-culture, as it's the firearm equivalent of Che Guevarra, the most printed face on earth, especially in t-shirts. It's a coincidence though that both pop-culture icons have shared history, as Che Guevarra influenced national liberation movements, and the AK-47 played an important part of these movements.

C.J. Chivers dispels the myth of Mikhail Kalashnikov as being the father of the AK, its origins were beyond him, as it was more the communist centralised command economy and industry that really caused its existence, and had gone beyond control to become the most iconic rifle in modern history. Even with the new modern rifles in the form of the SCARs, ACRs, etc., the AK-47 stands tall for influencing history, albeit in an ammoral way. While it was an original, and still is, a tool of state oppression, it has been used against its masters too for gaining freedom.

The magazine article is an interesting read. But then, getting the actual book would be an more interesting one. While many of us airsoft players take for granted the story about the airsoft guns we use, there is still that good number of players who dig further to know more about the rifle they use. Yes, the AK-47 and other rifles are tools, but then they are tools that help shape the history of mankind. It is just so unfortunate that it's a bloody one.

Read the Wired Magazine story here.