Revolver: Sam Colt and the Six-Shooter That Changed America— Jim Rasenberger (New York, NY, USA: Scribner, 2020, 436 pp.)

Samuel Colt (1814–1862) is a legendary figure in American history. A native of Hartford, Connecticut, he is best known for his invention of “Colts Patent Repeating Pistols,” handguns that became famous for their role in the settlement and development of the American West. Made even more famous by cowboy movie stars like John Wayne, Roy Rogers, and the Lone Ranger, all of whom invariably “packed” Colt “Peacemaker” revolvers in their heroic screen roles, the Colt name came to dominate American popular culture as an inherently “American” artifact. Despite the debate that currently rages about the Second Amendment, Colt pistols are commonly displayed in museums around the country that celebrate the rugged individualism associated with role of the frontier in American history.