Unintended Consequences by John Ross

Book Description:
After the repeal of Prohibition, Congress passes an obscure federal gun law, written to promote massive noncompliance and thus give idled Prohibition agents something to do. Three decades later, a boy born into a well-to-do family becomes immersed in shooting sports, and firearms become his lifelong passion. An expert with rifle and pistol who gives free personal protection classes to women, Henry Bowman is just one of the millions of people who comprise America's "gun culture." Because of his upbringing, Henry is sensitized to government's capacity to abuse its power. As years pass, Henry watches continued federal assaults on the gun culture with growing alarm. Concurrently, Henry's adult life intersects with the lives of two very different people: Cindy, a woman whose instincts for self-preservation help her survive virtual slavery inside an organized crime syndicate, and Ray, a lawyer who left the U.S. in 1963 and returns thirty years later. Now near middle age, Henry is alone at a friend's house one night. He uses his skills to thwart an armed break-in only to discover that the assault was not a burglary but a raid. Henry's victims are not street criminals but federal agents, and with mounting horror he listens to the captive survivors describe the operation they were carrying out. With the Ruby Ridge killings and the Waco massacre burned into his memory, Henry knows he has just given himself a death sentence. He faces the law enforcement assets of the entire U.S. Government as the country's future hangs in the balance. Despite the odds, Henry has no intention of becoming a martyr. Henry Bowman is a resourceful man with money, intelligence, and motivation, and he has history on his side.

My Thoughts:

This book has a LOT of history in it that I was never taught in school. It is a bit slow getting everything set up, but once you meet the main character (Henry) and start following his life, it gets interesting pretty fast and keeps your attention. I was amazed at all the information in here that is actually TRUE and can be easily verified with simple searches on the internet. It is actually a bit scary that all of this has happened....or could happen in the near future. Henry is just a regular guy who happens to enjoy shooting guns. Any of us in the Gun Culture can understand this. He is very smart and keeps up with the legislation and does everything in his power to stay legal and still manage to keep his legal rights. It is very easy to be sympathetic to him and his friends as those in places of power decide that they have the authority to do anything they want to Henry and his friends in spite of the fact that what they themselves are doing is illegal according to our constitution. I would give this book a 5/5 rating. It is one I am going to look for to put on my own bookshelf.