Wyckoff, Edwin Brit. It’s The Man Behind the Gun: Samuel Colt

Wyckoff, Edwin Brit It’s The Man Behind the Gun: Samuel Colt
Enslow 2010 32p 22.60 978-0-7660-3446-4
elm/ms biographical info about inventor of 6-shooter E-BNes Genius At Work!


Samuel Colt was an inspiration to the inventors of his time with his invention of the 6-shooter and other weapons, his use of mass production and his ability to interest the world in his product!
Enslow Pub. is lucky to have writers like Edwin Brit Wyckoff! He knows how to interest children in reading with his interesting chapter titles. To these, he adds a catchy introduction and lively writing style, choosing information that will make a child think he/she is reading fiction, not nonfiction! Divided into 5 chapters, the book begins with early biographical data and includes the motivation behind the invention of the 6-shooter. In Chapter Two, the author describes the invention, leading the reader into a description of conflict that is sure to please readers of all ages! Wyckoff explains that the reason why Colt almost went broke trying to sell his weapon to the U. S. Government is because a self-serving pair of military colonels kept him from getting contracts! Why? The answer lies in their selfish need to protect their own interests! Colt prevails, and in Chapter Four, we see how he moves forward to mass produce his weapons, to invent more and to market them worldwide. Simply stated, Colt was ingenious! He combined skills at machinery maintenance, science and showmanship to become a multi-millionaire by the age of 45. In the last chapter, we learn of his early death due to a common cold that turned into pneumonia. The world lost a humanitarian who wanted to build a technical school but who never lived to fulfill his dream. The timeline, lists of vocabulary & resources, and index are just icing on the cake of this gem of a book for young readers. Squaresky, Martha