Ebook368 pages6 hours
Big Guns: A Novel
By Steve Israel
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
4/5
()
About this ebook
From Steve Israel, the Congressman-turned-novelist who writes “in the full-tilt style of Carl Hiaasen” (The Washington Post), a comic tale of the mighty firearm industry, a small Long Island town, and Washington politics: “Congress should pass a law making Big Guns mandatory reading for themselves” (Nelson DeMille).
When Chicago’s Mayor Michael Rodriguez starts a national campaign to ban handguns from America’s cities, towns, and villages, Otis Cogsworth, the wealthy chairman and CEO of a huge arms company in Asabogue, Long Island, is worried. In response, he and lobbyist Sunny McCarthy convince an Arkansas congressman to introduce federal legislation mandating that every American must own a firearm. Events soon escalate.
Asabogue’s Mayor Lois Leibowitz passes an ordinance to ban guns in the town—right in Otis Cogsworth’s backyard. Otis retaliates by orchestrating a recall election against Lois and Jack Steele, a rich town resident, runs against her. Even though the election is for the mayor of a small village on Long Island, Steele brings in the big guns of American politics to defeat Lois. Soon, thousands of pro-gun and anti-gun partisans descend on Asabogue, and the bucolic town becomes a tinderbox. Meanwhile, Washington politicians in both parties are caught between a mighty gun lobby and the absurdity of requiring that every American, with waivers for children under age four, carry a gun. What ensues is a discomfiting, hilarious indictment of the state of American politics.
“New York congressman-turned-novelist Steve Israel delivers a second brilliant political satire” (Booklist, starred review). “An entertaining satire” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review), Big Guns is “a wonderfully irreverent satire about the fractured and fractious American political and lobbying system…a rollicking comedic trip” (Publishers Weekly).
When Chicago’s Mayor Michael Rodriguez starts a national campaign to ban handguns from America’s cities, towns, and villages, Otis Cogsworth, the wealthy chairman and CEO of a huge arms company in Asabogue, Long Island, is worried. In response, he and lobbyist Sunny McCarthy convince an Arkansas congressman to introduce federal legislation mandating that every American must own a firearm. Events soon escalate.
Asabogue’s Mayor Lois Leibowitz passes an ordinance to ban guns in the town—right in Otis Cogsworth’s backyard. Otis retaliates by orchestrating a recall election against Lois and Jack Steele, a rich town resident, runs against her. Even though the election is for the mayor of a small village on Long Island, Steele brings in the big guns of American politics to defeat Lois. Soon, thousands of pro-gun and anti-gun partisans descend on Asabogue, and the bucolic town becomes a tinderbox. Meanwhile, Washington politicians in both parties are caught between a mighty gun lobby and the absurdity of requiring that every American, with waivers for children under age four, carry a gun. What ensues is a discomfiting, hilarious indictment of the state of American politics.
“New York congressman-turned-novelist Steve Israel delivers a second brilliant political satire” (Booklist, starred review). “An entertaining satire” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review), Big Guns is “a wonderfully irreverent satire about the fractured and fractious American political and lobbying system…a rollicking comedic trip” (Publishers Weekly).
Author
Steve Israel
Congressman Steve Israel was the former United States Representative for New York’s third congressional district, serving in the United States Congress from 2001 to 2017. Born and raised in Brooklyn and on Long Island, Israel graduated from George Washington University. He is the author of the novels The Global War on Morris and Big Guns.
Read more from Steve Israel
The Global War on Morris: A Novel Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Charge!: History's Greatest Military Speeches Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Related to Big Guns
Related ebooks
Save the Village Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLone Stars: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Zero at the Bone Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Into The Peaks Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAccidental Death Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Man In Milan Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Stager: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Postcard Stories 2 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Heebie-Jeebie Girl Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTransit of Venus Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDead Man's Thoughts Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Tie Die Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Dead Rock Stars: A Novel Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMansfield Park Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Rogue Justice Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Miami Midnight Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBlackout: A Pete Fernandez Mystery Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Kind One Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Winter Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Fisher King: A Novel Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Confession of Hemingway Jones Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDodging Satan: My Irish/Italian Sometimes Awesome, but Mostly Creepy, Childhood Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5East of Hounslow Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Hammer Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Log-Cabin Lady — An Anonymous Autobiography Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Flame of Life: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This Shared Dream: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Wonderkid: A Novel Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Mental State Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings55 Days and Counting: My Quarantine Adventure with Mom and Dad Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Humor & Satire For You
The Screwtape Letters Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Don't Panic: Douglas Adams & The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Swamp Story: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Man Called Ove: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Love and Other Words Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5101 Fun Personality Quizzes: Who Are You . . . Really?! Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5I Will Judge You by Your Bookshelf Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Plato and a Platypus Walk Into a Bar...: Understanding Philosophy Through Jokes Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Best F*cking Activity Book Ever: Irreverent (and Slightly Vulgar) Activities for Adults Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Anxious People: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Killing the Guys Who Killed the Guy Who Killed Lincoln: A Nutty Story About Edwin Booth and Boston Corbett Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I Can't Make This Up: Life Lessons Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mindful As F*ck: 100 Simple Exercises to Let That Sh*t Go! Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Big Swiss: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The 2,548 Wittiest Things Anybody Ever Said Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Everything Is F*cked: A Book About Hope Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Go the F**k to Sleep Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: the heartfelt, funny memoir by a New York Times bestselling therapist Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Soulmate Equation Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Farrell Covington and the Limits of Style: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer: A Novella Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Britt-Marie Was Here: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Everything I Know About Love: A Memoir Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Tidy the F*ck Up: The American Art of Organizing Your Sh*t Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5My Favorite Half-Night Stand Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How to Be Alone: If You Want To, and Even If You Don't Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5In a Holidaze Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Solutions and Other Problems Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Related categories
Reviews for Big Guns
Rating: 3.9285714285714284 out of 5 stars
4/5
14 ratings2 reviews
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Talk about a timely book! One city bans guns, and in reaction, a congressman introduces a bill to require all citizens to own a gun. Israel covers the absolute insanity of both sides of the gun control debate, the incredible dysfunction of our government, and the people caught in the middle. All while delivering a highly readable and enjoyable story. The novel moves along rapidly, sucking you in the whole way. I can't wait for the next installment, but I understand that the issue is still developing, and no one can yet know what strange twists and turns will be taken. This book should be required reading for all American citizens, both pro gun, anti gun, and those who have no opinion. It probably won't change anyone's core beliefs, but it would sure be helpful to be able to at least realize that there is more than one side to the story. Highly recommend!
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5'Big Guns' is yet another winning political satire from a guy who sounds way too smart to have spent 16 years in Congress, Steve Israel. This time the topic is gun control, or almost its exact opposite in that an idea hatched by a gun manufacturer to pass a law requiring universal gun ownership gets traction and suddenly becomes a cause celebre by the right. It's played out against a small town mayoral election in the Hamptons, which pits a female longtime lefty mayor against an aging movie star. I know, it sounds silly and it is, but Mr. Israel is a fine writer who drops insights into the inner workings of DC politics all over the place for our enjoyment.
Book preview
Big Guns - Steve Israel
/a book_preview_excerpt.html |˲Fݯ=Ԙ42[EV2Vq Df@xdVrf~As@ު3ily+yOo~//}xpLEi(~SMs8ߋ1LhRwM,ꮘNXC1mMq<i*<e=]t8eCs=OM]b?Q]}HC+8VK!x"4M1NaM.^
>ݵibz
cE^tS0~儁R7%V`%^_pCJ-'S"8n*Cj!VqX)MT{(jO=}0b\~=҅b@P#9e
a*Q0a,.iqޏڒ_g