Unintended Consequences

Rating:
Summary: FOR ALL LOVERS OF FREEDOM
Review: Rarely does a work of fiction come along that is capable of getting people to think these days. Books that regularly appear on a best seller list fail miserably in getting the cognitive circuits working. While it may be nice to sink into a light and escapist read, with John Ross's first novel, UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES, the discriminating reader can receive the rare pleasure in a tome that, while escapist in entertainment value, is certainly by far a work brimming full of intellectual meat.

UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES is a novel of epic proportions concerning what the author dubs the "gun culture." The gun culture consists of all those freedom-loving individuals who shoot, own and/or deal in firearms. The cornerstone of any citizen's right to freedom, the Second Amendment as defined by the U.S. Constitution has been under attack since the early part of the twentieth century. Weaving a series of historical incidents with technical details concerning firearms, Ross successfully makes the case that for freedom to flourish, gun control laws must be dismantled, and the power of a U.S. government out of control must be reigned in and brought back into the hands of its people.

To not give too much away from the plot, here is simply a rough sketch. Our protagonist is Henry Bowman, though his appearance comes later in the novel than expected. Ross starts his novel off with a series of historical events that show how the beginnings of government abuses against its citizens began, from the American Bonus Army from World War I to the National Firearms Act of 1934. By the time Ross gets to the birth of Bowman, any reader friendly to the gun culture will be squirming in disgust.

Bowman from childhood on is thoroughly immersed with firearms. He becomes an ace shot and shoots any gun he happens upon. His life revolves around his passion for shooting. When he and two other friends discover that they are about to be set up by ATF agents through illegal raids on their property, Bowman decides that enough is enough. He begins to wage a war against those in authority who wish for him and those like him to simply submit and give up their guns.

That's the basic plot line Ross gives us to follow. Meanwhile, subplots mount up and various characters emerge to give backing to Ross's ultimate argument that if a government can use force against its own people, no matter how innocent, then gun controls and, ultimately, disarmament is the greatest use of force the government has in its possession. To be able to deter such use of force is up to the individual. But only through direct action will the assault on the rights of U.S. citizens' cease.

John Ross as novelist is something of a basket maker, carefully weaving threads of seemingly unconnected strands of events to each other. With a careful and knowing eye of all current gun laws, he has crafted a story that will hold the reader's interest and keep boredom at bay. While many reviewers may wish to criticize this book on technical grounds, i.e. that sometimes the sex or violence is gratuitous, I suspect that most will want to find fault with the subject matter itself.

The gun debate is an area in which consensus can rarely be reached. There are those who see government as a friendly benefactor and others as a necessary evil. Some folks may wish that all guns were in the hands of government officials and are not able to comprehend that our government could perform any atrocities against its own people. But Ross clearly makes the case that this does indeed happen. It goes back to the old adage that guns do not kill people, but people who use the guns as a tool. Whether it be a knife, ice pick or firearm, the responsibility of murder always lies with the user of the implement, not the implement itself.

Negative attacks on those grounds will certainly not diminish this book's value to the freedom canon. Again, certain legitimate critiques can be made at the author's style and technique. But those are indeed overshadowed by the magnitude of what Ross has to say and how he says it. UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES will beat out any Tom Clancy thriller any day and, if the reader is sympathetic to Ross's viewpoints, he will find himself a treasure trove of historical facts, an exciting story and a darn good reading experience.

Not surprisingly, major book reviewers would not touch this book when it first appeared, even though it sold out its initial print run within four months. From what I have gathered, it is also on the FBI and ATF list of subversive reading materials. That fact alone is enough for any reader to go out and read this novel. As a member of the gun culture, Ross and his ilk deserve credit for allowing all citizens of this country to continue to enjoy a certain level of freedom, for it is the right to bear arms that underlies all the other rights that we do enjoy.

Overall, Ross's book will certainly rank right up there with Rand's ATLAS SHRUGGED in the future as one of the few books that offered up a statement about the decline of our freedom, and the vision to secure it once again.

Rating:
Summary: a concerned citizen
Review: Mr. Ross's novel is, if nothing else, thought-provoking. I agree with most reviewer's opinion that much of the sexual themes could have been left out, but they are secondary to the main themes herein. The story is a shell, if you will, for a history of the Second Amendment in the twentieth century. In that regard, this book should terrify those who value ALL rights in addition to gun rights. If the government can ignore an Amendment to the Constitution simply because it is unpopular with the "elites", then the others are in EQUAL danger. Unfortunatly, the "fantasy" ending of the book could not come to pass in our present society. Government and media spinmeisters would (and HAVE) see to it that only MORE infringements passed in the aftermath. Having said that, the book is an outstanding resource, not only for the firearms information but the constitutional history and current information (are employees of the Department of Education really authorized to carry guns? Agriculture?). I hope everyone reads this sad tale. They MUST!

Rating:
Summary: I couldn't put it down!
Review: I enjoyed this book from cover to cover and had a hard time putting it down. The characters are complex and developed. The history they are surrounded by is thoroughly researched and detailed. The "Current Day" section of the book was disturbing, yet the most realistic and probable start to any future 'Civil War' I have ever read.

There were a couple of sections that dealt with rape or sexual issues that I felt were detailed a bit too much. I cannot fault the book though because every facet of the writing was detailed, complete and left me with vivid pictures in my head showing the story.

I would definately recommend this book to anyone that feels the government is overstepping it's constitutional authority or to anyone that denies our government is heading down the path to tyranny.

Rating:
Summary: When is the Movie coming out?
Review: This book is and will likely remain my all time favorite. If you are a FREEDOM loving American this book will excite you. The books leads you into a web that will catch your emotions and heart. Depicts a culture that will soon be history . I would love to see it as a movie to get more exposure. Starts out a little slow and relaxed but gets going nicely. I was disapointed at the end that I had finished it. I wanted more. Should be required reading to see how much we have lost and how much we have to get back.

Rating:
Summary: Best book ever written.
Review: My uncle,cousin,father,and brother have read this book. It is the best book each one has ever read. I also agree. It is 800+ pages. Some people complain about that. I wish it was longer. Anyone who owns a gun should read it. And you should cherish that weapon before the government takes it away. This book will make you angry at the government and wish you could do something about the laws that the government are making so honest citizens are not able to defend themselves if they are attacked.

Rating:
Summary: Unintended Consequences
Review: If you want to know the history of the gun culture in America the first part of this book is it !! If you want to get a feel what the gun / patriot / constitutionaly minded community has . This book is it. If you want to be educated on the over opressive laws dealing with firearms. That make gun owners upset. This book is it . If you want to know what will probably happen in America on it's present course, this book is it. You will not,not put this book down once you start. It's that good ! But then again if your not aware or wish to learn of your Rights , freedom or The Constitution , The book is no good ...at least to you. Long live Henery Bowman. (you gotta read the book to know .)

Rating:
Summary: A classic
Review: This book is an accomplished blending of good dialogue, well developed characters, history, firearm information and a great plot. The theme of individual liberty and the tyranny of the state at the heart of this book is a wake up call for our day and all future generations. At 860 some pages, I could not put it down until I had finished. Always the sign of a good book for me. I look forward to future works by Mr. Ross.

Rating:
Summary: Unworthy to be read by intelligent men and women
Review: The basic story line (without giving away the ending) is that the big bad BATF, abetted by politicians, over many years, deliberately repressed the freedom to enjoy and traffic in firearms, to the extent of putting innocent people in jail. The heroes of the story successfully fight back using unorthodox methods.

As a novelist, Mr. Ross is not without some skill, and his book evokes faint memories of Allen Drury's novel "Advise and Consent." However, his editor has not served him well by failing to remove the repetetive nonsense about the various weapons and their cartridges. Half the time, I thought I was reading Guns and Ammo magazine. The gratuitous sex scenes also detracted from the book.

However, the main deficiency with this book lies not in the author's skill or lack thereof, but in the content of his thought. Mr. Ross forms his own religion out of the enjoyment of firearms and the 2nd ammendment to our constitution. Because these are the highest goods, in his mind, the horrendous actions taken by his characters are justified.

Using the litany of real and perceived BATF abuses as a cover, Mr. Ross justifies even worse behavior in his reprisals against BATF agents. (If the BATF disappeared tomorrow I'd be happy, but murder is murder.) It is quite pathetic in the end where the hero-murderers ride peacefully into the sunset, undisturbed, perchance, by conscience.

To sum up, this book is written with such a truncated view of life that you shouldn't waste your time reading it. It's the first book I've ever thrown directly into the garbage can...

Rating:
Summary: The most important book I have ever read.
Review: Being a book-junky, to say that this is the most important book I have ever read is not something I state lightly. This book should be required in all colleges and universities, and should be read by anyone who aspires to any political or law enforcement position in the United States. While not a call to arms, it signals a call to defending the freedoms of this great nation -- freedoms from the incremental erosion of our rights and felonious law enforcement practices. The story is frightening because it is so believable, and the author's expertise in firearms is unquestionable. John Ross is a brilliant and bold author, and the lack of editorial constriction is what makes the book so very powerful.

Read this book. Give this book to friends as gifts. Make sure that it gets into your library. We owe Mr. Ross a debt of gratitude. By writing this book, he may prevent the fictional storyline that is contained in the last 20% of the book -- another American Revolution. If you have read this book and put it down due to its length -- pick it back up and complete it. This is a masterpiece that would not be so if our mass media were honest in their reporting.

Rating:
Summary: Simply Incredible!
Review: Holy alphabet soup Batman! Why this guy isn't laying next to Vince Foster in Fort Marcy Park is a complete mystery to me! The boys down at the BATF must be blowing gaskets right and left after reading this stuff. This book should be required reading for every first year college student, no exceptions, period! I look forward to reading Mr. Ross's next offering with great anticipation if he happens to live long enough to write another novel.