A study of these books will give you valuable information on firearms and the use of deadly force. Under stress, you will not rise to the occasion. You will sink to the level of your training!
No one at Concealed Handgun Carry, Inc. has any monetary connection to any of the authors or publishers of any of the reading materials suggested on this site. A study of these books will do much for your confidence and ability to successfully deal with a deadly force situation.
Recommended books
- On Combat — The Psychology and Physiology of Deadly Conflict in War and in Peace. Lt. Col. Dave Grossman and Loren W. Christensen. ISBN 0-9649205-1-4. I feel that this book should be required reading for ANYONE who ever intends to use a firearm for self-defense.
- On Killing — The Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill in War and Society. Lt. Col. Dave Grossman. ISBN 0-316-33011-6.
- In the Gravest Extreme — The Role of the Firearm in Personal Protection. Massad F. Ayoob, director of the Lethal Force Institute. ISBN 0-936279-00-1.
- StressFire — Gunfighting for Police: Advanced Tactics and Techniques. Massad F. Ayoob. ISBN 0-936279-03-6.
- Principles of Personal Defense — Jeff Cooper. ISBN 978-1-58160-495-5.
- Guns, Bullets, and Gunfights — Lessons and Tales from a Modern-Day Gunfighter. Jim Cirillo. ISBN 0-87364-877-3. (Sadly, Jim lost his life in a vehicle accident on August 13, 2007.)
- Deadly Force Encounters — What Cops Need to Know to Mentally and Physically Prepare for and Survive a Gunfight. Dr. Alexis Artwohl and Loren W. Christensen. ISBN 978-0-87364-935-3.
- No Second Place Winner — William Henry “Bill” Jordan, retired US Border Patrol agent. Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 65-22080. An old book, but lots of timeless information.
- Officer Down, Code Three — Pierce Brooks, retired LAPD detective. ISBN 0-916070-01-8. I credit the main theme of this book — WATCH THEIR HANDS — for saving my life in 1983 when I was faced with a deadly force confrontation.
- In the Belly of the Beast — Letters from Prison. Jack Henry Abbott. ISBN 0-679-73237-3. About life inside our prisons. He was released on parole and stabbed a waiter in NYC less than a month later, went back to prison, and hanged himself there.
- The Ayoob Files — The Best of Massad Ayoob’s Acclaimed Series in American Handgunner Magazine. Massad F. Ayoob. ISBN 0-936279-16-8.
There are countless other books and articles that are useful too, but I feel that these are some of the best for the average citizen. They all cover the basics — not only shooting and self-defense, but mindset both before and after a deadly force situation.
You don’t know which one to read first, or you don’t have time to read them all? My suggestion is to read On Combat, and then read it AGAIN AND AGAIN!
Much of this material is covered in depth in our After Deadly Force Seminar.