Bloodbath Nation
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- Author：Paul Auster
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Summary
An intimate and powerful rumination on American gun violence by Paul Auster， one of our greatest living writers and "genuine American original" （The Boston Globe）， in an unforgettable collaboration with photographer Spencer Ostrander
Like most American boys of his generation， Paul Auster grew up playing with toy six-shooters and mimicking the gun-slinging cowboys in B Westerns。 A skilled marksman by the age of ten， he also lived through the traumatic aftermath of the murder of his grandfather by his grandmother when his father was a child and knows， through firsthand experience， how families can be wrecked by a single act of gun violence。
In this short， searing book， Auster traces centuries of America's use and abuse of guns， from the violent displacement of the native population to the forced enslavement of millions， to the bitter divide between embattled gun control and anti-gun control camps that has developed over the past 50 years and the mass shootings that dominate the news today。 Since 1968， more than one and a half million Americans have been killed by guns。 The numbers are so large， so catastrophic， so disproportionate to what goes on elsewhere， that one must ask why。 Why is America so different--and why are we the most violent country in the Western world？
Interwoven with Spencer Ostrander's haunting photographs of the sites of more than thirty mass shootings in all parts of the country， Bloodbath Nation presents a succinct but thorough examination of America at a crossroads， and asks the central， burning question of our moment: What kind of society do we want to live in？
A portion of proceeds from this book will be donated to the Violence Policy Center， a nonprofit organization working to stop gun death and injury through research， education， and advocacy。
Like most American boys of his generation， Paul Auster grew up playing with toy six-shooters and mimicking the gun-slinging cowboys in B Westerns。 A skilled marksman by the age of ten， he also lived through the traumatic aftermath of the murder of his grandfather by his grandmother when his father was a child and knows， through firsthand experience， how families can be wrecked by a single act of gun violence。
In this short， searing book， Auster traces centuries of America's use and abuse of guns， from the violent displacement of the native population to the forced enslavement of millions， to the bitter divide between embattled gun control and anti-gun control camps that has developed over the past 50 years and the mass shootings that dominate the news today。 Since 1968， more than one and a half million Americans have been killed by guns。 The numbers are so large， so catastrophic， so disproportionate to what goes on elsewhere， that one must ask why。 Why is America so different--and why are we the most violent country in the Western world？
Interwoven with Spencer Ostrander's haunting photographs of the sites of more than thirty mass shootings in all parts of the country， Bloodbath Nation presents a succinct but thorough examination of America at a crossroads， and asks the central， burning question of our moment: What kind of society do we want to live in？
A portion of proceeds from this book will be donated to the Violence Policy Center， a nonprofit organization working to stop gun death and injury through research， education， and advocacy。
Reviews
Petra X wonders why GR hid her review of Spare？
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I wanted to read a more detailed， nuanced book about guns in the US than the usual pro or anti-gun lobby articles。 Obviously Paul Auster is going to be anti-guns。 His grandfather was shot and killed by his grandmother when his father was only 6 years old。 But Auster is also a wonderful writer， so I thought this book might be it。America is the most violent country in the West， it has more people incarcerated than almost anywhere else。 Coming from the UK， where some criminals have guns， but most p I wanted to read a more detailed， nuanced book about guns in the US than the usual pro or anti-gun lobby articles。 Obviously Paul Auster is going to be anti-guns。 His grandfather was shot and killed by his grandmother when his father was only 6 years old。 But Auster is also a wonderful writer， so I thought this book might be it。America is the most violent country in the West， it has more people incarcerated than almost anywhere else。 Coming from the UK， where some criminals have guns， but most people would never meet anyone who owned one in their whole lifetime， to the Caribbean， where it is the same situation， and then going to America and having a boyfriend who carried one all the time， was culture shock。 That was back in 2017， i was living on a yacht in Marco Island and Longboat Key and he was a Treasury Special Agent。 He wouldn't go out without it。 It freaked me。 he freaked me。 He bullied me。 He threatened me， but not with guns or violence。 Still， I left。 And went back to my nuclear-bombed out island， or at least that's what it looked like after hurricane Irma。 No electricity for six months， just our generator， but it was preferable to going around with a bully with a gun。That was my first encounter with a gun。 The last too， but I think some guys have them and lie to me。 I want to understand how an ordinary person makes the decision to have a gun， even carry it。 This is a part of American culture I just don't get。 Maybe this book will enlighten me。 。。。more
Jonathan Norton
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Interesting short non fiction。 More details here:https://discontinuednotes。com/2023/01。。。 Interesting short non fiction。 More details here:https://discontinuednotes。com/2023/01。。。 。。。more
JDK1962
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Perfectly readable， lucid breakdown of the public health crisis that is gun violence in this country。 But little more than a description， and the factors involved in why the anti-regulation side have become so dug in。 I'm not seeing any hope here， or any way forward。 Perfectly readable， lucid breakdown of the public health crisis that is gun violence in this country。 But little more than a description， and the factors involved in why the anti-regulation side have become so dug in。 I'm not seeing any hope here， or any way forward。 。。。more
Annarella
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I love Paul Auster and this was the first non fiction I read。 It's powerful， thought provoking and passionate。A book to make people reflect on violence and guns。Highly recommended。Many thanks to the publisher for this arc， all opinions are mine I love Paul Auster and this was the first non fiction I read。 It's powerful， thought provoking and passionate。A book to make people reflect on violence and guns。Highly recommended。Many thanks to the publisher for this arc， all opinions are mine 。。。more
Alex Castillo Barona
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Magistral texto sobre la violencia armada en Estados Unidos que mezcla la autobiografía con el ensayo y profundiza en la división racial e ideológica desde la llegada de los colonizadores ingleses hasta la toma del Capitolio por simpatizantes de Trump。 Mucho que desempacar sobre el tema y también muchas ideas y conceptos aplicables a nuestra propia epidemia de violencia armada en México。 Se lee prácticamente de un tirón。 La prosa de Auster quizás esté pasando su mejor momento y eso es ya decir m Magistral texto sobre la violencia armada en Estados Unidos que mezcla la autobiografía con el ensayo y profundiza en la división racial e ideológica desde la llegada de los colonizadores ingleses hasta la toma del Capitolio por simpatizantes de Trump。 Mucho que desempacar sobre el tema y también muchas ideas y conceptos aplicables a nuestra propia epidemia de violencia armada en México。 Se lee prácticamente de un tirón。 La prosa de Auster quizás esté pasando su mejor momento y eso es ya decir mucho。 。。。more
Hillary Copsey
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Auster isn't breaking new ground， a fact he knows and mostly does a good job of pointing out by mentioning the work of others。 But in a handful of compelling essays， paired with photos of mass-shooting sites and the casualty stats， Auster forces readers to look at a full picture of gun violence in America。 He also does a good job of laying out the places the majority of Americans agree on gun control。Unfortunately， the title of the book will turn away most people who own guns and believe in thei Auster isn't breaking new ground， a fact he knows and mostly does a good job of pointing out by mentioning the work of others。 But in a handful of compelling essays， paired with photos of mass-shooting sites and the casualty stats， Auster forces readers to look at a full picture of gun violence in America。 He also does a good job of laying out the places the majority of Americans agree on gun control。Unfortunately， the title of the book will turn away most people who own guns and believe in their right to own guns。 Additionally， in the first sentence of the first essay， Auster shares that he's never owned a gun， a fact that most gun owners I know -- ie most of my family -- will believe disqualifies him from having an opinion about gun control。 This marketing/editing of the book does a major disservice to Auster's work as it will prevent him from bridging the divide over guns， which seems to be at least partially his aim in some of these essays。 。。。more
Andrew Smith
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Paul Auster has written some of the finest books I’ve read， he’s nimble of mind and without doubt a master wordsmith。 Aside from many （perhaps all） of his novels， I’ve also read some of his non-fiction， these being almost entirely introspective and largely biographical。 But this one is different， here he turns his attention to guns and wonders why has America allowed itself to become a place where the number of guns owned exceeds the number of its citizens？ But more importantly， what is it do do Paul Auster has written some of the finest books I’ve read， he’s nimble of mind and without doubt a master wordsmith。 Aside from many （perhaps all） of his novels， I’ve also read some of his non-fiction， these being almost entirely introspective and largely biographical。 But this one is different， here he turns his attention to guns and wonders why has America allowed itself to become a place where the number of guns owned exceeds the number of its citizens？ But more importantly， what is it do do about the fact that the country accounts for around three quarters of the world’s mass shootings。He takes us through the history of guns in his country， explaining how and why this point has been reached。 He provides a pretty exhaustive breakdown of legislation and the political backdrop impacting this growth and also talks about power that the NRA has garnered， which pretty much ensures that the impasse between the anti-gun and pro-gun proclaimers will not be resolved any time soon。 Accompanying the text are a good number of unpopulated photographs showing sites where mass shootings have occurred: a car park， a nightclub， a school and other such everyday places。 The impact of these photos， I found， was to draw my attention to the fact that these terrible events can happen anywhere。 In fact， just a few short weeks after I’d visited Las Vegas on holiday the worst mass shooting ever recorded in America unfolded in this city， just a short distance from where I was staying。 Auster doesn’t offer any solutions， just a few suggestions as to minor first steps that could be taken， but he does make his own views clear with a clarity you’d expect from a man with his gifts。 The tone here is one of horror but also of resignation。 It’s a short， sobering and ultimately scary summary which purveyed a prognosis that I could only read as ‘hopeless， more of the same to come’。 As a footnote， on the morning I finished this book I opened up the BBC news page on my phone to be greeted with a headline announcing that a six-year-old child had shot his teacher with a handgun， in America。 My thanks to Grove Atlantic for supplying a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Jeff
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You can feel Auster's passion in these pages。 The photographs create another world all their own。 Nothing new is being said here。 But what else can be said？ It feels like speaking out against gun violence and suggesting， hoping for， demanding a change in policy is all that any intelligent person can do。 You can feel Auster's passion in these pages。 The photographs create another world all their own。 Nothing new is being said here。 But what else can be said？ It feels like speaking out against gun violence and suggesting， hoping for， demanding a change in policy is all that any intelligent person can do。 。。。more
Kate O'Shea
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Thanks to Netgalley for this ARC。 I saw the author and bit。 This is not one of Auster's wonderful fictions though， this is real life。In Bloodbath Nation Paul Auster gives us a searing description of the state of the USA and its increasingly baffling reliance on guns。 His opinions are well reasoned and based on historical evidence。 He's certainly right that attempting to rid the US of all firearms would not work， we only have to look at prohibition or banned books to know that when something is d Thanks to Netgalley for this ARC。 I saw the author and bit。 This is not one of Auster's wonderful fictions though， this is real life。In Bloodbath Nation Paul Auster gives us a searing description of the state of the USA and its increasingly baffling reliance on guns。 His opinions are well reasoned and based on historical evidence。 He's certainly right that attempting to rid the US of all firearms would not work， we only have to look at prohibition or banned books to know that when something is denied it is sought all the more。However arguments aside the figures are staggering。 So many deaths， so many lives ended， ruined， interrupted， wasted。 It makes for a sobering read。It is only made more unnerving by Spencer Ostrander's photographs of the sites of some of the more publicised massacres （or mass shootings if you prefer）。 There are no bodies but the captions tell their own story - most of these sites are now bulldozed or remain closed since the shooting。Auster also looks at the perpetrators， explains the history behind the "right to bear arms" and the more recent history that led to the state the US is in now - fractured and hurting。The question why America and nowhere else is a good one。 The answer may be a long time coming as the two sides of pro and anti gun cannot agree on the simplest of conundrums， ie who/what do we blame？ The guns or the people who wield them。I do not know the answer but surely a dialogue should be started between the two sides or （with the installation of another divisive president - whoever they may be） the US's problems will only get worse。Read it。 It may only be an essay but it is concise， well considered and erudite。 。。。more
Darin
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Lucid， clearly argued， and unlikely to change any minds， this is still vital writing on the seemingly intractable debate over gun control。 Spencer Ostrander’s accompanying photos of the sites of mass shootings are， like Auster’s prose， unfussy and moving as much for what’s not there （the highly present absence of the victims of violence） as for what is。
Steve Essick
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I’ll make this very simple。 American Treasure Paul Auster’s chilling new book， #Bloodbath Nation is one of the most sobering essays you’ll ever read。 Chronicling the epidemic of mass violence that is running rampant in our country'，#Bloodbath Nation should be required reading for America of the 21st Century。 Read it and weep。 I’ll make this very simple。 American Treasure Paul Auster’s chilling new book， #Bloodbath Nation is one of the most sobering essays you’ll ever read。 Chronicling the epidemic of mass violence that is running rampant in our country'，#Bloodbath Nation should be required reading for America of the 21st Century。 Read it and weep。 。。。more
Lillian Wright
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A much needed analysis; my agreement and comments: The collateral damage from US wars and the idea that “war is the answer”。。。as in our completely invented wars since WW2 which have killed many millions。。。always comes home。 Since WW2: A million dead in the （invented） US Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan; 3 to 6 million based on the US lies which destroyed much of Vietnam and S。E。 Asia。。。and that war is ongoing for the thousands of children still being born with horrific birth defects from our 20 mill A much needed analysis; my agreement and comments: The collateral damage from US wars and the idea that “war is the answer”。。。as in our completely invented wars since WW2 which have killed many millions。。。always comes home。 Since WW2: A million dead in the （invented） US Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan; 3 to 6 million based on the US lies which destroyed much of Vietnam and S。E。 Asia。。。and that war is ongoing for the thousands of children still being born with horrific birth defects from our 20 million gallons of Agent Orange， as well as US cluster bombs still maiming thousands。 Hundreds of thousands dead in US Wars in Central America in the 1980's， And even in recent years thousands of children have been killed by US forces in Iraq and Afghanistan。 Are American children's lives worth more than Iraqi or Afghani children。。。or the half million orphans our war in Iraq has recently created？。。。or the 4 million refugees from the Iraq War？---which was based totally on lies as we all know， and most of us knew at the time。。。”weapons of mass destruction” was a total lie。 And the cost of the wars of the last decades， and militarization in the Middle East was $21 Trillion。 Through militarization of the US， Americans are so conditioned to wave flags， chant slogans and support wars which have been promoted as "saving democracy，" that they swallow the propaganda （"weapons of mass destruction" for only one example） that Eisenhower warned against: the “Military-Industrial Complex” which endlessly promotes war。 It doesn’t take a genius to make a connection between our love of war promoted by what Eisenhower warned us against， the “military-industrial complex”。。。which has endlessly invented and promoted our wars since WW2， killing many millions。。。and the “militarization” of US society: the 400 million firearms resulting in 20，000+ annual firearm deaths in the US and the absurd notion that freedom consists of the “right” to own personal weapons。 This militarism。。。all the symbols， words， and violence associated with it。。。our military reverence and tactics， comes home…1） With the massive numbers （400 million） of firearms in the US， and our annual firearm homicides of 20，000+ and also with our “over-armed” militarized police。。。our horrific 1000+ annual police shootings。。。 both like no other country in the world unless at war。 2） Through “blowback，” （i。e。， one example， the creation of ISIS， but also the fear and anger of other crazy jihadists who will attack us when possible。。。especially the home grown ones who tried to overthrow the US Government after the 2020 election， for another example）; and also 3） Through the apparently very common and mistaken idea in the US that firearms are necessary for individual protection。 The seemingly endless desire of the US military to invent wars， killing millions and costing trillions。。。has long ago， come home to the US。。。where the use of firearms has also become a “solution” 。。。which is also not supported by the 2nd Amendment， which does NOT state that every American has a right to own or keep a gun。 Repeat: Our wars do not make us safer， but just the opposite; they cause "blowback" and revenge from the countries we destroy and the friends/relatives of the millions we murder， and they also drain the US economy， desperately needed social welfare， such as medical care for all， and infrastructure repair。 （And， our "freedoms" do not exist in any way because of our military---they exist （primarily） because we have a constitution and a democracy。。。no matter how flawed。 [And in no way was Vietnam， Iraq or Afghanistan。。。among many others。。。 our "enemy（ies）。] And the militarization of US extremist groups:As someone wrote: "It's as though war—and all the symbols， words， and violence associated with it—has seeped through our pores and settled deep in our bones。”The January 6 attack at the U。S。 Capitol included veterans， reservists， a member of the National Guard， members of several militias and extremist organizations （such as the Sons of Liberty New Jersey， Groyper Army， Oath Keepers， Proud Boys， Boogaloo Boys， and Three Percenters）， supporters of the extremist conspiracy QAnon， and other groups and networks。 https://www。csis。org/analysis/militar。。。Not forgetting the domestic commandos in Portland， wearing the garb of Special Operations forces， who snatched Black Lives Matter protesters off the streets and shot and beat others， and the militias in Kenosha and Louisville， wearing head-to-toe military kit。 And， 30 members of the “Patriot Front，” a Texas-based white supremacist group， armed with handguns and bear spray， were preparing to riot in on June 11; they are successors to white supremacists， "Vanguard America，" who rioted at the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville， in 2017。Reminder: our wars do not make us safer， but just the opposite; they cause "blowback" and revenge from the countries we destroy and the friends/relatives of the millions we murder， and they also drain the US economy of desperately needed social welfare， such as medical care for all， and infrastructure repair。 Finally， “A country that develops and relies on the overwhelming size and severity of its penal system is also a country beholden to its own violence。” And the United States continues to incarcerate far more people than any other country。 About 664 out of every 100，000 people are in prison。And back to our wars: Our wars are promoted by the US “Military-Industrial Complex” which Eisenhower warned against， but also by successive US governments， most of the mainstream media， an indoctrinated US public， and all the military “Support our Troops” propaganda。 In an enlightened society， one might ask: “troops going where？ Why？ To kill whom？”And like other US wars， throughout the Afghan war， documents show that U。S。 military officials resorted to an old tactic from Vietnam — manipulating public opinion。 West Point Professor Tim Bakken’s book， “The Cost of Loyalty: Dishonesty， Hubris， and Failure in the U。S。 Military” traces a path of corruption， barbarism， violence， and unaccountability that makes its way from the United States’ military academies （West Point， Annapolis， Colorado Springs） to the top ranks of the U。S。 military and U。S。 governmental policy， and from there into a broader U。S。 culture that， in turn， supports the subculture of the military and its leaders。The Pentagon spends billions annually on propaganda and public relations。 Sports leagues are paid with public dollars to stage “rituals that are akin to worship，” as Bakken appropriately describes the fly-overs， weapons shows， troop honorings， and war hymn screechings that precede professional athletics events。 The peace movement has far superior materials but comes up a little short of $4。7 billion each year for advertising。“The Afghanistan Papers A secret history of the war， At war with the truth” U。S。 officials constantly said they were making progress。 They were not， and they knew it， an exclusive Post investigation found。”“We were devoid of a fundamental understanding of Afghanistan — we didn’t know what we were doing，” Douglas Lute， a three-star Army general who served as the White House’s Afghan war czar during the Bush and Obama administrations， told government interviewers in 2015。 He added: “What are we trying to do here？ We didn’t have the foggiest notion of what we were undertaking。” Washington Post， Craig Whitlock Dec。 9， 2019 "The danger is this: while we’re caught up in the countless “thanks for your service” platitudes， upgraded airline seating， ever larger flags flying o’er sporting events， and other forms of hollow soldier-worship and militarized “patriotism，” the nation may be losing something precious: the right to dissent。 “A nation that continuously publicizes appeals to “support our troops” is explicitly asking its citizens not to think。 It is the ideal slogan for suppressing the practice of democracy， presented to us in the guise of democratic preservation。” Steven Salaita， Salon 25 August， 2013And as the Rev Dr。 Chris Hedges has written in a review for the impeccably researched "Kill Anything that Moves" by Nick Turse， about the myriad and countless US atrocities in Vietnam: "our military， which has achieved， through relentless propaganda and effective censorship， a level of public adulation that is terrifying。" 。。。more
Francesco
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Paul Auster’s essay is an original attempt from a very great author to analyse and understand the problem of gun violence in the USA。 Gun violence is a real problem of the America society， in fact 82% of all gun deaths take place in the US。 Each year 40。000 Americans are killed by gunshot wounds and 80。000 are wounded by guns。 But we should not only consider the victims， but also those Americans directly or indirectly marked by gun violence。 To confirm the urgency of the problem， we also find ph Paul Auster’s essay is an original attempt from a very great author to analyse and understand the problem of gun violence in the USA。 Gun violence is a real problem of the America society， in fact 82% of all gun deaths take place in the US。 Each year 40。000 Americans are killed by gunshot wounds and 80。000 are wounded by guns。 But we should not only consider the victims， but also those Americans directly or indirectly marked by gun violence。 To confirm the urgency of the problem， we also find photographs taken by Spencer Ostrander about thirty sites of mass shootings occurred in recent years， sites that are properly called by Auster as “gravestones of our collective grief”。 Auster claims that gun violence is a serious question， but there is no concerted effort to tackle that problem from states or institutions， because guns are one of the two pillars of the American mythology。 Guns represent for the Americans an idea of freedom and individual empowerment。 And there is also the powerful lobby of guns， the NRA， that is doing whatever they can to impede that every legislation that is aimed to curb the selling of guns is taken seriously。 The NRA strongly states that Americans have the right to arm themselves against the murderous intentions of others。 Legislations and laws imposing restrictions on the brandishing of guns have always been part of the American life， but they failed to address properly the problem。 Auster’s states that a society， like the American one， founded on the principles of capitalism， which is a system that is based on competition and conflict and that opposes those who accumulate wealth and property to those who lose and live in poverty， and that exalts selfishness instead of cooperation， it is quite impossible to address a calamity like the excess of gun violence。 What can be done is simply imposing restrictions on the selling of guns， especially adopting gun-purchase bans on people who have committed violent crimes or that have manifested mental or emotional disturbances。 That can at least mitigate the damage caused by guns， but that is not sufficient and even the data states that things are worsening。 Since the outbreak of the pandemic， gun violence has risen sharply and the black-market trafficking illegal guns is still proliferating。 。。。more
Morgan
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*3。5/5Overall， I really enjoyed Auster’s writing style and found Bloodbath Nation a quick and engaging read。 Unless you’re new to reading about guns/gun culture， the majority of the book will be more of a review than learning anything new。 Thank you to Netgalley and Grove Atlantic for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review。
Karina Pineda
，
Was expecting to gain new insights/perspectives on the gun crisis in America。 If you're someone who has been somewhat in tune with the state of the country over the last decade， most of this book will not come as a surprise。 I would say I only found maybe 20% of the content new or insightful， and that includes the author's personal family connection to gun violence。 I would only recommend this to people who have been asleep over the last decade。 Was expecting to gain new insights/perspectives on the gun crisis in America。 If you're someone who has been somewhat in tune with the state of the country over the last decade， most of this book will not come as a surprise。 I would say I only found maybe 20% of the content new or insightful， and that includes the author's personal family connection to gun violence。 I would only recommend this to people who have been asleep over the last decade。 。。。more
Karina Pineda
，
Was expecting to gain new insights/perspectives on the gun crisis in America。 If you're someone who has been somewhat in tune with the state of the country over the last decade， most of this book will not come as a surprise。 I would say I only found maybe 20% of the content new or insightful， and that includes the author's personal family connection to gun violence。 I would only recommend this to people who have been asleep over the last decade。 Was expecting to gain new insights/perspectives on the gun crisis in America。 If you're someone who has been somewhat in tune with the state of the country over the last decade， most of this book will not come as a surprise。 I would say I only found maybe 20% of the content new or insightful， and that includes the author's personal family connection to gun violence。 I would only recommend this to people who have been asleep over the last decade。 。。。more
GABRIAN
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A lonely， abysmal man， listening to The Cure。
Liam Green
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TL;DR version: A succinct and outstandingly written hybrid of memoir， American social and political history， and philosophical inquiry。 The high-quality writing you expect from a veteran like Paul Auster， even in subject matter he does not directly tackle in his fiction and other memoirs。 Yet it's unlikely to change any minds。BLOODBATH NATION does everything it should: summarizing in clear and propulsive prose how the U。S。 became the preeminent land of gun violence and mass shootings。 He covers TL;DR version: A succinct and outstandingly written hybrid of memoir， American social and political history， and philosophical inquiry。 The high-quality writing you expect from a veteran like Paul Auster， even in subject matter he does not directly tackle in his fiction and other memoirs。 Yet it's unlikely to change any minds。BLOODBATH NATION does everything it should: summarizing in clear and propulsive prose how the U。S。 became the preeminent land of gun violence and mass shootings。 He covers all the right bases， starting with colonists' frontier wars against the country's Native population and getting as far as the Pulse， Parkland， Mandalay Bay and El Paso mass shootings。 He weaves in his （admittedly brief） romance with the idea of guns as a child/adolescent to explain how the appeal of gun ownership and the act of shooting is so tempting。 He closes out the book admitting his inability to predict or even plausibly imagine how the problem can be solved。 （He alludes to this lack of knowledge in various moments before the end as well; this is perhaps the most deeply felt material in the book。）Here's the problem: I don't know what tangible benefit this book has other than the obvious fact of being a good book with powerful and relevant subject matter。 Perhaps that has to be enough - but it doesn't seem like that's Auster's full intent。 Books and essays like BLOODBATH NATION are published with some regularity， some of them stridently anti-gun and others more nuanced like this one。 Mostly they are read and praised by people who already are just as appalled as Auster is at the state of America's perverse relationship to guns and direct or tacit acceptance of regular mass shootings。 It's preaching to the converted。 It reminds me of Garry Wills's passionate 2012 essay on this subject， "Our Moloch，" which in the wake of the Sandy Hook shootings Wills literally compared American gun violence to child sacrifices to the most infamous demon-god of the Bible's Old Testament。 But he published it in the New York Review of Books， an outlet that even most of liberal or leftist America doesn't regularly read。 Auster's book will draw more attention than that， at least， for various reasons。 For one， Auster is known to a group of readers that likely includes a fair number of people in the quote unquote center and maybe even a few semi-conservatives， perhaps even the ones whose conservatism isn't one-issue 2A worship。 He also includes the story of the Sutherland Springs， Texas man who was a responsible gun owner （a target-shooting hobbyist who locked up his guns carefully）。 This man prevented the shooter at that town's Baptist Church from killing and wounding many more than the 25 and 22 who were killed and wounded by shooting him several times and chasing him away from the church。 （The shooter and pursuer concluded their chase in vehicles， and the former ultimately blew his brains out after realizing he couldn't escape capture or justifiable homicide。） Auster paints a nuanced picture of this man's common-sense gun use， unglamorous heroism and the mental agony he went through after nearly killing a truly vicious man 。。。 and also adds that the man did not decline various future invitations to speak at NRA conventions。 The inclusion of this story and its shades of gray ensures it cannot be dismissed as a black-and-white polemic by anyone who actually reads it。 But will the handful of people whose minds could be changed by this nuanced argument actually see it？ I hope so， but have serious doubts。The last matter worth discussing about BLOODBATH NATION is its haunting use of Spencer Ostrander's photography。 （Even in digital ARC form they stand out and likely will do so better in the print editions。） Ostrander photographed the sites of mass shootings long after the bodies， bullets and blood had been cleared away， making them austere， desolate and empty monuments to horror。 It remains to be seen whether this tactic has more or less impact than， say， presenting graphic photos of the violence。 （This obviously would have caused considerable legal complications and would of course be very ethically dubious， but might it have made a more obvious point？ I truly do not know。） 。。。more
Jill Elizabeth
，
I am a long time fan of the writing of Paul Auster， and his take on gun violence and the history of guns and gun control in America was exactly as moving as I expected it to be。 With a powerful clarity that blends a desire for change with a strong sense of the unfortunate reality surrounding the emotional issue of guns in the United States， Auster presents a moving， horrifying， and enlightning series of facts blended with powerful imagery from the sites of recent mass shootings。 This was a fanta I am a long time fan of the writing of Paul Auster， and his take on gun violence and the history of guns and gun control in America was exactly as moving as I expected it to be。 With a powerful clarity that blends a desire for change with a strong sense of the unfortunate reality surrounding the emotional issue of guns in the United States， Auster presents a moving， horrifying， and enlightning series of facts blended with powerful imagery from the sites of recent mass shootings。 This was a fantastic thought piece。Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my obligation-free review copy。 。。。more
Jill Elizabeth
，
I am a long time fan of the writing of Paul Auster， and his take on gun violence and the history of guns and gun control in America was exactly as moving as I expected it to be。 With a powerful clarity that blends a desire for change with a strong sense of the unfortunate reality surrounding the emotional issue of guns in the United States， Auster presents a moving， horrifying， and enlightning series of facts blended with powerful imagery from the sites of recent mass shootings。 This was a fanta I am a long time fan of the writing of Paul Auster， and his take on gun violence and the history of guns and gun control in America was exactly as moving as I expected it to be。 With a powerful clarity that blends a desire for change with a strong sense of the unfortunate reality surrounding the emotional issue of guns in the United States， Auster presents a moving， horrifying， and enlightning series of facts blended with powerful imagery from the sites of recent mass shootings。 This was a fantastic thought piece。Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my obligation-free review copy。 。。。more
Laura
，
*The publisher has provided me with an advance readers copy in exchange for an honest review。*Paul Auster is one of the rare authors who can expound on just about any subject and make his thoughts worth reading， even if he's not contributing any original ideas to the conversation。 "Bloodbath Nation" is really more of a personal essay than a book - I would be surprised if it clocked in at any higher than fourty thousand words， and a not-insignificant amount of page space is taken by photos that d *The publisher has provided me with an advance readers copy in exchange for an honest review。*Paul Auster is one of the rare authors who can expound on just about any subject and make his thoughts worth reading， even if he's not contributing any original ideas to the conversation。 "Bloodbath Nation" is really more of a personal essay than a book - I would be surprised if it clocked in at any higher than fourty thousand words， and a not-insignificant amount of page space is taken by photos that don't add much to the overall effect。 And Auster is not really offering any analysis of or suggestions about gun violence that have not been raised many times before。 But he's eloquent enough that his reflections are still worth reading， even if all you get from them is a moment of quiet contemplation。 I'm glad I read it。 。。。more
Dawn Thomas
，
Bloodbath Nation by Paul Auster9780802160454160 PagesPublisher: Grove Atlantic， Grove PressRelease Date: January 10， 2023Nonfiction （Adult）， Politics， Gun Control， Mass KillingsThe author begins the book by telling stories of his experience with guns。 As a toddler and young boy， he played being a cowboy with hat， holster， and gun。 The only thing missing was a horse。 When he was older， he went to summer camp and attended a gun shooting course。 Later， he went to a friend’s home and did skeet shoot Bloodbath Nation by Paul Auster9780802160454160 PagesPublisher: Grove Atlantic， Grove PressRelease Date: January 10， 2023Nonfiction （Adult）， Politics， Gun Control， Mass KillingsThe author begins the book by telling stories of his experience with guns。 As a toddler and young boy， he played being a cowboy with hat， holster， and gun。 The only thing missing was a horse。 When he was older， he went to summer camp and attended a gun shooting course。 Later， he went to a friend’s home and did skeet shooting。 He describes his relationship with guns in relation to other boys and young men that grew up constantly around guns and hunting。 He also tells a few stories from his time with the merchant marines。The bulk of the book revolves around mass shootings around the country。 He talks about how we have been almost desensitized to hearing news of shootings because they are now so frequent。 There is one story where he goes into more detail。 It is the good guy with a gun versus the bad guy with a gun。The story is well written and researched。 There are eerie photos of shooting sites without any people。 It is sad to realize that gun control is something that must be fought over。 As a gun owner， it makes sense to me that the number of mass shootings would go down if there was gun control。 。。。more
Venky
，
Paul Auster’s “Bloodbath Nation” is a cathartic jeremiad on an insidious phenomenon that has gripped the world’s biggest economy。 The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute， Auster informs us， released some statistical detail which makes for some sobering reading。 Annually， close to 40，000 Americans succumb to gunshot wounds， while 80，000 more are left nursing scars， both physical and mental。 Thus， on an average， more than 100 Americans are killed and over 200 others injured ever Paul Auster’s “Bloodbath Nation” is a cathartic jeremiad on an insidious phenomenon that has gripped the world’s biggest economy。 The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute， Auster informs us， released some statistical detail which makes for some sobering reading。 Annually， close to 40，000 Americans succumb to gunshot wounds， while 80，000 more are left nursing scars， both physical and mental。 Thus， on an average， more than 100 Americans are killed and over 200 others injured every day， courtesy a gunman going rogue， or a cop gone crazy or a depressed individual bidding life goodbye。 With more than 393 million guns currently possessed by the US populace， there are more firearms in the country than all men， women and children combined。Auster once said， “memory is the space in which a thing happens for a second time。” In the America of today a part of the space reserved for memory seems to be racked by a tragedy possessing the unfortunate propensity to repeat itself on loop。 From Sandy Hook Elementary School to Uvalde; from The First Baptist Church in Sutherland to The Pulse Night Club， Orlando， no lessons are learned， no concrete measures are instituted， and no promise is kept。 Candlelight vigils and desk thumping debates are very poor substitutes （if at all） for gun control bills and prophylactic restraints。Auster hits the nail on its head when he claims that the menace of gun control will forever remain perched above our heads like the proverbial sword of Damocles unless there is a collective and urgent acknowledgement that it represents a grave public health threat。 Charting the evolutionary trajectory between cars and guns， two phenomena which symbolize both the trappings of prosperity and the travesty of justice respectively， in America， Auster argues that while there have been constant and incremental enhancements to the safety of passenger transport such as introduction of seat belts， airbags etc， there have been no commensurate benevolent outcomes in so far as the reckless wielding of a gun is concerned。This dichotomy， according to Auster， can be traced to what he derisively terms “the sublime hypocrisy” characterizing the formation of America as an independent nation。 While a marauding militia went about massacring and displacing the native Indians， before seizing their land and laying down colonial roots， the Declaration of Independence， legislated the second Amendment which provided the right to possess and employ firearms。 The 2008 Supreme Court decision in the District of Columbia v Heller case， bestowed ultimate universality and legitimacy to gun ownership by interpreting that the rights to own a weapon， as postulated by the Second Amendment was not just restricted to the military or the law enforcement agencies but to every other individual who called America， home。 Some weak restrictions that forbade the use and firing of a firearm within the confines of educational， medical and religious institutions stayed obfuscated by the ramifications of the original and more primary verdict。Auster recollects the tragic consequences marring his own family as a result of a misused weapon in a nondescript yet powerful manner。 A family secret of over half a century is prised open， following a chance encounter by one of Aster’s cousins with a passenger who happens to know Paul Auster’s father and uncles。 However Auster’s first eye opening understanding of the damage that could be wreaked by both a weapon and the indiscreet man holding it， takes place when he is on board an Esso oil tanker as a seaman during a six month stint in the merchant marine。 Being one of the youngest and the least experienced men on board he soon strikes up a friendship with Lamar， ‘a short， stringy-haired redhead from Baton Rouge with a white， crimson splotch marring the white of his left eye…” Lamar is also an equally inexperienced and soft spoken seaman looking for company。 Aster’s conviction in Lamar’s sincerity and outlook is shaken to the bones， when the latter nonchalantly reveals one day that a hobby of his happens to be parking himself on an overpass of the interstate highway， and firing live rounds at cars passing by underneath。 Upon questioned by Auster on what would have been the consequence if either a bullet had made contact with a car or a scared driver veering off course， Lamar shrugs and laconically replies， ‘Who knows？” Auster’s lament is supplemented by brooding images in the form of photographs， courtesy Spencer Ostrander。 These pictures are of the sites of mass shootings in upwards of thirty， and spaced over the last few years。 Not a single animate being inhabits the pictures。 Bleak， isolated， and run down， the structures in sepia colour resemble tired and mute spectators within whose precincts some of the most wanton and incomprehensible mayhem were wreaked by a few deranged individuals。“Bloodbath Nation” is a grim reminder of an existential crisis staring a nation in the face and a fervent plea to recognise and remedy such crisis instead of adopting an ostrich like approach that consists of burying one’s head in the sand while exposing the rest of the body to every possible danger。（Bloodbath Nation by Paul Auster， is published by Grove Atlantic and will be available for sale from the 10th of January 2023 onwards。）Thank you， Net Galley for the Advance Reviewer Copy。#BloodbathNation #NetGalley。 。。。more
Janalyn Prude
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The big question in “blood bath nation “by Paul Auster is how is America as a country one of the most gun loving， gun toting nations？ In my opinion a country taken by violence and lead by men who were respected due to their rank in the military… With the exception of Obama and Donald Trump goes a long way to explain why we as Americans love guns。 I too have respect for men who joined the military and fought in wars because every man who went and fought did so we can retain our freedoms but havin The big question in “blood bath nation “by Paul Auster is how is America as a country one of the most gun loving， gun toting nations？ In my opinion a country taken by violence and lead by men who were respected due to their rank in the military… With the exception of Obama and Donald Trump goes a long way to explain why we as Americans love guns。 I too have respect for men who joined the military and fought in wars because every man who went and fought did so we can retain our freedoms but having said that I think The new question is how do we curve this attraction for something so deadly？ I know that guns don’t kill people but people kill people but these are people with guns。 I raised my son and didn’t allow him to have play guns cap guns whatever kind of guns and he grew up joined the military and was in it for nine years and even fought in the Iraqi war。 So there’s no right or wrong way all we could do is teach our children to be responsible and respect these weapons of destruction and although we would love our politicians to be psychic and be able to tell when someone crazy is going to do something bad with a weapon but will never be able to stop those wanting to hurt others。 I do agree that we certainly have no need to sell Machine guns。 They aren’t for protection in your home。 They are for mass killings。 Anyway， in other countries where guns aren’t so plentiful they still have mass killings and in some cases have had poisonous gas put in ventilation systems。 Not only that， one can make a bomb with house hold chemicals and garden fertilizers which is high in Nitrogen， which is a key ingredient in explosives。 So if people are all out to kill others they’ll find a way。 I really enjoyed this book although to be honest I could’ve lived without reading how the ER doctor treated a gunshot wound that was a bit detailed and a whole lotta gross。 I did enjoy the first chapter about the authors life as a young boy and growing up I thought he had a lot of great insight to the failings of this great nation。 I know a lot of people say America isn’t so great but these people that haven’t lived anywhere else and that’s a little like saying your mom is terrible until you see your friends mom beating her with a pipe。 We take for granted the things that come easy to us it’s a lo of talk about a nation that is number one in a list of hundreds of nations to me seems ridiculous and ignorant。 I enjoyed this book and highly recommend it。 Please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review but all opinions are definitely my own。 I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily。 。。。more
M
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I have never been able to coherently articulate my feelings about guns。 There are facts: I am an educator。 I am a parent。 School shootings and lockdown drills are terrifying。 I also live in rural Minnesota， where my direct neighbor （three or so acres away） has targets to practice on， which we can see when we take the dogs for walks in the woods and can hear from our house。 My sister and her husband live in Texas and own guns they take to the shooting range。 I am not against gun ownership。 I am t I have never been able to coherently articulate my feelings about guns。 There are facts: I am an educator。 I am a parent。 School shootings and lockdown drills are terrifying。 I also live in rural Minnesota， where my direct neighbor （three or so acres away） has targets to practice on， which we can see when we take the dogs for walks in the woods and can hear from our house。 My sister and her husband live in Texas and own guns they take to the shooting range。 I am not against gun ownership。 I am terrified of guns。 Those two things exist simultaneously。Paul Auster， who is an absolutely， absolutely brilliant writer， explores this culture in a way that makes complete sense to me in Bloodbath Nation。 We get so many good things in this slender hybrid book: personal essay as he reveals his family’s truth， critical essay as he faces national truths， deep and often undiscussed histories that help explain things for me。 And photographs of sites of mass shootings， which are stunning in their stark reality。I loved this book， though I don’t love why it exists。 It is so damn smart and now I want to read everything Auster has written and then hope he writes more。 It reads like a collection of fantastic linked New Yorker or Atlantic essays。The title makes it seem like he’s an angry， yelly one-sided liberal， but it doesn’t read like that to me at all。 I don’t think responsible gun owners would disagree with what he has to say at all。 。。。more
J Earl
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Bloodbath Nation， by Paul Auster with photography by Spencer Ostrander， is an impassioned look at America's bloody love affair with guns， from colonial times through to our most recent bloodbaths。While making a case for gun control Auster stops well short of being blind to either the appeal or the reasonable reasons for gun ownership。 That said， he also points out the amazing levels of irrationality in the extreme arguments against any and all regulation。 Through both personal stories， statistic Bloodbath Nation， by Paul Auster with photography by Spencer Ostrander， is an impassioned look at America's bloody love affair with guns， from colonial times through to our most recent bloodbaths。While making a case for gun control Auster stops well short of being blind to either the appeal or the reasonable reasons for gun ownership。 That said， he also points out the amazing levels of irrationality in the extreme arguments against any and all regulation。 Through both personal stories， statistics， some basic history， and analyses of a few cases， Auster paints a picture of a divided country that has chosen deadly weapons as the battleground on which to display its dishonorable partisanship。Combined with Ostrander's haunting photographs this short volume speaks to both the mind and the heart。 There are no winners， except those raking in the cash from all the bloodshed。I would like to recommend this to everyone， but I am almost positive the ammosexuals will be offended that their little compensatory phalluses are under attack。 So other than them， I recommend this to anyone who cares about people being able to safely and without fear go about their daily business， be it work， shopping， school， or worship。Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley。 。。。more
Rob Christopher
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As one would expect from Auster， this is propulsive stuff。
GONZA
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An essay recounting the most famous mass shooting of the past 50 years in America， paralleling legislation on the carrying and possession of firearms and the life of the author。 A chilling fresco of what should be the world's largest democracy， but which since the advent of Trump has clearly shown that it is aiming to become something different。Un saggio che racconta le piú famose stragi degli ultimi 50 anni in america， parallelamente alla legislazione sul porto e possesso di armi da fuoco e all An essay recounting the most famous mass shooting of the past 50 years in America， paralleling legislation on the carrying and possession of firearms and the life of the author。 A chilling fresco of what should be the world's largest democracy， but which since the advent of Trump has clearly shown that it is aiming to become something different。Un saggio che racconta le piú famose stragi degli ultimi 50 anni in america， parallelamente alla legislazione sul porto e possesso di armi da fuoco e alla vita dell'autore。 Un affresco agghiacciante di quella che dovrebbe essere la piú grande democrazia del mondo， ma che dall'avvento di Trump a mostrato chiaramente di puntare a diventare qualcosa di diverso。I received from the Publisher a complimentary digital advanced review copy of the book in exchange for a honest review。 。。。more
Thomas Kiley
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This part-memoir， part-history book， part-essay was a short， heart-breaking read。 Paul Auster connects his own history with guns to America's storied past with guns to our modern crisis of mass shootings。 Spencer Ostrander's photographs that separate the sections of Auster's essay are chilling reminders of what is left over after a tragedy， after the country moves onto the next pressing crisis。 Auster's book is a fantastic summary of guns in America and an overview of recent mass shootings。 The This part-memoir， part-history book， part-essay was a short， heart-breaking read。 Paul Auster connects his own history with guns to America's storied past with guns to our modern crisis of mass shootings。 Spencer Ostrander's photographs that separate the sections of Auster's essay are chilling reminders of what is left over after a tragedy， after the country moves onto the next pressing crisis。 Auster's book is a fantastic summary of guns in America and an overview of recent mass shootings。 The essay was written in the summer of 2021， so some parts definitely felt out of date （we now know how little the protests last summer moved the political needle towards change， New York no longer has a specific gun law mentioned in the essay due to the Supreme Court， countless more mass shootings that would be included in Auster's lists and discussions have occurred）。 However， Auster presents a clear view of how we got to the current world and the numerous obstacles that will have to be overcome to create change。 This book serves as a great refresher and reminder of the current state of guns in America。Thank you to Grove Atlantic and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Meike
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Paul Auster intertwines his own personal story regarding gun violence with the historical and current political situation in the US: Auster's grandmother murdered his grandfather with a gun， the author grew up the son of a severely traumatized father， but was nevertheless introduced to American gun culture at a very young age。 This personal story and the normality of guns in everyday life， especially in certain regions， were most interesting to me， a European for whom American weapon culture see Paul Auster intertwines his own personal story regarding gun violence with the historical and current political situation in the US: Auster's grandmother murdered his grandfather with a gun， the author grew up the son of a severely traumatized father， but was nevertheless introduced to American gun culture at a very young age。 This personal story and the normality of guns in everyday life， especially in certain regions， were most interesting to me， a European for whom American weapon culture seems utterly bizarre （and I grew up the daugher of a policeman， so I'm the kid of a guy with a gun）。 While I think that connecting the personal with larger societal issues is generally a good approach for the text， the lengthy explanation that gun culture is rooted in settler colonialism and how it relates to American independence from the Britsih seemed like stating the obvious for me。 The analysis of several shooting incidents （accompanied by photographs of the crime scenes） remained rather superificial due to the sheer amount of cases。 I was more intrigued by the connection Auster makes between the lack of a real worker's movement in the US and the individualist， confrontative focus on weapons - there is something to it that the lack of solidarity （rooted in people like Ayn Rand calling it communism and stigmatising common responsibilty as weakness） breeds fear。 And I found it interesting that Auster makes the same argument as Learning from the Germans: Race and the Memory of Evil: That ignoring that the US was founded on a genocide and became rich because of slavery （facts that are probably contested nowhere in the world except in the US itself） ruins American society， because the founding lies make other obvious lies acceptable， lies like "guns are not the problem"。 A nation needs to hold itself accountable， or every orange conman can blurt out obvious nonsense and get elected President， because feelings reign supreme。 （Still， Mr。 Auster， the slave patrols were no "Southern Gestapo" - both were terribly evil， but in a very different way。）I'm not sure whether I agree with Auster that gun violence is a public health menace; to me， it seems to be an issue of national security， often related to white terrorism。 People who commit mass shootings are not public health offenders， these white middle class kids are mostly domestic terrorists， and that this truth seems to be scandalous in the US is the core of the problem。 Auster apparently has no idea how to cure the disease that， since Trump's presidency， is killing even more citizens。 Neither do I。 But while this book is rather messy， it was still interesting to read and when I catch myself thinking that the text is probably futile， I stop myself， because it would mean to give up hope。 。。。more
Reference
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The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Bloodbath Nation&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0