No single weapon has spread so much raw power to so many people in so little time - and had such a devastating effect - as the AK-47 assault rifle. This book examines the legacy of this world-changing weapon, from its creation as means of fighting the Nazis to its ubiquity in various kinds of conflicts, including the civil wars in Africa.

No single weapon has spread so much raw power to so many people in so little time and had such a devastating effect as the AK 47 assault rifle. This book examines the legacy of this world changing weapon, from its creation as means of fighting the Nazis to its ubiquity today in every kind of conflict, from civil wars in Africa to gang wars in L.A.

Acknowledgments.Author's Note.Introduction.1. Protecting the Motherland.2. A Reputation Born in the Rice Paddies.3. Pandora's Box.4. The African Credit Card.5. The Kalashnikov Culture Reaches Latin America.6. Kalashnikov and His Gun Visit America.7. The United Nations Takes On the True Weapons of Mass Destruction.8. AK versus M-16: Part 2.9. The Second Selling of the AK.Epilogue: The Last Days of the AK?Notes.Index.