Book excerpt: The intent is not a complete history of American longrifles or a full description of the context in which they were made and used. An overview of their design evolution, history, and distinguishing characteristics is presented as a backdrop to discussion of the gunsmiths of Allegheny and Westmoreland counties, key players in the golden age of American riflemaking. The nicely designed volume measures 11.25x9.25", a perfect shape for the necessarily horizontal, abundant illustrations. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR