Synopses & Reviews
A blistering expos of the National Rifle Association, revealing its people, power, corruption, and ongoing downfall, from acclaimed NPR investigative reporter Tim Mak
"Tenacious, careful and incisive." —Jonathan Swan - "Deeply and meticulously reported, colorfully and precisely written." —Olivia Nuzzi - "Nonstop revelations are told with gripping detail and intimate insider knowledge." —David Frum
The NRA once compelled respect — even fear — from Republicans and Democrats alike. Once a grassroots club dedicated to gun safety, the NRA ballooned into a powerful lobbyist organization that maintained an iron hold on gun legislation in America. This influential nonprofit raised millions in small fees from members across the country, which funded hidden, lavish lifestyles of designer suits, private jets and yachts, martini lunches and Champagne dinners — while the group manipulated legislators and flirted with a Russian spy.
Yet in 2012, the NRA's grip on Washington began to loosen in the wake of the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary. Facing nationwide outrage, NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre gave a speech claiming the solution was not fewer guns, but more guns, in schools. The group's rhetoric only escalated from there, a misstep that sparked a backlash and invited the scrutiny of the government.
Unveiled here for the first time ever are surprising, revelatory details spotlighting decades of poor leadership and mismanagement by LaPierre; the NRA's long association with marketing firm Ackerman-McQueen; NRA executives' 2015 trip to Moscow, a by-invitation affair packed with meetings with Russian government officials, diplomats, and oligarchs seeking influence in American politics; as well as the power struggle between LaPierre and former NRA president Oliver North that fractured the organization.
Misfire is the result of a four-year investigation by journalist Tim Mak, who scoured thousands of pages of never-before-publicized documents and cultivated dozens of confidential sources inside the NRA's orbit to paint a vivid picture of the gun group's rampant corruption and slow decline, marking a sea change in the battle over gun rights and control in America.
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"Mak's access to NRA insiders impresses. Readers will be astonished by the levels of corruption and incompetence this sweeping investigation uncovers." Publishers Weekly
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"The inside story of upheavals within the once-secretive gun rights organization... Captures the shrill absurdity of this soap opera, managing a colorful rogues' gallery." Kirkus Reviews
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"Tim Mak has been at the forefront of the NRA story for years now. He has broken numerous exclusive stories that provide insight into the group's infighting and the impact on their finances. His reporting is invaluable to anyone from any political perspective who simply wants to know the truth about what's going on inside the National Rifle Association." Stephen Gutowski, former Staff Writer at the Washington Free Beacon and Founder of The Reload
About the Author
Tim Mak is National Public Radio's Washington Investigative Correspondent, and was one of NPR's lead reporters on the Mueller investigation and the first Trump impeachment. While reporting for the Daily Beast in 2017, he broke the story of Russian agent Maria Butina and her connection with the NRA. He can often be heard on NPR's Morning Edition, All Things Considered, and the NPR Politics Podcast.