For those of us with short memories, it can be difficult to understand the militant absolutism of the National Rifle Association. How did the group get so powerful? Why does it refuse to compromise, even when compromise seems inescapable? Has it always expressed contempt for the federal government?
In an illuminating and timely look back at the NRA, reporters Joel Achenbach, Scott Higham, and Sari Horwitz of The Washington Post answer these questions and more. With President Obama, Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York, Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York City, and others pushing for new gun-control legislation, it's useful to know more about the NRA, to get a sense of how it might respond to this new...