No Duty to Retreat
“I’ll die before I’ll run.” This sentiment categorizes the American mindset after the Revolution. As Richard Maxwell Brown writes, this no-duty-to-retreat attitude gave rise to violence and values of American society.
The purpose of No Duty to Retreat is to illustrate this new American mindset of no duty to retreat and the development of this attitude in America. Brown discusses how the evolution from the English common-law, duty to retreat, to the now widespread Americanized law of no duty to retreat came about. Overall, No Duty to Retreat is about “violence and American values,” and how the concept of no duty to retreat relates.
No Duty to Retreat is a historical text, describing the relationship between post-Revolution American and the idea of self-defense. This book describes the origin of no duty to retreat in America by citing murders and court rulings on the subject, and then moves to the era of the gunslinger and the relationship between gunfighters and the concept of never fleeing from confrontation. Brown discusses California and the West’s influence on the notion of no duty to retreat, and then concludes with more modern occurrences of this ideal in American history, including the Bernhard Goetz incident.
Brown’s book is a very aggressive and exciting book, containing showdowns, quarrels, murders, gunfights; all very hostile elements. Some events resemble a Hollywood movie; however, Brown proves the validity of each account in his book. No Duty to Retreat rarely lags in excitement, due to its consistent use of protagonist/antagonist stories and accounts. Brown is obviously for the idea of no duty to retreat. He glamorizes the use of no duty to retreat (ex. Bill Hickok) and sympathizes with users of self-defense (ex. Wyatt Earp). He also tends, though probably not purposefully, to look down at the idea of duty to retreat as cowardice. The book also discusses the rise and fall of violence in America due to this feeling of no duty to retreat. Americans don’t have to flee “to the wall at your back.”
The book’s title is the theme: No Duty to Retreat. There is no ambiguity about the title. Brown thoroughly defines no duty to retreat as well as the duty to retreat in the Preface, and then again in greater detail in Chapter 1. The title is strong and fits the book perfectly. Even without understanding the full concept of no duty to retreat, one can derive a simple meaning of the book from the title.
Brown uses a very scholarly approach to writing this book. He extensively pulls quotes and information from a variety of other novels, essays and scholarly writings. His “Notes” as he titles them, are a list sources and citations used in his book. Brown’s book is divided into chapters of events in American history. However, he more or less reports on these events by giving each chapter a central theme (ex. Gunslingers or Crime 1850s to Present) and puts the events in chronological order within each chapter.
Brown, a professor of history at the University of Oregon, may have a partial bias to life in the West and the no duty to retreat attitude due to living and teaching in Oregon. Brown also uses repetition throughout this book. He reiterates the point of no duty to retreat by writing it over and over, and gives examples, many nearly identical to the last, of Americans exercising the idea of no duty to retreat. However, the repetition helps in the overall development of the book by consistently reminding the reader of the theme of the book.
No Duty to Retreat is very well written, and the use of chronological order within chapters gives the reader some direction, rather than jumping around from date to date. The accuracy, precision, and detail in which Brown gives for each account in his book are exquisite. Each character is given a detailed background, helping form a storyline for the reader that becomes more interesting until reaching the climax, although in some cases he divulges too far into seemingly unimportant characters. Brown is well versed in his book, and any well read individual should be able to make out a definition of his text by use of context clues. Brown also makes sure to describe the lingo or slang used by many characters with definitions or explanations in parenthesis.
“I’ll die before I’ll run.” After Brown’s expert description of the American idea of no duty to retreat, this quotation never appeared truer. Brown’s historical documentation of the use of self-defense during American history and his seemingly novel-like storytelling ability throughout No Duty to Retreat creates an amazing read and impressive book.
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