Quick or Dead by William L. Cassidy is a seminal work on the history and development of close-quarter combat pistolcraft — the hard-won art of point shooting and practical handgun fighting that emerged from real-world gunfights.
Cassidy traces the evolution of one-handed combat firing techniques from the early 20th century through the combat experiences of soldiers, lawmen, and gunfighters. Drawing on the methods of pioneers like William E. Fairbairn, Rex Applegate, and others who refined their skills in the trenches, back alleys, and battlefields, the book delivers both historical context and practical instruction on instinctive, fast, and effective handgun use when speed and survival matter more than bullseye precision.
This is not a modern range manual full of square-range drills. It is a serious study of combat point firing with the self-loading pistol and other one-hand guns, grounded in the unforgiving realities of life-or-death encounters. Clear illustrations and period insights make the techniques accessible while preserving the no-nonsense mindset that defined them.
For enthusiasts of practical shooting, defensive handgun history, military combatives, or the same gritty realism found in your Vietnam memoir and WWII accounts, Quick or Dead is essential.
This copy’s cover has considerable tears, and the pages are aged, but the book has a strong spine and cover, and is readable throughout.