of to win. Bowman also has several forged identities that he uses for various purposes in the novel. Bowman is a proficient skydiver.Walter "Blackout" Bowman is Henry's father. A skilled pilot and U.S. Navy officer, he trained 437 naval aviators during World War II, retiring as a Lieutenant Commander. He represents the studious, responsible, and thoughtful side of the younger Bowman. The author has stated that the elder Bowman is based on his own father.Max Collins is Bowman's uncle. He is portrayed as a larger-than-life character who is an expert marksman, professional gambler, and accomplished ladies' man. He served in the airborne troops of D-Day, and killed a German army officer in combat with his sniper rifle. In the novel, at a 1960s Nevada shooting competition, he bets on his nephew Henry's shooting, winning $10,000. He represents the adventurous, spontaneous, and aggressive side of the younger Henry Bowman. The author has stated that Collins is based on his own uncle.Irwin Mann is a survivor of The Holocaust and the Warsaw Ghetto, and a key participant in the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. His inclusion in the story permits a study of the use of firearms by average citizens to repel an oppressive government and connects Nazi gun control measures to American gun control efforts.Ray Johnson is a New York City attorney, originally from Aspen, Colorado, who moves to Africa in 1963 and becomes a big-game safari guide. His return to the U.S. in 1994 serves to illustrate how much U.S. gun owners' freedoms have eroded, due to legislation and executive orders enacted during his absence. At the airport, Customs attempts to confiscate an English double rifle worth some US$40,000, a Belgian FN FAL semi-automatic rifle, a Smith & Wesson 2" Chief's Special revolver, and his hat which has a leopard skin hat band. Ray calls his friend Henry, and Henry calls in a favor with a friend who is a high-ranking Customs official. Ray is allowed to keep his firearms and enter the United States.Allen Kane is a major machine gun dealer who is Henry's lifelong friend. A major shift in the novel's plot occurs when Henry finds corrupt ATF agents framing Allen, himself, and another firearms dealer. Allen aids and accompanies Henry in much of the novel.Cindy Caswell' is a victim of childhood abuse and organized crime who becomes important in the freedom struggle as it develops. She is from Rolla,