MidwayUSA: The First 40 Years

Title: MidwayUSA: The First 40 Years
Author: Larry Potterfield
MSRP: $24.99, 191 Pages

If you’re a fan of, well, pretty much anything that goes bang, you’re no doubt familiar with MidwayUSA. The (now) online-only retailer sells pretty much anything you can dream of, firearm-accessory-wise, and as the expression goes, if they don’t have it, you probably don’t need it. With 17 different departments, each with thousands of products, the company has supplies for everything from air guns to shooting gear. In MidwayUSA: The First 40 Years, the rise of the company from modest gun shop to mail-order-only retailer to online superstore is revealed as only Larry Potterfield can.

Four sections are covered in the glossy pages of this tome: The Potterfield family, a history of MidwayUSA, a tour of the various MidwayUSA facilities and the leadership and management of MidwayUSA. Each section is covered in depth, with coffee-table-like photography and individual, personal glimpses of some of the company’s 463 employees. Quotations abound, and the overall family-friendly atmosphere is readily apparent in the heartfelt comments from folks who have been with the company for many years.

If you’ve ever wondered what went on behind the scenes at a major online supplier, MidwayUSA: The First 40 Years will fill you in on the process in great detail. If you’re interested in uniquely American success stories, especially folks who made their passion into a viable business, this is also the place to find it. If you’re a fan of history, particularly of watching a veritable dynasty in online retailing unfold, with colorful glossy photographs included, you owe it to yourself to check out this one-of-a-kind work.