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Formats
Hardcover Details
  • 10/2014
  • 978-0-9906554-0-4
  • 320 pages
  • $27.99
Ebook Details
  • 10/2014
  • 978-0-9906554-2-8
  • 320 pages
  • $8.99
Brian Aitken
Author
The Blue Tent Sky: How the Left's War on Guns Cost Me My Son and My Freedom

Adult; Memoir; (Publish)

In 2010 Brian Aitken was sentenced to seven years in prison for possessing firearms he legally owned. He lost everything and spent four months in prison before Governor Chris Christie demanded his release and taking his case to the Supreme Court. This is his story.
Reviews
As a result of a messy divorce, Aitken, a law-abiding citizen, has to move from Colorado to New Jersey. While he’s moving some of his things to his new apartment, he is detained by police and his car is searched. Although he is legally transporting his personal firearms from his parents’ home to his own, he is arrested and charged with illegal possession. The NRA gets involved in his case, and Aitken becomes the poster child for the gun rights movement. The judge seems determined to make an example of him, so Aitken goes to jail; there, he is treated well by guards and is held at arm’s length by prisoners. His sentence is finally commuted by New Jersey governor Chris Christie, but, nevertheless, Aitken is tied up with legal battles and his ex-wife won’t let him see his son. Aitken has mined the transcripts of his trial carefully, and the presentation he makes here is that of a man in the wrong place at the wrong time being used for political ends. Readers of all political stripes will sympathize with his experience, but he is too quick to blame a leftist conspiracy for gun control, running the risk of alienating readers who might have a different attitude about citizens owning guns. But Aitken does present a solid, clearly written memoir that will make readers more thoughtful about gun legislation. (BookLife)
Clark Neily III, Institute for Justice

"I read the book in one setting. Stupendous achievement. Searing. Infuriating. Uplifting. All at once. 

Brian Aitken has written a searing memoir about his experiences inside a legal system that has lost its moral compass.  From the police officers who violated his Fourth Amendment right to be free from unreasonable search and seizure, to the prosecutors who indicted him for exercising his Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms, to the judges who failed at every step to apply the law correctly and evenhandedly, Brian learned to his great cost how deeply ironic the term “criminal justice” has become for many Americans.  That he can write about his ordeal with such dignity and even humor is a testament to Brian’s courage, his integrity, and his compassion.  Read this book."

Suzanne Venker, author of The War on Men

"In The Blue Tent Sky, Brian Aitken, with grace rather than bitterness, exposes the evils a scorned woman can inflict upon a good man and how a biased court system will work in her favor. A shocking exposé of cruelty and corruption."

News
07/29/2014
Aitken Hires "Best Book Cover" Designer to Work on Book

Brian Aitken has hired Keith Hayes to design the dust jacket for his forthcoming memoir, The Blue Tent Sky: How the Left's War on Guns Cost Me My Son and My Freedom.

Hayes has had several of his designs named as "Best Book Covers" by Design Observer as noted in the New York Times and Huffington Post. He is a full-time designer at Little, Brown and Company--an imprint of Hachette.

"I found any image to be way too limiting," Hayes said of his design. "I wanted to create a BIG book look for you. Something that would appeal to everyone. I think your sub-title sums it up perfectly. Usually, when I am working on a non-fiction title with a sub, I try to make it small to hide it. In this case I wanted it to be AS important as the title. Your story is so personal, thus the hand scrawled lettering. I was thinking of you writing while incarcerated. In my opinion it hits an emotional note. I think it feels big and looks like something that would be at the front of any bookstore."

10/25/2013
Brian Aitken Crowdfunds Over $40,000, Intends to Petition Supreme Court

"Brian Aitken, a convicted gun offender who did nothing wrong, has been crowdfunding on Indiegogo.  His campaign was to publish a book about his harrowing odyssey and – if he surpassed $40,000 – to petition the Supreme Court to hear his second amendment case...

His campaign was supported 1090 backers.  The final tally raised was $40,544.  While the crowdfunding may be over Aitken’s story will continue for quite some time to come." - Crowdfund Insider

10/13/2013
Brian Aitken Pens Article for VICE Magazine

Brian Aitken's article, My Life as a Convicted Gun Offender Who Did Nothing Wrong, was published by VICE Magazine, the alternative news platform with over 20 million monthly readers. The article was shared by over 8,700 people.

01/01/2014
Indie Author Turns Down Two Commercial Publishing Offers

Brian Aitken, author of the forthcoming memoir The Blue Tent Sky: How the Left's War on Guns Cost Me My Son and My Freedom, has turned down two commercial publishing offers.

Aitken, who successfully pre-sold 1,100 copies of his book and raised over $40,000 through the crowdfunding site Indiegogo, has decided to move forward with self-publishing. 

The two offers were from Behler Publications and Skyhorse Publishing, an imprint managed by Tony Lyons. Aitken remarked that the offers were very generous but he had hoped he'd be able to "combine the best that old-school and self-publishing had to offer."

He has since brought on a writing coach, Tom McCarthy, with over twenty-five years editing experience to help him write his memoir. 

"I'm open to commercial publishing," Aitken said. "But James Altucher has really shown how successful self-publishing 3.0 can be. If there's a way to combine the best of both worlds, I'd jump at that opportunity. I had no idea commercial publishing houses wouldn't let me choose the title or have approval over the final manuscript. Worse, they weren't willing to guarantee the book would even go to print. I appreciated the offers, but until old-school publishing houses catch up to self-publishing, the best way to make sure my story is told accurately and that all preorders are delivered, is to publish the book myself."

07/20/2014
New York Times Bestselling Editor Completes Brian Aitken's Memoir

Nils Parker, editor of I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell by Tucker Max and five other New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestsellers, completed editing Brian Aitken's memoir, entitled The Blue Tent Sky: How the Left's War on Guns Cost Me My Son and My Freedom.

Formats
Hardcover Details
  • 10/2014
  • 978-0-9906554-0-4
  • 320 pages
  • $27.99
Ebook Details
  • 10/2014
  • 978-0-9906554-2-8
  • 320 pages
  • $8.99
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