In this historic fictional novel, Andrew Annaler is a gunsmith at Fort Pitt when he is blinded by an explosion. Upon returning home to 18th-century Philadelphia, Pa., he has to learn to live as a blind man, before the use of Braille or schools for the blind. It is often difficult, but he perseveres and leads a fulfilling life. The author was born with malignant tumors of the retina that totally destroyed his sight during the first two years of his life. His life-long interest in antique weapons and colonial history, his thirty plus years of work in the field of blindness, as well as working as a colonial person in Historic Philadelphia, Pa., have given him much insight into the subject covered in this book. (281pp. illus. Author, 2010.)