Last night, publisher and real-estate mogul Mort Zuckerman feted law professor Adam Winkler for the release of Winkler's new book, "Gunfight: The Battle Over the Right to Bear Arms in America."

Guests (including actor Alan Alda, director Nora Ephron and others) were treated to a panoramic view of Central Park and the city skyline from Zuckerman's temporary apartment in New York (his own is undergoing renovations). One wall serving as a backdrop to the cocktail bar was in fact a large fish tank.

Zuckerman is a close family friend of Winkler (the author's father is Oscar-winning producer Irwin Winkler) and was supportive during his writing of the book. "He was very encouraging early on when I gave him some initial chapters, gave me some great advice about the book, and has been wonderful," Winkler said.

The book explores the centuries-long debate over gun control and the right to bear arms in the U.S. "I really wanted to write a book about guns that would be of interest to people who have no interest in guns," said Winkler, a constitutional law scholar and UCLA professor.

His academic research revealed remarkable stories that he wanted to share. He looked at not only the Founding Fathers but also the Wild West – which he said had the most restrictive gun-control laws in the nation. "The heart of America's gun control actually was cities like Tombstone and Deadwood, where you're not allowed to carry guns when you're in these cities. Our image of the Wild West is totally wrong."