From the Publisher
Lively prose, well-selected photographs, and thorough source notes round out this fine work. A gripping look at guns, gangsters, and finding the 'right balance between individual freedoms and community safety'.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review
“[An] accessible social history, which encompasses military weaponry, gangster warfare, and gun-control legislation.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review
“Peppered with action-filled scenes and period photographs...This thoroughly researched, compulsive read is another Blumenthal winner. A bang-up look at American history.” —Booklist, starred review
“Blumenthal breathes life into this seemingly off-putting subject. . . this action-packed title will hold the attention of reluctant readers and history buffs alike.” —School Library Journal, starred review
“In this biography of a gun and the times in which it lived, Blumenthal traces the Thompson submachine gun, a.k.a. the Tommy. . . With thorough research and impeccable documentation, [Blumenthal] shows the complexity of gun culture, leaving more questions than answers concerning contemporary use and misuse of firearms and the future of Second Amendment battles.” —Horn Book
“A great story well told.” —The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
Kirkus Reviews
★ 2015-04-01
John T. Thompson created the submachine gun that bore his name but was distressed when the "impressive little killing machine" he intended for war became the deadly weapon of choice for Prohibition-era gangsters. The Tommy gun, as it was nicknamed, was hand-held, "roughly the size of a new baby," and could fire 800 bullets per minute. Such a gun would have been a devastating weapon in the trenches of World War I, a potential " ‘trench broom.' A gun to sweep away the enemy." Instead, it was loved by the likes of Machine-gun Kelly, Pretty Boy Floyd, and Baby Face Nelson, and their reign of gang violence was glorified in the movies of the 1930s; to some, they were heroes fighting against bankers blamed for the Great Depression. Blumenthal's fascinating biography of the weapon is most dramatic in its chapters on the famous gangsters, as might be expected. It's also a fair-minded analysis of what the Second Amendment intended and what society might do to curb criminal gun violence while respecting the rights of individuals to keep guns. Lively prose, well-selected photographs, and thorough source notes round out this fine work. A gripping look at guns, gangsters, and finding the "right balance between individual freedom and community safety." (Nonfiction. 12-18)
