Tommy: The Gun That Changed America

I picked this up for a book club (we were reading books about pivotal Americans or American events) but I found it so interesting I decided to feature it on my blog and add it to my list of teen nonfiction I've been making to bolster this small section.

The book opens with a vivid picture of a violent robbery, using a Thompson submachine gun, or Tommy Gun. Then it plunges into the history of the famous weapon, starting with the Gatling gun during the Civil War and progressing into the development of the Tommy gun. Once the gun was finally perfected, the wars it was made for were over and the company was left with a superfluity of powerful machine guns. They marketed them to individuals and police departments, but it was the gangsters and show more criminals of the 1920s who made the "Tommy Gun" a famous weapon. Blumenthal weaves the beginnings of the NRA and the first attempts at legislative gun control, the development of police departments and the effects of Prohibition with grim stories of the role the Tommy gun played in criminal and racial killings. The concluding chapter explains how the Tommy gun fell out of favor and the ongoing effects of its development on gun control and culture.

This is written in a way that will be accessible to teen readers. More serious discussions of legislation and how the gun fits into history are interwoven with the stories of criminals and "G-Men" that caught people's fascination in the 1920s. Blumenthal presents the history neutrally, letting readers draw their own conclusions about how history has affected current controversies like gun control or the development of the FBI.

Verdict: It's not easy to get teens to read "serious" history books, but exciting stories and detailed descriptions of weaponry are sure to grab both eager and reluctant readers. As far as age-appropriate, there are gory stories but the violence is neither sensationalized nor skipped over and Blumenthal, while not emphasizing the graphic details, gives an honest portrayal of the crimes and tragedies.

ISBN: 9781626720848: Published 2015 by Roaring Brook; Borrowed from another library in my consortium show less

Fantastic! An easy, intriguing, exciting read! Great for younger audiences (middle school), but really intended for anyone with a bit of curiosity about the ol' Tommy Gun. Author, Karen Blumenthal, does a great job of fleshing out the origins of the gun, the inventor of it, and it's rise and fall. Lots of attention is given to the gangsters who gave it a bad name during the prohibition and depression. Delving into the seedy gangsters and how they abused the power of the Tommy gun was beyond fascinating. A captivating look at the gun that changed America.

audiosync free title 2023 - nonfiction audio (4hrs; at 1.1x speed, 3h38m)

middlegrade/teen narrative nonfiction; history - quite an interesting history behind the groundbreaking sub-machine gun developed for war purposes, capable of shooting 50-100 bullets very quickly without reloading, and since the military/police didn't provide enough business during peacetime, advertised in sports stores and quickly being taken up by bootlegging gangsters and Irish freedom fighters. I liked that it explained some of the physical science involved in the development of the gun, and also some of the history of the beginnings (and current state as of 2015) of gun sale regulations.

TOMMY: THE GUN THAT CHANGED AMERICA by Karen Blumenthal explores the life of John Thompson and his deadly Tommy gun.

Although originally designed for military use, the Thompson submachine gun because the choice of bank robbers, bootleggers, and gangsters during the first half of the 20th century.

In this carefully researched work of nonfiction for youth, Blumenthal discusses the history of the weapon and the well-known outlaws and law enforcement officers who used it. The author does an excellent job connecting early gun control laws to today’s debate about the role of guns in society.

The book features primary source documents including historical photographs, maps, and diagrams. It also includes an extensive bibliography and show more notes.

Librarians will find this work to be popular with youth who enjoy books about the military, law enforcement, and crime. The fast-paced, fascinating narrative will appeal to reluctant readers. Look for it on the short list for the Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal and other awards for nonfiction writing for youth for 2015.

To learn more about the author, go to http://www.karenblumenthal.com/.

Published by Roaring Brook, an imprint of Macmillan USA. show less

There is a lot to absorb, not the least of which is a history of gun control and the politics associated with it. The photography is probably the best part and tell a much better story. Although the author talked about how the media "glorified" the crime sprees and use of the Tommy gun by criminals, when she moves away from the core story - the history of the gun - she perpetuates that glorification in the way she presents the material.

Pros: Exceptional, high quality photographs entice readers to want to learn more about how the Thompson submachine gun came to become such a notorious weapon. Embedded with that is a history of gun control, which can help teens and young adults understand historical choices and political processes.

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