Tommy Guns, Gangsters and Their Long Reaching Legacy

Tommy: The Gun That Changed America by Karen Blumenthal
My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I am massively opposed to guns in any way shape or form and am shocked at how interesting I found Tommy: The Gun That Changed America.  I can only say this indicates the author is very skilled at storytelling.

Tommy: The Gun That Changed America is a non-fiction history of the Tommy Gun.  It was originally designed by John Thompson as a weapon to be carried by soldiers, but was perfected just as World War I ended.  This is the submachine gun we have seen used many times in old movies about gangsters.  It brings to mind Edward G. Robinson or Jimmy Cagney in some of their roles as ruthless mobsters, or as G Men on the other side of the law.  When you hear about the Valentine's Day Massacre or the death of Bonnie and Clyde, you think of the Tommy Gun.  But, the gun was not just used by law enforcement as intended.  Many innocents were killed and many companies used the guns against labor unions.

The Tommy gun was easy to purchase, easy to carry and I am sure is the inspiration for the term "riddled with bullets", as it could fire so rapidly it could empty its magazine in just a couple of minutes - that's 50 - 100 bullets.

The story of the Tommy gun includes many names we have heard and how they are connected to the use of the gun or the laws to stop their use.  You will read about Al Capone, Pretty Boy Floyd, Machine Gun Kelly, John Dillinger, J. Edgar Hoover and his G-Men, President Roosevelt, etc. etc. This tells the story of the IRA, the NRA, the FBI and the birth of gun control laws.  And, this story is told well.

Tommy: The Gun That Changed America is truly a fascinating read.  It is another great example of non-fiction reading like fiction.  We see the mistakes of the few and how they cause pain to so many.  Highly recommended





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