{"product_id":"9781626720848","title":"Tommy : The Gun That Changed America","description":"\u003cstrong\u003eTommy\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor(s): Karen Blumenthal\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eJohn Taliaferro Thompson had a mission: to develop a lightweight, fast-firing weapon that would help Americans win on the battlefield. His Thompson submachine gun could deliver a hundred bullets in a matter of seconds—but didn't find a market in the U.S. military. Instead, the Tommy gun became the weapon of choice for a generation of bootleggers and bank-robbing outlaws, and became a deadly American icon. Following a bloody decade—and eighty years before the mass shootings of our own time—Congress moved to take this weapon off the streets, igniting a national debate about gun control. Critically-acclaimed author Karen Blumenthal tells the fascinating story of this famous and deadly weapon—of the lives it changed, the debate it sparked, and the unprecedented response it inspired.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eReview(s):\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e“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'.” —\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews, starred review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“[An] accessible social history, which encompasses military weaponry, gangster warfare, and gun-control legislation.” —\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly, starred review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Peppered with action-filled scenes and period photographs...This thoroughly researched, compulsive read is another\u003cbr\u003eBlumenthal winner. A bang-up look at American history.” —\u003ci\u003eBooklist, starred review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Blumenthal breathes life into this seemingly off-putting subject. . . this action-packed title will hold the attention of reluctant readers and history buffs alike.” —\u003ci\u003eSchool Library Journal, starred review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“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.” —\u003ci\u003eHorn Book\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“A great story well told.” —The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLong-listed CCBC Choice (Univ. of WI)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eISBN:  9781626720848\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e ","brand":"Roaring Brook Press","offers":[{"title":"Hardback","offer_id":40596916437198,"sku":"9781626720848","price":19.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0600\/7029\/7806\/products\/getimage_5ac59e27-8684-48cf-beaa-aa85b3fd59ba.jpg?v=1637869472","url":"https:\/\/pickwickbookshop.com\/products\/9781626720848","provider":"Pickwick Bookshop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}