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Bootleg: Murder, Moonshine, and the Lawless Years of Prohibition
It began with the best of intentions. Worried about the effects of alcohol on American families, mothers and civic leaders started a movement to outlaw drinking in public places. Over time, their protests, petitions, and activism paid off—when a Constitional Amendment banning the sale and consumption of alcohol was ratified, it was hailed as the end of public drunkenness, alcoholism, and a host of other social ills related to booze. Instead, itÌýbegan a decade of lawlessness, when children smuggled (and drank) illegal alcohol, the most upright citizens casually broke the law, and a host of notorious gangsters entered the public eye. Filled with period art and photographs, anecdotes, and portraits of unique characters from the era, this fascinating book looks at the rise and fall of the disastrous social experiment known as Prohibition.
154 pages, Hardcover
First published May 24, 2011
38 people are currently reading
1,467 people want to read
About the author
Karen Blumenthal
26Ìýbooks146ÌýfollowersKaren Blumenthal is a critically acclaimed author of narrative nonfiction for young people, who is fascinated by controversial subjects and social change. Her books include Steve Jobs: The Man Who Thought Different; Tommy: The Gun that Changed America; Hillary Rodham Clinton: A Woman Living History, and Let Me Play: The Story of Title IX. Her books have won a Sibert Honor and a Jane Addams Children's Book award and have been a finalist for YALSA's Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults award three times. She lives in Dallas, where Roe v. Wade originated. For more information, go to .
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 213 reviews
April 18, 2017
This book was fascinating! Blumenthal describes the historical background behind Prohibition--how it came about--as well as what went on during those thirteen years. What I found most interesting was her description of it as a "social experiment." I'd never thought of it that way before. It was during those years that both my parents were born, and it gave me insight into why they held some of the ideas and attitudes they did. It was during Prohibition that disrespect for the law really started, as people insisted on breaking the law and drinking/making liquor anyway. It was also during this period that organized crime began to rise. We're still dealing with the effects of Prohibition even today. One thing not mentioned that I believe is true is that during Prohibition people turned to other drugs such as opium and heroin to get a buzz. I think I heard that in a documentary on illegal drugs. The book did point out, however, that people were so desperate for booze that they drank other kinds of alcohol that weren't good for them, and many died of alcohol poisoning. Blumenthal's extensive bibliography and list of references shows she did a lot of research for this book, which was selected as a finalist for the YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction Award. An eye-opening book--made me want to read more, especially about Carrie Nation. Highly recommended!
April 29, 2012
Sometimes I geek out over a book and wonder how I could have ever repressed my social science background. Reading this book has occasioned one of those epiphanies. I've referenced details from Bootleg at least three times since I started reading it a few days ago and had to pull myself away from Al "Scarface" Capone's Wikipedia page (Yes, I use Wikipedia if I am simply satisfying my own guilty pleasures).
Of course, with the long discussion of the temperance movement before you get to any real details about gangsters and speakeasies, I'm not sure how many teens would take an equal amount of glee in the reading. However, they do jazz it up with descriptions of the crazy-pants women who smashed up saloons in their quest to rid the world of the evils of alcohol. Parents might object to giving a book devoted to alcohol to their kids, but you could probably argue about how it also highlights some of the dangers of alcohol as well as romanticizing the flappers. Plus, Al Capone died of advanced SYPHILIS which is a testament to keeping it in your pants. Win-win, conservative parents. Win-win.
Of course, with the long discussion of the temperance movement before you get to any real details about gangsters and speakeasies, I'm not sure how many teens would take an equal amount of glee in the reading. However, they do jazz it up with descriptions of the crazy-pants women who smashed up saloons in their quest to rid the world of the evils of alcohol. Parents might object to giving a book devoted to alcohol to their kids, but you could probably argue about how it also highlights some of the dangers of alcohol as well as romanticizing the flappers. Plus, Al Capone died of advanced SYPHILIS which is a testament to keeping it in your pants. Win-win, conservative parents. Win-win.
July 7, 2011
This book is narrative nonfiction at its best. Packed with photos, true stories of both famous people and bit players, layered with more facts than seems possible for its size, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.
I would recommend it to upper grade schoolers, middle schoolers, and high schoolers who enjoy learning about history. I think the content is fine for the JNF audience.
Things I learned (these may be spoilers?):
--Morris Sheppard was a rather unassuming senator who was one of the major driving forces, partly due to his oratory skills.
--Groundwork for prohibition was laid in the late 1800s when the temperance movement succeeded in getting anti-alcohol materials into textbooks. When those students grew up and were in legislature, they were all primed to vote for prohibition.
--Cars became common during this era as well. The men who drove cars to outrun the Prohibition agents later started NASCAR since they had worked to make cars faster and also handle better at higher speeds.
--Capone's brother was a federal enforcement agent.
--No one really knows who instigated the Valentine's Day massacre.
--She really painted Capone humanly--talking about his family quite a bit. That was interesting.
--The book implied that gangs/organized crime got much stronger during Prohibition and didn't diminish after it.
--Both the campaign to vote it in and to vote it out focused on how it would be better for children.
--Way too many people died from bad liquor during this era. The number was astounding.
--Often kids helped tend the whiskey stills in their home--quite dangerous.
I would recommend it to upper grade schoolers, middle schoolers, and high schoolers who enjoy learning about history. I think the content is fine for the JNF audience.
Things I learned (these may be spoilers?):
--Morris Sheppard was a rather unassuming senator who was one of the major driving forces, partly due to his oratory skills.
--Groundwork for prohibition was laid in the late 1800s when the temperance movement succeeded in getting anti-alcohol materials into textbooks. When those students grew up and were in legislature, they were all primed to vote for prohibition.
--Cars became common during this era as well. The men who drove cars to outrun the Prohibition agents later started NASCAR since they had worked to make cars faster and also handle better at higher speeds.
--Capone's brother was a federal enforcement agent.
--No one really knows who instigated the Valentine's Day massacre.
--She really painted Capone humanly--talking about his family quite a bit. That was interesting.
--The book implied that gangs/organized crime got much stronger during Prohibition and didn't diminish after it.
--Both the campaign to vote it in and to vote it out focused on how it would be better for children.
--Way too many people died from bad liquor during this era. The number was astounding.
--Often kids helped tend the whiskey stills in their home--quite dangerous.
October 7, 2011
This book made me wish that I was a middle school student with a report to write. It conveyed enough facts to make a good paper, but was entertaining enough that I wanted to keep reading it. Blumenthal kicks off the book with the Valentine's Day Massacre, then takes readers step-by-step through the social climate of the temperance movement, the politics of prohibition, the rise of crime that contributed to end of prohibition, and the lasting effects of prohibition on our country's attitudes toward alcohol. Sprinkled throughout are some pretty amazing photos, including images of children scooping wine out of the gutter, and of picketers with signs reading "We Want Beer."
August 17, 2022
Blumenthal’s writing is always solid and her research is exquisite. Bootleg: Murder, Moonshine, and the Lawless Years of Prohibition (2011) is no exception. This would be a great read for students who are researching prohibition or this time period and wanting lots of juicy-interesting details. Blumenthal’s purpose is to explain the many, many factors involved in the passage of the Eighteenth Amendment and then in the repeal of this amendment as well. She employs an enumerative/chronological text structure. Some chapters include many anecdotes and others focus on groups or individuals like Carrie Nation who fought for Prohibition (including throwing rocks in saloons and breaking mirrors and windows and all) and Al Capone, who became wealthy selling alcohol to those he ignored Prohibition. So the book is in time order (chronological text structure), but she picks specific aspects, groups, people to highlight in particular chapters (enumerative text structure).
Blumenthal cues the reader to significant shifts in the movements or in this time period. For example, on page 46, she writes, “Though the law passed, it was never officially enforced, and some saw that as a failure. but the Anti-Saloon League saw something much more significant: It had votes.� Students might do a close read of this page and other excerpts as they think through how Blumenthal engages in thematic progression � how she moves the “story of…� forward.
Themes:
*People’s beliefs drive their actions (whether for or against some issue);
*Tenacity and perseverance are required to change policy/legislation;
*Some solutions can actually cause unexpected problems.
Gists:
*Prohibition could be considered a “social experiment� (maybe a “failed� one);
*During this period, groups who were heavily engaged in social movements became aware of the power of the “vote�;
*Prohibition was a complex issue � not as easy as “for or against.�
At the end of the book, Blumenthal shares a bit about her research and then lists tons of resources (categorized by sub-topic) that students can consult for more information on a particular aspect. It’s clear that she had to synthesize a massive amount of material to write this book.
My worry � students will not pick this book up for independent reading. I’ve been grappling with how much I love books like this one, but how little interest students have. For this book, I think there would have to be engagement in an intellectually stimulating unit of study for students to pick this up. Hopefully, though, they’d find the details gripping (or at least of interest) and want to finish it.
Blumenthal cues the reader to significant shifts in the movements or in this time period. For example, on page 46, she writes, “Though the law passed, it was never officially enforced, and some saw that as a failure. but the Anti-Saloon League saw something much more significant: It had votes.� Students might do a close read of this page and other excerpts as they think through how Blumenthal engages in thematic progression � how she moves the “story of…� forward.
Themes:
*People’s beliefs drive their actions (whether for or against some issue);
*Tenacity and perseverance are required to change policy/legislation;
*Some solutions can actually cause unexpected problems.
Gists:
*Prohibition could be considered a “social experiment� (maybe a “failed� one);
*During this period, groups who were heavily engaged in social movements became aware of the power of the “vote�;
*Prohibition was a complex issue � not as easy as “for or against.�
At the end of the book, Blumenthal shares a bit about her research and then lists tons of resources (categorized by sub-topic) that students can consult for more information on a particular aspect. It’s clear that she had to synthesize a massive amount of material to write this book.
My worry � students will not pick this book up for independent reading. I’ve been grappling with how much I love books like this one, but how little interest students have. For this book, I think there would have to be engagement in an intellectually stimulating unit of study for students to pick this up. Hopefully, though, they’d find the details gripping (or at least of interest) and want to finish it.
April 10, 2013
Jamie Poorman
Blumenthal, K. (2011). Bootleg: Murder, Moonshine, and the Lawless Years of Prohibition. New York: Roaring Book Press.
Genre: Informational
Format: Print (hardcover, 154 pages)
Awards:
2011 Kirkus Best Teen Books of the Year title
One of School Library Journal’s Best Nonfiction Books of 2011
YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction Finalist in 2012
Selection Process: Junior Literary Guild selection, Booklist review
Incredibly well researched and written in an easy to read, flowing manner, yet jam packed with information about the events and characters throughout the history of prohibition in the United States, this book is a must read! Individuals from Carrie Nation to Al Capone are presented, along with quotes from notables such as Abraham Lincoln and Henry Ford.
Beginning with the story of Morris Shephard, an early twentieth century Texas Congressman credited as being “the father of prohibition� and then moving back to the history and development of liquor in the United States, the diversity of the information provided is amazing! Other chapters cover the early ‘home destroyers and defenders� of the movement, the proposal of the amendment, World War I years, the actual passage of the amendment, the rise of moonshine, gangs and violence during the 1920s, and the repeal of the amendment. Even with the vast, and diverse, amount of information presented, the tangents and anecdotes are woven together in a easy to read, flowing narrative.
There are many anecdotes about children and teenagers that make the information appeal to today’s young adults. There are numerous photographs and examples of propaganda throughout the work, many of them with images of young people and their actions and struggles during the prohibition years.
Recommended.
Blumenthal, K. (2011). Bootleg: Murder, Moonshine, and the Lawless Years of Prohibition. New York: Roaring Book Press.
Genre: Informational
Format: Print (hardcover, 154 pages)
Awards:
2011 Kirkus Best Teen Books of the Year title
One of School Library Journal’s Best Nonfiction Books of 2011
YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction Finalist in 2012
Selection Process: Junior Literary Guild selection, Booklist review
Incredibly well researched and written in an easy to read, flowing manner, yet jam packed with information about the events and characters throughout the history of prohibition in the United States, this book is a must read! Individuals from Carrie Nation to Al Capone are presented, along with quotes from notables such as Abraham Lincoln and Henry Ford.
Beginning with the story of Morris Shephard, an early twentieth century Texas Congressman credited as being “the father of prohibition� and then moving back to the history and development of liquor in the United States, the diversity of the information provided is amazing! Other chapters cover the early ‘home destroyers and defenders� of the movement, the proposal of the amendment, World War I years, the actual passage of the amendment, the rise of moonshine, gangs and violence during the 1920s, and the repeal of the amendment. Even with the vast, and diverse, amount of information presented, the tangents and anecdotes are woven together in a easy to read, flowing narrative.
There are many anecdotes about children and teenagers that make the information appeal to today’s young adults. There are numerous photographs and examples of propaganda throughout the work, many of them with images of young people and their actions and struggles during the prohibition years.
Recommended.
February 3, 2012
All the thinky-thoughts Jews are currently talking about Jews and Booze, a book for grownups about, uh, Jews and booze. The NYTBR evaluation was dead-on: the title was the best thing about it. The writing was leaden and repetitive and un-zingy. Karen Blumenthal's book, on the other hand, which is for KIDS and about prohibition in general-- not just about the Jews, though it talks a lot (obviously) about religion's role in the struggle and also about some of the nutty Jews involved in both the bootlegging side and the crime-fighting side of things--is so lively and fun and thought-provoking, it noodged me to ponder, independently, many of the ideas the more academic-y book discusses so laboriously.
No one does social history for the young peoples like Karen Blumenthal. I raise my glass to you, lady.
So is this gonna be a FUN READ for most kids? Well, no. Most kids do not go "WHEE LEMME READ A BOOK ABOUT OLD TIMEY TEMPERANCE MOVEMENTS THIS WEEKEND! CRANK UP THE VICTROLA!" But for those who DO (and I applaud you, youth), and for those who have to do a paper for school or something that might entice them to pick up this book: You are in for a treat. A treat much like a perfectly made pisco sour with pages. Which you are not old enough to drink, nyah nyah.
No one does social history for the young peoples like Karen Blumenthal. I raise my glass to you, lady.
So is this gonna be a FUN READ for most kids? Well, no. Most kids do not go "WHEE LEMME READ A BOOK ABOUT OLD TIMEY TEMPERANCE MOVEMENTS THIS WEEKEND! CRANK UP THE VICTROLA!" But for those who DO (and I applaud you, youth), and for those who have to do a paper for school or something that might entice them to pick up this book: You are in for a treat. A treat much like a perfectly made pisco sour with pages. Which you are not old enough to drink, nyah nyah.
January 26, 2016
Pretty decent, although I was slightly underwhelmed. I think, however, that's because I actually know a lot about prohibition and that time period already (it's one of my favorites). It's a little difficult for this not to seem a bit simplistic, going in with that sort of knowledge. But, I suspect that if I were more target audience, I might find it more fascinating. Another minor quibble is that it occasionally felt a little judgmental, but I might be reading into things.
What I did super appreciate was the way it highlighted the role women played in both the movement to pass prohibition (which I was pretty familiar with) and to repeal it (with which I was not). I do wish that there had been a little more exploration of the connection to the suffragist and other things happening in the culture at the time.
So, I guess my issue is just that I wanted more detail and exploration of a topic I already find fascinating. Guess I better finally watch the Ken Burns documentary languishing on the dvr.
What I did super appreciate was the way it highlighted the role women played in both the movement to pass prohibition (which I was pretty familiar with) and to repeal it (with which I was not). I do wish that there had been a little more exploration of the connection to the suffragist and other things happening in the culture at the time.
So, I guess my issue is just that I wanted more detail and exploration of a topic I already find fascinating. Guess I better finally watch the Ken Burns documentary languishing on the dvr.
November 18, 2013
Bootleg: Murder, Moonshine, and the lawless years of prohibition / Karen Blumenthal/ 2011
Genre: non-fiction
Format: juvenile non fiction
Plot Summary: Offers information about Prohibition, temperance movements at the end of the eighteenth century, the Eighteenth Amendment, bootlegging, and gangsters.
Considerations: discussion of mobsters, alcohol, crime, etc
Review Citation: School Library Journal Nov. 28, 2011
"This enthralling text traces the nation’s relationship with alcohol from our earliest settlers to contemporary crusaders against drunk driving, creating a rich portrait of a volatile and fascinating chapter of American history"
Selection Source: School Library Journal best books of 2011 nonfiction
Recommended age: 12 and up
Genre: non-fiction
Format: juvenile non fiction
Plot Summary: Offers information about Prohibition, temperance movements at the end of the eighteenth century, the Eighteenth Amendment, bootlegging, and gangsters.
Considerations: discussion of mobsters, alcohol, crime, etc
Review Citation: School Library Journal Nov. 28, 2011
"This enthralling text traces the nation’s relationship with alcohol from our earliest settlers to contemporary crusaders against drunk driving, creating a rich portrait of a volatile and fascinating chapter of American history"
Selection Source: School Library Journal best books of 2011 nonfiction
Recommended age: 12 and up
March 27, 2017
Even though it was a non-fiction book, I did like it. Since it is only about one topic, there was a lot of detail and it made me understands things a lot more. There were some pictures of people and things that happened during the time which help me understand also. Though, I did think that the book was more of murder instead of almost all of it being about prohibition and the years before and after it. Even though it has its flaws, it was a very good book.
November 19, 2016
Interesting look at Prohibition geared toward YA/teen readers. Covered the prominent players that many would know based on a high school history class. Interesting read.
See my full review on my book blog:
and
See my full review on my book blog:
and
June 11, 2015
A fascinating look at an aspect of American history that is often glorified. The title says it all. Middle grades/teens reading.
March 18, 2013
book review for TBP Blog --
I picked up Karen Blumenthal’s book Bootleg: Murder, Moonshine, and the Lawless Years of Prohibition, DB 74427 for several reasons. 1) Why would you write a YA non-fiction about alcohol? 2) I grew up in St. Louis, MO, home to the Anheuser Busch brewery and knew that during Prohibition they made drink called Bevo at the brewery and that the Clydesdales delivered beer to the White House when Prohibition was repealed. 3) I wrote my senior thesis in college on the women’s suffrage movement and I knew that the two movements were allies in winning women the right to vote. 4) I like wine, and most of what I knew about Prohibition centered on beer and liquor. (This is still true, even after reading this book, although there is a recipe for making a home wine of questionable quality.)
Ms. Blumenthal is a Spirit of Texas Reading Program � Middle School winner for this year. She lives in Dallas, TX. The Spirit of Texas program “hopes to encourage a greater understanding of what it means to be a Texan and an appreciation for the literary works of and about Texas and Texans�. One of the leading legislators involved in introducing the amendment to Congress for the first time was Morris Sheppard who grew up in various towns in East Texas. I dropped Ms. Blumenthal an email asking her some questions about her book (AND SHE REPLIED!!). I asked her why she decided to write a YA book about alcohol because that is what prompted me to read this title. She answered, “I had been interested in Red Ribbon Week, which is the drug and alcohol education week in Texas, and I knew teens start dealing with issues involving drinking as early as junior high school, so I felt like this was an important topic for young people. In addition, I had
written about the 1920s before, and it was such an interesting time of social change. One big part of that was prohibition, and I was taken with the way young people rebelled against the law. Of course, I also knew about Al Capone and other gangsters. And I was intrigued that an amendment to the Constitution had been repealed. Guns, gangsters, booze, politics, young people—how could that not be a fascinating story?�
Prohibition lasted from 1920 � 1933 -- thirteen years, ten months, nineteen days to be exact. I was interested in the women’s groups that were involved in agitation and demonstrating to pass the 18th amendment, especially since this agitation happened before women had the right to vote. One leading rallier, Carrie Nation, went to a saloon and smashed the bar with a hatchet! Despite their open protests at saloons and rallies they seemed to be able to sneak up on people who did not support Prohibition to get it enacted. The propaganda leading up to Prohibition really played on the differences in people in the country: class differences, racial differences (white people in the South did not want black people to have access to alcohol), native born Americans and immigrants, and religious differences (Protestants challenging wine being used for religious purposes in Catholic and Jewish services.) Another big help in passing Prohibition was the start of
World War One. Beer was seen as too German and therefore unpatriotic. There were food shortages on the battlefront. Grain was better used in food than in alcohol. Trains were better used to transport things needed for the war than for transport of drink.
The reality of Prohibition ended up being different than what was originally thought. It was stricter than many imagined when it was passed. It was not uniformly enforced. Blumenthal writes, “Capone and his men spent perhaps $15 million a year to line the pockets of and win favors from the police, prohibition agents and politicians who were supposed to shut him down.� (102) To enact the repeal of Prohibition some of the same tactics as Women’s Christian Temperance Union used to get law passed were used. They cited the effects on children. Children were learning a lack of respect for the Constitution and the law, even the president of the United States had parties where whiskey was served. The cost of tax payer money to enforce and cost of lives trying to enforce law (or cost of lives lost to crime caused by bootlegging) was much higher than originally reported. And in 1929 there was a change in the law to make it even stricter, which required more
enforcement and more jail overcrowding. With the start of the Great Depression there was a call for taxes on alcohol, and the creation of new jobs in brewing, bottling and sales of alcohol. FDR ran on platform of repeal and signed it 3 days after his inauguration. Something I noticed as I was reading the book was that there seemed to be parallels between some laws of today and Prohibition, especially when it comes to having a statewide policy versus a national policy. I asked the author what she thought about those parallels. She replied, “Oh yes, I see lots of parallels with divisive social issues today. I think you can see parallels in debates over abortion, gun control, school prayer, school textbooks and drug laws (especially in regards to marijuana), just to name a few.�
Blumenthal concludes by telling the reader about the social ills of drinking that are still with us or made worse by drinking. She talks about M.A.D.D (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) and Red Ribbon Week in schools and our communities that started in the 1980s after politicians took an attitude toward alcohol that was too hands off regarding drinking laws. When I was in school there were always facts that I wished I had a spot to include in my papers because I thought they were interesting but that sometimes just didn’t quite fit. I asked the author what was the most interesting factoid that she found that she had to leave out. Her answer was, “Well, I mentioned that Al Capone was in the gambling and liquor businesses, but didn't mention his chain of brothels. I also couldn't find a good place to tell the story of Mabel Walker Willebrandt, assistant U.S. Attorney General during prohibition and the highest-ranking woman in federal government at the
time. She oversaw the Prohibition Bureau and worked hard to enforce the law. She took a lot of grief for that, but she was highly regarded and reasonably effective, given the circumstances. I built a big file on her and found her fascinating, but I just couldn't find the right place for her in the book’s narrative.�
I also asked Ms. Blumenthal about her upcoming projects. She had a book recently come out about Steve Jobs titled, Steve Jobs: The Man Who Thought Differently (it’s a little too new to be in the NLS collection just yet) and she’s been doing some research on Bonnie and Clyde. I thought Bootleg: Murder, Moonshine, and the Lawless Years of Prohibition focused on times early in the Prohibition movement and the later repeal, but sort of glossed over the middle with the exception of Al Capone, but it was a quick, interesting, informative read and it was a pleasure to receive an email from Ms. Blumenthal about her work.
From the NLS annotation:
Bootleg: Murder, Moonshine and the Lawless Years of Prohibition, DB 74427
Blumenthal, Karen. Reading time: 4 hours, 10 minutes.
Read by Bill Delaney.
True Crime, Young Adult, U.S. History
The history and legacy of Prohibition, which began with passage of the Eighteenth Amendment in 1920 and ended in 1933. Profiles Carrie Nation, the temperance movement's first celebrity, and discusses the rise of bootleggers and gangsters such as Al Capone. For junior and senior high and older readers. 2011.
reading notes --
But the general opinion was that the problems stemmed, he [Lincoln] said, not "from the use of a bad thing, but from the abuse of a very good thing." 19
dramatic novel 1850s called "Ten Nights in a Bar Room"
agitation to rally the people to their cause (women's groups very active in this when women couldn't vote.)
The sheer volume of propaganda called more attention to the message, while dividing Americans. To the middle and upper classes, who could afford to buy their own liquor and bring it home, the saloons were nothing more but a breeding ground for riffraff and crime. In the South, whites fought for regulation to keep alcohol away from blacks. The campaign highlighted the nation's differences, pitting rural Americans against city dwellers, the middle class against the working class, native-born Americans against immigrants, race against race, and eventually faith against faith, as some Protestants challenged wine used by Catholics and Jews. 49
With WWI beer portrayed as unpatriotic (too German). Grain used to make drink and trains to transport drink seen as too precious to waste on the public when it was needed for the men at war.
Very much two sets of laws regarding Prohibition. If you had money you could afford illegal alcohol. Warren G Harding had parties at the WHite House during Prohibition with lots of whiskey.
Expectation of the 18th amendment when it passed was much stricter than expected. President tried to veto amendment, house and senate held it up.
Librarians in Springfield, Massachusetts, and New Haven Connecticut, decided to pull of the shelves any books describing how to make alcohol. Librarians in New York and San Francisco chose to leave the books in place. 61
In grocery and department stores, packages of dehydrated grapes were sold with labels that read something like this: "WARNING! If the contents of this package are added to 5 gallons of water, 5 lbs of sugar, and 1 cake of yeast, the result will be an intoxicating beverage which is illegal in the United States." A brick of grape concentrate, customers were told, shouldn't be put in a jug, corked, and set in a dark place for three weeks or shaken once a day because -- hint, hint -- it would turn into wine. 82
"I want him to have all the things I never had. I want him to go to college. I went to work when I was thirteen. I want him to know about nice things in the world. I don't want him to be a bootlegger or a reformer, either. I'd rather like him to be a professional man, a doctor, a lawyer, or a businessman. Anything that'd give him an easier time than his old man's had. What do I want him to think about me? I want him to know that I loved him enough to risk my life to work for him. I want him to remember that I had a different kind of life than I made for him and I expect him to repay me by playing the game straight. And most of all, what I want for that boy is a wife like mind and boy like mine to make whatever game he picks out worth winning." pg 101 -- Al Capone talking about his son Albert
Capone and his men spent perhaps $15 million a year to line the pockets of and win favors from the police, prohibition agents and politicians who were supposed to shut him down. 102
I picked up Karen Blumenthal’s book Bootleg: Murder, Moonshine, and the Lawless Years of Prohibition, DB 74427 for several reasons. 1) Why would you write a YA non-fiction about alcohol? 2) I grew up in St. Louis, MO, home to the Anheuser Busch brewery and knew that during Prohibition they made drink called Bevo at the brewery and that the Clydesdales delivered beer to the White House when Prohibition was repealed. 3) I wrote my senior thesis in college on the women’s suffrage movement and I knew that the two movements were allies in winning women the right to vote. 4) I like wine, and most of what I knew about Prohibition centered on beer and liquor. (This is still true, even after reading this book, although there is a recipe for making a home wine of questionable quality.)
Ms. Blumenthal is a Spirit of Texas Reading Program � Middle School winner for this year. She lives in Dallas, TX. The Spirit of Texas program “hopes to encourage a greater understanding of what it means to be a Texan and an appreciation for the literary works of and about Texas and Texans�. One of the leading legislators involved in introducing the amendment to Congress for the first time was Morris Sheppard who grew up in various towns in East Texas. I dropped Ms. Blumenthal an email asking her some questions about her book (AND SHE REPLIED!!). I asked her why she decided to write a YA book about alcohol because that is what prompted me to read this title. She answered, “I had been interested in Red Ribbon Week, which is the drug and alcohol education week in Texas, and I knew teens start dealing with issues involving drinking as early as junior high school, so I felt like this was an important topic for young people. In addition, I had
written about the 1920s before, and it was such an interesting time of social change. One big part of that was prohibition, and I was taken with the way young people rebelled against the law. Of course, I also knew about Al Capone and other gangsters. And I was intrigued that an amendment to the Constitution had been repealed. Guns, gangsters, booze, politics, young people—how could that not be a fascinating story?�
Prohibition lasted from 1920 � 1933 -- thirteen years, ten months, nineteen days to be exact. I was interested in the women’s groups that were involved in agitation and demonstrating to pass the 18th amendment, especially since this agitation happened before women had the right to vote. One leading rallier, Carrie Nation, went to a saloon and smashed the bar with a hatchet! Despite their open protests at saloons and rallies they seemed to be able to sneak up on people who did not support Prohibition to get it enacted. The propaganda leading up to Prohibition really played on the differences in people in the country: class differences, racial differences (white people in the South did not want black people to have access to alcohol), native born Americans and immigrants, and religious differences (Protestants challenging wine being used for religious purposes in Catholic and Jewish services.) Another big help in passing Prohibition was the start of
World War One. Beer was seen as too German and therefore unpatriotic. There were food shortages on the battlefront. Grain was better used in food than in alcohol. Trains were better used to transport things needed for the war than for transport of drink.
The reality of Prohibition ended up being different than what was originally thought. It was stricter than many imagined when it was passed. It was not uniformly enforced. Blumenthal writes, “Capone and his men spent perhaps $15 million a year to line the pockets of and win favors from the police, prohibition agents and politicians who were supposed to shut him down.� (102) To enact the repeal of Prohibition some of the same tactics as Women’s Christian Temperance Union used to get law passed were used. They cited the effects on children. Children were learning a lack of respect for the Constitution and the law, even the president of the United States had parties where whiskey was served. The cost of tax payer money to enforce and cost of lives trying to enforce law (or cost of lives lost to crime caused by bootlegging) was much higher than originally reported. And in 1929 there was a change in the law to make it even stricter, which required more
enforcement and more jail overcrowding. With the start of the Great Depression there was a call for taxes on alcohol, and the creation of new jobs in brewing, bottling and sales of alcohol. FDR ran on platform of repeal and signed it 3 days after his inauguration. Something I noticed as I was reading the book was that there seemed to be parallels between some laws of today and Prohibition, especially when it comes to having a statewide policy versus a national policy. I asked the author what she thought about those parallels. She replied, “Oh yes, I see lots of parallels with divisive social issues today. I think you can see parallels in debates over abortion, gun control, school prayer, school textbooks and drug laws (especially in regards to marijuana), just to name a few.�
Blumenthal concludes by telling the reader about the social ills of drinking that are still with us or made worse by drinking. She talks about M.A.D.D (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) and Red Ribbon Week in schools and our communities that started in the 1980s after politicians took an attitude toward alcohol that was too hands off regarding drinking laws. When I was in school there were always facts that I wished I had a spot to include in my papers because I thought they were interesting but that sometimes just didn’t quite fit. I asked the author what was the most interesting factoid that she found that she had to leave out. Her answer was, “Well, I mentioned that Al Capone was in the gambling and liquor businesses, but didn't mention his chain of brothels. I also couldn't find a good place to tell the story of Mabel Walker Willebrandt, assistant U.S. Attorney General during prohibition and the highest-ranking woman in federal government at the
time. She oversaw the Prohibition Bureau and worked hard to enforce the law. She took a lot of grief for that, but she was highly regarded and reasonably effective, given the circumstances. I built a big file on her and found her fascinating, but I just couldn't find the right place for her in the book’s narrative.�
I also asked Ms. Blumenthal about her upcoming projects. She had a book recently come out about Steve Jobs titled, Steve Jobs: The Man Who Thought Differently (it’s a little too new to be in the NLS collection just yet) and she’s been doing some research on Bonnie and Clyde. I thought Bootleg: Murder, Moonshine, and the Lawless Years of Prohibition focused on times early in the Prohibition movement and the later repeal, but sort of glossed over the middle with the exception of Al Capone, but it was a quick, interesting, informative read and it was a pleasure to receive an email from Ms. Blumenthal about her work.
From the NLS annotation:
Bootleg: Murder, Moonshine and the Lawless Years of Prohibition, DB 74427
Blumenthal, Karen. Reading time: 4 hours, 10 minutes.
Read by Bill Delaney.
True Crime, Young Adult, U.S. History
The history and legacy of Prohibition, which began with passage of the Eighteenth Amendment in 1920 and ended in 1933. Profiles Carrie Nation, the temperance movement's first celebrity, and discusses the rise of bootleggers and gangsters such as Al Capone. For junior and senior high and older readers. 2011.
reading notes --
But the general opinion was that the problems stemmed, he [Lincoln] said, not "from the use of a bad thing, but from the abuse of a very good thing." 19
dramatic novel 1850s called "Ten Nights in a Bar Room"
agitation to rally the people to their cause (women's groups very active in this when women couldn't vote.)
The sheer volume of propaganda called more attention to the message, while dividing Americans. To the middle and upper classes, who could afford to buy their own liquor and bring it home, the saloons were nothing more but a breeding ground for riffraff and crime. In the South, whites fought for regulation to keep alcohol away from blacks. The campaign highlighted the nation's differences, pitting rural Americans against city dwellers, the middle class against the working class, native-born Americans against immigrants, race against race, and eventually faith against faith, as some Protestants challenged wine used by Catholics and Jews. 49
With WWI beer portrayed as unpatriotic (too German). Grain used to make drink and trains to transport drink seen as too precious to waste on the public when it was needed for the men at war.
Very much two sets of laws regarding Prohibition. If you had money you could afford illegal alcohol. Warren G Harding had parties at the WHite House during Prohibition with lots of whiskey.
Expectation of the 18th amendment when it passed was much stricter than expected. President tried to veto amendment, house and senate held it up.
Librarians in Springfield, Massachusetts, and New Haven Connecticut, decided to pull of the shelves any books describing how to make alcohol. Librarians in New York and San Francisco chose to leave the books in place. 61
In grocery and department stores, packages of dehydrated grapes were sold with labels that read something like this: "WARNING! If the contents of this package are added to 5 gallons of water, 5 lbs of sugar, and 1 cake of yeast, the result will be an intoxicating beverage which is illegal in the United States." A brick of grape concentrate, customers were told, shouldn't be put in a jug, corked, and set in a dark place for three weeks or shaken once a day because -- hint, hint -- it would turn into wine. 82
"I want him to have all the things I never had. I want him to go to college. I went to work when I was thirteen. I want him to know about nice things in the world. I don't want him to be a bootlegger or a reformer, either. I'd rather like him to be a professional man, a doctor, a lawyer, or a businessman. Anything that'd give him an easier time than his old man's had. What do I want him to think about me? I want him to know that I loved him enough to risk my life to work for him. I want him to remember that I had a different kind of life than I made for him and I expect him to repay me by playing the game straight. And most of all, what I want for that boy is a wife like mind and boy like mine to make whatever game he picks out worth winning." pg 101 -- Al Capone talking about his son Albert
Capone and his men spent perhaps $15 million a year to line the pockets of and win favors from the police, prohibition agents and politicians who were supposed to shut him down. 102
November 5, 2011
11 January 2011 BOOTLEG: MURDER, MOONSHINE, AND THE LAWLESS YEARS OF PROHIBITION by Karen Blumental, Roaring Brook, May 2011, ISBN: 978-1-59643-449-3
"Ninety-nine bottles of beer on the wall
Ninety-nine bottles of beer"
--very long song we sang on the school bus while traveling to my first NY Yankees game in 1964
"Prohibition, as it was called, was a grand social revolution that was supposed to forever end drunkenness, reduce crime, and make life better for America's families.
"Nine years later, the results were quite different. People who had always followed the rules now openly ignored the highest law of the land. Children helped their parents secretly concoct brews. Young people carried flasks of whiskey in their pockets to look fashionable and hung out at illegal 'speakeasies,' drinking. Teenage boys acted as lookouts for bootleggers, or drove cars and boats loaded with illegal liquor to big cities.
"As alcohol was sold all around them, police officers, public officials, judges, and politicians took bribes or looked the other way. Gangsters like Bugs Moran and the notorious Al Capone divided and controlled some of the nation's biggest cities, and now they seemed to murder each other at will. Rather than become more moral and upright, America, in the eyes of many, had become a lawless society.
"How had such good intentions gone so terribly, terribly wrong?"
Many readers of BOOTLEG will recognize the religious-like fervor of Prohibition's proponents that is similarly a part of so many well-meaning social movements. The question is, even when most people of good conscience agree on a societal goal, does the end always justify the means that are used to achieve it? In retrospect, would we honestly support every strategy that was pursued and every action that was undertaken for the sake of achieving Civil Rights or women's rights or gay rights or ending the Vietnam War?
One bourbon, one scotch, one beer
Well I ain't seen my baby since I don't know when
I've been drinking bourbon, whiskey, scotch, and gin
Gonna get high man, gonna get loose
Need me a triple shot of that juice
Gonna get drunk, don't you have no fear
I want one bourbon, one scotch, one beer"
-- Rudy Toombs, 1953
For instance, did the goal of reducing alcohol abuse in America justify the deliberate and systematic inclusion of misinformation about the effects of alcohol consumption in grade school textbooks that is revealed here by author Karen Blumenthal? Did it justify the bizarre antics of the woman we learn about who went around demolishing saloons until she became a nationally-known hero to some and a bad joke to others? Did the desire to end the misery of those affected by alcoholic family members justify Prohibition?
The goal of curtailing alcohol abuse is, for me, a complex issue. As we learn in BOOTLEG, there was plenty of crossover between the women's rights movement and the temperance movement. I am certainly sympathetic to the goal of curtailing alcohol abuse, having been personally affected as much as anyone throughout my life by having alcoholic family members and relatives, dear friends in recovery, and knowing those who have prematurely died as a result of alcohol abuse or have died at the hands of alcoholics. Having just returned last night from the American Library Association's Midwinter meeting in San Diego, it is impossible to write about the effects of alcohol without recalling the tragic deaths of Kate McClelland and Kathy Krasniewicz, the children's librarians who were killed by a drunk driver while leaving ALA Midwinter in Denver two years ago.
But unlike, say, the Civil Rights Movement, the question of whether we should seek to thoroughly curtail alcohol or any other kind of consumption was and is not nearly so black and white as the need to end racism.
Most importantly, when we become part of a Movement -- any movement -- it is so easy to become seduced by the ideas of whomever grabs control of the crowd, and to then justify the means employed. And this is, perhaps, the most important lesson to take away from this stellar and extremely well-researched piece of investigative writing.
"As the drys enjoyed their hard-won victory, others wrestled with how to adjust to the new era. Librarians in Springfield, Massachusetts, and New Haven, Connecticut, decided to pull off the shelves any books describing how to make alcohol. Librarians in New York and San Francisco chose to leave the books in place."
Moving beyond the significant lessons to be mined here, there are also the scores of truly bizarre, frightening, and entertaining tales of what America was like once it had become illegal to sell alcoholic beverages or to consume them in public. (It was still legal to buy booze and to drink booze privately.) True tales of rum runners and shakedowns and undercover cops and private clubs and corruption reveal how a whole mass culture grew around a law that was disrespected by a significant segment of the population -- much like what I grew up with in the Sixties and Seventies in regard to marijuana.
In BOOTLEG, Blumenthal shows how in grappling with enforcement of such laws, there is so often a class divide. If you are really rich, you can just ignore the law. A little less rich, and you have to pay a doctor for a prescription. Today's parallel here in California is that while a poor teen gets jailed for getting caught with a joint, middle class adults can claim that they suffer from depression and pay a doctor for a prescription that permits them to purchase and consume high-grade pot whenever they want.
As she did with LET ME PLAY, one of my all-time favorite pieces of nonfiction for children and teens, Karen Blumenthal once again brings American history to life and connects it to the lives of today's readers. This is young people's informational literature at its absolute best.
Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks
[email protected]
Moderator
Moderator
"Ninety-nine bottles of beer on the wall
Ninety-nine bottles of beer"
--very long song we sang on the school bus while traveling to my first NY Yankees game in 1964
"Prohibition, as it was called, was a grand social revolution that was supposed to forever end drunkenness, reduce crime, and make life better for America's families.
"Nine years later, the results were quite different. People who had always followed the rules now openly ignored the highest law of the land. Children helped their parents secretly concoct brews. Young people carried flasks of whiskey in their pockets to look fashionable and hung out at illegal 'speakeasies,' drinking. Teenage boys acted as lookouts for bootleggers, or drove cars and boats loaded with illegal liquor to big cities.
"As alcohol was sold all around them, police officers, public officials, judges, and politicians took bribes or looked the other way. Gangsters like Bugs Moran and the notorious Al Capone divided and controlled some of the nation's biggest cities, and now they seemed to murder each other at will. Rather than become more moral and upright, America, in the eyes of many, had become a lawless society.
"How had such good intentions gone so terribly, terribly wrong?"
Many readers of BOOTLEG will recognize the religious-like fervor of Prohibition's proponents that is similarly a part of so many well-meaning social movements. The question is, even when most people of good conscience agree on a societal goal, does the end always justify the means that are used to achieve it? In retrospect, would we honestly support every strategy that was pursued and every action that was undertaken for the sake of achieving Civil Rights or women's rights or gay rights or ending the Vietnam War?
One bourbon, one scotch, one beer
Well I ain't seen my baby since I don't know when
I've been drinking bourbon, whiskey, scotch, and gin
Gonna get high man, gonna get loose
Need me a triple shot of that juice
Gonna get drunk, don't you have no fear
I want one bourbon, one scotch, one beer"
-- Rudy Toombs, 1953
For instance, did the goal of reducing alcohol abuse in America justify the deliberate and systematic inclusion of misinformation about the effects of alcohol consumption in grade school textbooks that is revealed here by author Karen Blumenthal? Did it justify the bizarre antics of the woman we learn about who went around demolishing saloons until she became a nationally-known hero to some and a bad joke to others? Did the desire to end the misery of those affected by alcoholic family members justify Prohibition?
The goal of curtailing alcohol abuse is, for me, a complex issue. As we learn in BOOTLEG, there was plenty of crossover between the women's rights movement and the temperance movement. I am certainly sympathetic to the goal of curtailing alcohol abuse, having been personally affected as much as anyone throughout my life by having alcoholic family members and relatives, dear friends in recovery, and knowing those who have prematurely died as a result of alcohol abuse or have died at the hands of alcoholics. Having just returned last night from the American Library Association's Midwinter meeting in San Diego, it is impossible to write about the effects of alcohol without recalling the tragic deaths of Kate McClelland and Kathy Krasniewicz, the children's librarians who were killed by a drunk driver while leaving ALA Midwinter in Denver two years ago.
But unlike, say, the Civil Rights Movement, the question of whether we should seek to thoroughly curtail alcohol or any other kind of consumption was and is not nearly so black and white as the need to end racism.
Most importantly, when we become part of a Movement -- any movement -- it is so easy to become seduced by the ideas of whomever grabs control of the crowd, and to then justify the means employed. And this is, perhaps, the most important lesson to take away from this stellar and extremely well-researched piece of investigative writing.
"As the drys enjoyed their hard-won victory, others wrestled with how to adjust to the new era. Librarians in Springfield, Massachusetts, and New Haven, Connecticut, decided to pull off the shelves any books describing how to make alcohol. Librarians in New York and San Francisco chose to leave the books in place."
Moving beyond the significant lessons to be mined here, there are also the scores of truly bizarre, frightening, and entertaining tales of what America was like once it had become illegal to sell alcoholic beverages or to consume them in public. (It was still legal to buy booze and to drink booze privately.) True tales of rum runners and shakedowns and undercover cops and private clubs and corruption reveal how a whole mass culture grew around a law that was disrespected by a significant segment of the population -- much like what I grew up with in the Sixties and Seventies in regard to marijuana.
In BOOTLEG, Blumenthal shows how in grappling with enforcement of such laws, there is so often a class divide. If you are really rich, you can just ignore the law. A little less rich, and you have to pay a doctor for a prescription. Today's parallel here in California is that while a poor teen gets jailed for getting caught with a joint, middle class adults can claim that they suffer from depression and pay a doctor for a prescription that permits them to purchase and consume high-grade pot whenever they want.
As she did with LET ME PLAY, one of my all-time favorite pieces of nonfiction for children and teens, Karen Blumenthal once again brings American history to life and connects it to the lives of today's readers. This is young people's informational literature at its absolute best.
Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks
[email protected]
Moderator
Moderator
August 30, 2024
This is a very clear, well-done overview of the time and politics of prohibition. It works for YA readers, but also helped me with research much more than some of the more detailed books, which lost salient information in confused structure. This book was written to be accessible and it was indeed that!
July 30, 2023
Well written, interesting historical read.
July 27, 2012
Bootleg: Murder, Moonshine, and the Lawless Years of Prohibition
by Joshua C. Cohen
Gives a balanced view of one of the most interesting eras of 20th century American history
May lack action for those drawn in by the "murder" of the title
What do young adult readers look for in a non-fiction book? Often, teen non-fiction concerns itself with the darker, sordid side of human history such as award-winning books such as Hitler Youth and American Plague. Karen Blumenthal adds to this tradition with her new book Bootleg: Murder, Moonshine, and the Lawless Years of Prohibition. Ms. Blumenthal has previously written about this time in American history in her 2002 book Days in October: The Stock Market Crash of 1929.
The book grabs the reader's attention right out of the gate with one of the most notoriously bloody incidents of the era, the Saint Valentine's Day Massacre. In February 1929, seven men connected to gangster and bootlegger George "Bugs" Moran were gunned down in Chicago by gunman connected to Al Capone. The incident was instrumental in swaying public opinion on violence related to the illegal distribution of alcohol. From there, the author travels back in history to the roots of the temperance movement and illustrates the conditions that led to the passing of the 18th Amendment.
Despite the lurid title of the book and the introduction, very little space is given overall to the crime syndicates that bootlegging gave rise to. Al Capone is the focus of the penultimate chapter, but other than that, Blumenthal spends much more time on the events leading up to Prohibition and the pervasive nature of the disregard for the law rather than the violence that led to its eventual repeal. Readers looking for exciting tales of the Untouchables fighting organized crime will be sorely disappointed. This is not necessarily a bad thing. Sensationalism has been the name of the game when it comes to the entertainment industry's representation of the time. This often fails to paint a broader picture of how ineffective the idea was on a practical level.
Photographs and illustrations grace nearly every page, providing insights into the mindset of the times such as a Chicago Cub openly socializing with Al Capone during a baseball game and a period map of the innumerable locations known to defiantly serve alcohol in Washington DC. The author intersperses personal stories of activists and bootleggers to avoid the monotony of the standard history textbook style.
This period of American history has enjoyed high visibility in the cultural landscape as of late due to programs such as Ken Burn's documentary Prohibition and HBO's drama Boardwalk Empire. It is only fitting a book be written that younger readers will find accessible and Bootleg, while not as thrilling a book as some might like, it gives a balanced view of one of the defining events of the American 20th century.
Blumenthal, Karen. Bootleg: Murder, Moonshine, and the Lawless Years of Prohibition. New York: Roaring Brook, 2011. Print.160 pages. ISBN: 159643449X
by Joshua C. Cohen
Gives a balanced view of one of the most interesting eras of 20th century American history
May lack action for those drawn in by the "murder" of the title
What do young adult readers look for in a non-fiction book? Often, teen non-fiction concerns itself with the darker, sordid side of human history such as award-winning books such as Hitler Youth and American Plague. Karen Blumenthal adds to this tradition with her new book Bootleg: Murder, Moonshine, and the Lawless Years of Prohibition. Ms. Blumenthal has previously written about this time in American history in her 2002 book Days in October: The Stock Market Crash of 1929.
The book grabs the reader's attention right out of the gate with one of the most notoriously bloody incidents of the era, the Saint Valentine's Day Massacre. In February 1929, seven men connected to gangster and bootlegger George "Bugs" Moran were gunned down in Chicago by gunman connected to Al Capone. The incident was instrumental in swaying public opinion on violence related to the illegal distribution of alcohol. From there, the author travels back in history to the roots of the temperance movement and illustrates the conditions that led to the passing of the 18th Amendment.
Despite the lurid title of the book and the introduction, very little space is given overall to the crime syndicates that bootlegging gave rise to. Al Capone is the focus of the penultimate chapter, but other than that, Blumenthal spends much more time on the events leading up to Prohibition and the pervasive nature of the disregard for the law rather than the violence that led to its eventual repeal. Readers looking for exciting tales of the Untouchables fighting organized crime will be sorely disappointed. This is not necessarily a bad thing. Sensationalism has been the name of the game when it comes to the entertainment industry's representation of the time. This often fails to paint a broader picture of how ineffective the idea was on a practical level.
Photographs and illustrations grace nearly every page, providing insights into the mindset of the times such as a Chicago Cub openly socializing with Al Capone during a baseball game and a period map of the innumerable locations known to defiantly serve alcohol in Washington DC. The author intersperses personal stories of activists and bootleggers to avoid the monotony of the standard history textbook style.
This period of American history has enjoyed high visibility in the cultural landscape as of late due to programs such as Ken Burn's documentary Prohibition and HBO's drama Boardwalk Empire. It is only fitting a book be written that younger readers will find accessible and Bootleg, while not as thrilling a book as some might like, it gives a balanced view of one of the defining events of the American 20th century.
Blumenthal, Karen. Bootleg: Murder, Moonshine, and the Lawless Years of Prohibition. New York: Roaring Brook, 2011. Print.160 pages. ISBN: 159643449X
November 7, 2017
"Bootleg: Murder, Moonshine, and the Lawless Years of Prohibition" provides an overview of the brief period of time in US history known as prohibition in the 1920's. Blumenthal takes the reader on a journey through the prohibition time period including some precursor events and final result after prohibition ended. The book offers well-studied material accompanied by graphs, statistics, and pictures from the historical period. Everything is well documented with additional resources for anyone seeking further reading.
I really like this book as a companion to reading fiction, specifically The Great Gatsby by Fitzgerald. This is an excellent novel to understand the world of Gatsby and the underground business of liquor. I highly recommend this novel for anyone studying prohibition as the starting point for research. The bibliography is extremely thorough. I also recommend this book for ELA teachers as the companion for certain novels.
I really like this book as a companion to reading fiction, specifically The Great Gatsby by Fitzgerald. This is an excellent novel to understand the world of Gatsby and the underground business of liquor. I highly recommend this novel for anyone studying prohibition as the starting point for research. The bibliography is extremely thorough. I also recommend this book for ELA teachers as the companion for certain novels.
July 5, 2012
Read more reviews at .
REVIEW: I must admit: I am NOT a nonfiction reader and rarely read nonfiction for anything more than to gain information that I need for a specific and personal purpose. The only reason I picked up Bootleg at all was to preview it for our upcoming meeting in a few weeks. Bootleg has been nominated for this year's list, and I need to be able to debate whether it should be included on the list.
I had planned to read only the first couple of chapters and skim the rest, just enough to be able to discuss the book's inclusion or exclusion on the list. But when I sat down to read the first chapter, I was sucked into the story immediately. Bootleg reads less like a history textbook and more like a study of unique historical "characters" and a lesson in how history repeats itself.
Bootleg is intensely interesting and meticulously researched. I loved reading about important historical figures like Al Capone that I have heard of, but really knew little about. Blumenthal takes no sides on the prohibition issue; she simply weaves the facts into an interesting narrative that is never condescending or dull. Every page includes plenty of well-spaced photos and captions, and the chronological chapter divisions are logical. Index, glossary, and bibliography are appended.
USE IN SCHOOLS: Great for general browsing and classrooms. For history, English, and debate classes, Bootleg could foster lively discussions about Prohibition from differing viewpoints at different historical periods. Parallels to modern-day personal rights issues such as municipal smoking bans, legalizing marijuana, healthy school lunches, and limiting soda consumption in restaurants are difficult to miss. And I would love to listen to students compare Carrie Nation's actions to those of modern-day terrorists.
THE BOTTOM LINE: A must for MS and HS libraries! Given student interest in gangsters like Al Capone and Bugs Moran, Bootleg will be easy to book talk with classes. Easy to read with short chapters and lots of photos, Bootleg is also great for reluctant readers.
STATUS IN MY LIBRARY: On-order. Now that I have read it, I can easily talk up Bootleg with my students. I have no doubt this one will be a hit, particularly with my boys.
READALIKES: Six Days in October: The Stock Market Crash of 1929 (Blumenthal); The Prohibition Era: Temperance in the United States (Slavicek)
RATING BREAKDOWN:
Overall: 5/5
Creativity: 5/5
Characters: 5/5--interesting study of historical figures that most students have never heard of
Engrossing: 5/5--I could barely put it down!
Writing: 5/5
Appeal to teens: 5/5
Appropriate length to tell the story: 5/5
CONTENT:
Language: none
Sexuality: very mild--A small, indistinct nude painting appears on the wall of a saloon in one photograph. Painting is also referenced in the photo caption.
Violence: mild--gangster violence and murder; story of the St. Valentine's Day Massacre
Drugs/Alcohol: moderate--This book is about Prohibition, gangsters, and crime. Alcohol, distilling, and bootlegging is central to the content. Contains early-1900s photos of children drinking and smoking cigarettes.
July 12, 2011
Summary: As the book’s title states, Bootleg is a non-fiction book that discusses the rise, the fall, and everything in between in regards to the prohibition. Included are the events and reasons behind why the prohibition began, the positive and negative effects of prohibition, and how prohibition came to a halt. Besides just text, there are black-and-white photographs, comedic drawings, and advertisements. In addition, the end of the book includes a glossary, bibliography, source notes, and an index.
Since I give quite a few book talks throughout the school year, and probably many more now that I will be a school librarian, I always try to include a wide range of books in my book talk collection. When I choose non-fiction books, I try to pick ones that either cover a somewhat controversial topic, such as when I read They Called Themselves the K.K.K. or have appealing titles that will grab the reader’s attention, such as this one. Once I complete the book, I base my decision on whether or not to include the book in a book talk based on how the book reads. As with They Called Themselves the K.K.K. and Spies of Mississippi, Bootleg reads more like a fiction book than a non-fiction book. This is the preferred type of non-fiction book I book talk.
Okay, aside from all that, I enjoyed Bootleg. It wasn’t that this book was full of excitement, suspense, and drama like some other non-fiction books I have enjoyed reading, but Bootleg taught me a lot, surprised me, and even made me laugh out loud at times. For example, I didn’t realize how women played such a key role in getting the amendment for prohibition to pass. A kind of humorous action that happened during the years prior to prohibition was by a woman named Carrie Nation. Mrs. Nation would literally go into bars with bricks, stones, and hatchets to break bottles and ruin the bars. This woman looked like a sweet little old lady, but her actions showed that she didn’t really fit this image.
Another interesting, kind of surprising fact I didn’t realize happened was that even though many politicians believed and signed the amendment approving the prohibition, they still were illegally drinking and partaking in the actions that they were telling others not to do. Furthermore, Alice Roosevelt Longworth’s husband, U.S. Representative Nicholas Longworth, outright told his wife that he “did not have the slightest intention of complying with the Eighteenth Amendment� (Blumenthal 75). Corrupt???
Although many may believe prohibition was just a joke and didn't work, there were some strong reasons why it began, such as the negative effects of alcohol on one’s health, and some positive outcomes during the years of prohibition. Yet, prohibition and the Eighteenth Amendment’s positives did not outweigh its negatives. As author Blumenthal states, “For the first—and only—time in American history, a part of the U.S. Constitution had been erased� (121). This book taught me many tidbits and facts while still being an entertaining, enjoyable read. I think the book’s title and subject, along with Al Capone being involved, will be the seller for getting teens interested in reading Bootleg.
Since I give quite a few book talks throughout the school year, and probably many more now that I will be a school librarian, I always try to include a wide range of books in my book talk collection. When I choose non-fiction books, I try to pick ones that either cover a somewhat controversial topic, such as when I read They Called Themselves the K.K.K. or have appealing titles that will grab the reader’s attention, such as this one. Once I complete the book, I base my decision on whether or not to include the book in a book talk based on how the book reads. As with They Called Themselves the K.K.K. and Spies of Mississippi, Bootleg reads more like a fiction book than a non-fiction book. This is the preferred type of non-fiction book I book talk.
Okay, aside from all that, I enjoyed Bootleg. It wasn’t that this book was full of excitement, suspense, and drama like some other non-fiction books I have enjoyed reading, but Bootleg taught me a lot, surprised me, and even made me laugh out loud at times. For example, I didn’t realize how women played such a key role in getting the amendment for prohibition to pass. A kind of humorous action that happened during the years prior to prohibition was by a woman named Carrie Nation. Mrs. Nation would literally go into bars with bricks, stones, and hatchets to break bottles and ruin the bars. This woman looked like a sweet little old lady, but her actions showed that she didn’t really fit this image.
Another interesting, kind of surprising fact I didn’t realize happened was that even though many politicians believed and signed the amendment approving the prohibition, they still were illegally drinking and partaking in the actions that they were telling others not to do. Furthermore, Alice Roosevelt Longworth’s husband, U.S. Representative Nicholas Longworth, outright told his wife that he “did not have the slightest intention of complying with the Eighteenth Amendment� (Blumenthal 75). Corrupt???
Although many may believe prohibition was just a joke and didn't work, there were some strong reasons why it began, such as the negative effects of alcohol on one’s health, and some positive outcomes during the years of prohibition. Yet, prohibition and the Eighteenth Amendment’s positives did not outweigh its negatives. As author Blumenthal states, “For the first—and only—time in American history, a part of the U.S. Constitution had been erased� (121). This book taught me many tidbits and facts while still being an entertaining, enjoyable read. I think the book’s title and subject, along with Al Capone being involved, will be the seller for getting teens interested in reading Bootleg.
March 13, 2012
Recap:
Bootleg travels all the way back to the Pilgrims coming over on the Mayflower with their casks of beer and hard liquor. Then it works its way through the events leading to the 18th Amendment - aka Prohibition - and finally winds up with the 21st Amendment, which repealed the 18th.
All along the way, Bootleg is spiked with liquor-related trivia, and insight into the minds of those who fought so hard to free America from the grip of alcohol.
Review:
Oh BoB, I just never know what kind of book you're going to deliver. Graphic novels, fantasy, contemporary, NIVs... and always a few volumes of that divisive genre: nonfiction. Nonfiction can be so hit-or-miss for me. Some texts, like Amelia Lost, turn out to be surprisingly entertaining and revealing. Others, like Bootleg, not so much...
Bootleg covers a lot of ground - literally working its way from the Pilgrims up to MADD and Red Ribbon Week. But the vast majority of the text is focused on the 1920s, the era of Prohibition. Honestly, I learned a TON. Now I could tell you all about Al Capone, the bar smashing Carrie Nation (aka Mother Nation aka Carry A. Nation), and the role that mothers played in passing the 18th Amendment. I was especially interested in how the amendment completely backfired - rather than putting an end to the nation's widespread drinking problem, it did quite the opposite. Not only did "wets" get much more creative in their brewing, their children got in on the act too. Breaking the nation's highest law became a game for the whole family!
If Bootleg had just been edited a little further, I think I would be a big fan. But there were many chapters that just seemed redundant, and the passages that detailed the long, drawn-out political process quickly lost my attention. To be truthful, I really just skimmed the entire second half.
This book is going up against Between Shades of Gray tomorrow in the BOB. Do I really have to tell you that I'm cheering for BSoG? Lina for the WIN!
Recommendation:
Bootleg is a book that I think would be best read in bits and pieces, rather than straight through. Readers who enjoy learning about history, and drinking, would definitely be engaged here.
Did You Know?:
- When George Washington ran for the House of Burgesses, he brought beer, wine, rum, cider and brandy for those who came out to vote at the polls. He won.
- Soldiers in the Continental army had a daily ration of hard liquor.
- NASCAR racing started with the gutsy drivers who had practiced racing by driving loads of moonshine through the back country of the South.
- In the years leading up to prohibition, the Women's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) helped get a law passed that required all schools to provide "temperance education." Their Science textbooks contained "scientific facts" like "This alcohol [wine] is liquid poison," and "It will make a good and kind person cruel and bad; it will make a bad person worse."
Bootleg travels all the way back to the Pilgrims coming over on the Mayflower with their casks of beer and hard liquor. Then it works its way through the events leading to the 18th Amendment - aka Prohibition - and finally winds up with the 21st Amendment, which repealed the 18th.
All along the way, Bootleg is spiked with liquor-related trivia, and insight into the minds of those who fought so hard to free America from the grip of alcohol.
Review:
Oh BoB, I just never know what kind of book you're going to deliver. Graphic novels, fantasy, contemporary, NIVs... and always a few volumes of that divisive genre: nonfiction. Nonfiction can be so hit-or-miss for me. Some texts, like Amelia Lost, turn out to be surprisingly entertaining and revealing. Others, like Bootleg, not so much...
Bootleg covers a lot of ground - literally working its way from the Pilgrims up to MADD and Red Ribbon Week. But the vast majority of the text is focused on the 1920s, the era of Prohibition. Honestly, I learned a TON. Now I could tell you all about Al Capone, the bar smashing Carrie Nation (aka Mother Nation aka Carry A. Nation), and the role that mothers played in passing the 18th Amendment. I was especially interested in how the amendment completely backfired - rather than putting an end to the nation's widespread drinking problem, it did quite the opposite. Not only did "wets" get much more creative in their brewing, their children got in on the act too. Breaking the nation's highest law became a game for the whole family!
If Bootleg had just been edited a little further, I think I would be a big fan. But there were many chapters that just seemed redundant, and the passages that detailed the long, drawn-out political process quickly lost my attention. To be truthful, I really just skimmed the entire second half.
This book is going up against Between Shades of Gray tomorrow in the BOB. Do I really have to tell you that I'm cheering for BSoG? Lina for the WIN!
Recommendation:
Bootleg is a book that I think would be best read in bits and pieces, rather than straight through. Readers who enjoy learning about history, and drinking, would definitely be engaged here.
Did You Know?:
- When George Washington ran for the House of Burgesses, he brought beer, wine, rum, cider and brandy for those who came out to vote at the polls. He won.
- Soldiers in the Continental army had a daily ration of hard liquor.
- NASCAR racing started with the gutsy drivers who had practiced racing by driving loads of moonshine through the back country of the South.
- In the years leading up to prohibition, the Women's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) helped get a law passed that required all schools to provide "temperance education." Their Science textbooks contained "scientific facts" like "This alcohol [wine] is liquid poison," and "It will make a good and kind person cruel and bad; it will make a bad person worse."
December 27, 2011
Bootleg: Murder, Moonshine, and the Lawless Years of Prohibition by is a well researched, fascinating read about the causes and consequences of Prohibition in the U.S.
Worried about the effects of alcohol on American families, mothers and civic leaders started a movement to outlaw drinking in public places.
Protests, petitions, and activism paid off when a Constitional Amendment banning the sale and consumption of alcohol was ratified. Hailed as the end of public drunkenness, alcoholism, and a host of other social ills related to booze, it began a decade of lawlessness. Children smuggled and drank illegal alcohol, upright citizens casually broke the law, and a host of notorious gangsters emerged. This fascinating book looks at the rise and fall of the disastrous social experiment known as Prohibition.
Beginning with mention of the St Valentine's Massacre, Blumenthal looks at Morris Sheppard, Benjamin Rush, Dio Lewis, Mary H. Hunt, Carrie Nation, Wayne B. Wheeler, Andrew Volstead, the Womens Christian Temperance Union and the Anti-Saloon League, which all had roles to play in the push for Prohibition.
As Prohibition became law, rum-runners like William McCoy became rich, working out of St. Pierre and Miquelon. Speakeasies, Blind Pigs and Blind Tigers sprang up, sometimes operating through bribes to police. Federal agents hunted for illegal booze. There was alcohol in the White House. Young people hid flasks in their clothes. Families tried to distill their own liquor. Industrial alcohol poisoned and killed many.
Moonshine was made and smaggled in fast cars, with one of the runners, Ray Park, later founding NASCAR. Gangsters, such as Al Capone, operated their territories with extreme violence, and Capone became a federal target. Such violence, and the work of the Association Against the Prohibition Amendment, helped spur the repeal of Prohibition by the passage of the 21st Amendment in 1933.
The book is greatly enhanced by drawings, advertisements, photos and images that complement the text. The glossary, bibliography, and source notes are valuable additions, illustrating the author’s in-depth research. I would have preferred to had a bit more color in the book, either by highlights or headings. The initial chapters may be slow reading for younger readers. Rating 4.5.
Interesting facts will draw in history buffs and encourage further research. The strong involvement of women in the Prohibition effort, the effects on children, and the rise of gangs are all highlighted. This is highly recommended for school and public library collections.
For ages 12 and up, Prohibition, crime, alcohol, history, politics, social-economics, and fans of Karen Blumenthal.
Worried about the effects of alcohol on American families, mothers and civic leaders started a movement to outlaw drinking in public places.
Protests, petitions, and activism paid off when a Constitional Amendment banning the sale and consumption of alcohol was ratified. Hailed as the end of public drunkenness, alcoholism, and a host of other social ills related to booze, it began a decade of lawlessness. Children smuggled and drank illegal alcohol, upright citizens casually broke the law, and a host of notorious gangsters emerged. This fascinating book looks at the rise and fall of the disastrous social experiment known as Prohibition.
Beginning with mention of the St Valentine's Massacre, Blumenthal looks at Morris Sheppard, Benjamin Rush, Dio Lewis, Mary H. Hunt, Carrie Nation, Wayne B. Wheeler, Andrew Volstead, the Womens Christian Temperance Union and the Anti-Saloon League, which all had roles to play in the push for Prohibition.
As Prohibition became law, rum-runners like William McCoy became rich, working out of St. Pierre and Miquelon. Speakeasies, Blind Pigs and Blind Tigers sprang up, sometimes operating through bribes to police. Federal agents hunted for illegal booze. There was alcohol in the White House. Young people hid flasks in their clothes. Families tried to distill their own liquor. Industrial alcohol poisoned and killed many.
Moonshine was made and smaggled in fast cars, with one of the runners, Ray Park, later founding NASCAR. Gangsters, such as Al Capone, operated their territories with extreme violence, and Capone became a federal target. Such violence, and the work of the Association Against the Prohibition Amendment, helped spur the repeal of Prohibition by the passage of the 21st Amendment in 1933.
The book is greatly enhanced by drawings, advertisements, photos and images that complement the text. The glossary, bibliography, and source notes are valuable additions, illustrating the author’s in-depth research. I would have preferred to had a bit more color in the book, either by highlights or headings. The initial chapters may be slow reading for younger readers. Rating 4.5.
Interesting facts will draw in history buffs and encourage further research. The strong involvement of women in the Prohibition effort, the effects on children, and the rise of gangs are all highlighted. This is highly recommended for school and public library collections.
For ages 12 and up, Prohibition, crime, alcohol, history, politics, social-economics, and fans of Karen Blumenthal.
April 20, 2015
As I’ve said in reviews before, the era of American Prohibition completely and utterly fascinates me for more reasons that I’d care to cite. Because I’ve had the good fortune to read so many of the scholarly efforts exploring this unique period in U.S. history, I’ve now been directed toward some of the books targeted at readers much younger than I � and I’m giving Karen Blumenthal’s BOOTLEG: MURDER, MOONSHINE, AND THE LAWLESS YEARS OF PROHIBITION an enthusiastic thumbs up.
It’s a quick read, briskly covering approximately 100 years of American background. How can that be given the fact that Prohibition itself only lasted 13 years? Well, Blumenthal rightly explores the decades that led up to this grand social experiment as there were several important events that culturally ‘set the stage� for a voting electorate to get behind such a daunting political achievement. That’s a reality many books leave out or only cover superficial; to her credit, Blumenthal embraces what effect Morris Sheppard, Carrie Nation, and a handful of important others had on society-at-large.
At a lean 130 pages, BOOTLEG clearly doesn’t fathom the depths of these events. Instead, Blumenthal keeps the target focused on young readers, choosing to present perhaps only the more colorful players that set America on the path to enacting the Eighteenth Amendment. In fact, the first half of her work concentrates on the formative incidents, leaving the second half free to investigate the people who made Prohibition what it was: bootlegger Bill McCoy, cultural pioneer Henry Ford, and (naturally) mobster Al Capone.
Because I have read so much of this subject matter, it would be easy to brush aside BOOTLEG and criticize its brevity. However, it’s precisely because I have read so much that I can attest to the book serving as one of the best functional explanations of how a nation got itself into such a predicament and what lengths they were forced to consider to get itself out of it. Sure, it’s a quick read � I took it all in in a single sitting of a few hours � but it was a great summation of why ‘The Roaring Twenties� properly earned the moniker.
HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION POSSIBLE. Adults might not be fulfilled but young one and teens looking for a terrific book for a book report or to expand on what you’ve learned in class couldn’t do better than sharing a few hours with Karen Blumenthal’s BOOTLEG: MURDER, MOONSHINE, AND THE LAWLESS YEARS OF PROHIBITION. It’s a dynamic telling of a fairly dark era in America’s past.
It’s a quick read, briskly covering approximately 100 years of American background. How can that be given the fact that Prohibition itself only lasted 13 years? Well, Blumenthal rightly explores the decades that led up to this grand social experiment as there were several important events that culturally ‘set the stage� for a voting electorate to get behind such a daunting political achievement. That’s a reality many books leave out or only cover superficial; to her credit, Blumenthal embraces what effect Morris Sheppard, Carrie Nation, and a handful of important others had on society-at-large.
At a lean 130 pages, BOOTLEG clearly doesn’t fathom the depths of these events. Instead, Blumenthal keeps the target focused on young readers, choosing to present perhaps only the more colorful players that set America on the path to enacting the Eighteenth Amendment. In fact, the first half of her work concentrates on the formative incidents, leaving the second half free to investigate the people who made Prohibition what it was: bootlegger Bill McCoy, cultural pioneer Henry Ford, and (naturally) mobster Al Capone.
Because I have read so much of this subject matter, it would be easy to brush aside BOOTLEG and criticize its brevity. However, it’s precisely because I have read so much that I can attest to the book serving as one of the best functional explanations of how a nation got itself into such a predicament and what lengths they were forced to consider to get itself out of it. Sure, it’s a quick read � I took it all in in a single sitting of a few hours � but it was a great summation of why ‘The Roaring Twenties� properly earned the moniker.
HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION POSSIBLE. Adults might not be fulfilled but young one and teens looking for a terrific book for a book report or to expand on what you’ve learned in class couldn’t do better than sharing a few hours with Karen Blumenthal’s BOOTLEG: MURDER, MOONSHINE, AND THE LAWLESS YEARS OF PROHIBITION. It’s a dynamic telling of a fairly dark era in America’s past.
September 2, 2011
This fascinating new narrative nonfiction book delves into the story of Prohibition, a unique and colorful decade in our country's history. Author Karen Blumenthal , a long-time journalist with the Wall Street Journal, puts her considerable writing skills to good use in explaining how the great social revolution known as Prohibition, which was supposed to forever end drunkenness, reduce crime, and improve the lives of America's families, led instead to a culture of lawlessness, bribery, gangsters, and even murder.
Blumenthal goes back to the earliest days of the Pilgrims to trace the history of liquor in America, noting that rum was almost a form of currency in the earliest days of the country. In the 19th century, taverns multiplied, as did concerns about excessive drinking, leading to the formation of the temperance movement, who at first worked toward drinking in moderation. Soon, however, the movement changed its platform to total abstinence. The author profiles some of the most important personalities from the temperance movement, such as Morris Sheppard, the "boy orator of Texas" who was the first to introduce a constitutional amendment against "an evil that will prove to be the source of the nation's death," and Carrie Nation, the infamous "bar smasher" who believed she was on a mission from God to destroy saloons. The temperance movement was the first to put women in leadership positions, and forever changed women's influence in politics.
The political machinations of the "dries" to get the 18th amendment passed could spur many interesting discussions about parallel political movements today, and the whole saga of the rise and fall of the temperance movement is made all-too-contemporary in Blumenthal's lively narrative, which is full of personal anecdotes as well as sweeping analysis of the failures and limited successes of the prohibition movement.
The book includes a glossary of some of the colorful prohibition and temperance vocabulary (i.e. "real McCoy, hooch, moonshine, flapper, etc.) as well as a detailed bibliography (both books and websites) source notes, and an index. The book is handsomely illustrated with many period photographs as well as cartoons and newspaper clippings.
Several new YA series have come out about this era recently: Bright Young Things, by Anna Godbersen, and the Flappers series by Jillian Larkin. Bootleg would be a perfect read-along for both these series.
Blumenthal goes back to the earliest days of the Pilgrims to trace the history of liquor in America, noting that rum was almost a form of currency in the earliest days of the country. In the 19th century, taverns multiplied, as did concerns about excessive drinking, leading to the formation of the temperance movement, who at first worked toward drinking in moderation. Soon, however, the movement changed its platform to total abstinence. The author profiles some of the most important personalities from the temperance movement, such as Morris Sheppard, the "boy orator of Texas" who was the first to introduce a constitutional amendment against "an evil that will prove to be the source of the nation's death," and Carrie Nation, the infamous "bar smasher" who believed she was on a mission from God to destroy saloons. The temperance movement was the first to put women in leadership positions, and forever changed women's influence in politics.
The political machinations of the "dries" to get the 18th amendment passed could spur many interesting discussions about parallel political movements today, and the whole saga of the rise and fall of the temperance movement is made all-too-contemporary in Blumenthal's lively narrative, which is full of personal anecdotes as well as sweeping analysis of the failures and limited successes of the prohibition movement.
The book includes a glossary of some of the colorful prohibition and temperance vocabulary (i.e. "real McCoy, hooch, moonshine, flapper, etc.) as well as a detailed bibliography (both books and websites) source notes, and an index. The book is handsomely illustrated with many period photographs as well as cartoons and newspaper clippings.
Several new YA series have come out about this era recently: Bright Young Things, by Anna Godbersen, and the Flappers series by Jillian Larkin. Bootleg would be a perfect read-along for both these series.
March 12, 2013
Blumenthal brings a balanced narrative of the well-meaning intentions of creating a more peaceful and safe society by enacting Prohibition as well as the lawlessness of the era. Prohibition is, by some, considered a failed social experiment. Blumenthal fully explores the truth behind this by examining how the righteous energy of the temperance movement affected national law. However, after the law was passed with ideas of good intentions it essentially crumbled over the near fourteen years it was in effect. Overall, I found the tone of the work to be primarily formal and styled like a textbook. It was also interesting to read the author’s characterizations of figure like Sheppard, Capone, and Ford which was quite informative of their personal backgrounds and mindsets. Themes discussed in regard to temperance and prohibition includes the law, morality, safety, and peace.
Based on the title and the flap description, I found myself somewhat disappointed after I finished the book because only three of the nine chapters actually deal with the time period of Prohibition itself. However, I am glad Blumenthal related the information the way she did by telling the whole story from what lead up to the passage of the Volstead Act, like America’s early drinking habits and the temperance movement, through prohibition, and its effects on American society afterward. Overall, the book was well-written and included a variety of photos and primary source documents but there were a few weaknesses, the major one in my mind being the oversimplification events or leaving out events and issues that may attract teens in the beginning. I, for one was surprised Blumenthal left out the famous Untouchables, Eliot Ness, and the Treasury Department’s actions against crime.
4Q 3P, J S
Part of what makes this cover appealing, especially to teens, is the font style and design imposed over the image of men pouring illegal alcohol down a storm sewer. The title appears to have been stamped across the top like an old wanted poster, while the subtitle directly below looks like it’s out of the jazz age which makes me think of flappers, gangsters, and alcohol.
2012 YALSA Excellence in Non-fiction
[I needed to read and review this novel for a course and the above was my course review with voya codes and all.]
Based on the title and the flap description, I found myself somewhat disappointed after I finished the book because only three of the nine chapters actually deal with the time period of Prohibition itself. However, I am glad Blumenthal related the information the way she did by telling the whole story from what lead up to the passage of the Volstead Act, like America’s early drinking habits and the temperance movement, through prohibition, and its effects on American society afterward. Overall, the book was well-written and included a variety of photos and primary source documents but there were a few weaknesses, the major one in my mind being the oversimplification events or leaving out events and issues that may attract teens in the beginning. I, for one was surprised Blumenthal left out the famous Untouchables, Eliot Ness, and the Treasury Department’s actions against crime.
4Q 3P, J S
Part of what makes this cover appealing, especially to teens, is the font style and design imposed over the image of men pouring illegal alcohol down a storm sewer. The title appears to have been stamped across the top like an old wanted poster, while the subtitle directly below looks like it’s out of the jazz age which makes me think of flappers, gangsters, and alcohol.
2012 YALSA Excellence in Non-fiction
[I needed to read and review this novel for a course and the above was my course review with voya codes and all.]
July 15, 2016
While this book was very educational, it was almost too boring at times. It read like a textbook most of the time and I do not think this will appeal to teens at all unless they have a special interest in Prohibition. The title itself Murder, Moonshine, and the Lawless Years of Prohibition makes the book seem more wild than it is, and doesn’t coincide with the picture on the cover, which shows two men pouring bottles of alcohol into sewage. Nothing wild about that. The parts that were the most interesting to me were the ones about Al Capone. The beginnings of Prohibition, with the women of Midwest starting an alliance to end alcohol assumption, while being interesting at times, was also hard to get through; it was very dry (no pun intended) and would have been better if it had been summarized instead of drawn out. The book is short and can be read quickly depending on the type of reader, but if a book promises murder and lawless years, it should deliver. Yes, hardly anyone paid attention to Prohibition except for federal agents, and yes, there was a lot of murder because of gang crimes, but that doesn’t really get mentioned until halfway through the book. It’s just not exciting. A lot of research was done and I appreciate that, the pictures in the book are nice accompaniments, and the glossary is a nice addition for people who don’t understand the terminology, but in the epilogue, Blumenthal randomly mentions Mothers Against Drunk Driving and how it got started and then ends the book with a message telling teenagers that they are responsible for their own behavior and that although Prohibition was meant to be good, nothing turned out as planned, Prohibition will probably never come back, and that people will have to learn not to overdo it with alcohol. It seemed a strange way to end the book and unnecessary to add that bit of ethics about safe drinking at the end. Wouldn’t the reader be able to determine the dangers of alcohol just by reading the history of Prohibition in the first place in this book? That it caused people to do stupid things? This book does what it needs to do for the most part, just not in a fun way; teens young and old may find this useful for any research projects on Prohibition and the 18th Amendment, but probably not for pleasure reading.
July 1, 2012
Karen Blumenthal writes nonfiction the way it should be written. I just wish my history textbooks in school had been written half as well as Bootleg: Murder, Moonshine, and the Lawless Years of Prohibition (Roaring Book Press 2011). I would have learned a lot more and enjoyed it, too.
Blumenthal opens the book with one of the most chilling scenes from the Prohibition years: the Valentine's Day Massacre in Chicago. Then she backs up decades to trace just how we as a country ended up in such a place. How did a Constitutional amendment presented with good intentions lead to such violence and lawlessness? She introduces the fascinating people who led the Prohibition movement such as Morris Shepherd (the Father of National Prohibition) and Carrie Nation (axe-wielding bar smasher). She doesn't neglect those who profited from Prohibition, including Al "Scarface" Capone, the notorious gangster blamed (possibly wrongly) for the Valentine's Day Massacre.
She also gives a gripping narrative of the political maneuvering that led Prohibition's successful passage and eventual repeal. The Women's Christian Temperance Union and Anti-Saloon League used propaganda spread through the media and schools to spread their message and change minds. They certainly knew the value of and used publicity stunts, including the use of children. They also were savvy in approaching first local and state governments before taking to the national stage. Blumenthal weaves together many of the strands of history--women's suffrage, World War I, governmental roles--that influenced Prohibition.
Once Prohibition came into effect with the Eighteenth Amendment and Volstead Act, the nation began to learn the effect of unintended consequences. Those chapters were some of the most fascinating. I can see my students being fascinated not only with the bigger than life Capone, but also with the beginnings of NASCAR from the good old boys who earned their money smuggling illegal booze from one place to another. For those who want to learn more, lists many possibilities (organized by topic) in the Bibliography and Source Notes.
I can't wait to share this title in my classroom once school starts again. It is sure to be a hit.
Published on my blog at
Blumenthal opens the book with one of the most chilling scenes from the Prohibition years: the Valentine's Day Massacre in Chicago. Then she backs up decades to trace just how we as a country ended up in such a place. How did a Constitutional amendment presented with good intentions lead to such violence and lawlessness? She introduces the fascinating people who led the Prohibition movement such as Morris Shepherd (the Father of National Prohibition) and Carrie Nation (axe-wielding bar smasher). She doesn't neglect those who profited from Prohibition, including Al "Scarface" Capone, the notorious gangster blamed (possibly wrongly) for the Valentine's Day Massacre.
She also gives a gripping narrative of the political maneuvering that led Prohibition's successful passage and eventual repeal. The Women's Christian Temperance Union and Anti-Saloon League used propaganda spread through the media and schools to spread their message and change minds. They certainly knew the value of and used publicity stunts, including the use of children. They also were savvy in approaching first local and state governments before taking to the national stage. Blumenthal weaves together many of the strands of history--women's suffrage, World War I, governmental roles--that influenced Prohibition.
Once Prohibition came into effect with the Eighteenth Amendment and Volstead Act, the nation began to learn the effect of unintended consequences. Those chapters were some of the most fascinating. I can see my students being fascinated not only with the bigger than life Capone, but also with the beginnings of NASCAR from the good old boys who earned their money smuggling illegal booze from one place to another. For those who want to learn more, lists many possibilities (organized by topic) in the Bibliography and Source Notes.
I can't wait to share this title in my classroom once school starts again. It is sure to be a hit.
Published on my blog at
April 14, 2013
(My reviews are intended for my own info as a language arts teacher: they serve as notes and reflections for teaching and recommending to students. Therefore, spoilers may be present but will be hidden.)
SUMMARY: I have been on a roll with reading really good nonfiction, lately! I knew I would like Bootleg: Murder, Moonshine, and the Lawless Years of Prohibition because I think Prohibition and the Jazz Age are endlessly fascinating, but Karen Blumenthal's book, geared for a YA audience, exceeded my expectations.
Blumenthal opens this micro-history by detailing the events of the 1929 Valentine's Day Massacre in which bootlegging gangsters gunned each other down during the height of Prohibition-era gang violence. She uses this tragedy to set up a chronological explanation of the shortcomings, and downright failures, of the Eighteenth Amendment. The following chapters inform readers about the forefathers (and foremothers!) of the law, as well as criminal figures like Al Capone. Blumenthal starts from the slow take-off of prohibition and takes readers to its dramatic collapse in the form of the Twenty-First Amendment.
My favorite parts of Bootleg were the descriptions of people who experienced the era firsthand. Especially entertaining were the pages about Carrie Nation, the infamous "bar smasher", and prohibition agent/master of disguise Izzy Einstein. I only wish Blumenthal had shared more of these, as well as more information about speakeasies and "blind pigs". For a kids' informational text, though, the length and amount of detail are probably just right.
READABILITY: Bootleg provides thorough information about Prohibition and the background information readers will need to put the era into the correct context. I wonder how much middle schoolers get into a text about a time period that probably isn't detailed in their social studies classes and focuses on a topic that is illegal to them...
APPROPRIATENESS: I highly doubt any of my students' parents would object to their children reading about alcohol, as it is presented in this book.
SUMMARY: I have been on a roll with reading really good nonfiction, lately! I knew I would like Bootleg: Murder, Moonshine, and the Lawless Years of Prohibition because I think Prohibition and the Jazz Age are endlessly fascinating, but Karen Blumenthal's book, geared for a YA audience, exceeded my expectations.
Blumenthal opens this micro-history by detailing the events of the 1929 Valentine's Day Massacre in which bootlegging gangsters gunned each other down during the height of Prohibition-era gang violence. She uses this tragedy to set up a chronological explanation of the shortcomings, and downright failures, of the Eighteenth Amendment. The following chapters inform readers about the forefathers (and foremothers!) of the law, as well as criminal figures like Al Capone. Blumenthal starts from the slow take-off of prohibition and takes readers to its dramatic collapse in the form of the Twenty-First Amendment.
My favorite parts of Bootleg were the descriptions of people who experienced the era firsthand. Especially entertaining were the pages about Carrie Nation, the infamous "bar smasher", and prohibition agent/master of disguise Izzy Einstein. I only wish Blumenthal had shared more of these, as well as more information about speakeasies and "blind pigs". For a kids' informational text, though, the length and amount of detail are probably just right.
READABILITY: Bootleg provides thorough information about Prohibition and the background information readers will need to put the era into the correct context. I wonder how much middle schoolers get into a text about a time period that probably isn't detailed in their social studies classes and focuses on a topic that is illegal to them...
APPROPRIATENESS: I highly doubt any of my students' parents would object to their children reading about alcohol, as it is presented in this book.
March 17, 2012
Readers who pay attention to the continuing war on drugs taking place in today's cities may be struck by the similarities by current law enforcement efforts and the climate that led to the passage and the repeal of the Eighteenth Amendment. Starting with the 1929 gangland shooting known as the St. Valentine's Day Massacre, this excellent nonfiction book provides the background and describes the individuals most responsible for the Prohibition movement and then describes the consequences of Prohibition. The author describes the growing up years of Morris Sheppard, later known as the Father of National Prohibition, and Carrie Nation, the Kansas saloon smasher, as well as Chicago gangser Al Capone who rose to fame and wealth by bringing alcohol into places once it had been deemed illegal. She also describes some of the creative ways individuals tried to make their own booze, but many of these methods ended up poisoning or killing those who drank it. Although the intentions behind Prohibition may have been quite good, the results were not at all what they might have intended. The author writes, "The drys were gleeful. Crime would soon disappear, jails would close, and hospitals would lose patients. Families would flourish and American woudl prosper as never before" (p. 57). Wishful thinking, that, since Prohibition essentially created a purpose for the production and sale of liquor to go underground. Filled with archival photos that are downright fascinating--for instance, there is a photograph of New York children using containers to scoop up wine dumped into the streets by law enforcement officials--this title covers a lot of ground in its nine chapters, but does so in an appealing way. Back matter includes a glossary, a bibliography and source notes, and an index. While some readers might want the connections between Prohibition and illegal drug sales to be clearer in the text, I prefer the author's reliance on her readers to draw their own conclusions. This was a satisfying, informative read.
October 17, 2017
This is a well-rounded look at the colorful Prohibition era. It takes into account both negative and positive aspects of the law that resulted in unintended consequences (Prohibition was initiated to decrease lawlessness and drunkenness, but instead increased both). Karen Blumenthal, a longtime writer for the “Wall Street Journal,� creates a highly readable nonfiction text that instantly engages the reader by opening with the 1929 Valentines Day massacre in Chicago and then highlighting the political and social turmoil that led to that event. Blumenthal skillfully weaves fascinating biographies of key players into the text, from temperance crusader Morris Sheppard to legendary gangster Al Capone. I found the passages devoted to Carrie Nation, particularly engaging.
The entertaining narrative is packed with photos, drawings, advertisements, and images that complement and enhance the text. The glossary, bibliography, and source notes, are valuable additions and attest to the author’s in-depth research. History buffs may be pleasantly surprised by the layers of detail that this slim volume contains. Readers will be prompted to share interesting facts gleaned from the text. For instance, did you know that Al Capone’s brother was a federal enforcement agent? or that several charter NASCAR drivers got their start running moonshine during this era? Teens looking for a research tool will find this volume an important resource.
The entertaining narrative is packed with photos, drawings, advertisements, and images that complement and enhance the text. The glossary, bibliography, and source notes, are valuable additions and attest to the author’s in-depth research. History buffs may be pleasantly surprised by the layers of detail that this slim volume contains. Readers will be prompted to share interesting facts gleaned from the text. For instance, did you know that Al Capone’s brother was a federal enforcement agent? or that several charter NASCAR drivers got their start running moonshine during this era? Teens looking for a research tool will find this volume an important resource.
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