num_pages: 294
description: In the midst of the many biographies and the I-was-there accounts, Bill Helmer's book provides a refreshing sidebar to the proceedings. Academically researched and crisply written, "The Gun that Made the Twenties Roar" tackles the history of the Thompson submachine gun-- a prized utility of Chicago Prohibition gangsters and a world-wide cultural symbol of America thanks to Hollywood movies. Helmer carefully details the original development and manufacture of a weapon that was supposed to be law enforcement's ultimate tool, but instead found its way into the hands of the Chicago gangs of the 1920s and the Midwestern bank robbers of the 1930s. Particularly outstanding are the excellent photo reprints, diagrams, manuals, and advertisements illustrating the times and the weapon.
language: English
title: The Gun That Made the Twenties Roar,
titlecomplete: The Gun That Made the Twenties Roar,
ratings_count: 9
publisher: MacMillan Publishing Company