Bootleg: Murder, Moonshine and the Lawless Years of Prohibition - Nonfiction and Biography

Bibliography

Blumenthal, Karen. 2011. BOOTLEG: MURDER, MOONSHINE AND THE LAWLESS YEARS OF PROHIBITION. New York: Roaring Brook Press. ISBN 978-1-59643-449-3.

Plot Summary

Karen Blumenthal’s book BOOTLEG: MURDER, MOONSHINE AND THE LAWLESS YEARS OF PROHIBITION chronicles the nearly fourteen year saga of Prohibition in America. Nearly fifty percent of the book is devoted to the history that led up to Prohibition; the effects on our country and the eventual repeal of Prohibition in 1933 comprise the balance of the book. Blumenthal’s thesis states that Prohibition was a law that attempted to regulate morality, radically reduce crime and keep people out of jail and sober, however it proved to be extremely ineffective at accomplishing any of these goals.

Critical Analysis

The first half of BOOTLEG: MURDER, MOONSHINE AND THE LAWLESS YEARS OF PROHIBITION serves as a precursor, laying foundation for the depiction of the Prohibition era that is about to be presented. That history is developed in a very concise, chronological fashion. The book transitions from making general statements about alcohol and its negative aspects, to more specific statements about why the country’s leaders, and certain segments of society, believed Prohibition was necessary. As the book progresses from general to more detailed information, Blumenthal begins to incorporate stories of individuals who played larger roles in the fight to achieve Prohibition. Blumenthal’s organization technique initially presents larger issues, reinforcing the validity and accuracy of that issue through the use of individual stories. This technique intermingles a sequential recounting of the history of Prohibition with social and psychological commentary on the issue.

The latter half of the book provides the reader with details of the sweeping, abrupt changes Prohibition caused in the United States. Blumenthal’s writing is absorbing, with a tone of immediacy which creates the frantic mood of the time with statements like, “Exactly one minute after January 16, 1920 became January 17^th, daily life in America was immediately changed.” Now, everyday actions such as selling a beer, or sipping a drink in public were illegal activities, and all alcoholic beverages had to be removed from restaurants, bars, country clubs all locations where alcohol was stored or sold. The atmosphere Blumenthal creates describing the citizens who comprised the nation’s drinkers is one of desperation. By describing the urgency and extreme methods by which alcohol was being stockpiled in homes, the only place it was legal, she evokes the frenzied atmosphere of the time.

Blumenthal uses the Epilogue to attempt to answer the question ‘Was Prohibition a success or a failure?’ A summary of the final years of some of the key players in the Prohibition era including Morris Sheppard and Al Capone are discussed demonstrating that Prohibition was an immense failure. Passing laws with the intent of governing an entire country’s behavior, particularly in a country as varied in its views as the United States, proved to be unproductive. However one positive result of Prohibition, according to Blumenthal was that, “Americans became more educated more urban and enjoyed far more entertainment. Even young people had better things to do then hang out in a bar.” Blumenthal ends her Epilogue by stating that Prohibition’s biggest failure “was on a personal level.” Alcoholism is still a major problem in this country. Programs such as Red Ribbon Week in schools, which encourage students to pledge to be drug and alcohol free, and the efforts of groups like MADD, have made strides, but the problem still exists. Ultimately, as Blumenthal states, people must be responsible on an individual basis to decide whether or not they want to drink to excess. The government cannot regulate behavior or the right to choose; it can however, provide children and adults with information on the dangers of alcohol allow them to make an educated decision. 

BOOTLEG: MURDER, MOONSHINE AND THE LAWLESS YEARS OF PROHIBITION has a very detailed bibliography, and source notes on every chapter. The bibliography is divided into sections such as ‘Prohibition, Temperance and Alcohol,’ and ‘Women and the WCTU.’ This extensive bibliography enables anyone researching Prohibition to identify resources on a specific topic covered by Blumenthal. There is also a glossary covering the major terms she uses in the book. Many topics that are not typically known about Prohibition are presented in this book. The photos and reproduced documents are in black and white providing a sense of history. The majority of these photos and documents are inset into the text and provide the reader with visual references to the text being discussed and create an ambiance of the 1920’s in visual format.

Review Excerpts

BOOKLIST Starred review 2011: “Plenty of archival images lend to the book’s pleasant design, and an ample bibliography and source notes close out this top-notch resource, which will also help spark discussion on the current War on Drugs.”

VOYA review 2011: “Students or anyone interested in the turbulent prohibition era will find this a very worthy resource.”

Connections

• The Ken Burns documentary PROHIBITION ASIN B004NJC0R0, either all or selections, would be an excellent companion to this book.
• As a complement to Ken Burn’s documentary and Blumenthal’s book, PBS has a website, PROHIBITION IN THE CLASSROOM which provides educators with Lesson Plans and Snapshot Activities. The website can be found at this URL  http://www.pbs.org/kenburns/prohibition/educators/.
• The National Archives website TEACHING WITH DOCUMENTS: THE VOLSTEAD ACT AND RELEATED PROHIBITION DOCUMENTS is an excellent tool for educators creating lessons on the subject of Prohibition. The website contains documents, teaching activities, document analysis worksheets and more. The website is located at this URL http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/volstead-act/.

·       A You Tube video entitled THE PROHIBITION YEARS can found at this URL https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zGVpwVN4L0. This video provides a catalyst for a class discussion on whether it was effective then, or is effective now for the government to try to control people’s behavior.