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Quick answer: The best books on Prohibition cover bootleggers, speakeasies and the long fight over alcohol. Start with Last Call by Daniel Okrent, Boardwalk Empire by Nelson Johnson, The Poisoner’s Handbook by Deborah Blum, Get Capone by Jonathan Eig, The Wettest County in the World by Matt Bondurant and Bootleg by Karen Blumenthal.
From 1920 to 1933, it was illegal to make, sell or transport alcohol in the United States. Prohibition was supposed to reduce crime and improve families’ lives. Instead, it created speakeasies, bootleggers, rumrunners and powerful gangsters like Al Capone, and it turned millions of ordinary people into lawbreakers. It also changed women’s roles, politics and the federal government. The books below tell the story through history, true crime, biography and fiction, plus a great young adult history for teens.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Type | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Last Call | Daniel Okrent | History | The essential overview |
| Boardwalk Empire | Nelson Johnson | History | Atlantic City’s story |
| The Poisoner’s Handbook | Deborah Blum | Narrative nonfiction | Science and true crime fans |
| Get Capone | Jonathan Eig | Biography | Gangster stories |
| Capone | Laurence Bergreen | Biography | A complete life |
| The Wettest County in the World | Matt Bondurant | Novel | Fans of crime fiction |
| Dry Manhattan | Michael A. Lerner | History | New York’s story |
| Ardent Spirits | John Kobler | History | A classic account |
| The Prohibition Hangover | Garrett Peck | History | Understanding the aftermath |
| Live by Night | Dennis Lehane | Novel | Crime thriller readers |
| The Untouchables | Eliot Ness and Oscar Fraley | Memoir | Classic crime-fighting stories |
| Bootleg | Karen Blumenthal | YA nonfiction | Teens |
| Prohibition | Edward Behr | History | A readable overview |
| The Ghosts of Eden Park | Karen Abbott | Narrative nonfiction | True crime fans |
| The Speakeasies of 1932 | Al Hirschfeld | Illustrated history | Art and cocktail lovers |
1. Last Call by Daniel Okrent
Okrent’s history explains how temperance activists, suffragists and politicians passed Prohibition, how it failed and how it was repealed. It’s funny, surprising and the best single book on the subject. It was a major source for Ken Burns’s documentary.
2. Boardwalk Empire by Nelson Johnson
Johnson tells the story of Atlantic City and its political bosses, especially Enoch “Nucky” Johnson, who ran the resort town during Prohibition. It inspired the HBO series Boardwalk Empire.
3. The Poisoner’s Handbook by Deborah Blum
Blum tells the story of New York’s first forensic scientists and their fight against poisonings, including deaths from industrial alcohol that the government deliberately poisoned during Prohibition. It’s fascinating and dark.
4. Get Capone by Jonathan Eig
Eig uses newly found documents to tell the story of Al Capone’s rise in Chicago and the federal government’s efforts to bring him down, finally for tax evasion. It’s fast-paced and full of surprises.
5. Capone by Laurence Bergreen
Bergreen’s big biography follows Capone from Brooklyn to Chicago, the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, prison and his early death. It’s detailed and readable, the classic life of America’s most famous gangster.
6. The Wettest County in the World by Matt Bondurant
Based on the author’s grandfather and great-uncles, this novel follows the Bondurant brothers, moonshiners in Franklin County, Virginia, during Prohibition. It’s violent and atmospheric, and it was adapted into the 2012 film Lawless.
7. Dry Manhattan by Michael A. Lerner
Lerner shows how New York, the wettest city in America, resisted Prohibition through speakeasies, politics and culture. It’s a great look at how the law worked, or didn’t, in a big city.
8. Ardent Spirits by John Kobler
Kobler’s 1973 history covers the temperance movement and the Prohibition years with colorful stories and characters. It’s an older but still entertaining and useful overview.
9. The Prohibition Hangover by Garrett Peck
Peck looks at how America’s drinking culture and laws changed after repeal in 1933, and how Prohibition’s legacy still shapes alcohol rules today. It’s an interesting look at what came next.
10. Live by Night by Dennis Lehane
Joe Coughlin, the son of a Boston police captain, becomes a rumrunner and gangster during Prohibition, from Boston to Tampa and Cuba. Lehane’s novel won the Edgar Award and was adapted into a 2016 film.
11. The Untouchables by Eliot Ness and Oscar Fraley
Eliot Ness, the federal agent who led a team against Capone’s bootlegging operation in Chicago, told his story with Oscar Fraley. It’s dramatized but a classic, and it inspired the TV series and the 1987 film.
12. Bootleg by Karen Blumenthal
Blumenthal explains Prohibition from the temperance movement to repeal, with photos, colorful characters and clear explanations. It’s an excellent, acclaimed history for teens and adults who want a quick read.
13. Prohibition by Edward Behr
Behr’s history tells the story of Prohibition with energy and humor, from the temperance crusaders to the gangsters and the politicians who ended it.
14. The Ghosts of Eden Park by Karen Abbott
George Remus, a Cincinnati lawyer, became one of the richest bootleggers in America, until a federal prosecutor, Mabel Walker Willebrandt, went after him. Abbott’s book is a wild true story of crime, love and murder.
15. The Speakeasies of 1932 by Al Hirschfeld
The famous caricaturist Hirschfeld drew New York’s speakeasies and their owners and customers in the last year of Prohibition, with notes and drink recipes. It’s a charming, one-of-a-kind book.
Tips for Reading About Prohibition
- Start with Last Call. Okrent explains the whole story clearly.
- Pick a city. Chicago, New York and Atlantic City each had their own Prohibition story.
- Read true crime. Get Capone and The Ghosts of Eden Park are gripping.
- Watch the documentary. Ken Burns’s Prohibition series is a great companion.
- Host a speakeasy night. Serve mocktails, play jazz and pick a password for the door.
- Read with teens. Bootleg is a great introduction for ages 12 and up.
Related: the best books on the Roaring Twenties and the best true crime books for book clubs.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best book about Prohibition?
Last Call by Daniel Okrent is the best overall history of Prohibition, from its causes to its repeal.
When was Prohibition?
National Prohibition lasted from January 1920 until December 1933, when the 21st Amendment repealed it.
What is a good Prohibition book for teens?
Bootleg by Karen Blumenthal is an acclaimed, illustrated history that’s perfect for ages 12 and up.