Customer Reviews

American Lightning: Terror, Mystery, the Birth of Hollywood, and the Crime of the Century

5 star:		(34)
4 star:		(36)
3 star:		(26)
2 star:		(12)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

"American Lightning" presents one chapter in the fierce cultural war of strikes, propaganda, politics, and violence that raged between labor unions and capitalist businesses in the early part of the 20th century: On October 1, 1910, six explosions destroyed the "Los Angeles Times" building, leaving 21 people dead and 17 injured. The owner of the "Times" newspaper was vehement anti-union propagandist Harrison Gray Otis. The bombing was immediately assumed to be part of a campaign by anarchists to attack the mechanisms of capital in which more than100 bombs were planted across the nation. The city of Los Angeles hired Billy Burns, former Secret Service agent and founder of the Burns Detective Agency, to find the persons responsible.

This is history for the popular fiction market. "American Lightning" tells the story of Billy Burns' investigation and the subsequent campaigns of public relations, witness intimidation, and juror bribery that took place as the three men whom Burns accused awaited trial in Los Angeles. Author Howard Blum relates the story in the style of narrative fiction, like a novel. He attempts to weave together the stories of three prominent men who helped shape this period in American history and were, in turn, shaped by the war between labor and capital: detective Billy Burns, crusading attorney Clarence Darrow, who represented the accused men, and filmmaker D.W. Griffith, who moved his operations from New York to Los Angeles in the midst of all the furor.

I appreciate that Howard Blum is trying to bring a forgotten chapter of American history to a broad audience. The 1910s were a time when the nation's security was threatened by very real violent conspiracies but Americans managed, for the most part, to prevail without succumbing to paranoia on a large scale. But "American Lightning" is hopelessly superficial and choppy for a history book. There is only enough information about the radical labor movement to place the story in a vague context. The many references to D. W. Griffith have nothing to do with the subject. There is an excess of filler, but the reader is left starved for real understanding. The intent is evidently to write a real-life thriller driven by three iconic characters, but this isn't a page-turner. It's an easy read but not informative enough to be history and not gripping enough to succeed as a novel.

I loved this book. First off, if you love historical novels of any kind this is the book for you. I could go on and on about the events leading up to this story and the events after, but I think that has been done in many of the previous reviews posted. The only thing I think I can add that may be of help to people when decideing whether or not to purchase this book is to say that it ranks right up there with Erik Larson's "Devil in a White City"...(My all time favorite book). Much like Erik Larson, Howard Blum creates such a richly detailed novel filled with incredibley detailed characters and events that before you realize it you've spent the afternoon in another time and place living another's life. Such a wonderful read I was sad to have it end.

I'm quite clearly in the minority on this one. Other readers seem mostly to have had a good read with this. I found it hard to keep my eyes open.

The cover blurb says "Terror, Mystery, Movie-making and the crime of the century." Well, maybe. But I couldn't find much of any of this. Though I think I'm fairly literate in 20th-century American history, I was only vaguely aware of the bombing of the LA Times building and could easily cite others to label as the crime of the century. How about the Lindbergh kidnappping? Any number of serial killers? But I do concede it's interesting to get some information on this.

The Griffith/Pickford aspects of film-making, as presented here, are superficial at best. There's a lot that has been written on how film-making came to southern California, far more engrossing than the bits here.

William Burns, Clarence Darrow -- throw together a few well-known names of the period, place in pot and stir. If this type of novel interests you, try E.J. Doctorow who is masterful at thus recreating a period and making it meaningful.

I hope others might enjoy this book. It's certainly not terrible, but it's just as certainly not great.

This is a nicely-written work of popular history that details connections between an early-twentieth-century terrorist attack on the LA Times, unionist and anarchist unrest, crime-solving, and the development of the film industry. We meet Clarence Darrow and D.W. Griffiths in the midst of their careers, and are introduced to the long forgotten "master sleuth" William J. Burns. The author draws in the characters' personal relationships and does a good job of character sketching to explain the complex personalities behind the decision-making that was going on. More interesting than either the politics of the time (and the general uproar about unionism) or the actual resolution of the case, I found, were the descriptions of how detective work went on in an age before most of the modern tracking tools we now use were available. That aspect of the book was fascinating.

Unfortunately, this is not going to win Blum the Pulitzer. The biggest problem for me as a reader and historian was the depth of the atmosphere around the events--that is, the narrative focuses more heavily on events than on atmosphere. It thus makes it hard to think yourself into the period--and the book reads more like a film treatment than a work of history. One suspects it was an attempt to capitalize on the filming of Upton Sinclair's _Oil!_, as it falls in the same period. I do think it would make a great film; it is just too simplistic to be a very satisfying read.

American Lighting is a brilliant exposé on the highly disparate, and yet amazingly similar, lives of three men: a lawyer, a filmmaker, and a private detective, all of whom helped usher in the twentieth century with their groundbreaking work. Certainly, individual books on each of these men, Clarence Darrow, D. W. Griffith, and Billy Burns have been, and probably will continue to be, written as each was a pioneer in his own right; however, the manner in which their fascinating paths crossed as a result of the infamous bombing of the Los Angeles Times in 1910 has led Howard Blum to create this fascinating foray into the conflicts between labor and capitalists which ultimately shaped the future of our country for the next 100 years.

American Lighting contains all the elements of a great historical novel - larger than life characters (Darrow, Griffith, and Burns) working together and against each other as well as being innovators in their respective fields amidst a backdrop of societal conflicts, often on the verge of meltdown, that fuel the passions of the wise and the foolish alike. Murders, bombings, the development of cinema as a form of communication that exceeds storytelling, politics, crime, and a seeming endless series of who-done-its fill this work with much to savor.

While the tale woven by Mr. Bloom can become rather intense, he keeps a strong hold on the manner in which it is presented and successfully leaves the reader with a cogent whole. Bravo, Mr. Blum!

When I think of union activism and violence, I tend to think of the mine workers, the steel workers and other the meat packers. And, I always associate this activity with the Chicago or other eastern cities. I am not sure I even knew that the unions were all that active in Los Angeles.

The author has taken an unusual tack by mixing the stories of D. W. Griffith, William Burns and Clarence Darrow into a cohesive story of what happened during the labor unrest and subsequent bombing in Los Angeles. And, although the three men only met once, in a hotel lobby after the "trail", the actions of each had consequences on the others. Burn's investigation was a rallying point for the unions, Darrow defended the union using techniques created by Griffith and this was all occurring during an explosive time when union and capitalists were at each others throats.

An interesting and enjoyable read of a part of history that I never even knew existed. It is written in an easy to read style with enough detail to understand the circumstances, yet not some much that the reader becomes bogged down in tiny details that are irrelevant to the story.

That American Lightning: Terror, Mystery, the Birth of Hollywood, and the Crime of the Century is a true story was the first surprise I had in reading this book. I'm old enough to remember (vaguely) the Symbionese Liberation Army and SDS and had no idea that there was, in the earliest years of the last century, a wave of terrorist bombings so severe that they threatened civil war. As horrendous as the events of 9/11 was, such terrorism has more extensive roots in this country than I knew (and I consider myself fairly well read.)

American Lightening is the true story of the 1910 bombing of the Los Angeles Times by a group of desperate union members. The bombing was a response to the equally violent union-busting efforts by the anti-union "Merchant's & Manufacturers Association" know colloquially as the "M&M" lead by the Time's current owner, Harrison Gray Otis.

Otis is only one of so many larger than life characters in this book that the reader may be forgiven in assuming that he's accidentally stepped into a science fiction alternative history, (such as Harry Turtldove's Guns of the South, which is also loaded with epic characters.)

During the course of this book, you will be introduced to "America's Sherlock Holmes," Billy Burns; Defense Attorney Clarence Darrow; and even D.W. Griffith, who (almost unintentionally, it appears) creates the first use of motion pictures as a medium with a message and a social conscience. It's Griffith's film "Corner in Wheat" (see D.W. Griffith: Years Of Discovery: Episode 04 - Corner in Wheat (silent)) that motivates audiences instead of merely entertaining them. (At one point, Griffith's Biograph managers complain that he "can't make a movie without a chase! It's not a movie without a chase!")

Many, many elements come together to tell the story of a relatively ignored part of American history: Burn's investigation of the first union backed terrorist attack in Peoria, Illinois; Otis' militant assaults on unions; The "direct action" (bombings) of the McNamara brothers; Griffith's stirring movies; And finally the (unsuccessful) defense of the McNamara's by Clarence Darrow (who knew they were guilty.)

There are no pure heroes in this book - each believes in their own moral superiority and that "the ends justifies the means."

Howard Blum's descriptive writing is in top form here. In describing the first terrorist bomb-blast: "Shards of metal showered down, spears falling like iron lightening bolts amid the hard, hammering rain." From anyone else, such language could read like over-the-top hyperbole, but Blum delivers them in a dry, "just the facts" way that allows you to draw the mental images without being distracted by the occasionally flowery prose.

For all it's qualities, there are a few distractions. Most of the establishing chapters are short to the point of being just slightly longer than sound-bites. Some interesting possibilities are left unexplored (for example, the relationship between the forgotten Otis and the legendary Harry Chandler). It's easy to see why - these are often threads not central to the story - but why bring them up at all?

Still, as history and drama, it's fascinating and Howard Blum has written a "can't put it down novel." Anyone interested in the history of domestic terrorism, collectivism, or even the rise of Hollywood will find this a compelling read.

For the most part, I pretty much agree with the negative reviews of AMERICAN LIGHTNING. The historical events detailed in this work of narrative non-fiction are undeniably important, but the author's presentation is less than inspiring. The prose is dull and workmanlike, not unlike what you would find in a college textbook.

While AMERICAN LIGHTNING is being advertised as a "historical thriller," the events are simply not presented in a gripping or involving manner. The author attempts to connect three separate historical storylines into a united whole, but he ultimately fails to do a convincing job. The result is a rather unfocused effort I found difficult to finish.

Overall, I'd recommend avoiding this work unless you have a strong, pre-existing interest in the subject matter.

I found that in his quick summary, and what he put in his book, makes me want to do an in depth study of that time and what had happened. It was a dispute between big labor, money, and greed of lust and power.

It starts in 1909, with the beginning of Los Angeles. Los Angeles starts with bombs and violence. It's an investigating, journalistic study of the start of a huge center of media capital in the world to be. It forms just like any other city, with feuding, contentious labor unions, strikes, and violence. Turmoil forms Los Angeles, and lust runs it.

It reminds me of a school book, where they don't go into explicit detail but it makes you want to go and do research on books that go into further detail on the subject. The book acts as a powerful gateway tool for historical study. It was also based on true events which add a realistic, easier engrossing feel.

This book shows you the real side of history, there is no hero, it is as formulaic as a congress meeting. It seems the book delineates that you should use violence to get a point across, which is not promoting, but making example of what happens in the real world. The government here is always pointing fingers and wanting change and a scapegoat for their actions, not much has changed in 80 years it seems.

There is really not anything negative to say about it, it was laid out in a "easy-to-digest" way, although it does expose early America for what it was, and in that respect, it is disappointing to think we still haven't changed or evolved for the better since. It's sad to say we are still, presently, lovers of hate and haters of love.

I eagerly jumped into AMERICAN LIGHTNING, anticipating something along the lines of the historical work of Eric Larson (DEVIL IN THE WHITE CITY, ISAAC'S STORM). The description promised to bring together the lives of 3 celebrities of the early 20th century...people whose lives would cross in unexpected ways. Also, I anticipated a coming together of some major events in a way that would create an unexpected synergy (much in the way the story of serial killer H.H. Holmes and the story of the Chicago World's Fair blended in WHITE CITY).

Unfortunately, I was much disappointed. This is not to say that the events explored in AMERICAN LIGHTNING were inconsequential or uninteresting...they were fascinating without a doubt. But a hard-to-describe element was missing...perhaps the synergy I mentioned above or perhaps a true sense of being swept up in these old events in a way that made them immediate.

AMERICAN LIGHTNING tells the story of a domestic "terrorist" attack in early 1900's Los Angeles. It was a time when the strife between labor and capitalists, between unions and owners, was reaching a boiling point. Things had moved from mere demonstrations and strikes to violence and threats of more violence. When a bomb was detonated in the offices of the Los Angeles Times, 21 people died in the fire that followed...and a manhunt was launched to find those responsible. Some theorized that unions were behind this bombing. Other, more conspiracy-theory minded, thought the owners had done it themselves in order to stir public sentiment against labor. A frame-up, if you like.

The first major character to enter the scene was world-famous detective William Burns. It's interesting to realize there was a time when a detective could be world-famous...and not fictional like Sherlock Holmes. Burns and his considerable network of detectives, went on a nationwide manhunt for the perpetrators. The best parts of the book for me show how rudimentary forensic work and simple, tireless plodding eventually uncovered the truth. Burns certainly engaged in some tactics which these days would probably have had the whole case thrown out of court...but which I found clever and almost admirable. Certainly the resources used to solve this "crime of the century" were considerable, although primitive.

When the case comes to trial, it is the very famous lawyer Clarence Darrow (later of the Scopes Monkey Trial...the inspiration for the classic play & movie INHERIT THE WIND) who takes the spotlight. We come to learn of his internal conflicts and of his sometimes unscrupulous methods. The tricks both sides try to use to sway the case come across like cheap manipulations that wouldn't make it onto LAW AND ORDER...but apparently they were state of the art legal tactics in their day.

And threaded through all of this is the presence of early film pioneer DW Griffith. He's the director who really saw the storytelling tool film could become, and we see his early evolution as an artist, leading up to his creation of the masterwork BIRTH OF A NATION (and yes, I know it is a horribly racist film and distorts history...I'm only commenting that it was a masterpiece in its scope and artistry, as well as groundbreaking for its day).

Clearly author Howard Blum has introduced Griffith to this story (even though he is EXTREMELY tangential to it) in an effort to create this synergy. Griffith is inspired by the plight of laborers and this inspires his work. His work thus informs and inspires the public. That may all very well be true...but at no point does the story of Griffith really fit into the main story of this crime. In fact, it creates almost the opposite of the synergy I was looking for. It was a distraction and broke up the rhythm of the book.

There are really two stories here worthy of a book. The story of the crime, which is told fairly well here...and the story of early filmmaking, which feels like padding in its context in AMERICAN LIGHTNING. If the portions of the book about Griffith were simply cut...this would not have been a book-length piece. But I would have argued for no Griffith, but more background on Burns and Darrow. We're only told a little bit about how they each arrived at the place they are when the book starts. I think a few pages more devoted to each man would have sufficed to strengthen and lengthen the book. Griffith could easily be made the subject of a book all on his own (and no doubt has been many time).

Blum is not the best writer, either. His work is not clumsy or incompetent...but for most of the book, I felt as though I were reading something that was really written for a Junior High audience. A "grown-up" book for youth. While I didn't quite feel "talked down" to...I also didn't feel challenged or enlightened by the prose. It was a solid, interesting story told in a solid, workmanlike manner. I believe it could have been much, much more.

I will recommend the book, but not heartily. The history to be learned here is interesting and worthwhile. But unlike the Larson books I cite above, you won't read it avidly like you would a brilliant novel either.