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

" This is a painful read - not well done and I'm struggling to finish "

" I didn't quite finish this book group book and didn't like it enough to keep reading. I think I would like it during a less busy time in my life and it might make a great movie. "

" Non fiction book - very engaging - the story of an explosion in October 1,1910 which destroyed the anti-union Los Angles Times Building and killed 21 people. Story of how the investigator Billy Burns investigates the crime and how it intersects with the lives of Clarence Darrow who is defending the men accused of setting off the dynamite and D.W. Griffith who is developing the films with social statements. Highly recommended. Book is extremely well researched "

" I think this is a very reflective book on our own times of social upheaval and the battle of progressives vs conservatives and the force of technology in moving history. The forgotten act of domestic terrorism and the rise of some poerful and infulential men and women a true history that reads like a novel. "

" Fans of The Devil in the White City should like this one. It's narrative history set against the backdrop of the bombing of a conservative turn-of-the-century newspaper. Clarence Darrow and D.W. Griffith are a couple of the more famous people the book tracks through the case. Lightweight history but an entertaining read. "

" Excellent! You forget the events happened 100 years ago - the author does a great job of making you feel these are contemporary events. "

" Generallly a good, fast-paced read. I had no idea about the "crime of the century", although since it occurred in 1910 I guess there wasn't much competition at that time. The portrait of Darrow that emerged was certainly not the impression that everyone has of him. Billy Burns emerges as a somewhat scurrilous character, but 1910 was a different time and place. It was amazing that he was able to "direct" the police as he proceeded in his investigation. Not great literature, but fun to read. "

" This is really good - fairly easy read although it took me about 40 pages to get into. Great 100 year old story that applies to modern times - terror, class struggle... I also enjoyed early learning about Hollywood, D.W. Griffith and would love to see some of his early works. "

" A nice, quick, enjoyable history of a fogotten major headline from the beginning of the last century. A good job of mixing the stories of three prominent men and their storylines. "

" Another well-done book about an actual historical event. It was really very interesting how the author blended details about the union bombings with the start of the movie industry. "

" I can't believe we never learned about this case in high school history! The true story of the bombing of the Los Angeles Times in the beginning of the 1900s - it's a story of early unions, the rise of Socialism and the beginning of the movie business. It's a great detective story, very well told. "

" Clarence Darrow and D.W. Griffith are among the memorable characters in the mystery of the explosion of the L.A. Times building. "

" I kept checking the cover to make sure this was indeed a non-fiction book and not a novel. So many different threads swirling and intersecting. This book actually led me into a two year perusal of early silent movies and their development starting with D.W. Griffith. "

" This book did not capture my interest whatsoever. I got just over halfway through before I gave up on reading it. Should I create a new "started to read, but never finished" shelf? I tried! "

" meh. not that exciting- although it is an interesting story, I'm not sure what's with all the 'full of heartstopping action' reviews on the back of the book. "

" Fascinating account of the 1910 bombing of the Los Angeles Times that goes far beyond this one event into the lives of the people involved and America at the turn of the century. One of the best written and most engaging books about history I've read in years. Highly recommended. "

" To me, any writing of this genre needs to measure up to Erik Larson (Devil in the White City). This book doesn't measure up. The story was interesting, but not a page turner. "

" It was very interesting and clever. Three famous Americans successful in different fields collide at one point in history. Good insights into early 20th century American thinking and the rise of unions especially pertinent to life today. "

" Not as good as "The White City" but I learned a lot about the era and the three major personages that make up this book. The D. W. Griffith and early days of NYC film on 14th street was the best part. "

" This book did not capture my interest whatsoever. I got just over halfway through before I gave up on reading it. Should I create a new "started to read, but never finished" shelf? I tried! "

" I listened to the audiobook - good reader, very interesting story. "

" Turner Classic Movies had a recent TV series on the history of movies in the U.S. It was interesting to compare this book to that series, even more so since I was experiencing both at the same time. "

" I found this book rather hard to get through. "

" To me, any writing of this genre needs to measure up to Erik Larson (Devil in the White City). This book doesn't measure up. The story was interesting, but not a page turner. "

" Not a bad book, but Blum's cavalier approach to little things like sourcing for quotes and historical context really got in the way of what he was trying to say. "

" Well, maybe it is my history major getting in the way, but this was really sensationalized. "

" very interesting history of the beginnings of hollywood, the beginnings of LA, a great lawyer, and a great detective right after the turn of the century. "