In 1910, 21 people died when The Los Angeles Times was bombed. Other bombs planted around the city failed to explode. Eager, desperate even, to solve the "crime of the century," the city of Los Angeles hired private detective Billy Burns - himself the Sherlock Holmes of his day - to investigate. Billy finds his man, or men as the case may be, and then finds himself entangled in the shenanigans of Clarence Darrow, who has been hired to defend the bombers. All the while, both Burns and Darrow find their tactics being increasingly influenced by the nascent movie industry, particularly the work of D.W. Griffith who is in the process of creating Hollywood as we know it today.
All of this Howard Blum ties together brilliantly, in a face-paced, action-packed 300 pages that I could not read fast enough. Very quickly, Blum brings to life the people and events of 100 years ago, from Mary Pickford's pique at Griffith to LA Mayor George Alexander's underhanded deal to bring water to the city - and a profit to himself. In a day and age when the new cycle seldom lasts an afternoon, it's difficult to appreciate the way in which the bombing and subsequent trial dominated headlines. (In this way, I was reminded of the SS Eastland and other similar headline-dominating horrors, now long forgotten.)
Ultimately, Blum's work is the simultaneous telling of the creation of Hollywood and the early twentieth century battle between capitalism and labor. The way in which he connects these is fascinating; there's something here for everyone, from mystery and suspense to social commentary to film buffs, and I have no qualms about recommending it widely.
Four stars.
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