American lightning
Subtitle: terror, mystery, and the birth of Hollywood
By: Howard Blum
Edition: 1st pbk. ed.
Publisher: Three Rivers Press
Published: 2009
Place of publication: New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 339
ISBN-13: 9780307346957
Subjects: Terrorism; Bombings; History
Description: A tale of murder, deceit, celebrity, media manipulation, and film as propaganda, when the bombing of the Los Angeles Times building in 1910 exposed a deadly "national dynamite plot" by trade unionists to terrorize America with one hundred bombings in a doomed attempt to force capitalism to its knees. The relentless pursuit, capture, trial, and punishment of the bombers made a national hero of master detective Billy Burns, and entangled crusading defense lawyer Clarence Darrow in a reckless, nearly career-ending scheme to bribe witnesses and jurors and throttle justice. Meanwhile, the events inspired D.W. Griffith to make his groundbreaking film The Birth of a Nation.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 329-335).