American lightning: terror, mystery, movie-making & the crime of the century / Howard Blum / 339 p.

In 1910 Los Angeles, a bomb ripped through the Los Angeles Times building, killing 21 people. Enter Billy Burns, the world's most famous detective, Clarence Darrow, one of the nation's foremost attorneys, and, by extension, D. W. Griffith, one of the fathers of motion pictures in America.

Genre
This is narrative history that reads like a detective/legal procedural. Readers who enjoy a good mystery will enjoy this. Fans of legal procedurals will find it hard to put down. And history buffs will be impressed with the storytelling in this book.

Synopsis
Author Blum takes a narrative look at the bombing which came to be called the crime of the century. While doing so, he interweaves the story of three famous American figures of the early 20th century: detective Billy Burns ; director D. W. Griffith ; and defense attorney Clarence Darrow. He delves into their private lives and personalities to show motives for their actions at the time. He also examines the cultural history of the United States of the time to expose factors that led to the bombing and heavily influenced the investigation and prosecution of the crime. Weaved throughout the story is the struggle between organized labor and capitalists.

Analysis/Recommendation
Occasionally, a great history book comes along about a subject that has mostly faded from the American consciousness. This is one of those books. Blum is a journalist, but tells this story like a novel. The plot moves chronologically from event to event as the investigation discovers evidence and the perpetrators' motives and efforts are exposed. Even a surprise ending makes this book read more like a novel than nonfiction. The book takes fascinating side trips into the early history of motion pictures and movie theaters in America. It is well worth the read.

I recommend this book for everyone, nonfiction and fiction reader alike. Not only is it a good read, but it teaches the reader of a historical event that was impacted by factors not too different from those today, one hundred years later.