A Review:

This book was recommended to me by Tom Hamilton at Eso Won bookstore. I could not have been more fortunate to ask him for some recommendations. If you are living in Los Angeles, this book is a must-read. It can make you hate Los Angeles and love Los Angeles simultaneously. Set the Night On Fire documents Los Angeles in the ’60s from the perspective of the oppressed communities. To do this, Jon Weiner and Mike Davis transport the reader back to that time by unearthing interviews, newspaper articles, and videos purposefully overlooked by popular media. Due to the source material, you feel that you are part of the community, and you can feel the events happen in real-time.

Set the Night On Fire does a masterful job of highlighting different pushes for equality. There is a focus on the Black Panther Party, The Nation of Islam, Chicano movement, women’s rights movement, the Asain-American fight for equal rights, the LGBTQ+ push for civil rights, and almost any community facing problems within Los Angeles at the time. Set the Night On Fire differs from other non-fiction works focused on liberation movements because it dives into the flaws of all the organizations involved. The reader can understand how internal and external problems destabilized movements. Despite giving time to the group's internal problems, Davis and Wiener do not shy away from showing the extent of evil that the police and politicians had at the time. In the face of Gestapo tactics, the communities still made great leaps in equality. Some of their oppressive practices seem to be baked into the culture of Los Angeles, but specific communities maintained the reputation of fighting for what is right. Surprisingly, the youth spearheaded the movements and often felt the greatest wrath. The development, execution, and aftermath of each movement in the face of oppression is thoroughly explored– giving context to the Los Angeles we see today. Los Angeles still has a facade of a fantasy land despite the struggles that face the people who support the wealthy. Since there is still much work to be done and a growing gap in equality, I would give everyone living in a large metropolitan area a book to read as it is a template for fighting oppression.