📖 Overview
Howard Blum is an American author and journalist known for his bestselling non-fiction works and investigative reporting. A former reporter for The New York Times where he received two Pulitzer Prize nominations, Blum has been a contributing editor at Vanity Fair since 1994.
His literary career includes several notable works that have achieved bestseller status, including "American Lightning," which won the 2009 Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Fact Crime. Other successful books include "Gangland," "Wanted," "The Gold of Exodus," and "The Brigade: An Epic Story of Vengeance, Salvation, and WWII."
Blum's journalistic background includes writing for The Village Voice before joining The New York Times in 1986. His work has garnered significant attention in both publishing and film industries, with several of his books being optioned for motion pictures.
The author's commitment to investigative journalism and historical non-fiction has established him as a respected voice in both fields. His ability to uncover compelling historical narratives and present them to modern audiences has been a hallmark of his career since the 1980s.
👀 Reviews
Readers frequently note Blum's talent for making historical events read like thrillers. Many Amazon reviewers point to his detailed research and engaging narrative style in books like "The Last Goodnight" and "In the Enemy's House."
What readers liked:
- Clear explanations of complex historical events
- Fast-paced storytelling that maintains accuracy
- Thorough source citations and documentation
- Discovery of overlooked historical figures and events
What readers disliked:
- Some find the pacing too slow in opening chapters
- Occasional repetition of facts and details
- Several readers note confusion with multiple character storylines
- Some question certain dramatic interpretations of historical events
Ratings across platforms:
- Goodreads: Average 3.9/5 across all books
- Amazon: 4.3/5 average rating
- "American Lightning" rates highest at 4.5/5 on Amazon (2,000+ reviews)
- "The Last Goodnight" receives most critical reviews at 3.7/5 on Goodreads
One repeated reader comment praises Blum's ability to "make history come alive without sacrificing facts for drama."
📚 Books by Howard Blum
American Lightning: Terror, Mystery, Movie-Making, and the Crime of the Century
Chronicles the 1910 bombing of the Los Angeles Times building and the investigation led by legendary detective Billy Burns, connecting early Hollywood, radical unions, and the birth of modern America.
Dark Invasion: 1915: Germany's Secret War and the Hunt for the First Terrorist Cell in America Documents Germany's covert operations to sabotage American ports and factories during World War I, and the NYPD's efforts to uncover and stop these attacks.
The Brigade: An Epic Story of Vengeance, Salvation, and WWII Follows the Jewish Brigade Group, a unit of Palestinian Jews who served in the British Army during WWII and later helped Holocaust survivors reach Palestine.
The Gold of Exodus Recounts the true story of two American adventurers searching for the real Mount Sinai and its rumored treasures in Saudi Arabia.
Wanted!: The Search for Nazis in America Details the U.S. government's efforts to track down and deport Nazi war criminals living secretly in America.
Gangland: How the FBI Broke the Mob Examines the FBI's decades-long campaign to dismantle organized crime families in America through insider accounts and court documents.
The Floor of Heaven: A True Tale of the Last Frontier and the Yukon Gold Rush Follows three men—a prospector, a cowboy turned Pinkerton agent, and a criminal—during the Yukon Gold Rush of 1897.
In the Enemy's House: The Secret Saga of the FBI Agent and the Code Breaker Who Caught the Russian Spies Tells the story of how FBI agent Bob Lamphere and code-breaker Meredith Gardner worked together to uncover Soviet spy networks in America.
Dark Invasion: 1915: Germany's Secret War and the Hunt for the First Terrorist Cell in America Documents Germany's covert operations to sabotage American ports and factories during World War I, and the NYPD's efforts to uncover and stop these attacks.
The Brigade: An Epic Story of Vengeance, Salvation, and WWII Follows the Jewish Brigade Group, a unit of Palestinian Jews who served in the British Army during WWII and later helped Holocaust survivors reach Palestine.
The Gold of Exodus Recounts the true story of two American adventurers searching for the real Mount Sinai and its rumored treasures in Saudi Arabia.
Wanted!: The Search for Nazis in America Details the U.S. government's efforts to track down and deport Nazi war criminals living secretly in America.
Gangland: How the FBI Broke the Mob Examines the FBI's decades-long campaign to dismantle organized crime families in America through insider accounts and court documents.
The Floor of Heaven: A True Tale of the Last Frontier and the Yukon Gold Rush Follows three men—a prospector, a cowboy turned Pinkerton agent, and a criminal—during the Yukon Gold Rush of 1897.
In the Enemy's House: The Secret Saga of the FBI Agent and the Code Breaker Who Caught the Russian Spies Tells the story of how FBI agent Bob Lamphere and code-breaker Meredith Gardner worked together to uncover Soviet spy networks in America.
👥 Similar authors
Erik Larson writes narrative non-fiction that weaves historical events into compelling stories, focusing on lesser-known aspects of significant historical moments. His investigative approach and attention to historical detail parallel Blum's methodology in uncovering and presenting historical events.
Hampton Sides specializes in historical non-fiction with emphasis on American history and military operations, combining journalistic research with storytelling. His work covers topics similar to Blum's, including war stories and American history narratives.
Ben Macintyre focuses on espionage and military history through detailed research and primary sources, presenting historical events as narrative accounts. His books share Blum's interest in uncovering hidden stories from World War II and other significant historical periods.
Mitchell Zuckoff writes non-fiction that emphasizes investigative reporting and historical events, particularly focusing on forgotten or overlooked stories. His background as a journalist and commitment to thorough research mirrors Blum's approach to storytelling.
Daniel Kurtz-Phelan combines deep historical research with political and military analysis, focusing on international relations and American history. His work as both a journalist and author reflects Blum's dual career path and interest in complex historical narratives.
Hampton Sides specializes in historical non-fiction with emphasis on American history and military operations, combining journalistic research with storytelling. His work covers topics similar to Blum's, including war stories and American history narratives.
Ben Macintyre focuses on espionage and military history through detailed research and primary sources, presenting historical events as narrative accounts. His books share Blum's interest in uncovering hidden stories from World War II and other significant historical periods.
Mitchell Zuckoff writes non-fiction that emphasizes investigative reporting and historical events, particularly focusing on forgotten or overlooked stories. His background as a journalist and commitment to thorough research mirrors Blum's approach to storytelling.
Daniel Kurtz-Phelan combines deep historical research with political and military analysis, focusing on international relations and American history. His work as both a journalist and author reflects Blum's dual career path and interest in complex historical narratives.