My thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing- Hanover Square Press for an advance copy of this book that looks at a time in New York City when bombs were exploding, planes were being hijacked, and even the cops were handing out pamphlets to tourist visiting fear city.

I was born in the Bronx not much after the President of the United States Gerald Ford, told my city to drop dead, at least according to the tabloids. Our apartment on the eighth floor had burglar bars on all the windows, I was told not to hide under the stairs of the building as one didn't know who might be there. Our dog was a loud barking Kerry Blue Terrier, and according to my mom stopped quite a few visits from the fire escape. My parents like so many others left the city for the country, and as I was too young, I really had no idea how bad it was. It was bad. Crime was high, the cops were corrupt, the city was falling apart. Added to that bombs were not bursting in air, but in buildings, docks piers. Right leaning groups, left leaning groups, anarchists, and joy bombers. All drawn to the Big Apple. You Have Unleashed a Storm: New York City’s Descent into Chaos During America’s Most Explosive Era of Radical Violence by Professor at the Center on Terrorism at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, David Viola has written an account of this time, from the point of view of the bombers, the police and federal agents, and those caught in the backdraft of politics, rage, expression, and fear.

The book begins with one of the first big acts of terrorism in New York, the bombing of Wall Street in 1920. A horse drawn cart was left in the middle of the financial district and exploded killing forty people and injury almost 150 more. This crime which is unsolved to this day, led to the government starting to ramp up its efforts to investigate groups that could be considered against the American way. Anarchists, communists, unionists and more. New York had a few more bombing incidents, one featuring a mad bomber mad at Con Edison, the power company of New York that began the idea of trying to make a profile of a suspect from their actions. By the 60's America was dealing with both racial and societal strife. Some saw America as not living up to its ideals, and some seeing America changing in ways that seemed a threat. Violence was the answer, and New York being the center of the media world was the perfect target. Viola looks at these groups from right wing Minutemen, to the Black Panthers the Weatherman, and many groups that were fighting for freedom for their people. Viola follows the suspects, the undercover agents, of which there were many, and the court cases, and finally changes in the law. Changes that in many ways affect how we live today.

We talk today about how violent things are, and how quickly we seem to be in giving up rights, but a quick look at history shows that things were far worse, not that long ago. There is an alphabet of acronym here of terrorist groups, freedom fighters, militia groups and more. All planning to blow something, someone, or anything up to get their message out there. Add in that there were skyjackings at least a few times a month, and one wonders how New York survived. And how the little rights we have know made it. Viola is a very good writer, making this much more than facts on a page. One gets a feeling for these bombers, and the cops who worked both sides of the street. Viola is fair in talking about violence on both sides, and how certain groups were targeted more than others. The book reads really well, and went by fast, and yet I learned so much I didn't know, or only vaguely remember from distant conversations between my parents.

There is a lot to recommend here. As a history it is very good, showing a horrible time in recent memory that many might not know or realize. The question of policing and how much is too much is something that comes up a bit in this book, something that we deal with today. A book that asks a lot of questions, while sharing a lot of information.