Floodpath: The Deadliest Man-Made Disaster of 20th-Century America and the Making of Los Angeles

Popular knowledge of early Los Angeles’s struggle for water owes much to the film Chinatown, but documentary filmmaker and writer Wilkman (Los Angeles: A Pictorial Celebration, with Nancy Wilkman) shows that the real story of L.A.’s water is as fascinating—and devastating— as the fictionalized version. In 1928, the St. Francis Dam, which held more than 51 million tons of water for Los Angeles, failed, resulting in a 54-mile-long flood path and leaving almost 500 dead. True to its title, this book maintains a focus on the flood itself, but with ample historical context and discussion of the sociopolitical effects up to the present. Wilkman’s goal is to tell the truth about this largely forgotten episode, and he succeeds by studying the personal stories of those who were affected, the investigation into the collapse, and the various theories as to why the dam failed. His extensive research reveals the effects that institutional racism had on victim compensation and care in the flood’s aftermath, and supplies details down to the occasional meal description. More than just the story of one of the greatest tragedies in the 20th century, Wilkman’s book is also a commentary on developing safe technologies in the face of climate change. B&w photos. Agent: Mel Berger, William Morris Endeavor. (Jan.)