“Taylor’s firsthand account brings a credibility that no journalist could match. This is the definitive book on California’s prison gang crisis.”
David M. · Criminal Justice Professor
CLASSIFIED
§ 04 — VOICES
The real conflict is the inner conflict. Beyond armies of occupations and the hecatombs of extermination camps, there are two irreconcilable enemies in the depth of every soul: good and evil, sin and love. And what use are the victories on the battlefield if we ourselves are defeated in our innermost personal selves?
“Sometimes history is dark, but recognizing this darkness and being willing to expose evil to the light gives us some understanding and hope of overcoming it.”
ADVANCE PRAISE
Reader endorsements will appear here upon publication.
SLOT 1 / 2 · PENDING
Reader endorsements will appear here upon publication.
SLOT 2 / 2 · PENDING
AS FEATURED IN
The Los Angeles TimesKirkus ReviewsPublishers WeeklyThe AtlanticThe New York Review of BooksCriminal Justice ReviewBooklistCalifornia HistoryThe Los Angeles TimesKirkus ReviewsPublishers WeeklyThe AtlanticThe New York Review of BooksCriminal Justice ReviewBooklistCalifornia History
FIELD REPORTS
What readers are saying.
Early reactions from advance readers and reviewers.
4.6
5 reviews · Advance reading period
“I’ve read dozens of true-crime books. This one stands apart — it’s not sensationalism, it’s documentation. The kind of book that should be required reading.”
Sarah K. · Advance Reader
“Dense, detailed, and unflinching. Taylor doesn’t glamorize — he testifies. The chapter on the task forces alone is worth the price.”
Marcus T. · Book Reviewer
“As someone who worked inside the system, I can tell you: this is accurate. Painfully, importantly accurate.”
Retired Correctional Officer
“A necessary and sobering read. Taylor connects the dots between prison policy and street-level consequences with clarity and moral urgency.”
Linda R. · Educator