Book Review: ‘Cult City’ By Daniel J. Flynn

Author and columnist Daniel J. Flynn tackles not one, but two 20th century American historical figures in “Cult City: Jim Jones, Harvey Milk, and 10 Days That Shook San Francisco.” One is a devious cult leader who rocked the world by presiding over the murder and mass suicide of over nine hundred people; the second is a Progressive icon who became one of the first openly gay elected officials.

The personages discussed are the self-proclaimed reverend Jim Jones and San Francisco city superintendent Harvey Milk. The former has been called a fundamentalist Christian gone wrong and the latter has been portrayed as a martyr for identity politics by historians on the Left. Not only are these incorrect perceptions, according to Flynn, but these two men were allies who defended and helped each other in their respective pursuits of power.

As the author points out, Jones was not a Bible-thumping radical, but an atheistic socialist who railed against God and Christianity, and maintained his power in San Francisco and later South America through flattery, bribery, and sometimes blackmail. The author notes that Milk was not the soft-spoken camera shop owner-turned-politician that Sean Penn portrayed on the big screen. He was a cold, calculating politician who allegedly smeared his political opponents and outed a man who had saved the life of President Ford. That man’s life was forever altered, and he would die alone.

Flynn does not ask us to take his word for these accusations. Instead of relying on rumors, gossip, and anonymous sources, he delves into historical records, newspaper articles, and the two subjects’ own words to debunk the narrative that the Left has created around these men.

The most shocking point in the book is how connected the “Mayor of Castro Street” and the cult leader actually were. While Jones’ cult was still located in San Francisco, Milk would often visit the temple and raise awareness for their activities. Likewise, Jones would support Milk’s political ambitions and lobby for his activism.

At one point, Milk remarked, “Such greatness I have found at Jim Jones’ Peoples’ Temple.”

The book does not rely on sensationalism to explain its story, but on facts and eye-witness accounts to craft the historical descriptions as the final days of the Peoples’ Temples and the assassination of Milk approach.

“Cult City” is not only an eye-opening expose on Jones and Milk, but on the politicians and Hollywood elites who allied with them and celebrated their ideals and movements.

Daniel J. Flynn is the author of several books, including “Blue Collar Intellectuals: When The Enlightened And The Everyman Elevated America”and has written for several media outlets including The Boston Globe and City Journal.

In ‘”Cult City,” Flynn does an excellent job of keeping a decent pace. Not once did the book seem dry, but instead was interesting throughout as he details these key figures and moments in California’s history.