Let the Bunker Burn: The Final Battle With Move

by Charles W. Bowser

Let the Bunker Burn examines the events that took place in Philadelphia on May 13, 1985, during a confrontation with a cult named MOVE. City officials, including the mayor, approved a police plan to drop a bomb on the MOVE house. The explosion caused a raging fire that was allowed to burn out of control until it had consumed 61 homes and 11 MOVE members, including several children. In the aftermath there were cover-ups, excuses, and perjury. Bowser reveals disturbing conclusions about how the children were killed, why the bomb was dropped, and why the fire was permitted to burn unchecked.

183 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 1989

Reviews

[Sharyn Flanagan]

It took me longer than I expected to read this because I love Philadelphia so much and it was hard to read about the behind-the-scenes operations of that horrific day. I remember the horrible MOVE confrontations -- yes plural. Going through it as an uninformed child I thought the group was malcontents who just wanted to overthrow the city government.

As I've learned more about my hometown, my country and world and how various governments work, I better understand frustration with "the system". So I'm happy I read it with a mature understanding. But I still was quite moved as I read how our trusted officials went about handling this extreme tragedy. It will forever leave its mark on our city. This book is a must to help anyone wanting to understand Philadelphia's (and no doubt other cities') bureaucracy and a view of what fed the fires (literal and figurative) of the MOVE tragedy.

[kim]

the author was on the commission that investigated the 1985 incident.