Book excerpt: "Torched" by Jonathan Vigliotti

One Signal/Atria Books We may receive an affiliate commission from anything you buy from this article. In his new book, "Torched: How a City Was Left to Burn, and the Olympic Rush to Rebuild L.A." (to be published May 12 by One Signal/Atria Books), CBS News national correspondent Jonathan Vigliotti, who covered last year's catastrophic wildfires that destroyed thousands of homes and businesses in Southern California, writes of the warning posed by the inadequate response – to the fires, as well as to the daunting task of rebuilding. Read an excerpt below, and don't miss Jonathan Vigliotti discuss the rebuilding of Los Angeles on "CBS Sunday Morning" May 10! "Torched" by Jonathan Vigliotti Prefer to listen? Audible has a 30-day free trial available right now. Optical Illusion The mahogany-colored sandstone and shale cliffs that tower over the Pacific Ocean resemble a wall of massive tree trunks, chiseled by thousands of years of wind, rain, and surf. The optical illusion reminded early settlers of the blockades of wooden stakes, or palisades, built around forts to ward off threats. It was the perfect name for a new town that would test the limits of American ingenuity against some of the most extreme environmental conditions in the West. Pacific Palisades first broke ground on its clifftop perch in the early 1900s. …