Angelenos – who we are and how we got that way-- or rather Southern Californians, as this book really covers the whole region. As a second generation native, found this exhaustively researched and wide-ranging commentary really fascinating. A three-month project and I learned a lot! It was published in 1990, so is missing the last 20 years, which would be instructional, but it is still valuable to see how we got on the road we’re on.

Chapters are thematic and the book covers huge amounts of territory. The culture of sunshine and noir, how utopia and dystopia myths co-exist, the intellectual influences of both “debunkers” and “boosters,” European exiles, JPL and aerospace scientists and scientologists, jazz in South Central and bohemian artists in the 1940s and 1950s, with art later becoming the realm of big money and big real estate. Davis discusses the influence and power of different factions, Downtown money vs. the Westside, real estate development through the ages and the local community politics attached to it, the disintegration through neglect of South Central (setting the scenario for the riots of ’92, an event that doesn’t seem surprising after reading Davis’ analysis of the sociopolitical scene in the 1980s), and the influence of the Catholic Church throughout the region and warring factions within it (interesting too to hear what our controversial Cardinal Mahoney was up to in the 70’s and ’80s). There is a short history of gangs and of the LAPD and their clashes, and discussions of class struggle and urban design. The weakest section to me was the last chapter, a history of Fontana, from agrarian utopian possibility to boom steel-town to wasteland. A little too much detailed history of the union movement there and the fall of Kaiser Steel. It seems a little out in left field, but is the author’s home town, and may have been meant also as a metaphor for the destiny of rest of the area.

There is definitely a very liberal bias throughout. Conservatives, beware --This book is part of the Haymarket Series, which focuses on social justice and the labor movement. However, the facts are interesting, and verifiable facts are facts. Davis’s interpretations of various events and their apparent consequences are something to seriously consider, even when one does not buy in 100%.

My only major gripe is the pedantic language and foreign language phrases very liberally sprinkled throughout. Davis’ vocabulary is impressive if you like that kind of thing, but too many big and obscure words make it seem he is trying too hard to overcome his blue collar roots. But overall, a fascinating read for any serious student of California history.