Chronicles of Old Los Angeles

Exploring the Devilish History of the City of the Angels

By James Roman

Imagine the devilish history of Los Angeles: before today’s mansions and movie stars arrived, California’s largest city was a violent, ramshackle pueblo, populated by Missionaries, Native Americans, Mexicans, Japanese, and Chinese immigrants who built the railroads and waterways still in use today. From its gushing oil wells to its cresting surfboards, author James Roman explains how Alta California became the 31st state, taming the Wild West into today’s Left Coast. Learn about miser J. Paul Getty, evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson, the politics of Bobby Kennedy and Upton Sinclair, Gable and Lombard‘s romance, Marilyn Monroe‘s crypt, the achievements of Hollywood pioneers like Walt Disney, Charlie Chaplin and Max Factor; tales that could only happen in the City of the Angels.

Chronicles of Old Los Angeles tells the story of a city through:

• 24 dramatic true stories from the birth of Los Angeles to today
• Included: Edward Doheny, Henry Huntington, Abbot Kinney, William Mulholland, Warner Brothers, Harry Chandler, Mickey Cohen, Duke Kahanamoku, Sennett’s Girls, and more
• Includes 6 driving and walking tours of the places where history really happened
• Complete Index
• Appeals to history buffs, California residents and California tourists alike

About the Author:
With Chronicles of Old Los Angeles, James Roman celebrates his third Museyon title and his 20th anniversary as a writer in Los Angeles. A regular author of emerging technology, he counts writing assignments at MGM, The Walt Disney Company, Toyota, Amtrak and IBM among his California adventures. As a frequent public speaker, he has regaled listeners with his Chronicles of Old New York and Chronicles of Old Las Vegas. Fans can still spot him on re-runs of the HBO television series Six Feet Under, a break he attributes more to luck than to acumen.

978-1-940842-00-4
Trade Paperback
304 pages, 5¼ x 8
150+ Illustrations and Photos
8 Color Maps
Travel / History
$19.95
Distribution by IPG

March 2015

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