San Antonio College Library

Private eye Jake Gittes, living off the murky moral climate of sunbaked, pre-war Southern California is hired by a beautiful socialite to investigate her husband's extra-marital affair. Gittes is swept into a maelstrom of double dealings and deadly deceits, uncovering a web of personal and political scandals that come crashing together for one, unforgettable night in Chinatown.

In Watts, California, over a period of many years, a man known to all as Uncle Sam spends his free time collecting broken bits of pottery, glass, and other scraps and turning them into a work of art.

In Los Angeles, the New York-based novelist and short-story writer A. M. Homes checks us into the famed hotel Chateau Marmont and uses life at this iconic landmark as a multifaceted prism through which she views and experiences Los Angeles culture, past and present. Built in the 1920s, the Chateau Marmont is where the famous and infamous have always come to stay-some for a few days, others for months at a time-and sometimes, like John Belushi, to...

During the sultry evening of August 11, 1965, a Los Angeles policeman flagged down a 21-year-old African American man for speeding. It was this seemingly trivial incident, followed by a series of tragic misunderstandings, that erupted in the conflagration known as the Watts Riot. In the ensuing battle between the ghetto and the police, who were aided by 14,000 National Guardsmen, 34 persons died, 4,000 were arrested and property damage totaled $35...

Each book in this series focuses on a celebrated building, chosen for its exceptional character, innovative design or technical virtuosity. Included is a text by a respected author, plus technical drawings, photographs and working details.

"The most comprehensive guide over published to the man-made environment of Southern California. Contains hundreds of entries plus notes on city history, freeways, murals, and historic preservation. Also, a comprehensive bibliography, a photographic history of Los Angeles architecture, and an unequalled style glossary. David Gebhard and Robert Winter deftly pilot the enthusiast through one of the richest architectural regions in the world. With perception,...

"From the frontier days of silent film up to the wild auteur period of the 1970s, Mark Bailey has pillaged the vaults of Hollywood history and lore to dig up the true--and often surprising--stories of seventy of our most beloved actors, directors, and screenwriters at their most soused"--Amazon.com.