Listen to a sample
The Golden Fortress
- Author
- Bill Lascher
- Narrator
- Jay Smack
- Publisher
- Blackstone Publishing
- Publish Date
- 9 August 2022
- Run Time
- 8 hours 31 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
What to expect
In February 1936, Los Angeles police officers drove hundreds of miles to California’s state borders with one mission: turn back anyone deemed too poor to enter.
Myths of the Golden State’s abundance enticed thousands of Americans uprooted by the Depression, but those who created those myths saw only invading criminal “hordes” that they believed just one man could stop: James “Two-Gun” Davis, Los Angeles’ authoritarian police chief.
The Golden Fortress tells the story of Davis’s audacious deployment of hand-picked armed police slamming California’s door on America’s Dust Bowl refugees and Depression-displaced migrants. It depicts the sometimes deadly consequences of law enforcement politicized and weaponized against the poor, even in remote places like Modoc County, where a sheriff’s opposition to the blockade inflamed an already smoldering feud between an itinerant newsman and a publisher obsessed with her California heritage.
Davis, blessed by his city’s ruling business class and fueled by his own wild claims of communist conspiracies undermining America, deployed his “Foreign Legion” to California’s state lines, threatening democracy even as the nation’s cities and rural communities juggled the burdens of economic recovery, migrant aid, and public safety.
Critics Review
-
“Lascher makes history come alive in this tale of the LAPD, migrants, xenophobia, economic anxiety, and the ever-present myths of California and belonging. The past feels present in his cogent, compelling history.”
Edan Lepucki, New York Times bestselling author
-
“History at its most alive: gripping, detailed, and compassionate. The story of a big city and a small town in a standoff over what America should be.”
Eric Nusbaum, author of Stealing Home
-
“A lively narrative that touches on…the militarization of borders, freedom of movement, and the politics of fear. A great read.”
Kathryn S. Olmsted, author of Right out of California
-
“Masterfully researched…This oft-forgotten episode from California’s past has never been more relevant than today.”
Nathan Masters, host and executive producer of Lost L.A.
User Reviews
No reviews yet.
Details
- Author
- Bill Lascher
- Narrator
- Jay Smack
- Duration
- 8 hours 31 minutes
- Release Date
- 9 August 2022
- ISBN
- 9798212030175
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- Blackstone Publishing
- Genre
- History of the Americas, Local history, Regional, state and other local government, General and world history
Synopsis
In February 1936, Los Angeles police officers drove hundreds of miles to California’s state borders with one mission: turn back anyone deemed too poor to enter.Myths of the Golden State’s abundance enticed thousands of Americans uprooted by the Depression, but those who created those myths saw only invading criminal “hordes” that they believed just one man could stop: James “Two-Gun” Davis, Los Angeles’ authoritarian police chief.The Golden Fortress tells the story of Davis’s audacious deployment of hand-picked armed police slamming California’s door on America’s Dust Bowl refugees and Depression-displaced migrants. It depicts the sometimes deadly consequences of law enforcement politicized and weaponized against the poor, even in remote places like Modoc County, where a sheriff’s opposition to the blockade inflamed an already smoldering feud between an itinerant newsman and a publisher obsessed with her California heritage.Davis, blessed by his city’s ruling business class and fueled by his own wild claims of communist conspiracies undermining America, deployed his “Foreign Legion” to California’s state lines, threatening democracy even as the nation’s cities and rural communities juggled the burdens of economic recovery, migrant aid, and public safety.
About xigxag
xigxag is an independent, UK-based audiobook platform and the UK's only B Corp certified audiobook company. We offer nearly 150,000 audiobooks, all with professional human narration. No AI-generated voices. xigxag is rated an Ethical Consumer Best Buy for audiobooks and a top-rated ethical bookshop.
There is no subscription. You buy the audiobooks you want, you own them permanently, and prices start at $13.95. The more you listen over the year, the less you pay per book, and there is always a selection in Listen for Less from $7.95. You can also send audiobooks as gifts using our audiobook gift cards or in-app gifting.
Every audiobook on xigxag has honest reviews covering both the book and the narration, and our community features make it easy to share what you are listening to, discover what others recommend, and find your next listen.
Download or stream on iOS, Android, or in your browser. Browse the full catalogue at xigxag.co.uk.