Reviews for San Fernando Valley: America's Suburb

The average rating for San Fernando Valley: America's Suburb based on 2 reviews is 4.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2008-08-01 00:00:00 Gregory Rowell Whenever I go on vacation or travel somewhere, I always end up buying a book or two about the history of that place, and return home a mini-expert. Upon finding this book at the library, I realized I've lived in Los Angeles for 10 years and hadn't done much to learn the history of the other Los Angeles: the San Fernando Valley. Kevin Roderick's book traces the history of "The Valley" from its original settlement by Spanish settlers to it's 20th century history of rancheros and egg farms, to the post-war suburban boom, defense industries, and freeways. And of course, the malls and valley girls. It was fascinating to read about the streets and neighborhoods I drive through every day. The book is full of trivia and stories regarding famous valley residents (Lucille Ball, Bob Hope, Cecil B. DeMille) and unusual events (the valley's "Woodstock" weekend a few months before the real "Woodstock", a mid-air plane crash raining down on an elementary school, numerous earthquakes). Being written by a newspaper reporter and published by the LA Times, the book reads very easily, with the emphasis being on delivering information quickly and painlessly. All-in-all, a very readable history of an interesting place.

Review # 2 was written on 2008-07-12 00:00:00 Malcolm Haggerty This may not be 5 stars to anyone who isn't interested in the San Fernando Valley history, but for anyone who is, it is a treasure trove of fascinating facts. This extremely well-researched book was damned hard to put down. Now I know where the local Tongva indians painted petroglyphs, the passes in the mountains I'm most likely to find an old cannonball in, where the Los Angeles river begins. I live in an area where a chicken ranch was and people tried to live on an acre of property with four palms on each corner of the land as described by Mr. Weeks, a gentleman who used to play violin down where the El Pollo Loco is now. Not for everyone, but anyone interested in the local history of the area will find this book riveting.